Advisor Handbook

• AA Record

  AA Records are created to indicate an exemption to general education requirements either because the student has a previous Bachelor degree or meets the criteria for the General Education Transfer Policy. These AA records are visible in Banner, in the Class Info. tab in Advising Works, and under the "Tests" tab in STARS for a given student.

• Accelerated Graduate Enrollment (AGRADE) Program

  The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences introduced the Accelerated Graduate Enrollment (AGRADE) program in the Fall 1989 to encourage academically superior students to continue their education at Wayne State as graduate students. Such students who are majoring in a department that participates may, upon admission to the AGRADE program, begin to accumulate up to 15 semester hours of approved coursework that will fulfill undergraduate and graduate requirements simultaneously. Admission to the AGRADE program does not constitute admission to a graduate program; the student must apply for admission as a graduate student and be admitted, following which Student Records creates a graduate transcript showing the authorized courses, credit and grades.

  Each academic department in Liberal Arts & Sciences has the prerogative of deciding whether or not to participate in the AGRADE program. For further information, consult the current Undergraduate Bulletin or Graduate Bulletin.

• Add and Override Approval

  The "Add and Override Approval" form is provided by Registration & Scheduling Office for use by a student who seeks approval to take a course on a Passed/No Passed basis, to audit a course, to take a course that requires prior consent, to register/add a course after the first week of classes, and to enroll in a closed section of a course. All approvals for these options are provided by the appropriate department and may also require and instructor's signature. Students should follow all instructions on the form, which is available on the Registrar's webpage of forms.

• Admission to the University

  University Admissions is responsible for admitting freshmen, transfer students, guest students, and post-baccalaureate and graduate students.

  A student who does not enroll for classes in the term for which s/he has been admitted to the University must file a renewal application. 

• Advanced Placement Program

  The Advanced Placement Program provides high school students the opportunity to complete college-level courses during secondary school.

  Information on AP tests. scores and equivalencies can be found on the WSU Transfer Credit site.

  Score Reports may be requested after the testing dates and sent to WSU. The student should be directed to contact the College Board either by phone or mail at the following address:

  College Board Testing Services
  P.O. Box 6671
  Princeton, NJ 08541-7300
  (609) 771-7300

   

• Appeals/Waivers of University or College Requirements

  Appeals for waivers of requiremants may be directed to the following individuals or offices:

  University Requirements

  General Education Petition - See website for instructions and electronic form.
  
  Appeals/waivers of college requirements should be initiated by a student through his or her major advisor.

• Biology Placement

  Placement into biology by exam.

  1. Students who have a composite score of 24 or higher on the ACT (most recent score) or a score of 1160 or higher on SAT Critical Reading + Mathematics (most recent) within the last 2 years can automatically go into BIO 1500 and BIO 1510. Students with older scores are required to take the Biology placement exam.
  2. Students with an ACT Composite of 23 or SAT of 1150 or below are placed into BIO 1050 (only the 3 credit lecture of 1050 is required - no lab).
  3. If a student with old or lower scores wishes to place into BIO 1500 and BIO 1510, they will need to take the Biology Placement Exam.
• Change of College

  A Change of College is a procedure by which an advisor instructs University Records to code a student in a college other than that in which he or she is currently registered or was last registered.

  For a college change, the advisor submits an e-mail request to recordsmaintenance@wayne.edu specifying the student's name, PID, new college, curriculum, and effective term. An advisor can and should only request a change into the college and program for which they advise. 

  Students who are on academic probation may transfer to other schools or colleges within the University but are subject to the probation, dismissal, and exclusion policies of that school or college, as well as to all university policies related to academic standing. The advisor should explain these policies and the student's status and timeline to exclusion or dismissal at the time of the coding change.

• Change of Curriculum

  A Change of Curriculum is to be used only when a student is changing or adding major programs or concentrations within the same college. The request should be submitted to the Records Office via an e-mail request to recordsmaintenance@wayne.edu. Please include the student's name, PID, curricululm code and effective term.

  The Change of Major/Program (CHOMP) form allows all advisors, along with students in the College of Liberal Arts and Science to change or declare a major within that college. See CHOMP entry for additional information.

• Change of Grade

  For any of a variety of reasons, an instructor may change a student's final grade or mark. The instructor can complete the process using an online system for grades less than a year old and if the student has not graduated. Other restrictions are listed with the online istructions. The procedure is outlined here.

  The deadline for completing and changing a mark of "I" to a course grade is one calendar year from the time the "I" was submitted..An instructor may set a deadline shorter than that of the university. 

• Chemistry Courses

  Students who take more than one introductory Chemistry course, such as 1020 and 1220 will not receive degree credit for both. This rule also includes CHM 1050, 1070 and 1410 which are older courses that are no longer offered at WSU. For example, a student who completed 1020 and then completed 1220/1230 receives full credit for 1020, but only 3 degree credits for 1220/1230. Credit is not deducted from the student's total on the transcript, so the excess credits need to be added to the number of credits required to graduate. In the example above, the student would need to complete 122 credits to graduate, rather than 120. Please refer to the chart for specific credits earned.

  Course	Credits earned	Course	Credits earned
  CHM 1020	4 cr.	CHM 1220/1230	3 crs. of 5
  CHM 1020	4 cr.	CHM 1410	3 crs. of 6
  CHM 1020	4 cr.	CHM 1050	3 crs. of 6
  CHM 1020	4 cr.	CHM 1070	3 crs. of 4

• CLEP Equivalencies At WSU

  CLEP equivalencies can be found on the AP, CLEP, IB page of WSU's Transfer Credit site.

• College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

  Information on the CLEP exams, scores, and credit can be found on the transfer credit page dedicated to AP, CLEP, and IB. Other information to consider:

  • A CLEP exam may not be re-taken within a 3-month period
  • No credit is awarded for CLEP in a foreign language (Spanish, German, French)
  • Credit will not be awarded for CLEP scores on the basis of their appearance on the transcript of another institution

  CLEP transcripts may be requested online from  CLEP's  "Your Score" site or from the dropdown menu under My CLEP Account.

• Co-Major

  Co-majors in the following areas are offered and must be officially declared in conjunction with a stand-alone major program. These co-majors do not require that general education requirements for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences be fulfilled, only those required by the primary major program.

  • Latino/a and Latin American Studies
  • Peace and Conflict Studies
  • University Honors
• Combined Degree

  Students may complete a "combined degree" when they wish to teach at the secondary level in a subject area such as foreign language or any other subject area considered a teachable major (ex. English, Chemistry). The student declares his/her major in the academic discipline, completes all general education requirements for the college that offers the major, and applies to the College of Education to complete the methods courses and student teaching. The student is granted the degree from the academic college, and is qualified for a teaching certificate by the College of Education.

• Competency Requirements (Gen Ed)

  Competency Requirements are foundational skills included in the University's General Education Requirements. The current (Fall 2018 and forward) Competency Requirements are outlined in the Undergraduate Bullletin and are intended to be fulfilled early in the student's undergraduate career.

• Course Repetition

  The University policy on repeating courses is detailed on the Academic Regulations section of the Undergraduate Bulletin (under "Repeating Courses - the Mark of R" and should be carefully reviewed when advising students. Multiple restrictions and potential registration requirements within the repeat policy must be fully understood, along with a consideration of the cost/benefit of the course repeat, so that the student can make an informed decision on a course of action.

• Credit by Exam

  Upon the recommendation of the department chairperson and with the written approval of the appropriate College or School office, a student may earn credit in a course in which he/she has not been regularly enrolled in this University, but which is offered by a Department, by passing a special examination. Credit by a special examination is restricted as follows:

  1. Not more than sixteen credits may be earned in any one subject.
  2. Credit will be recorded with grade to indicate the level of performance in the examination but will not be considered in computing grade point average.
  3. Credit will not be considered residence credit.
  4. To be eligible to earn Credit by Special Examination, a student must have been regularly admitted or have attended with guest status, have enrolled for one semester and have completed at least one course. 

  Students who intend to transfer to other schools are cautioned that Credit by Special Examination at one institution is infrequently accepted for transfer credit by another institution.

  A Petition for Credit by Exam form with instructions to the student and the examiner can be obtained on the Office of the Registrar Forms webpage.

• Credit Hour Overload

  Students who wish to take more than 18 credit hours in a single term must gain permission from their assigned major advisor.
  
  Permission is granted based on the best judgement of the advisor. This judgement should be based upon past performance as well as the reason given for the request. In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, a student must have a minimum 3.0 cum gpa to be approved for more than 18 credit hours.

  An advisor may request an override of the 18 cr. limit for a specific student by emailing REGREQUEST@lists.wayne.edu with the student's name, id, the override term, and the number of credits to be granted.

• Degree Audit

  A degree audit occurs whenever an advisor reviews a student's progress in meeting requirements for whatever program he or she is following. Utilizing the Degree Works application on Academica will assist students to become familiar with the application and simplify the process.

  It is imperative that the advisor approach the audit with the understanding that the fact that credit hours earned at WSU or elsewhere appear on the WSU transcript under the heading of various subjects does not mean that those credits necessarily apply toward the minimum hours required to graduate. In addition, the audit must be based only on what the student has actually completed and is not to include any work in progress nor reflect as completed any requirement based on verbal reports concerning test credit that has not yet been processed, "incompletes" that are being made up, or coursework taken at other schools.

• Distinction, Graduation with

  The university recognizes the top 20% of undergraduate students within each college graduating each term. To be eligible for consideration, students must have accumulated 56 or more credit hours in residence at WSU. The following distribution applies:

  Top 5%	Next 5%	Next 10%
  Summa Cum Laude	Magna Cum Laude	Cum Laude

• Double/Dual Degrees

  To earn concurrent degrees, a student must complete at least 150 semester hours, fulfill all university, college and departmental requirements, complete and submit two separate degree applications and must receive both degrees at the same time.

  Within either CFPCA or Liberal Arts &Sciences a student may earn two degrees by declaring both majors, meeting the requirements of the college and each major, and earning at least 150 semester hours.

  To pursue two degrees in each of two different colleges, the student should be coded in the college that offers the more specialized of the two programs. The student must be advised of the differences in General Education between those colleges and must complete any additional or more restrictive requirements so that both college's General Education are satisfied.

  To pursue a degree in either Liberal Arts & Sciences or CFPCA, and a second degree in a professional school or college, the student must first be accepted and enrolled in the professional school and then declare the second major in CLAS/CFPCA so that the student remains coded in the professional school.

• Double/Dual Majors

  A student may earn one degree with double or "dual" majors by completing requirements of each college, both majors and earning a minimum of 120 hours. If both majors are within academic colleges (Fine, Performing & Communication Arts or Liberal Arts & Sciences) both majors must be declared through the individual major departments.  If a professional program is involved, and allows for dual majors/degrees, admission to the professional program is required first and will constitute the primary major. 

  Please note that regardless of whether the student earns one degree with dual majors or earns two degrees, he or she must meet all college and departmental requirements. 

• Early Academic Assessment

  Early Academic Assessment (EAA) is one of the tools used by Wayne State University to assist our undergraduate students' academic success and therefore to help the university retain its students. Effective winter 2016, the university policy on EAA requires that courses numbered below 4000 include a means of assessing student progress, normally by the beginning of the third week but no later than the end of the sixth week of each fall and winter semester. This assessment should provide students with feedback regarding their academic performance and can provide a meaningful opportunity for intervention. Students who are performing at a C- or below in courses below 4000 must receive EAA grades. Faculty teaching courses numbered 4000 or above are encouraged to give EAA grades, but it is optional. In both cases, students will receive a letter by e-mail.

  EAA grades do not become part of a student's academic record; their purpose is to give students a sense of how they are doing and encourage them to address any academic issues that might be affecting their success. They are also used for advising and counseling.

• Emerging Scholars Program

  The Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) is an honors-level calculus and pre-calculus program for college students with a very strong student support component. It is designed to increase the number of students, particularly students from underrepresented minority groups and women, who succeed and excel in mathematics and who thereby have the opportunity to pursue careers in fields such as engineering, science, mathematics or mathematics education. It is a program based on a two-fold philosophy that centers around a shared commitment to excellence and a strong sense of community. It is based on the “Workshop” model developed by Uri Treisman at the University of California at Berkeley.

  For further information on ESP, email emergingscholars@wayne.edu or call (313) 577-2589.

• Engineering Technology

  Courses taken in Engineering Technology may not be used for a degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences or Fine, Performing and Communication Arts. Such credit is not considered "professional" credit and simply does not count toward the degree in the aforementioned colleges.

• English Placement Criteria
  1. Any student who has an ACT English score of 21 or higher or a 520 SAT EBRW Score within three years prior to enrollment is placed into ENG 1020. Students with scores older than 3 years prior to enrollment in the course must take the English Qualifying Exam.
  2. Students placed into ENG 1010 by ACT or SAT score who are not satisfied with their placement, as well as all students who do not have ACT or SAT scores less than 3 years old, must take the English Qualifying Exam.

  If a student has taken the ACT or SAT more than once, the score that produces the highest placement will be used.

• Enrollment Policy, Exceptions to

  Students should be directed to the Office of the Registrar for appeals for exceptions to university enrollment policies, such as medical withdrawals and tuition cancelation. Students can email esp@wayne.edu to request an Exception to Enrollment Policy form.

• FERPA, Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act

  FERPA protects the privacy of student educational records. Under FERPA, parents cannot inspect their student's records (e.g. grades, financial aid, records, etc.) Parents who wish to access information in their student's record must have the student complete an online Restrict or Release Directory Information form authorizing their release. Additional information on FERPA can be found on the registrar's website.

• Foreign Language Testing

  Students can take a Language Proficiency Exam to fulfill their Foreign Language Requirement (if applicable). The Department of Classical & Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures offers exams in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Italian, Latin, Polish, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish. All placement exams cost $20, payable by cash or check made out to Wayne State University.

  For more information please contact our academic advisor, Chris Clark, or call the departmental office at 313-577-3002.

• Grade Point Average (GPA)

  To compute a grade pointe average (GPA), divide the total honor points by total gpa credits. The 4 credit hours included in the "credit hours" column is for purposes of illustration only. Please use the actual credit hours earned for the course to compute a GPA.

  Grade	Honor points per Credit Hour	Credit Hours	Honor Points
  A	4.0	X 4	= 16
  A-	3.67	X 4	= 14.68
  B+	3.33	X 4	= 13.32
  B	3.0	X 4	= 12
  B-	2.67	X 4	= 10.68
  C+	2.33	X 4	= 9.32
  C	2.0	X 4	= 8
  C-	1.67	X 4	= 6.68
  D+	1.33	X 4	= 5.32
  D	1.0	X 4	= 4
  D-	0.67	X 4	= 2.68
  E	0	X 4	= 0
  		+	+
  		Total Credits	Total Honor Points

  For a repeated course, deduct the honor points associated with the earlier attempt and add the honor points from the current term, utilizing the correct number of total credits. If the credit hours for the course is different (e.g., SPB 1010 for 2cr. or 3cr.), deduct the credit hours associated with the previous attempt and add the credit hours from the current attempt.

• Grades and Marks

  The distinction between a grade and a mark is based primarily on whether or not a student completes the work for the class. A student receives a grade of A through F (+/-), S, or U if he or she completes all (or most) of the assigned work for a course. A grade is an indication of the quality of work submitted.

  A mark is an administrative symbol usually indicating that a student has done something other than complete all of the work required for a course. Marks in the WSU system include an "I" (Incomplete, which will revert to "F" after one year), "R" (Repeated Course), "WP" (Withdrawal Passing),  "WF" (Withdrawal Failing), "WN" (Withdrawal Never Attended), "Y" (Deferred), and "Z" (Audit).

  For credits earned by taking a special examination offered by a department, a mark of AX, BX, CX, etc will be given depending upon the level of performance on the examination.  These marks are not considered in computing grade point average.

  The university deadline for an instructor to submit a Change of Grade (or mark) is one year from the point at which the original grade or mark was issued. Instructors may set a more restrictive deadline.

• Grading Policy
  1. Students who request withdrawal from classes will be assigned one of the three following grades:

     WP--Withdrawal Passing
     WF--Withdrawal Failing
     WN--Withdrawal Never Attended

     Students who do not complete coursework and do not request a course withdrawal prior to the withdrawal deadline receive a failing grade.

  2. Incompletes revert to "F" after one year if a formal Change of Grade is not completed. There are no exceptions to this policy.
• Graduation with Distinction

  The university recognizes the top 20% of undergraduate students within each college graduating each term. To be eligible for consideration, students must have accumulated 56 or more credit hours in residence at WSU.

  The following distribution applies:

  Top 5%: Summa Cum Laude

  Next 5%: Magna Cum Laude

  Next 10%: Cum Laude

• Group Requirements (Inquiry Courses)

  Group Requirements represent a grouping of 6 inquiry areas within the University's General Education Requirements. They are designed to introduce students to the different perspectives, methodologies, and questions that shape the production of knowledge.The current (Fall 2018 and forward) Inquiry Courses are outlined in the Undergraduate Bullletin and can be spread throughout the student's undergraduate career.

• Guest Application

  Wayne State students who wish to attend another institution for one term may be required by that school to apply as a Guest Student. Wayne State students, even those who are returning temporarily to a school from which they previously transferred, should check with the school concerning enrollment prerequisites and procedures.

  The "Michigan Uniform Guest Application" is available on the WSU Admissions site under its Guest student information. This can be used both by students wishing to attend WSU as a guest as well as WSU students planning to attend another insitution. WSU students should work with their academic advisor to make sure the course(s) they wish to take will transfer as intended and do not violate any college/school or university policy for graduation (transfer credit limits or residency rule).

  It is presumed that students attending WSU as a guest have worked with their home institution and know which courses to take to meet requirements at their home school. Questions concerning the transferability and applicability of courses taken at WSU must be answered by the home institution.

• Holds

  Holds are restrictions used by the university to enforce its requirements and/or policies by suspending the ability to register and/or receive an official transcript and/or graduate. Most holds involve an outstanding financial debt or academic status, but could also be a function of University Admissions, Housing, or International Students and Scholars (OISS). 

  Academic advisors are generally responsible for advising students with holds related to probation and college or university dismissal or exclusion. They are also responsible for working with returning students and those in special enrollment programs where holds are placed for future enrollment to ensure program terms are met. The following are a list of commonly seen academic holds.

  1. Probation holds - These holds are automatically placed after the completion of a term when a student's cumulative Grade Point Average falls below 2.00 (or 2.5 in the College of Education). It is no longer applied once the student's GPA returns to good standing. An advisor may release a probation hold after consulting with the student about solutions to whatever problems have contributed to the substandard work. Various advising units within schools/colleges/centers may have set protocols in place for the releasing and monitoring of probation holds. As a general policy or "best practice," academic probation holds should not be lifted for a given term once the semester has begun and courses are underway.
  2. Exclusion/Dismissal - These holds are placed when a student is dismissed from a school/college or excluded from the University. The student should consult with their assigned advisor on options for continuing within the program or University, the terms of the dismissal/exclusion, and the process for reinstatement.
  3. Readmission holds - This hold is often placed when a student is allowed to register under contract for a specific term. Generally speaking, because this status will only be released if the student fulfills the conditions of the contract, all grades for the term must be available for the contract term. Examples of programs that may use the RE hold are the Phoenix Program. 
  4. Dean's Office holds - Each school or college may have a Dean's Office hold that is used for specific purposes, including the monitoring or probation or reinstatement. Students with DE holds should consult with their advisor on the terms and conditions of the hold and its removal or suspension.
  5. Returning Student hold - This hold is placed when a student has not registered for three consecutive terms, prompting a student to see an advisor. The purpose of this hold is to encourage students to review their major and general education requirements, check on any outstanding issues, and confirm their program.

  Note: While a student may not be eligible to register for or add courses (future or current term) when a hold is in force, the student is able to drop/withdraw from courses and perform other registration functions by emailing registration@wayne.edu and requesting that an action be taken. Therefore, it is not necessary to lift a hold for a student for them to withdraw from a course(s).

• Honor Point Average

  See "Grade Point Average" entry.

• Honors Program

  Information about the Irvin D. Reid Honors College and its programs is available in 2100 David Adamany Undergraduate Library, or at http://honors.wayne.edu/. 

• Humanities Substitutions

  Course substitutions for repeats of the HUM courses below are as follows:

  HUM 1010 = MUH 1340
  HUM 1020 = MUH 1350
  HUM 1030 = MUH 1370

  Advisors will identify and notify the Records Office, who will manually perform the repeat process.

• Incomplete (I) mark

  Effective Fall term 2006, Incompletes ("I" marks) shall revert to an "F" grade after one year. Work must be completed and instructors must file a grade change within one calendar year. There will be no extensions.

• International Students and Scholars, Office of

  The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) assists international students in adjusting to WSU and the country. All immigration, naturalization, health insurance, TB testing and related governmental agency issues should be directed to this office. As a condition of enrollment, international students are required to purchase health insurance through WSU unless waiver qualifications are met.

• Junior Year in Germany/Junior Year in Munich

  See Study Abroad. The Junior Year in Munich program is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts& Sciences, Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. It is open to students of any major at Wayne State University, as well as students from accredited colleges and universities nationwide. Students earn WSU credit toward their degree while spending a year or a semester in Germany enrolled at the University of Munich. Students who have completed two years of college German or the equivalent, have Junior standing, and have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better are eligible to apply. Scholarships are available for WSU students.

• Language Requirement Exemption

  Students who have graduated from a secondary institution where the language of instruction was not English or who demonstrate proficiency in the ability to read, write and speak a language other than English may be exempted from the language requirement. Students can inquire about the waiver process for bilingual students through the Department of Classical & Modern Language, Literatures and Cultures. 

• Learning Disabilities, Referral

  Students with documented learning disabilities can seek accommodations through the Student Disability Services office, 1600 David Adamany Library, 577-1851. This office is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations for students with physical and learning disabilties. Students are encouraged to consult with this office prior to university enrollment.

• Limits on Credits--Registration

  Schools and colleges have established maximum credit levels for which a student may register in a single term as indicated below:

  College/School	Limitation on credit hours
  Liberal Arts & Science Fine, Perf. & Communication Arts	Student with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and written approval from the advisor and Dean may take more than 18 credits in a semester.
  Business	Maximum of 18 credit hours without permission.
  Education	Maximum of 18 credits without permission.
  Engineering	No restriction
  Nursing	No restriction
  Pharmacy & Health Sciences	No restriction

• MACRAO

  Information on how WSU students can apply the MACRAO Transfer Agreement can be found on the WSU transfer credit website. The MACRAO agreement will no longer be granted after August 2019, but will continue to be honored for future WSU admits. However, all community college students are encouraged to follow the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA).

• Math 1800 after Math 1500

  Students who complete Math 1800 after already having received credit for Math 1500, or its equivalent, may count only 2 of the 4 credit hours earned for Math 1800 towards the degree. This policy should be noted in the student's record and the credit hours required for graduation should be adjusted accordingly (+2).

• Mathematics, Qualifying Rules

  Effective Winter 2016

  Students who wish to enroll in a Math course (MAT 1050 through MAT 2010) at WSU must first qualify. The most recent rules for math placement, along with testing dates and study guides, can be found on the WSU testing website.

  Students who need to repeat a MAT course for the third or fourth time must follow a particular procedure and should email mathundergrad@wayne.edu for further information.

• Medical Withdrawal

  Students should be directed to the Office of the Registrar to file for exceptions to university enrollment policies, such as medical withrawals and tuition cancelation. The deadline to file for such an exception is not later than 60 calendar days following the end of the term in which the exception is requested.

  Email: esp@wayne.edu
  Phone: 313-577-8193

• Minors

  With the exception of the minor in Business Administration, there is no formal application process to begin coursework in the minor. Students may officially declare a minor as part of the declaration of major procedure (through the online CHOMPS system or through the major department's advisor) or after a student has declared a major or been accepted to a professional program by working directly with the minor department's advisor. A minor may not be officially declared without a major or professional program. The notation indicating that a student has completed the requirements for a minor appears on the student's transcript but not on the diploma.

  Students who have completed the requirements for a minor indicate the department on the Degree Application. Students who are considering developing a minor should contact the department early in their undergraduate career.

• MTA (Michigan Transfer Agreement)

  Information on the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) and how it applies towards degrees at Wayne State University can be found on the WSU Transfer Credit website.

  Students must work with their community college advisor to ensure that they meet the requirements for the MTA endorsement at that institution. The MTA endorsement can be added prior to the transfer process or as a result of a reverse transfer process of courses from WSU back to the community college. It is the student's responsibility to understand the MTA requirements, to ensure that the endorsement is met, and to provide an updated community college transcript to WSU once the endorsement is posted. 

• Non-Matriculated Status

  A student with non-matriculated status has not been formally admitted to the University. A non-matriculated status enables a student to take any undergraduate course for which the prerequisite is met. Courses may be taken from the following colleges: Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts and Liberal Arts & Sciences.

  Courses, credits and grades will be posted to a university transcript, however these courses may only be used toward the fulfillment of a degree upon formal admission to the university. Please note that a student's degree requirements are based on their term of admission.

  The holder of non-matriculated status is ineligible for any type of loan, grant or scholarship that is administered by Wayne State University.

• Overload, Credit Hour

  Credits in excess of the normal load of 18 credit hours per term registration must be approved by an advisor or the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled. In some colleges, a student must meet certain cummulative GPA and rank criteria to be approved for an overload.

• Pass/No Pass Option

  The University has a program whereby undergraduate students may elect to take courses Passed/Not Passed in place of a letter grade. The following regulations apply:

  • The student may elect one Passed/Not Passed course per semseter with the consent of an advisor, but may not elect more than 6 courses in all.
  • After classes have begun, a student may not change from Passed/Not Passed to a letter grade or vice versa.
  • Courses taken P/N may be used to satisfy competency requirements, but may not be used to fulfill group or major requirements.
  • Credits for a P/N course may be used to fufill graduation requirements but will not count in the GPA. In the event that a student enrolls in more than six P/N courses, those beyond the permissible maximum will be designated on the permanent record as not applicable toward graduation.
  • Undergraduates in the Mike Ilitch School of Business may not take courses offered by the School of Business Administration on a Passed/Not Passed basis.

   

• Post Bachelor Status

  Post-bachelor admission is an optimal choice for students who have already completed a bachelor's degree and are interested in either earning college credit without intending to use it toward another degree, and those students needing to complete prerequisite course work to gain admission to a graduate program. This admission status is granted to college/university graduates to take courses through the 6000- level for undergraduate credit only.

  Students who wish to change their status from post-bachelor to pursue a second bachelor degree may do so by completing the appropriate process:

  • Students who earned the first bachelor degree at WSU, should declare their new major through the appropriate school/department process. 
  • Students who earned the first degree from another institution must gain undergraduate (degree-seeking) admission through the University Admissions Office.

  Post bachelor students may qualify for financial aid only under very specific conditions.

• Qualifying Examinations

  The purpose of a qualifying examination is to determine a student's preparation for a particular course, to direct him or her into the appropriate course, and thereby save time and money for both the student and the university. Qualifying examinations are required of students who plan to enroll in Chemistry 1220. Placement into Math courses may be determined either by ACT score or Placement exam.

  In the case of Chemistry 1220 and Math courses, students must have taken and passed the examination within two semesters prior to registering for the course, as those departments do enforce the placement policy.

  The results of the Mathematics Qualifying Examination are valid for two consecutive semesters, a time limit that applies also to passing the prerequisite course.

  Passing MAT 1500 will not qualify a student for MAT 1800.

  The Mathematics Qualifying Examination is not required for graduate students nor for postbaccalaureate students who are transferring a course equivalent to Math 1800 in which they earned a "C" or better.

  Qualifying examinations are administered by the Testing & Evaluation Office: 698 Student Center Building; 577-3400.

• Quarter Hours Conversion

  A quarter credit hour is considered 2/3 of a semester credit hour. Therefore, to convert quarter hours to semester hours, multiply the quarter hours 2/3 (or divide by 1.5). Ex: 120 quarter hours = 80 semester hours. Semester hour conversions that end with a fraction are rounded up to the next whole number.

  To convert semester to quarter hours, multiply the semester hours by 1.5. 

• Quarter/Semester Hour Conversion

  A quarter credit hour is considered 2/3 of a semester credit hour. Therefore, to convert quarter hours to semester hours, multiply the quarter hours 2/3 (or divide by 1.5). Ex: 120 quarter hours = 80 semester hours. Semester hour conversions that end with a fraction are rounded up to the next whole number.

  To convert semester to quarter hours, multiply the semester hours by 1.5. 

• Rank

  Rank is determined by the number of degree credits which the student has satsfactorily completed. The classifications are:

  Freshmen 0 to 28.99 credits, inclusive
  Sophomore 29 to 55.99 credits, inclusive
  Junior 56 to 87.99 credits, inclusive
  Senior 88 credits or above

• Repeat Policy

  In repeating a course the following rules apply:

  1. The grade, grade points and credits for an earlier attempt will be eliminated from the student's grade point average computation.
  2. The grade, grade points and credits of only the latest repetition will be included in the student's grade point average computation.
  3. The original grade in the course repeated will remain on the student's record. Each attempt at retaking the course will be indicated by an "E" next to the grade excluded from the gpa record and and "I' next to the grade included in the gpa record.
  4. Repeat overides must be entered for a student to enroll in a course for a third attempt.  A student's advisor may be authorized to enter a third attempt override, however, some overrides must be done at the department level. A repeat override for a fourth attempt must be given at the department level (per departmental policy). WP, WF, and WN count as attempts as well as actual grades.
  5. Some departments, such as Math and foreign language give all overrides for their own courses.  Major departments give overrides for upper-division courses.

  After a degree has been granted, no grade computed in that degree may be changed.

  Courses taken elsewhere, which are equivalent to a WSU course, will not be transferable to Wayne State University once the WSU equivalent is taken and will not affect a student's WSU GPA.

  NOTE: If it appears that a repeated course has not been caught and the gpa recalculated by the Registrar's office, please send an email to recordsmaintenance@wayne.edu notifying them of the course number, term first taken and repeated term, student name and ID.

• Request for Exception to Enrollment Policy

  Students should be directed to the Office of the Registrar to file for exceptions to university enrollment policies, such as medical withrawals and tuition cancelation. The deadline to file for such an exception is not later than 60 calendar days following the end of the term in which the exception is requested.

  Email: esp@wayne.edu
  Phone: 313-577-8193

• Residency Requirement

  University policy requires a minimum of 30 credits be taken at WSU in order to earn a WSU bachelor's degree. Beyond that, each school and college at WSU can set additional residency requirements for their degree programs. Residency may require a minimum number of credits that need to be taken within the School/College and/or in the final semester prior to graduation. Students should consult the Academic Regulations section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for the School/College from which they will earn their degree.

  NOTE: Residency waivers may be considered but must be submitted to the respective college prior to enrolling in a course that will violate the requirement.

• Second Bachelors Degree, Requirements for

  A student who holds a bachelor’s degree from any accredited institution may receive a second bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University by satisfying the following minimum requirements:

  1. Complete at least thirty credits at Wayne State University beyond the first bachelor’s degree.
  2. Meet all School/College, Department, and Program requirements for the degree.

  Additional information for certain WSU colleges can be found below.. 

  Business Administration

  The only baccalaureate degree offered by Business Administration to students who already have one is in Accounting. All other students who want a degree must pursue a Master of Business Administration.

  Prospective Accounting majors (second degree), should meet with an academic advisor in the Mike Ilitch School of Business to discuss requirements for the degree.

  Education

  Students who wish to earn a teaching certificate may do so through either post-bachelor certification or through the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), depending on the progam. Prospective students should attend a Teacher Certification Information Meeting to learn about their options.

  Nursing

  Students who hold a bachelor's degree in an unrelated area may pursue the BSN through the BSN Second Career/Degree program (also known as the CD 2 program). Students are required to fulfill the courses within the Nursing major (after completion of prerequisites for admission consideration).

  Pharmacy & Health Sciences

  Please review the specific program information on the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences website for admission requirements for applicants with a bachelors degree.

• Senior Rule

  Senior Rule is a one-term opportunity that allows students in their last undergraduate semester to take a limited number of graduate credits toward a graduate degree. The student must complete the application process for the graduate program and be admissable (this should be done well in advance of the Senior Rule term). Application deadlines for Senior Rule are the same for regular Graduate Admissions.

  For the Senior Rule term only, the student's tuition is assessed at the Junior-Senior rate for all coursework, even for that which is designated as graduate credit. Courses carrying graduate credit are entered only on the graduate transcript.

  NOTE:

  • Students who have completed all requirements for a bachelor's degree are not eligible.
  • Students must register for at least one credit which is required for the undergraduate degree to be eligible.
  • Graduate credit is awarded only for those courses taken in excess of the bachelor's degree requirements.
  • Undergraduate and graduate courses combined may not exceed 16 credit hours for the final semester of the baccalaureate degree work .
  • It is recommended that only graduate courses numbered 5000-6999 should be taken under this rule.
  • Senior Rule may not be used in conjunction with AGRADE.
• Three-Year International Degrees

  International applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a U.S. four-year degree, including all state and external/internal examinations required for the degree. Although a degree in another country may have a name similar to a U.S. degree, this does not necessarily indicate the degree can be accepted as equivalent.

  Three-year general degrees (from Canada, India, Pakistan, France, Lebanon, etc.) are not accepted for graduate admission to Wayne State University. In all cases, you must have completed a four-year honors degree or additional undergraduate requirements to be considered for admission to graduate school at WSU.

• TOEFL/TWE/OPI

  The English proficiency requirements for international students seeking admission to WSU can be found on the admission website. The TOEFL/TWE/OPI policy are summarized as follows:

  1. International students who complete the equivalent of our two freshman composition courses with a grade of C or better at a U.S. college or university are exempt from taking the TOEFL/TWE/OPI*. Completing an associate degree also exempts them from the TOEFL.
  2. International and other students (regardless of their immigrant status) are not required to take the TOEFL if they graduate from a U.S. high school.

  *Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Test of Written English (TWE) and the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) requirements.

• Transfer Credit Evaluation

  Information on course equivalencies,transfer plans, and IB/AP/CLEP can be found on https://wayne.edu/transfercredit/.

• Verification, Enrollment and Degree

  Wayne State University has contracted with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) for enrollment and degree verifications. The NSC receives monthly enrollment information updates, and degree information two weeks after your degree has posted.

  Employers wanting to verify degrees can contact the National Student Clearinghouse directly.

  Students' enrollment status is provided monthly to the National Student Loan Data System, which updates a student's loan servicers on a regular basis.

  As a student, you can download and print your official enrollment verification.

  1. Log in to Academica.
  2. Go to Student Resources.
  3. Click on Registration, then Enrollment Verification. You will be taken to the National Student Clearinghouse site in a new browser window. 
  4. You can select current enrollment or your entire enrollment history. Once you make your choice, click Obtain an Enrollment Certificate.
• Withdrawal Policy

  Beginning the third week of class, students are no longer allowed to drop but must withdraw from classes. It is the student's responsibility to request the withdrawal. Failure to do so will result in a grade of F. The withdrawal period for full-term classes ends at the end of the tenth week of the term. See the Academic Calendar for specific information on when the withdrawal period ends.

  Get a SMART Check to learn how withdrawing from a course will specifically impact you financially and academically.

  Having a hold will not prevent you from withdrawing.