What If...(Unique Situations)

Q If on the quarter system a student has started taking courses in a major program (upper division courses), does the student have to change to the semester system degree requirements for that major?

A That depends on when a student started and when that student plans to finish.

• If the student will complete graduation requirements December 1997 or before, the student must satisfy all requirements for the degree (including major program and core curriculum requirements) as stipulated in the catalog under which that student entered.
  
• If the student will complete graduation requirements after December 1997, the student will be given the option to satisfy Area II and/or Area III of the core as follows:
  
  • Area II: Any two laboratory science courses in lieu of the laboratory science sequence requirement. The student must still satisfy course prerequisites for other science courses, if applicable to that student's degree program.
  • Area III: POS 105 and either HIS 105, 106, or 117, and any two social science courses approved for Area III.
    
• If the student who has started a major program on the quarter system will complete graduation requirements Fall 1998 or after, the student will have the option of using semester courses to satisfy the quarter- system degree requirements, or the option of switching to the new, semester-system requirements. Faculty advisors and Registrar personnel will assist the student in determining the best choice, given the requirements the student has remaining.
  

Q If the student is in the middle of a two- or three-quarter sequence of courses, how will the student complete the sequence on the semester system?

A Whenever possible, students should complete all sequences begun on the quarter system before the conversion to the semester system. Some three-course sequences on the quarter system will become two-course sequences on the semester system. There could be gaps of information if students start a sequence on the quarter system but finish it on the semester system.

Here is an example. On the quarter system, a year of calculus is divided into three courses. On the semester system, a year of calculus is divided into two courses. The first calculus course on the quarter system is called Calculus I with Analytic Geometry and covers one-third year of calculus. The first calculus course on the semester system is also called Calculus I with Analytic Geometry, but it covers one-half year of calculus.

Though the names are the same, the courses do not cover the same amount of material. Calculus I on the quarter system covers less than Calculus I on the semester system. Thus there will be a significant gap of information between where Calculus I ends on the quarter system and where Calculus II begins on the semester system. Students cannot take Calculus I on the quarter system and assume they can continue with Calculus II on the semester system.

See Special Sequencing Charts for more details.

If students have started a sequence on the quarter system, they should try to finish it on the quarter system. This is imperative for sequenced courses in math, certain sciences, and foreign languages. If students have started but not completed sequenced courses, they may find themselves repeating classes.

Q How can a student retake a course on the semester system after failing it on the quarter system?

A Equivalency conversion charts will be created for transition of courses from quarters to semester. These charts will cover all core curriculum courses as well as upper division courses in the major. If a student needs to repeat a course taken on the quarter system, an accepted semester substitute will be specified in the charts.

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