Transfer, Transient, Correspondence, and Independent Study Credit

See Transfer Admission for additional regulations outlining acceptance of transfer credit. Credit accepted by transfer is for equivalent semester hours only and does not affect the grade levels required on work attempted at this University or reduce the amount of residence credit required. Credit accepted by transfer must be earned within the time limits prescribed for degree completion at this institution. Graduate courses where pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory is the recorded grade may not be transferred.

A student who wishes to enroll at another institution in temporary transient status and transfer credits back to UNA should secure advance approval from the dean of the college in which the major is housed. Students on academic probation or suspension are not permitted to transfer credits earned at other institutions back to UNA. Students enrolled in a graduate program at the University of North Alabama may not enroll as transient students at another institution without the prior approval of the dean of the college on forms prescribed for that purpose. Only students who have been unconditionally admitted to a graduate program at the University of North Alabama and who are in good standing may be approved as transients to another institution. Credit earned as a transient student at another institution will be evaluated by the same standards as transfer credit. A minimum grade of B is required. Grades earned will be shown on the student’s permanent academic record but will not affect the UNA grade point average. See Transient Admission for additional regulations outlining transient approval. Enrollment in another institution without prior approval constitutes withdrawal from the program and requires reapplication for admission as a transfer student.

Students should be aware that UNA cannot award credit for any course taken at another institution until the official transcript has been received from the other institution and the course has been approved by UNA. If a student enrolls in another institution during the term that the student anticipates graduating from UNA, the student must be diligent to assure that the other institution submits the official transcript to UNA early enough for the credit to be evaluated and recorded on the student’s transcript and in time for the course(s) and grade(s) to be recorded and the official degree audit conducted by the Registrar’s Office before clearing the student for graduation.

No credit earned through correspondence is accepted for graduate credit.

A maximum of two courses (six semester hours) of independent study may be applied to a degree.

Audit

A graduate student may enroll in a graduate course for audit on the approval of the dean of the college. Fees for audited courses are the same as for courses taken for credit. Courses taken for audit are considered at full equivalency in determining maximum schedule load; however, they do not count toward the minimum class load required for eligibility for financial aid, athletics, and/or veterans’ benefits. A course may be audited and then repeated for credit. Unless extreme extenuating circumstances exist, a course cannot be changed from credit to audit after the close of registration.

Attendance

Graduate work is based on levels of maturity and seriousness of purpose which assume regular and punctual class attendance. In order to protect academic status, circumstances necessitating extended absences should be the basis for conferral with the appropriate college dean. Each student is directly responsible to the individual professor for absences and for making up work missed. Particular policies and procedures on absences and makeup work are established in writing for each class, are announced by the professor at the beginning of the term, and for excessive absences, may provide for appropriate penalties including reduction in grades or professor-initiated withdrawal from class. Official written excuses for absences are issued only for absences incurred in connection with university-sponsored activities. For all other types of group or individual absences, including illness, authorization or excuse is the province of individual professors. Students should expect their instructors to monitor attendance as required by the Federal Student Aid Handbook, (Volume 5, Chapter 2).

Schedule of Courses

Students wishing to add a course after the close of registration must secure approval from the appropriate instructor, department chair, and dean.

Hour Loads

The maximum class load for graduate students is 12 semester hours in any semester; fall, spring, or summer. 

The hour loads listed below are for academic time status levels and not the hour requirements needed to determine financial aid eligibility.  For enrollment requirements for Title IV aid, please visit https://www.una.edu/financial-aid/terms--conditions.html.

Fall and Spring Full Terms (16 weeks):

• Full Time – 9 hours
• ¾ Time – 7 hours
• ½ Time – 5 hours
• < ½ Time – 1 hour

Fall and Spring 8-Week Sessions

• Full Time – 4 hours
• ¾ Time – 3 hours
• ½ Time – 2 hours
• < ½ Time – 1 hour

Summer Sessions

• Full Time – 6 hours
• ¾ Time – 5 hours
• ½ Time – 3 hours
• < ½ Time – 1 hour

Mini Sessions

• Full Time – 1 hour

Graduate Courses

Graduate courses at the 500/600 level are open only to qualified graduate students, undergraduate students who have been accepted into an Accelerated Master's Program, RN-MSN bridge students, and senior undergraduate students within one semester of graduation who have received Dean approval.  Courses numbered 500 have been approved for credit in master’s degree programs subject to advisory approval, but not more than one-half of the credit required for   the master’s degree may be earned in such courses. (MBA students must take at least 31 graduate hours at the 600-level). Graduate students approved for enrollment in 500-level courses will be expected to satisfy special requirements, including readings, papers, and projects in addition to the requirements for undergraduate students in the same course. Admission to all courses requires satisfaction of stated prerequisites unless waived by the chair of the department or the dean of the college. Students will not be permitted to receive credit for a 500-level course if they have received credit for the comparable senior-level undergraduate course.

Course numbers 651 and 652 are reserved for special courses offered from time to time in response to special circumstances. When offered they are identified by department, content, and credit.

The class schedules published prior to each term should be consulted for the most current course information. Projections of graduate course offerings for several terms in advance are maintained by the chair of the department in which the courses are offered. The University reserves the right to cancel any class for which enrollment is insufficient.

Academic Dismissal

For students who have been dismissed from a graduate program for academic or other reasons, reinstatement in the program requires the approval of the respective College Readmissions Committee on the basis of extenuating circumstances. A written appeal must be directed through the Dean of the College for which the student wishes reinstatement. If approved, reinstatement may be based on special conditions and is subject to the regulations and standards in effect at the time of re-enrollment. Following reinstatement, a new application for admission must be filed in the Office of Graduate Admissions along with a current bank letter.

Reinstatement

For a student who has been eliminated from the graduate program for scholastic or other reasons, reinstatement in the program requires approval of the respective College Readmissions Committee on the basis of extenuating circumstances. Reinstatement may be considered by the respective College Readmissions Committee only upon written appeal directed through the dean of the college. Reinstatement, if approved, may be based on special conditions and is subject to the regulations and standards in effect at the time of reenrollment. Following reinstatement, a new application for admission must be filed in the Office of Graduate Admissions. A student dismissed from one graduate program who desires admission to another graduate program must meet the admission standards of that program and be admitted to that program.