Academic Options

« Return to Academic Policies 

Auditing a Course

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 are included in the full-time tuition charge. Audited courses will be indicated on the transcript with a grade of “AU”.

Change of Major/Degree Program/College

Students may request a change of major through the Office of the Registrar. Students are advised to initiate the Change of Major process prior to advising and registration for the upcoming semester. The petition requires the approval of the appropriate chairpersons or directors of both the former and the intended new department or school. The student will be required either to present a portfolio or to audition as part of the transfer review process. Please note that acceptance into a new major program within the University may be contingent upon the successful completion of the courses in which the student was enrolled at the time the application to make the change was submitted. Therefore, approval to change majors may be rescinded based on the result of that semester’s coursework.

After completion of a change of major, students are advised to review their degree program requirements with their new academic advisor, the department chair or school director, and the dean of the appropriate college.

Independent Study

Independent Study offers a matriculated student the opportunity to initiate individual research or advanced projects that are beyond the courses offered by a program or area, with appropriate supervision by a faculty member. The Independent Study option 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 registrar.uarts.edu or in person at the Office of the Registrar.
2. Identify a University of the Arts faculty member with expertise in the area of investigation who is willing to serve as the course instructor. In consultation with that faculty member develop a proposal and 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 to be used by the faculty member in defining the course grade.

3. Independent Study Forms should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, signed by the faculty member and the department chair or school director. The form only grants a student permission to register for an Independent Study. Students must then register for the Independent Study either online or in person at the Office of the Registrar during the registration period. Independent Study Forms submitted during the advising period will be coded in the system, allowing students to register for the Independent Study online. The course number for an independent study is the department code (the course advisor’s department), the course number “999” (Example: FAPR 999), and the section number “00”. The course number for graduate independent study is the department code (the course advisor’s department), the course number, e.g., GRPR690, and the section number “00”

4. An Independent Study course may earn one to three credits in liberal arts, 1.5 to six credits in CAMD, and one to six credits in CPA. The number of credits earned is a function of the scope of work pursued in the course.

5. The student is responsible for documenting the content of the Independent Study work to other institutions or outside agencies, should they require further information beyond the student’s transcript.

6. Students cannot elect the Pass/Fail or Audit options for Independent Study.

Independent Study cannot fulfill specific major requirements. Independent Study courses may serve as free, studio, and/or 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.

Internships

Internships allow matriculated graduate students and 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, spring, and summer terms. Some internship courses are graded only on a Pass/Fail basis, others require a letter grade. To learn more, or to register for an internship, see online course listings and the appropriate department for current offerings.

Up to three credits of a summer internship may be taken at no tuition charge. Additional credits above the three-credit maximum will incur charges at the per credit tuition rate. Students may not apply more than six internship credits toward their degree requirements, with the exception of students who major in Dance or Theater.

Undergraduate Minors/Concentrations

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 “Minors and Concentrations” section of this catalog for information about offerings, eligibility, prerequisites, and course requirements. You may also contact the departments directly for additional information.

Students are encouraged to declare a specific minor if the minor contributes to meeting their educational goals. There is no penalty for declaring a minor and not completing it. Students are not permitted to continue pursuit of the minor once all degree requirements have been met and the degree has been conferred. 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/or 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 on registrar.uarts.edu or in person at 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, including liberal arts electives.
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, the advisor for a minor or concentration may choose to approve a substitution.
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.

Pass/Fail Option

1. In courses taken on a Pass/Fail basis, the standard letter grades of A to C are converted to OP by the Registrar. A grade of C- to F is recorded as OF.
2. A Request for Pass/Fail form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the close of registration. Forms are available for download from registrar.uarts.edu or in person at the Office of the Registrar. After registration has closed no change can be made to the Pass/Fail status of a course.
3. Grades of OP or OF are not computed in the grade point average.
4. The course instructor is not to be informed as to who is enrolled on a Pass/Fail basis.
5. Availability of this option is limited to a total of nine credits in liberal arts courses or studio electives during the student’s undergraduate career. Pass/Fail courses may not include First Year Writing courses, courses that meet liberal arts core requirements, any Independent Study courses, or any required discipline history course.

Private Lessons

Private instrumental or vocal lessons may be taken by non-music majors 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.

Study Abroad and Off-campus Study Policies and Procedures

Study abroad, domestic mobility, and exchange opportunities are available through programs hosted or coordinated through regionally accredited U.S. institutions, or through direct application to a foreign institution whose courses the University has agreed to accept for credit. The selection of a program should be made carefully, as it may have implications for cost, financial aid, transferability of credits, progress in the major, and progress toward completion of degree requirements.

Study abroad options fall into three categories:

• International Exchange programs: University of the Arts students have the opportunity to be considered to study away from Philadelphia at one of the University’s partner institutions by participating in a student exchange. The International Exchange Program enables select UArts students to study at a variety of institutions while earning University of the Arts credit and being immersed in the culture of some of the world’s most exciting cities.
  
  Many universities offer course work in English, while others require advanced knowledge of a foreign language.
  
  Students who are approved to enroll in the  International Exchange Program pay UArts tuition which allows students to maintain their financial aid package, including grants and scholarships (unique partner fees may be required). Students may also apply for additional financial aid (in the form of loans) for study abroad through the  Student Financial Services Office.
  
  
• Direct enrollment options: The University of the Arts maintains agreements with partner institutions, particularly in the United Kingdom, that permit students to enroll directly for a semester or longer. There is normally an application process specific to the institution and space is not guaranteed. Students enrolling in these programs pay University of the Arts tuition and the University of the Arts pays the partner institution’s tuition on behalf of the student.  For institutions with tuition that exceeds UArts tuition, students will billed by UArts for the difference.
  
  
• Affiliated programs: The University maintains affiliation agreements with a select group of study abroad providers who welcome applications from UArts students. Applications for these programs are submitted through the University’s Study Abroad Office. Students enrolling in affiliate programs pay the University of the Arts tuition and the University pays the affiliate’s tuition on behalf of the student. For affiliates with tuition that exceeds that exceed UArts tuition, students will be billed by UArts for the difference.

Students should contact the Study Abroad Coordinator by telephone or e-mail (215-717-6389, studyabroad@uarts.edu)  to learn more about these options, including application deadlines, procedures, and costs. Planning for study abroad should begin before the end of the first year of study at the University in order to maximize the possibility of defining appropriate options.

The following applies to students who submit a Petition for Off-Campus Study:

• Students with cumulative grade point averages of less than 2.70 and those on any form of academic warning will not be permitted to study abroad.
  
• Students on judicial or disciplinary probation will not be approved for study abroad.
  
• Students must register for a minimum of twelve credits for each semester abroad.
  
• Approval of a Petition for Off-Campus Study is always contingent on acceptance by an affiliated program or a partner institution. The Study Abroad Coordinator has up-to-date information concerning deadlines for application and application procedures.
  
• Students who normally receive Financial Aid remain eligible for federal, state, institutional, and merit-based aid while engaged in off-campus study and upon their return to UArts, presuming that the student continues to meet the academic requirements of their aid package. Please note that some named institutional scholarships may not be applied toward off-campus study.
  
• The student will be billed for tuition and fees by UArts. UArts will then pay the student’s required tuition and fees at the institution where the student is accepted up to an amount equal to the University of the Arts tuition.  Students will be responsible for tuition costs that exceed UArts tuition.
  
• Depending on the agreement that the University has made with a partner institution, students may be billed by UArts for the costs of housing or travel, and those payments will then be made on behalf of the student. In all cases, students are responsible for the costs of travel and housing.
  
• The Study Abroad Office always makes clear to students in advance what the full costs of any program will be, including broad advice about living and incidental costs, which can vary greatly by country. Students abroad are normally not permitted to work by the host country, and so need to plan on funding all of their expenses that semester without the benefit of a part-time job.

All petitions for study abroad in Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 must be complete (with all relevant approvals) by April 10, 2012. This normally means that students should begin the petition as early as March 15. The Study Abroad Coordinator is available to assist with filling out the petition form correctly and will facilitate the process of gaining approvals.

Students who plan to study abroad should apply for financial aid adhering to normal deadlines and procedures. Additionally, such students will be asked to provide the University of the Arts Office of Student Financial Services with a duly executed power of attorney if documents will require their signature during the study abroad period. In the course of applying to study abroad, a student should meet with his or her assigned Financial Aid counselor to assure that aid is processed before he or she leaves the country. In addition, students studying off campus may not use the extended payment plan (TMS) to pay for tuition and other charges.

The University of the Arts and The University of the Sciences Exchange Program

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 specialized facilities. The agreement allows students from all three colleges 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. 

The University of the Sciences students wishing to participate can locate course sections offered at UArts by going to this address.

For more information, contact the Office of the Dean in your college or that of the Director of your program or school.

Undergraduates Enrolled for Graduate Credit

A student in the final year of the bachelor’s degree program may take a maximum of 6 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 6 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.