| University Undergraduate Advising Handbook | |
PART-SEMESTER COURSES
Not all courses offered in a semester or session follow the time frame established on the Academic Calendar. A part-semester course may be scheduled to meet during any portion of a semester or session. For example, a course may meet for the first or second half of a semester or it may meet for two full days during a semester. The number of hours of classroom instruction and out-of-class work for a part-semester course is commensurate with the number of credits awarded for the course (Senate Policy 42-23).
Part-semester courses may be helpful for students who want to maintain a certain credit load or need flexibility during a portion of the semester. For other strategies, see Maintaining a Certain Credit Load.
IDENTIFYING PART-SEMESTER COURSES
In the Schedule of Courses the Begin/End Dates column provides the beginning and ending dates for every class. To find part-semester courses offered in a particular semester, use Additional Search Criteria to enter a desired start or end date.
Information on the start and end dates of courses is available to authorized advisers on ISIS screen ARUAC. The drop/add screen, ARURD, does not indicate the start and end dates of the courses that a student has scheduled. However, when F11or F12 is used to print a schedule, the hard copy includes an asterisk and footnote designating any course that is part-semester. The ARUSEI screen does not indicate whether a course is part semester.
The eLion Student Schedule application, available to advisers and students, identifies any part-semester courses on a student's schedule. (Although part-semester courses are not included in the weekly calendar format, they are listed in a note below the calendar.)
DEADLINES
Part-semester courses have deadlines that vary. Deadlines such as drop/add, late drop, scheduling a course as an audit, and withdrawal are prorated based on a course's time frame.
Other deadlines, such as deferred grade, no grade, and satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading, are the same for full- and part-semester courses. If additional information regarding processing dates is needed, contact the campus Registrar's office.
Determining Deadlines
Using the Course Drop Dates application on eLion, students can check drop and late drop deadlines for courses they have scheduled. Advisers also have access to this application. To determine drop/add and late drop deadlines before a student schedules a course, authorized advisers can use ISIS screen ARIRP and enter any start and end dates.
SCHEDULING PART-SEMESTER COURSES
Students can add (or drop) a part-semester course on eLion during the drop/add period for the course. After this deadline, the add must be processed as a late add.
The University may make changes in policies,
procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. Please
consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information.
This page is part of the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook, which is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, DUS@psu.edu.
Reviewed: November 2011
Last Update: July 2009