Registering for Other Catagories of Study

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Independent Study offers a matriculated student the opportunity to initiate individual research or advanced projects that are beyond the limits of the standard curriculum, with limited supervision. Independent Study is available to Junior and Senior undergraduate students who have a minimum 2.5 GPA and to graduate students in good standing. To enroll in an Independent Study, the student must follow these guidelines:

1. Obtain an Independent Study Form from the Office of the Registrar.
2. Prepare a proposal and identify a University of the Arts faculty member having expertise in the area of investigation who is willing to serve as the course advisor. With the consultation of the course advisor, complete the Independent Study Form, which must include a semester plan for the course of study, indicating the number of credits being taken and the evaluation criteria. The form must be signed by the course advisor and the student’s department chair/school director.
3. Present the approved Independent Study Form at registration or within the Drop/Add period, along with your registration or Drop/Add form. The course number for an independent study is the department code (the course advisor’s department) and course number “999” (Example: FAPR 999).
4. Each Independent Study may be taken for one to three credits in Liberal Arts, 1.5 to six credits in CAD, and one to six credits in CPA and CMAC.
5. The student is responsible for documenting the content of the Independent Study work to other institutions or outside agencies.
6. Students cannot elect the Pass/Fail or Audit options for Independent Study.

Independent Study cannot fulfill major requirements. Independent Study may serve as free, studio, and liberal arts electives, depending on the topic of investigation. Students cannot apply more than 12 total credits of independent study towards their degree requirements.

Credit for an Independent Study cannot be reduced or increased after the student has registered.

Independent study by graduate students is governed by the policies listed above with the following exception:

The course number for graduate independent study is the department code (the course advisor’s department) and course number, e.g., GRPR 690.

Internships allow matriculated undergraduate students in their Junior or Senior year to earn academic credit while working in their chosen field. Internship courses are scheduled during the fall and spring semesters and, with special permission from their dean and department chair/director, during the summer. To register for an internship, see the course bulletin and the appropriate department for current offerings. Internship courses are graded on a Pass/Fail basis.

Students who intend to enroll in Summer Internships and receive academic credit for the experience must pre-register in the spring if the internship is to be included on the fall schedule and transcript. (Such courses will be calculated as part of the fall credit load for billing purposes.) It is the responsibility of students wishing to take summer internships to identify faculty who are willing to sponsor and are able to supervise their work. Summer internships cannot be added to the schedule once the internship has begun.

Students may not apply more than six internship credits toward their degree requirements, with the exception of students who major in Dance or Theater. For detailed information please see the Internship section of the Art and Design section of this Catalog, and the course descriptions in this catalog.

The University offers minors and concentrations for undergraduate degree candidates who wish to focus on a specific discipline through organized electives. Please refer to the college sections of this catalog for information about offerings, eligibility, prerequisites, and course requirements. You may also contact the departments directly for additional information.

Students wishing to include a minor as part of their undergraduate program should be advised that some major/minor combinations may not be completed, thus it is not always possible to complete a minor, and there are no penalties for starting a minor and not completing it. Students are not permitted to continue pursuit of the minor once all degree requirements have been met. All University minors are governed by the following guidelines:

1. Students must meet eligibility requirements, which may include a satisfactory grade-point average, prerequisites, and departmental portfolio review.
2. An intent to complete a minor is declared by filing the completed Minor Declaration Form with the Office of the Registrar. The forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.
3. A student may not major and minor in the same program, except where indicated.
4. Courses applied to the minor may only be applied towards elective requirements.
5. All minors require a minimum of 15 credits, with the exception of E-Music for Music majors. Generally, no substitutions to the minor requirements are allowed. In exceptional situations where substitutions are granted, they must have the approval of both the major and minor program advisors.
6. The requirements of the minor must be completed prior to graduation.
7. A student pursuing a minor may be required to complete more than the minimum number of credits required to complete the undergraduate degree in order to also complete the minor.
8. Minors are available only to undergraduate students.

The University encourages students to take courses outside their major department and college. To facilitate this goal, the University offers a wide selection of courses that are open without prerequisites. Students may select from introductory electives and non-major courses. In general, upper-level courses will have specific prerequisites, which must be satisfied prior to registration. Students interested in these areas are advised to contact the department chairperson or school director regarding specific course offerings and prerequisite requirements.

Private instrumental/vocal lessons for non-majors may be taken for elective credit (1.5 credits, seven hours of instruction per semester) with permission of the Director of the School of Music. An additional fee is required.

No course, including graduate courses, that has satisfied undergraduate degree requirements may be counted again for graduate credit.

Audited courses are an excellent mechanism for students to refresh their skills and/or understanding of a topic without the pressure of pursuing a grade. Audited courses carry no credit and do not satisfy degree requirements. An audited course may not be repeated for credit. Therefore, students may not audit a required course unless the course requirement has already been satisfactorily met as dictated by their degree requirements. Regular tuition rates are charged for audited courses, and they are included in the full-time tuition charge. Audited courses will be indicated on the transcript with a grade of “AU” and may be registered for until the end of the Drop/Add period.

Foreign and summer study opportunities are available through programs hosted by other regionally accredited U.S. institutions. Students who wish to study abroad or at another U.S. school for one or two semesters and earn credit towards the UArts degree requirements will need the advice and approval of their department chair/director and a written agreement prior to participation in the desired program of study.

Interested students should meet with the Director of International Student Services to discuss issues such as program selection, timing, and feasibility, and to receive guidance on the necessary processes. Those who choose to participate must complete the Petition for Approval of Off-Campus Study, available through the Office of the Registrar. This Petition process serves several purposes: it maintains the student’s status at UArts as an active degree candidate; it documents the approval of off-campus coursework for transfer credits; and, when applicable, registers the student for the place-holder credits necessary to the financial aid allocation process.

In order to complete the form, each student must meet with his/her department chairperson/director to review transfer credit options and their effect on the student’s progress towards degree completion. Students seeking credit to be applied to Liberal Arts degree requirements must also have approval from the Dean of Liberal Arts. Students who have submitted an approved Petition for Off-Campus Study remain active degree candidates at UArts. In some cases, the student may register and pay tuition at the host institution. In other cases, it may be to the student’s advantage to register and pay tuition at UArts. Each student must consult the Office of Financial Aid to review possible financing options and implications. This should be done at least six months before the program begins.

While away, the student should also keep the Office of Financial Aid informed of any changes in status. More information regarding financial aid can be found in the Financial Aid section of this catalog. To finalize credits earned while off-campus, the student must send a transcript to the Office of the Registrar. Students must receive a grade of “B” or better in order to receive transfer credit. Upon his/her return, the student should review the degree audit to confirm whether the transfer of credits has been posted to the transcript, and meet with his/her advisor to develop a plan for completion of any remaining degree requirements.

Students must attend a program sponsored by a regionally accredited U.S. institution in order to petition for approval of off-campus study. Students who elect to attend a non-accredited or foreign institution must petition for a Personal Leave of Absence, may not be eligible for Financial Aid, and have no guarantee that any coursework completed will be eligible for transfer to their degree program. For more information on petitioning for evaluation of foreign transcripts, please see the Office of the Registrar.

The University of the Arts and University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) have an exchange program that allows students from both universities to take advantage of their courses and special facilities.  The agreement allows ten students from the College of Media & Communication and the School of Music to take one course a semester at the University of the Sciences.  Paying regular UArts tuition, students may take up to 18 credits of course work at the University of the Sciences over six semesters, which count in all regards as UArts courses. 

The USP courses that are available cover a broad range of subjects – the sciences, foreign languages, the social sciences, history and political sciences, computer science and mathematics, and business and marketing.  In addition, exchange students have full access to the USP library, an athletic center with gym, strength training equipment and a three-lane 25-yard pool. 

For more information, contact the dean of the College of Media & Communication.

A student in the final year of the bachelor’s degree program may take a maximum of six credits of graduate courses toward a master’s degree, subject to all of the following conditions:

1. The student must have completed the Junior level of the major.
2. The graduate credits must be over and above the credits required for the bachelor’s degree and may not be applied to that degree.
3. The student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better.
4. Permission is granted by the department chairperson/director and dean of the college.
5. No more than a total of six credits, taken either as a UArts undergraduate or non-matriculated student, or taken at another college or university, may be applied to the graduate program.