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Undergraduate Regulations




Note: These regulations are in addition to those found earlier in this Bulletin, which are applicable to all School of Education students.


  • Admission and Registration
    Preparation for Undergraduate Study
    The only department within the School of Education offering an undergraduate degree is the Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education, which confers the Bachelor of Science degree. Admission is at the junior year following the completion of appropriate prerequisite courses. The specific curricular requirements for admission are available from the Office of Student Personnel Services in the School of Education, the Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education, and pre-admission and career counseling centers of the University.

    Students currently enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) are advised by CAS advisers. Programs of study recommended by such advisers do not guarantee admission to the School of Education.

    Initial teacher certification programs are offered by the School of Education in the Department of Instruction and Learning. Admission is at the graduate level only. An individual wishing to obtain initial teacher certification should apply for admission as described in the "Teacher Education Regulations" section of this Bulletin. No teacher certification programs are offered in the Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education.


  • Admissions Deadlines and Requirements
    Deadlines for application for admission to undergraduate study in the School of Education are:
    February 1 for summer term or fall term
    November 15 for spring term
    Applications for admission are available in the Office of Student Personnel Services, 5N Forbes Quadrangle. Each applicant who is currently enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences must submit:

    (1) the completed application form; and

    (2) official transcripts of all previous work done in undergraduate study (a minimum overall QPA of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale and a QPA of 2.70 in the undergraduate major subject are required).


  • Admissions Decisions
    Faculty members in the Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education evaluate applicants' credentials and recommend an admission decision for each applicant.

    Applicants recommended for admission will be notified of their admission for a specific term. Should they be unable to register for courses for that term, they should notify the Office of Student Personnel Services as soon as possible. Applicants are eligible to register up to and including the term following the completion of one year from the term of admission. Applicants unable to register for courses within one year plus one term of the term specified in their acceptance letter from the School of Education must reapply for admission.


  • Prerequisite Course Work
    Admission to the Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education requires that the applicant has completed liberal arts distributional requirements in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The number of credits and specific courses required in each of these areas are outlined in detail in the "General Information" section of this Bulletin.


  • Acceptance of Transfer Credits
    Students who desire to enter the University of Pittsburgh with advanced standing should write for information to the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, University of Pittsburgh, Bruce Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. This should be done early in the academic year, even though the student may be currently enrolled at another college or university. Those wishing to transfer must be in good standing academically and in other respects in the institution previously attended.

    Students transferring into Health, Physical, and Recreation Education with fewer than 90 credits at the time of transfer may be considered for admission to the College of Arts and Sciences at the beginning of any term. Students transferring into Health, Physical, and Recreation Education who have 90 credits acceptable to the School of Education may apply to the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid for direct entrance to the School of Education.

    Prospective transfer students are required to complete the Application for Admission and return it to the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. The Clearance Form, which will be provided, must be completed by the appropriate dean and/or registrar at the applicant's former institution.

    It is the applicant's responsibility to have forwarded to the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid official transcripts of his or her records in secondary school, at the college or university of current enrollment, and any other college she or he may have attended. Consideration for transfer credit will be given under the following general policy: (a) the average course grade received must be at least C or its equivalent; (b) the courses taken were comparable in content to courses offered by the University of Pittsburgh; and (c) the courses were taken at a college or university accredited by an appropriate regional accrediting association. No more than 60 transfer credits may be accepted toward a baccalaureate degree.

    When approved, transfer credits should appear on the student's Plan of Studies. The Registrar, after notification of acceptance of transfer credit, will enter the transfer credits as block credits on the student's transcript. Grades (and quality points) are not recorded for credits accepted by transfer.


  • Admission to Summer Courses
    Students who wish to enroll for summer term courses must apply for admission to the School of Education; admissions requirements are the same for both regular term and summer term.


  • Admission Status
    Accepted students are admitted to undergraduate study in the Department of Health, Physical, and Recreation Education with "full" or "provisional" undergraduate admission status depending on their qualifications.

    Full Undergraduate Status. For admission to full undergraduate status, an applicant is admitted unconditionally to the undergraduate degree program in Health, Physical, and Recreation Education and must be judged by the department and the School to be prepared for undergraduate study.

    Provisional Undergraduate Status. Applicants who do not qualify for admission to full undergraduate status may be considered for provisional undergraduate status. Students may not be awarded degrees while under provisional undergraduate status. Transfer from provisional to full status must be completed before the student may be allowed to register for more than 15 credits.


  • Classification of Students
    Full-time or Part-time Status. Students taking 12 or more credits in a term are designated full-time students. Students taking fewer than 12 credits in a term are designated part-time students. The School of Education, mindful of its educational responsibilities to the community, offers comprehensive programs for both full- and part-time students. Admission procedures for part-time students are the same as those for full-time students.

    Student Level
    On admission, students are assigned a student level. The approved student levels for all undergraduate students pursuing a degree are as follows:

    Freshman completed less than one-fourth of the credits required for a degree.
    Sophomore completed one-fourth or more but less than one-half of the credits required for a degree.
    Junior completed one-half or more, but less than three-fourths of the credits required for a degree.
    Senior completed three-fourths or more credits required for a degree.

    The approved student levels for non-degree seeking students:
    High School high school students taking undergraduate courses.
    Guest matriculated (degree) students at another institution taking undergraduate course work.


  • Registration of Undergraduate Students for Graduate Credit
    A University of Pittsburgh undergraduate student who needs fewer than 15 credits to complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree and who intends to continue study toward an advanced degree, may be permitted, during his or her final term, to register for courses at the 2000 level for credit toward a graduate degree, but only with the specific approval of the department offering the course(s). The Dean/Associate Dean must certify in advance that the specific requirements remaining for the completion of the undergraduate degree are fewer than 15 credits and must approve this registration. This privilege should not be granted if the proposed total program exceeds a normal full-time load. Upon submission of a "Transfer/Advanced Standing Credits Accepted" form to the Office of the Register, these credits will be posted as advanced standing credits on the graduate transcript. This form should be initiated by the student through his/her adviser.


  • Cross-Registration
    Cross-registration is a program designed to provide for enriched educational opportunities for undergraduates at any of the 10 institutions that comprise the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (Carnegie Mellon University, Carlow College, Chatham College, Community College of Allegheny County, Duquesne University, Point Park College, LaRoche College, Robert Morris College, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and the University of Pittsburgh). Under the terms of this program, full-time students at any one of these institutions may enroll for a maximum of six credits per term at any of the other institutions. Each institution provides the others with lists of those courses approved by department chairpersons as being open to cross-registration. Such courses must be selected from those regularly accredited toward baccalaureate programs, and a student registering for them must meet all prerequisites. Priority in registration goes to the students of the host institution. Full credit and grades are transferred. A student may not cross-register for courses available on the home campus. Students who have earned more than 60 credits toward a college degree may not take courses at the Community College of Allegheny County or any other two-year institution. Not all courses at the Community College may count toward a School of Education degree; students should consult their advisers before registering. Cross-registration is not offered in the summer.


  • General Undergraduate Regulations
    Maximum Credit Load
    The typical academic load for an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh is 15 credits. No student whose QPA is below 2.50 may register for more than 15 academic credits. Those students whose cumulative QPA is 2.50 or above at the time of preregistration may petition the Dean's Office to carry a program that exceeds 18 academic credits to a maximum of 21 credits or one additional course, whichever is greater. In addition, any student who is entering either of the last two terms of the program prior to graduation will be allowed to petition for excess credits as long as the cumulative QPA is sufficient to keep the student in good academic standing (2.50). Such permission will be granted only if good and sufficient justification accompanies the written petition.


  • Quality Point Average
    All students enrolled in undergraduate programs are required to maintain a quality point average of at least 2.50. The cumulative QPA is based on all course work taken after enrollment at the University of Pittsburgh. A student is automatically placed on academic probation when the cumulative QPA, exclusive of transfer credits, falls below 2.50. While on academic probation, permission must be obtained from the academic adviser and the Dean/Associate Dean for all work undertaken. The schedules of undergraduate students on probation are usually reduced to 12 credits. Students will be required to terminate study after two terms on probation without receiving the degree if there is no improvement in the quality of their work. Although the credits allowed for acceptable work completed elsewhere by transfer students count toward the total number of credits required for the undergraduate degree, the grades earned in such courses are not included in the calculation of the QPA.


  • Credit Requirements
    All undergraduate degrees require the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 or more credits of undergraduate study approved by the department and the School. Undergraduate degrees are conferred only on those students who have completed all courses required for the degree with at least a 2.50 QPA.


  • Resident Credit Requirements
    Students in education must complete the work of the senior year, or the last 30 credits, in courses offered at the University of Pittsburgh. They must be enrolled in the School of Education during the term the degree is awarded. Students who begin their study at the regional campuses must make application to relocate no later than their fourth term.


  • Graduation with Honors
    Members of the graduating class who have obtained high scholastic standing may, by vote of the faculty, be graduated with honors if they have completed at least 30 credits in the School of Education. The QPA to determine graduation with honors is based on a minimum of 60 letter-graded credits completed at the University of Pittsburgh.

    For consideration for the honor of summa cum laude, the candidate shall have attained a minimum QPA of 3.75. For consideration for the honor of magna cum laude, the candidate shall have attained a minimum QPA of 3.50. For consideration for the honor of cum laude, the candidate shall have attained a minimum QPA of 3.25. Only letter grades and work completed at the University of Pittsburgh shall be used in determining honors.


  • Application for Graduation
    Application for degrees must be filed in the Office of Student Personnel Services, 5N Forbes Quadrangle, at the time of registration for the term during which the student expects to complete requirements, but no later than ten calendar days after the beginning of that term. It is the responsibility of the student to apply for graduation.

    Graduation occurs three times each year (December, April, and August); however, convocation occurs only once each year, at the end of the spring term.




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