The Administration and Faculty of Columbia College

Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

Academic Concerns, Complaints, and Grievances

Index

Programs of Study

Rules and Procedures Governing Programs of Study

Attendance

Students are expected to attend their classes and laboratory periods. Instructors may take attendance into account in assessing a student’s performance and may require a certain level of attendance for passing a course. Students are held accountable for absences incurred owing to late enrollment. For additional information see College and University Policies—Religious Holidays.

Points per Term

A student must register for no fewer than 12 points per term. Students must petition the Committee on Academic Standing in order to register for more than 22 points. First-year students may not petition to register for more than 22 points in their first semester.

Supervised Independent Study

Supervised individual work on a special topic is available to qualified students as an alternative or as a supplement to courses and seminars in the field of specialization. The student must develop a plan of study with a faculty adviser and then obtain the approval of the department. Progress reports are submitted as required. From 1 to 6 points of credit may be awarded for this work; the exact number of points is to be determined in consultation with the department.

Ordinarily, only seniors are allowed to register for independent study, although other students may be admitted at the discretion of the departmental representative. Acceptance depends on both the quality of the proposal and the student’s own qualifications.

The Columbia Summer Session

Normally credit for summer school is given to College students only for courses taken in the Columbia Summer Session. There is a 16-point limit for the entire Summer Session, with no more than 8 points in any Summer Session period or in overlapping periods.

All students registered in Columbia College during the regular academic year may elect one course each semester during the regular academic year on a Pass/D/ Fail basis. This is in addition to any courses that are given only on a Pass/D/Fail basis. Students who do not utilize both Pass/D/Fail options during the academic year may elect, in the summer immediately following, to take one Summer Session course on a Pass/D/Fail basis. For additional information on and restrictions governing Pass/D/Fail credit, see Programs of Study—The Pass/D/Fail Option, in this bulletin.

Students who plan to take any courses toward their major or concentration must consult with their major department. Not all courses in the Summer Session Bulletin are creditable in Columbia College. Students should also consult the annually updated List of Approved Summer Courses in the Office of the Dean, 208 Hamilton, or in the Center for Student Advising.

Summer School Courses Taken Outside Columbia

Students who wish to receive credit for summer school courses taken outside Columbia must:

Read carefully the procedures to follow to apply for such credit. Copies are available in the Center for Student Advising.
Obtain a form from the advising center upon which students outline their reasons for wishing to take summer courses and list the specific courses in which they wish to enroll. This form is submitted to the Committee on Academic Standing in the advising center that determines whether or not summer school courses are approved for credit.
Follow the specific instructions students are given on how to proceed.
Students may not study abroad during the summer except in Columbiasponsored programs, or approved language, archaeology, and architecture programs.

NOTE: Students applying for summer school credit for courses that they wish to use in partial fulfillment of the science or Major Cultures requirements must submit a science or Major Cultures course approval petition to 208 Hamilton for approval by the appropriate faculty committee. Approval to receive credit for summer school courses does not ensure approval of the course toward one of these requirements.

Courses Taken in Other Columbia Undergraduate Schools and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

None of the courses listed in this bulletin nor in the bulletins of Barnard College and the School of General Studies require any special approval unless so indicated in various programs and course descriptions.

Education Program: Courses are open only to students enrolled in the Education Program.

The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science: A maximum of four courses may be taken on a space-available basis. The four-course limit does not apply to students in an IEOR program or the 3-2 program.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Courses may be taken by qualified undergraduates with the permission of the director of undergraduate studies in the department in which the course is taught.

Courses Taken in Other Divisions of the University

Students have available to them a number of courses offered by some professional schools of the University and may take a maximum of four courses for elective credit and apply those points toward the 124 points necessary for their degree.

Those students who wish to take such a course and not count it toward the 124 points necessary for the undergraduate degree need only receive the permission of their advising dean. In either instance, the student must follow the policies established by the various professional schools, must have the permission of the instructor of the course he or she wishes to take, and in some instances must have the permission of the school in which the course is offered. Following is a list of schools and programs that allow undergraduates to register for courses, with their policies regarding the enrollment of Columbia College students:

Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation: Lectures may be taken on a space-available basis by qualified undergraduates. Undergraduates are not allowed to enroll in any seminars or studio courses.

School of the Arts: Graduate courses may be taken on a space-available basis by qualified undergraduates.

School of Business: Courses may only be taken on a space-available basis by seniors who have completed the required prerequisites. Students must have signed permission from the Center for Student Advising. Deadlines are often earlier than the College registration and change-of-program periods.

School of Continuing Education: Columbia College students are not allowed to enroll during the academic year in courses offered through the School of Continuing Education except for the following courses:

In addition to these academic year courses, the School of Continuing Education sponsors the Summer Term at Columbia. For additional information on taking courses at Columbia during the summer please see The Columbia Summer Term
section of this bulletin.

School of International and Public Affairs: Normally, courses may only be taken by students in one of the approved five-year joint degree programs. Students must have signed permission from the SIPA Office of the Associate Dean of Academic Services, 1428 IAB to take SIPA courses not listed in this bulletin.

School of Journalism: Courses may be taken on a space-available basis. Students must have signed permission from the School of Journalism Office of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, 407E Journalism.

Law School: Courses may be taken only by students in the AILE program. Students must have signed permission from the Law School Office of the Assistant Dean of Academic Services, 500 William and June Warren Hall.

School of Social Work: Courses may be taken on a space-available basis.

Teachers College: Normally, students are not allowed to enroll in courses offered through Teachers College. Exceptions to this policy may be granted under the following circumstances:

Courses that are not offered at Columbia but are deemed essential to a student’s undergraduate program of study.
Instrumental music instruction course (e.g., piano). In this instance, students are charged per credit for the course over and above their Columbia tuition.

To apply for an exception students must submit a petition to the Dean of Academic Affairs of Columbia College, 208 Hamilton Hall.

Graduate Courses Taken by Undergraduates for Graduate Credit

An undergraduate in the College may take graduate courses at Columbia and apply the earned credit toward a Columbia M.A. or Ph.D. degree, assuming admission to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, under the following
conditions:

The work must be in excess of the 124 points required for the B.A. degree.
The student must obtain the approval of both the graduate department(s) offering the course(s) and the undergraduate department in which he or she is majoring or concentrating.
A course used to fulfill a requirement for the B.A. degree may not be counted toward graduate credit.
The maximum amount of graduate credit that an undergraduate can earn is two Residence Units toward the Ph.D. degree requirement, only one of which may be applied toward the M.A. degree requirement.
Courses that a student completes while registered in the Columbia Summer Session may not be credited toward the completion of degree requirements in the Graduate School.

Index