Pace Undergraduate Catalog (Page 16)

Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2006

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16 Academic Policies and General Regulations The academic regulations at Pace University are designed to ensure adherence to standards of academic excellence while affording the latitude and flexibility necessary to accommodate the needs of and conditions faced by a diverse student body. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS REQUIREMENTS FOR A BACCALAUREATE OR ASSOCIATE DEGREE ARE: 1. Successful completion of the requirements for a major program as specified in the catalog current at the time of a student’s matriculation or as subsequently amended. A baccalaureate degree normally requires completion of 128 credits, although some majors may exceed this requirement. In addition, certain adult degree programs may only require 120 credits for degree completion. An associate degree requires successful completion of 60–66 credits, and a minor requires completion of 12–18 credits. Students should consult the curricula described in the sections for the academic schools within this catalog for the exact number of credits and courses required for their major program. 2. Completion of at least 32 credits in residence at Pace University for all baccalaureate degrees, and the associate in science degree in early childhood develop- ment and for all associate in applied science degrees. Associate in arts and associate in science degrees require that 30 credits of the 60-credit programs be completed at Pace. 3. Completion of at least one-half of the major program and one-half of a minor program, if the student elects one, in residence at Pace University. Students pursuing a bachelor of business administration degree must also complete at least one-half or 50 percent of the business credits required for the B.B.A., including business core, major and auxiliary requirements, in residence at Pace University. 4. A minimum cumulative QPA of 2.0 (2.5 for the School of Education) 5. A minimum QPA of 2.0 in the student’s major. (2.5 for the School of Education) 6. An “Application for Graduation” must be filed with the Student Accounts and Registrar Services office by the appropriate date: June and September graduates must file by the previous September 15; January graduates must file by the previous March 15. 7. All financial obligations to the University must be met before the student’s diploma is released. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENT PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT Adult students are likely to have acquired college-level learning outside of the academic classroom. In addition to evaluating transfer credit from prior college work, Pace University offers assessment of prior learning, including credit by examination, experiential learning assessment, and acceptance of ACE/PONSI—recommended credit. Experiential Learning Assessment (ELA)—Pace Univer- sity recognizes that adults often come to school with a great deal of experience and knowledge gained outside of a formal academic setting. Students interested in exploring the possibility of earning college credit for that knowledge should meet with an Adult and Continuing Education advisor to explore the options available. When an advisor determines that a student may be eligible for experiential credit, the student will be encouraged to enroll in a prior learning assessment course (INT 196B). This course will guide the student through the process of writing a portfolio that will be submitted for evaluation to the appropriate academic department. A faculty evaluator reviews the portfolio and, if college-level learning is demonstrated, approves the granting of credits. Credit earned through portfolio assessment is entered on a student’s transcript as transfer credit. Students must be enrolled in a degree program; up to 36 portfolio credits* may be applied to the following degrees: bachelor of science in professional studies, bachelor of arts in liberal studies, bachelor of science in professional computer studies, and bachelor of business administration in business studies. Students may also apply up to 15 portfolio credits* to the other bachelor degrees with permission of the advisors of the school in which the degree is offered. The portfolio process may not be completed once the student has obtained 96 credits towards a degree. *Note there is no guarantee of earning 36 or 15 portfolio credits. The number of portfolio credits earned depends on the individual student’s experience and the extent to which that experience is deemed to be equivalent to comparable learning achieved in Pace University coursework. Challenge Examinations Students who believe they have knowledge comparable to what would be gained by successful completion of a particular course at the University may in some cases obtain credit for that course by passing a challenge examination. Normally such examinations are standardized and available through such testing centers as the Educa- tional Testing Service. (Pace is a participant in both the New York State College Proficiency Examination Program and the College-Level Examination Program.) In the absence of a standardized examination, a department may arrange for a special examination: written, oral or perfor- mance. Not every course may be challenged, but many can be. Please consult the appropriate academic department for details and further information. Students who receive credit through a Pace University challenge examination will be charged one credit of tuition for administration of the examination, whether or not credit is earned. (This charge is subject to change.) Credit earned through challenge examinations does not satisfy the residency requirement for graduation.

NOTE: Information contained herein was compiled prior to June 2004 and is accurate as of that date. Subsequent changes may occur with respect to University programs, curricula, requirements, rules, regulations, policies and procedures, which are not reflected in this catalog. Enrollment shall be subject to and governed by such changes.

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