University of Arkansas

Registration Periods

Students must register during one of the formal registration periods. Currently enrolled students are expected to register during the priority registration held each semester for the following semester. New students (freshmen and transfers) are expected to register during orientation. New students not already registered during orientation should register during the open registration period that immediately precedes the beginning of classes each semester. There is a late registration period of five days at the beginning of fall and spring semesters and a one- or two-day late registration period at the beginning of the summer sessions, but students may find that many classes are filled.

Student Addresses

It is the responsibility of all students to maintain and correct their addresses with the University and to report any change of address promptly either in writing to the Registrar’s Office or on the Student Information System (ISIS). Failure to do so may result in undelivered official correspondence and announcements. Emergency contact information is also required.

Important academic announcements are frequently sent to the students through University assigned e-mail accounts. Students must check this account frequently to avoid missing critical notices.

Identification Cards

Identification cards are made at orientation and at the ID Card Office during the year. Several privileges on campus require an ID card, and it can be used as a debit card for purchases at various locations throughout the campus. Part-time students are also eligible for a card.

Academic Advising

Academic advising is an active, ongoing exchange between the advisers and students, grounded in teaching and learning. Advising is based on students gaining accurate and appropriate information and direction to help make their educational experience relevant, coherent, and meaningful. It is a process that assists students in connecting with the University of Arkansas, making thoughtful decisions related to their academic experiences, and maximizing their educational and career opportunities. Quality academic advising is essential to achieving the University’s vision for a "student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world."

While procedures may vary among schools and colleges, all successful academic advising should include the following:

• A mutual respect between adviser and student with the student possessing final responsibility for successful completion of a degree.
• A developmental and educational process that occurs over time.
• Consideration of individual students’ interests, abilities, and needs.
• A collaborative effort to connect students to campus resources and services.
• Reasonable availability and accessibility to advisers.
• Interpretation of University of Arkansas, college, and departmental rules and courses.
• A student's understanding of the purpose and nature of the university core courses.
• Recommendation of appropriate courses.
• A student's understanding of and progress toward academic requirements.
• General information regarding career options and opportunities, with appropriate referrals as necessary.
• Respect for students’ ethnic and racial heritage, age, gender, culture, national origin, sexual orientation, and religion, as well as their physical, learning, and psychological abilities.
• An understanding of and adherence to laws and regulations that relate to academic advising.
• Adherence to the highest principles of ethical behavior.

The University is committed to developing each student to his or her fullest potential. To this end, programs in each college have been established to improve the academic achievement and persistence of students on academic warning and of other students in need of academic assistance. Such assistance is provided through a variety of instructional and informational services.

Arkansas State Requirements for Developmental Course Placement

Arkansas law specifies that all first-time entering freshmen enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program will be placed in either college-level credit courses in English and mathematics or remedial courses in English composition, reading, and mathematics on the basis of their scores on specified tests. Faculty may choose to raise the standard for individual subject areas. Please check prerequisites for individual courses, as found in the Course Descriptions section.

• Students who score below 19 on the English section of the ACT or below 470 on the verbal score of the SAT must enroll in Remedial English 0003, which does not carry degree credit.
• Students who score below 19 on the reading section of the ACT or below 470 on the verbal score of the SAT must enroll in Developmental Reading ARSC 0013, which does not carry degree credit.
• Students who score below 19 on the mathematics section of the ACT or below 460 on the quantitative portion of the SAT must enroll in Remedial Math 0003, which does not carry degree credit. (The Mathematical Sciences Department requires higher ACT/ SAT scores for students to be placed in Math courses above MATH 0003. Please see the Course Descriptions for MATH for details).
• Students will be required to register for these courses during their first term at the University and, if necessary, in subsequent terms until passing grades have been earned in all required courses. Students must successfully complete any required developmental course in English before enrolling in freshman English. Students must successfully complete any required developmental course in mathematics before enrolling in a college-level mathematics course. Students who need further information or clarification regarding this law are encouraged to discuss this with their academic adviser or dean.

Courses That Do Not Count toward a Degree

The following courses do not count toward degree credit in any college or school ENGL 0003, MATH 0003, and ARSC 0013.

The following courses do not count toward any degree in the College of Engineering: MATH 1203 College Algebra, MATH 1213 Plane Trigonometry, MATH 1285 Pre-calculus Mathematics, and ENGL 2003 Advanced Composition.

Registration for Grades of Pass-Fail

Students in some programs may register to take certain courses on a pass-fail basis. In such cases, a mark of "CR" (passed) or a grade of "F" (failed) will be recorded.

Students in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Architecture, and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences are eligible to enroll for certain courses on a pass-fail basis under the following conditions:

1. That such registration is approved by the student's adviser. (Students in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences must also have the approval of their academic dean.)
2. That the student has attained sophomore rank or higher.
3. That the student is not on academic warning and has achieved a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00.
4. That such enrollment is limited to one course per semester.
5. That the total enrollment on a pass-fail basis be limited to no more than 18 hours in any student’s degree program.
6. That the courses involved are not part of the student’s major and are not specifically required as part of the student’s degree program
7. Normally, registration for pass-fail credit will be completed prior to the final date for changing registration by adding a course.

Grades for students enrolled on a pass-fail basis will be reported on final grade rosters in the usual manner. The dean’s office will review each report and will authorize the registrar to record "CR" or "F" on the student’s official academic record, as appropriate. The "CR" marks will not be counted in grade point averages but will increment hours earned; the "F" grade will be counted in the grade point average.

Students in the College of Education and Health Professions may enroll in courses on a pass-fail basis under the same conditions but only in courses offered by the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Health Professions. Walton College of Business and College of Engineering students may not take courses on a pass-fail basis.

Undeclared Major

Degree-seeking students who are undecided about their choice of a major field of study will be considered to have an undeclared major. However, all undergraduate students must enroll in one of the colleges or schools. Each of these academic units makes provisions for undeclared majors, and each has its own rules concerning the point at which a student must declare a major. Again, academic advisers will be of great assistance in determining the college or school in which a student with an undeclared major should enroll.

Walton College of Business students have the pre-business classification with an intended major until they complete specific lower-division courses, a process that normally takes four semesters. All engineering students are classified as pre-engineering students until they have satisfied the pre-professional program, which is normally completed during the freshman year.

Registration for Audit

Students wishing to audit a class should contact the instructor teaching that class and request permission to audit. If the instructor approves the audit, the academic department will register the student in that class as an audit. Auditing of a class is allowed on a space-available basis, and a student must pay fees for that class. The instructor shall notify the student of the requirements for receiving the mark of "AU" for the course being audited. The instructor and the student’s dean may drop a student from a course being audited if the student is not satisfying the requirements specified by the instructor. The student is to be notified if this action is taken. The only grade or mark that may be awarded is "AU."

A currently enrolled student who has registered during the advance registration period should make any necessary or desired schedule adjustments such as adding or dropping courses or changing course sections during the schedule-adjustment period of the same semester. Students may also add or drop courses during the first five class days of a fall or spring semester. Students who drop classes by the fifth day of classes in the fall and spring semesters will have their fees adjusted. (Refer to the Treasurer’s Office Web site for summer dates and other sessions). Fee adjustments are not done for classes dropped after the first week of class. Drops and withdrawals are two different functions. In a drop process, the student remains enrolled. The result of the withdrawal process is that the student is no longer enrolled for the term. The two functions have different fee adjustment policies. Fee adjustment deadlines for official withdrawal are noted on the Treasurer’s Web site.

A student may drop a full-semester course during the first 10 class days of a fall or spring semester without having the drop shown on the official academic record. After the first 10 class days, and before the drop deadline of the semester, a student may drop a course, but a mark of "W," indicating the drop, Orientation and Registration University of Arkansas, 28 Fayetteville will be recorded. A student may not drop a full-semester course after the Friday of the tenth week of classes in a fall or spring semester. Drop-add deadlines for partial semester courses and summer classes are listed on the fall and summer calendars located on the Web site of the Registrar’s Office.

Withdrawing from the University means withdrawing from all classes that have not been completed up to that time. A student who leaves the University voluntarily before the end of the fall or spring semester must complete an exit interview and then withdraw from all classes on the student registration system or notify the Office of the Registrar in writing. Withdrawal may occur anytime during the semester through the last day of classes. Withdrawal deadlines for summer sessions are listed on the summer calendar located on the Web site of the Registrar’s Office; summer withdrawals do not require an exit interview. Students who do not withdraw officially from a class they fail to complete will receive an "F" in that class. Students with holds on their registration should contact the Office of the Registrar for assistance in processing their official withdrawal from the University.

The deadline for a full fee adjustment for an official withdrawal is the day before the start of classes for that term. After that date a $45.00 withdrawal fee will be charged, and a percentage of the fees will be refunded. Refer to the Web site of the Treasurer’s Office for the deadlines and percentages.

Course Loads

While University offices and services typically recognize the full-time status of students who have enrolled for a minimum of 12 semester hours, students should bear in mind that this minimum number of hours is insufficient to allow them to complete a four-year degree program in eight academic semesters (four years). Since most University degree programs require a minimum of 124 semester hours, or 31 hours per year, a student should earn 15 to 16 hours per semester to complete most degree programs in four years (eight semesters). The University offers degree-completion plans; see the Web site of the Registrar’s Office or the Academic Regulation section of this catalog.


Number of Hours Allowed per Semester

The number of hours allowed includes Independent Study courses taken through Global Campus.

1. Students who wish to carry more than 18 hours per semester must first obtain the permission of their academic deans.
2. Students who wish to carry more than 21 hours per semester must first request and receive favorable action from the Academic Standards Committee.
3. Students on academic warning may not carry more than 12 hours per semester unless approved by their academic dean's office or advising center. 
4. Students on academic suspension who choose the limited enrollment option may not carry more than 9 hours for that semester unless permission has been requested and granted by the Academic Standards Committee.
5. Students who wish to exceed the normal summer school load must have the approval of their academic deans to take seven hours in five- or six-week sessions or 13 to 14 hours in 10- or 12-week sessions. Students who wish to take more than seven hours in one five- or six-week session or more than 14 hours in one 10- or 12-week session must first receive favorable action from the Academic Standards Committee.
6. For students with severe injury or illness of a temporary or permanent nature, less than 12 hours may be certified on a semester-by-semester basis as full-time with the approval of the student's dean and the concurrence of a physician or licensed examiner.