Procedures

Request to Take Summer Courses at Another College

Request to take summer courses at another college - Qualtrics form

An undergraduate Dietrich School student may earn credit for courses taken at another college if the student:

• is in good academic standing (cumulative GPA of a 2.0 or higher)
• obtains written approval from the Office of the Associate Dean before enrolling.

The courses:

• must be from an accredited, U.S.-based institution.  (Students looking to take classes at a college or university outside of the U.S. must request approval through the Study Abroad Office.)
• cannot be a repeat of a course taken at Pitt
• must be completed with grades of C or better

Please note the following:

• A student who has earned 90 or more credits by the end of the spring term may not take courses at another institution.
• A student may only take up to 8 credits (2 courses) at another institution during the summer.

The following is needed to complete the Request: 

• A course description must be uploaded for each course you wish you take at another institution.
• If you have declared a major and you wish to have a course count toward a core requirement for your major, you must upload a copy of an email exchange with your advisor in which you are given permission.

Please note that it may take up to a week to receive a decision, which will be sent to your Pitt e-mail.  

Once you have completed the course(s) with a grade of C or better, please have the other institution e-mail an official transcript to Student Records.

Once we receive the official transcript directly from that school, we will post the transfer credits to your Pitt transcript.

Changing a Grade Option

During the add/drop period, you are able to change the grade option for a course through your Student Center. Between the end of the add/drop period and the grade option change deadline of each semester, you can change your grade option by submitting a Grade Option/Audit Request form to the school offering the course. 

If you do not fill out a Grade Option/Audit request form for a course in which more than one grade option is available, the default option (usually, but not always, the letter grade option) will automatically apply.

S/NC Grade Option

Certain courses are offered with the S/NC (Satisfactory/No-Credit) grade option. Under this option, a student who does satisfactory work (a grade of C or better) in a course receives the grade of S. If the student’s work is not satisfactory (a grade of C- or lower), the grade of NC (No Credit) is given. Courses for which an S is received are counted toward graduation, but are not computed in the GPA. Courses in which an NC is received are counted neither towards graduation nor the GPA.

Auditing a Course

To audit a course, you must register for and pay tuition for the course. A Grade Option/Audit Request form must be submitted for undergraduate courses by the grade option change deadline. The instructor for the course must sign the Grade Option/Audit Request form before the form can be processed. Students who audit a course are given an N grade, which means that the course is counted neither towards graduation nor the GPA. A student typically chooses to audit a course for personal enrichment. 

Repeating a Course

Students may elect to repeat a course, subject to the following stipulations:

• A sequence course may not be repeated for credit if the student passes a higher sequence course with a C or better grade.
• A student may not enroll in the same course at another institution and have that grade replace the original grade earned at the University.
• The original course and grade remain on the transcript; however, the grade and credits originally earned are not counted in the calculation of the GPA. 
• The grade earned by repeating a course is used instead of the grade originally earned, even if the new grade is lower than the original grade. However, W, R, N, or NC grades reported for the repeated course will not be identified as a course repeat, and therefore the original grade earned will continue to be counted in the GPA. Additionally, incomplete grades (G and I) are not identified as repeated courses until the course work is completed.
• Students are only permitted to repeat a course twice. Any grade earned in the repeated course will be recorded on the academic transcript, even if it is lower than the original grade.

G Grades

At the discretion of an instructor, a G grade may be awarded when students who have been attending a course and making regular progress are prevented from completing the course due to extenuating personal circumstances. Students who are assigned a G grade are required to complete course requirements no later than one year after the term or session in which the course was taken, or by an earlier deadline established by the instructor. After that year, the grade will automatically change to NG; an NG grade cannot be changed, and the credits will no longer appear as "in progress." The student will be required to re-register for the course if it is needed to fulfill requirements for graduation. The Dietrich School encourages students with G grades to work with their instructors to complete the requirements for the course as soon as possible.

Declaring Your Major

To declare your major for the first time, or to add or change a Dietrich School major, minor, or certificate, please complete this Academic Plan Change form.

If you are adding a non-Dietrich major, please complete this form. If you wish to declare a non-Dietrich minor or certificate, or to remove a major, minor, or certificate in a school other than the Dietrich School, you will need to contact that school for their procedures.

Withdrawing from a Course

After the add/drop period has ended, you may withdraw from a course by completing a Monitored Withdrawal Request form in the office of the school offering the course. Students must process the Monitored Withdrawal Request form by the deadline. Check the calendar for specific dates for each term. Because summer sessions vary in length, if you are taking a summer course, please check the summer schedule of classes for those deadlines. A W grade will be assigned for the course. A W grade does not impact a student’s GPA.

Withdrawing from a course does not adjust a student’s tuition or fee obligations. However, withdrawing from a course may jeopardize satisfactory academic progress, financial aid, and athletic eligibility.

Resigning from a Term

Please call the Office of Student Appeals at 412-624-7668 to discuss resignation, or visit this site for more information. 

Changing a General Education Requirement

If a class is approved to fulfill two General Education Requirements and you want to change the requirement that the class fulfills, complete a Best Fit form.

Taking More than 18 Credits per Term

You must call 412-624-6480 to schedule an appointment with an assistant dean for official approval. Please be aware that you will be billed on a per-credit basis for every credit over 18.

Studying Abroad During Your Senior Year

If you plan to study abroad during your senior year (your last 30 credits at Pitt), you must call 412-624-6480 to schedule an appointment to speak with an assistant dean for official approval.

Applying for Reinstatement 

The following students must apply for reinstatement:

• Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences students who have not enrolled for three consecutive terms (counting fall, spring, and summer terms), and who have not attended another institution in the meantime.
• Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences students who have completed their suspension period and wish to continue their studies.
• University of Pittsburgh students who last attended another school at the Pittsburgh campus (such as College of Business Administration or the School of Nursing) but have not enrolled in classes for two consecutive terms (one calendar year), have not attended another institution, and wish to be admitted to the Dietrich School.

The deadline for reinstatement is August 15 for the fall term, December 15 for the spring term, and one week before the beginning of classes in the summer term or sessions. Students who are reinstated for a particular term but do not enroll for that term must reapply for reinstatement if they wish to attend a later term.

If you wish to reinstate, please complete this form.

Applying for a Second Degree

Students who have earned a bachelor's degree in any University of Pittsburgh school or campus and wish to earn a second undergraduate degree from the Dietrich School should apply through Student Records.   Applicants should note the following:

• Course work for the second degree will continue to be recorded on the original University of Pittsburgh undergraduate transcript.
• All appropriate course work from the first degree will apply to the second degree. These credits will be indicated on the academic record during the student's first term of enrollment as a second-degree student. Students must earn a minimum of 30 new credits, at least half of which must be earned for the second major toward the second degree while enrolled in the Dietrich School.
• The deadline for reinstatement is August 15 for the fall term, December 15 for the spring term, and one week before the beginning of classes in the summer term or sessions. 

If you wish to apply for a second degree, please complete this form.

Transferring

External Transfers

Students transferring into the Dietrich School from another college or university must apply through the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. After acceptance, Student Records evaluates the student’s previous coursework to see how it equates to the Dietrich School general education requirements.

A maximum of 60 credits can be accepted from accredited community colleges and two-year junior colleges. A maximum of 90 credits can be accepted from accredited four-year institutions. All students must earn their final 30 credits toward a Dietrich School degree and at least half of the credits for their majors, minors, and/or certificates while enrolled as a Dietrich School student.