Credit and Evaluation
- Calculation of Transferred Semesters Based on the Number of Transferred Credit Hours
- Credit by College Board Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or SAT Subject Examinations
- Credit by Departmental Examination
- Global Language Placement Credit
- Hours of Credit
- Independent Studies for Credit
- Modes of Instruction (College of Arts & Sciences)
- Policy on Credit for Internships—The College of Arts & Sciences
- Semester Schedule
Calculation of Transferred Semesters Based on the Number of Transferred Credit Hours
Several academic procedures, including the determination of academic eligibility, depend on the tally of semesters that students have completed. When credit hours are transferred, a calculation must be made as to the number of semesters the student is regarded as having used up. This calculation is based on the number of credit hours accepted by UNC–Chapel Hill for transfer, not on the number of semesters in which the student was enrolled at other colleges. Excluded from this calculation are transfer hours awarded for courses taken concurrent with high school.
Students are regarded as having used up one semester for every full multiple of 15.0 semester credit hours accepted for transfer. When credits are transferred from a college that operates on the quarter-term system, one quarter-term credit hour equals two-thirds of a semester credit hour.
See “Transfer Candidates” in the “Undergraduate Admissions” section of the Catalog for additional information.
The same formula is applied to credit hours that a student earns while enrolled in a part-time program of study at UNC–Chapel Hill, with 90 hours regarded as six semesters and 105 hours regarded as seven semesters. Note: Hours earned in any UNC–Chapel Hill summer term are not included in this formula.
The formula also applies to transfer credit hours awarded for any courses taken at other institutions during a fall or spring semester (but not during summer terms) after a student matriculates at UNC–Chapel Hill.
Credit by College Board Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or SAT Subject Examinations
Students who meet UNC–Chapel Hill standards on certain approved College Board Advanced Placement examinations, examinations of the International Baccalaureate Program, certain SAT Subject Tests (e.g., foreign language), and other tests as listed below, may receive academic credit for comparable University coursework. Each year the Office of Undergraduate Admissions publishes the minimum scores necessary for the awarding of course credit (also listed below for AP and IB exams); however, final authority for awarding this placement credit lies with the chair of the department or curriculum in which credit is to be received. Minimum scores for placement may change from year to year. Regulations for credit in the year in which the student began study at UNC–Chapel Hill as a full-time student determine the standards that apply, not the year in which the student took the examination. Such credit will not be contingent upon the completion of further work in the subject unless specified by an academic department.
By-Examination (BE) credit awarded based on a student’s scores on the Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, SAT Subject Tests, other tests as listed below, or departmental examinations may be used to fulfill General Education requirements. For students admitted as new first-year or transfer students beginning in fall 2009 or later, the following limitations apply to the use of By-Examination (BE) credit in a major or minor:
- No more than two courses (six to eight credit hours) of BE credit may be used as part of the major core.
- No more than one BE credit course (three to four credit hours) may be used as part of a minor.
Students who wish to enroll in a course for which they have By-Examination credit should discuss their decision with an academic advisor. In the event that a student takes a course for which Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, SAT Subject Test, or other tests as listed below, credit is awarded, the By-Examination credit will be forfeited when the course is completed.
Advanced Placement Exam Scores
| Exam | Minimum Score | Awarded Credit for the Following Courses | Credit Hours Awarded |
| African American Studies | 3 | AAAD General Elective | 3 |
| African American Studies | 4 | AAAD 231 | 3 |
| Art History | 3 | ARTH 152 | 3 |
| Art Studio Drawing | 4 | ARTS 104 | 3 |
| Art Studio Drawing | 3 | Studio Art General Elective | 3 |
| Art 2D | 4 | ARTS 102 | 3 |
| Art 2D | 3 | Studio Art General Elective | 3 |
| Art 3D | 4 | ARTS 103 | 3 |
| Art 3D | 3 | Studio Art General Elective | 3 |
| Biology | 3 | BIOL 101/101L | 4 |
| Calculus AB | 2 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P | 0 |
| Calculus AB Subscore | 2 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P | 0 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231 | 4 |
| Calculus AB Subscore | 3 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231 | 4 |
| Calculus BC | 2 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P | 0 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231, MATH 232 | 8 |
| Chemistry | 3 | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L | 4 |
| Chemistry | 5 | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L, CHEM 102, CHEM 102L | 8 |
| Chinese | 3 | CHIN 203 * | 4 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | Political Science General Elective | 3 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | POLI 130 | 3 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | COMP 101 | 3 |
| Computer Science A | 5 | COMP 101, COMP 110 | 6 |
| Economics - Either Micro or Macro | 3 | Economics General Elective | 3 |
| Economics - Either Micro or Macro | 4 | ECON 100 | 3 |
| Economics - Both Micro and Macro | 4 | ECON 100, ECON 101 | 7 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | English General Elective | 3 |
| English Literature | 3 | English General Elective | 3 |
| English Literature | 5 | ENGL 191 | 3 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | Environmental Studies General Elective | 3 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | ENEC 202 | 4 |
| European History | 3 | HIST 104 | 3 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | French General Elective and placement into FREN 203 | 3 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | French General Elective, FREN 203, and placement into FREN 204 | 6 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | French General Elective, FREN 203, FREN 204, and placement into FREN 255, FREN 260, or FREN 262 | 9 |
| Geography (Human) | 3 | GEOG 120 | 3 |
| German Language | 3 | German General Elective and placement into GERM 203 * | 3 |
| German Language | 4 | German General Elective, GERM 203, and placement into GERM 204 * | 6 |
| German Language | 5 | German General Elective, GERM 203, GERM 204, and placement into GERM 301 or GERM 302 * | 9 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | Italian General Elective and placement into ITAL 203 | 3 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | Italian General Elective, ITAL 203, and placement into ITAL 204 | 6 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | Italian General Elective, ITAL 203, ITAL 204, and placement into ITAL 300 | 9 |
| Japanese | 3 | Japanese General Elective * | 3 |
| Japanese | 4 | JAPN 203 * | 4 |
| Latin | 3 | Latin General Elective | 3 |
| Latin | 4 | LATN 203 | 3 |
| Latin | 5 | LATN 203, LATN 204 | 6 |
| Music Theory | 3 | MUSC 121 | 3 |
| Music Theory | 5 | MUSC 121, MUSC 130, MUSC 131 | 7 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Physics 1 | 4 | PHYS 114 | 4 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Physics 2 | 4 | PHYS 115 | 4 |
| Physics B | 3 | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Physics B | 5 | PHYS 114, PHYS 115 | 8 |
| Physics C E&M | 3 | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Physics C E&M | 4 | PHYS 115 | 4 |
| Physics C Meachnics | 3 | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Physics C Mechanics | 4 | PHYS 114 | 4 |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P | 0 |
| Psychology | 3 | Psychology General Elective | 3 |
| Psychology | 4 | PSYC 101 | 3 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | Spanish General Elective and placement into SPAN 203 | 3 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | Spanish General Elective, SPAN 203, and placement into SPAN 204 | 6 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | Spanish General Elective, SPAN 203, SPAN 204, and placement into SPAN 261 | 9 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | Spanish General Elective and placement into SPAN 203 | 3 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | Spanish General Elective, SPAN 203, and placement into SPAN 204 | 6 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | Spanish General Elective, SPAN 203, SPAN 204, SPAN 261 | 12 |
| Statistics | 3 | STOR 151 | 3 |
| Statistics | 4 | STOR 155 | 3 |
| US Government and Politics | 3 | Political Science General Elective | 3 |
| US Government and Politics | 4 | POLI 100 | 3 |
| US History | 3 | HIST 102 | 3 |
| World History | 3 | HIST 103 | 3 |
- *
Students who wish to continue Chinese, German, or Japanese at UNC must take a departmental placement exam.
International Baccalaureate Scores
Appropriate credit/placement will be awarded by the end of July for any enrolling student who has sent official scores.
| Subject | Minimum Score | Awarded Credit for the Following Courses | Credit Hours Awarded |
| Art Studio HL | 4 | ARTS 104 | 3 |
| Art Studio SL | 5 | ARTS 104 | 3 |
| Biology HL | 4 | BIOL 101, BIOL 101L | 4 |
| Biology SL | 5 | BIOL 101, BIOL 101L | 4 |
| Chemistry HL | 4 | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L | 4 |
| Chemistry HL | 5 | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L, CHEM 102, CHEM 102L | 8 |
| Chemistry SL | 5 | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L | 4 |
| Chinese HL | 4 | CHIN 203 * | 4 |
| Chinese SL | 5 | CHIN 203 * | 4 |
| Economics HL | 4 | ECON 101 | 4 |
| Economics SL | 5 | ECON 101 | 4 |
| English A HL | 4 | ENGL 191 | 3 |
| English A SL | 5 | ENGL 191 | 3 |
| French A Language and Literature HL/SL | 5 | FREN 203, FREN 204 | 6 |
| French A Literature HL/SL | 5 | FREN 203, FREN 204, FREN 260 | 9 |
| French B HL | 4 | FREN 203, FREN 204 | 6 |
| French B SL | 5 | FREN 203, FREN 204 | 6 |
| French ab initio SL | 5 | French General Elecitve; Placement by department exam. | 3 |
| French ab initio SL | 6 | French General Elective; Placement into FREN 203 | 3 |
| Further Mathematics HL | 4 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231, MATH 232 | 8 |
| German HL | 4 | German General Elective | 3 |
| German HL | 5 | GERM 203 | 3 |
| German HL | 6 | GERM 203, GERM 204 | 6 |
| German SL | 5 | German General Elective | 3 |
| German SL | 6 | GERM 203 | 3 |
| German SL | 7 | GERM 203, GERM 204 | 6 |
| History Americas HL | 4 | HIST General Elective | 3 |
| History HL | 4 | HIST 103 | 3 |
| Italian HL | 4 | ITAL 203, ITAL 204 | 6 |
| Italian SL | 5 | ITAL 203, ITAL 204 | 6 |
| Japanese HL | 4 | JAPN 203 * | 4 |
| Japanese SL | 5 | JAPN 203 * | 4 |
| Latin HL | 4 | Latin General Elective | 3 |
| Latin HL | 5 | LATN 203 | 3 |
| Latin HL | 6 | LATN 203, LATN 204 | 6 |
| Latin SL | 5 | Latin General Elective | 3 |
| Latin SL | 6 | LATN 203 | 3 |
| Latin SL | 7 | LATN 203, LATN 204 | 6 |
| Math HL | 4 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231, MATH 232 | 8 |
| Math SL | 5 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P | 0 |
| Mathematics Analysis and Approaches HL | 4 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231, MATH 232 | 8 |
| Mathematics Analysis and Approaches SL | 5 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231 | 4 |
| Mathematics Applications HL | 4 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231 | 4 |
| Mathematics Applications SL | 5 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P | 0 |
| Music Comp HL | 4 | MUSC 141 | 3 |
| Music Comp SL | 5 | MUSC 141 | 3 |
| Philosophy HL | 4 | Philosophy General Elective | 3 |
| Philosophy HL | 5 | PHIL 101 | 3 |
| Philosophy SL | 5 | Philosophy General Elective | 3 |
| Physics HL | 4 | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Physics HL | 7 | PHYS 114, PHYS 115 | 8 |
| Physics SL | 5 | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Psychology HL | 4 | PSYC 101 | 3 |
| Psychology SL | 5 | PSYC 101 | 3 |
| Spanish A Language and Literature HL/SL | 5 | SPAN 203, SPAN 204 | 6 |
| Spanish A Literature HL/SL | 5 | SPAN 203, SPAN 204, SPAN 261 | 9 |
| Spanish ab initio SL | 5 | Spanish General Elective; Placement by department exam | 3 |
| Spanish ab initio SL | 6 | Spanish General Elective; Placement into SPAN 203 | 3 |
| Spanish B HL | 4 | SPAN 203, SPAN 204 | 6 |
| Spanish B SL | 5 | SPAN 203, SPAN 204 | 6 |
| Visual Arts HL | 4 | ARTS 104 | 3 |
| Visual Arts SL | 5 | Art Studio General Elective | 3 |
| World Religion SL | 5 | RELI 101 | 3 |
- *
Students who wish to continue Chinese or Japanese at UNC must take a departmental placement exam.
Advanced Level General Certificate of Education (A-Level and AS-Level)
Credit is awarded for courses with a grade of E or higher.
| British A/AS Level Course | UNC Course Equivalent | Credit Hours Awarded (for a grade of E or higher) |
| Accounting A Level | BUSI 100 | 3 |
| Accounting AS Level | Business General Elective | 3 |
| Biology A Level | BIOL 101, BIOL 101L, BIOL 103 | 7 |
| Biology AS Level | BIOL 101, BIOL 101L | 4 |
| Chemistry A Level | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L | 4 |
| Chemistry AS Level | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L | 4 |
| Classics A Level | CLAS 121, CLAS 122 | 6 |
| Classics AS Level | CLAS 121, CLAS 122 | 6 |
| Divinity A Level | RELI 106 | 3 |
| Divinity AS Level | Religious Studies General Elective | 3 |
| Drama A Level | DRAM 115, DRAM 116, DRAM 120 | 9 |
| Drama AS Level | Dramatic Arts General Elective | 3 |
| Economics A Level | ECON 101 | 4 |
| Economics AS Level | ECON 101 | 4 |
| English Literature A Level | ENGL 191 | 3 |
| English Literature AS Level | ENGL 191 | 3 |
| French A Level | FREN 203, FREN 204 | 6 |
| French AS Level | FREN 203 | 3 |
| Further Mathematics A Level | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231, MATH 232 | 8 |
| Further Mathematics AS Level | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231 | 4 |
| Geography A Level | GEOG 110, GEOG 120 | 6 |
| Geography AS Level | GEOG 120 | 3 |
| German A Level | GERM 203, GERM 204 | 6 |
| German AS Level | GERM 203 | 3 |
| History A Level | History General Elective | 3 |
| History AS Level | History General Elective | 3 |
| Mathematics A Level | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231 | 4 |
| Mathematics AS Level | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 152 | 3 |
| Physical Education A Level | EXSS 175 | 3 |
| Physical Education AS Level | Exercise and Sport Science General Elective | 3 |
| Physics (B or higher) A Level | PHYS 114, PHYS 115 | 8 |
| Physics (B or higher) AS Level | PHYS 114, PHYS 115 | 8 |
| Physics A Level | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Physics AS Level | Physics General Elective | 3 |
| Psychology A Level | Psychology General Elective | 3 |
| Psychology AS Level | Psychology General Elective | 3 |
| Sociology A Level | SOCI 101 | 3 |
| Sociology AS Level | SOCI 101 | 3 |
| Spanish A Level | SPAN 203, 204 | 6 |
| Spanish AS Level | SPAN 203 | 3 |
| U.S. Government and Politics | POLI 100, 232 | 6 |
Cambridge Pre-University (PRE-U)
Credit is awarded for courses with a grade of M3 or higher.
| Pre-U Course | UNC Course Equivalent | Credit Hours Awarded |
| History-Europe | HIST 158 | 3 |
| Further Mathematics | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231, MATH 232 | 8 |
| Mathematics | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231 | 4 |
| Philosophy and Theology | PHIL 134 | 3 |
Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations
| Subject | Minimum Score | UNC Credit | Credit Hours Awarded |
| Biology | IV | BIOL 101, BIOL 101L | 4 |
| Caribbean Studies | IV or C | ANTH 130 | 3 |
| Chemistry | III | CHEM 101, CHEM 101L | 4 |
| Physics | III or B | PHYS 114, PHYS 115 | 8 |
French Baccalaureate Exam
Credit is awarded for exams with a mark of 10 or higher. Both the French-Written and French-Speaking exam scores must be 10 or higher, and both scores are averaged for a single score. If either score is below 10, even if the average total is 10 or higher, credit will not be awarded.
| Exam | UNC Course Equivalent | Credit Hours Awarded |
| Economics and Social Sciences | ECON 101 | 4 |
| English | ENGL 191 | 3 |
| French | FREN 203, FREN 204 | 6 |
| History and Geography | HIST 140, HIST 152 | 6 |
| Mathematics | MATH 110P, MATH 129P, MATH 231, MATH 232 | 8 |
| Philosophy | PHIL 101 | 3 |
| Science | BIOL 101, BIOL 101L | 4 |
| Spanish | SPAN 203, SPAN 204 | 6 |
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Exams
| Exam | Minimum Score | Placement into the Following Courses | Credit Hours Awarded |
| Calculus | 50 | MATH 231 | 4 |
| College Algebra | 50 | MATH 110P | 0 |
| French II | 63 | FREN 204 | Placement credit for FREN 203; 0 hours awarded |
| Precalculus | 50 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P | 0 |
| Spanish II (SPII) | 63 | SPAN 203 PL | Placement credit for SPAN 203; 0 hours awarded |
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
If students take this exam, they will need to submit an official exam score to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and they will manually award test credit.
| SQA Subject | Minimum Score | Awarded Credit for the Following Courses | Credit Hours Awarded |
| Advanced Higher Physics | A2 | PHYS 114, PHYS 115 | 8 |
French SAT II
SAT II French with Listening
| SAT II Score | Placement into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
| 350-440 | FREN 101 | none |
| 450-470 | FREN 105 | none |
| 480-540 | FREN 203 | none |
| 550-590 | FREN 204 | Placement credit for FREN 203, no credit hours awarded |
| 600-690 | FREN 255 or FREN 260 | FREN 203, FREN 204 |
| 700 & above | Placement by department interview | FREN 203, 204 |
Spanish SAT II
SAT II Spanish and SAT II Spanish with Listening accepted.
| SAT II Score | Placement into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
| 350-440 | SPAN 100 | none |
| 450-470 | SPAN 105 | none |
| 480-540 | SPAN 203 | none |
| 550-590 | SPAN 204 | Placement credit for SPAN 203, no credit hours awarded |
| 600-690 | SPAN 255 or SPAN 261 | SPAN 203, SPAN 204 |
| 700 & above | Placement by department interview | SPAN 203, SPAN 204 |
Latin SAT II
| SAT II Score | Placement into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
| 500 & below | LATN 101 | none |
| 510-540 | LATN 102 | none |
| 550-600 | LATN 203 | none |
| 610-650 | LATN 204 | LATN 203 |
| 660 & above | LATN 221 | LATN 203, LATN 204 |
German SAT II
SAT II German
| SAT II Score | Placement into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
| 450 or below | GERM 101 | none |
| 460-500 | GERM 102 | none |
| 510-550 | GERM 203 | none |
| 560-640 | GERM 204 | Placement credit for GERM 203, no credit hours awarded |
| 650 & above | GERM 301 or GERM 303 | GERM 203, GERM 204 |
Chinese SAT II
| SAT II Score | Placement into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
| 650 & above | Placement by department exam | CHIN 203 |
Japanese SAT II
| SAT II Score | Placement into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
| 650 & above | Placement by department exam | JAPN 203 |
Korean SAT II
| SAT II Score | Placement into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
| 650 & above | Placement by department exam | KOR 203 |
Mathematics, ACT
| Score | Placement Into Course(s) | Credit Awarded |
| 26 - 28 | MATH 130 or MATH 152 | MATH 110P |
| 29 and Higher | MATH 231 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P |
Mathematics, SAT
| Score | Placment into Course(s) | Credit Awarded |
| 610 - 670 | MATH 130 or MATH 152 | MATH 110P |
| 680 - and Higher | MATH 231 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P |
Mathematics, SAT II
| Test | SAT II Score | Placement into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
| Math Level 1 | 590 - 800 | MATH 130 or MATH 152 | MATH 110P |
| Math Level 2 | 570 - 630 | MATH 130 or MATH 152 | MATH 110P |
| Math Level 2 | 640 - 800 | MATH 231 | MATH 110P, MATH 129P |
National Examinations in World Languages (NEWL)
| Exam | Score | UNC Credit | Credit Awarded |
| Portuguese | 3 | Portuguese General Elective, Placement into PORT 203 | 3 |
| Portuguese | 4 | Portuguese General Elective, PORT 203, Placement into PORT 204 | 6 |
| Portuguese | 5 | Portuguese General Elective, PORT 203, PORT 204, Placement into PORT 310 | 9 |
Mathematics
For further information about placement, see the department's website on math placement.
English
Beginning in fall 2012, the English and Comparative Literature department started offering a new foundation course, ENGL 105, which took the place of ENGL 101 and 102. All students entering in fall 2012 and beyond are required to take this course; there is no exemption through test placement. For additional information on English placement, please see the department's website.
Credit by Departmental Examination
Enrolled students who, through individual study or experience, have gained knowledge of the content of undergraduate courses offered by the University may, with the approval of the relevant department and school or college, receive credit (without grade) for such courses by special examination. The student must receive the approval of the department and college/school at least 30 days before the examination is taken, and the examination must be taken before the beginning of the last semester or full summer session before the student’s graduation.
Policy on Credit for Internships—The College of Arts & Sciences
No internship automatically earns academic credit. Students who want academic credit for an internship should contact the director of undergraduate studies in a relevant academic department or curriculum before beginning the internship and must complete an internship course in that academic unit. Not all departments and curricula offer internship courses.
Internships may not be used to meet the high impact (HI) or experiential education (EE) Gen Ed requirements unless the student earns academic credit for the internship through a department or curriculum. A student must enroll in a course that has been approved as meeting the High Impact or EE requirement in order for an internship to fulfill that requirement.
Students who must earn academic credit as a condition of doing the internship—and who cannot get credit through an academic department or curriculum—should contact a counselor at University Career Services for possible credit in SPCL 493 before beginning the internship. The student must write a statement describing his or her learning objectives and a paper reflecting on the experience. SPCL 493 is a one-credit, Pass/Fail course that does not count toward any graduation requirements.
Modes of Instruction (College of Arts & Sciences)
The University provides five (5) modes of instruction for undergraduate courses. These include four (4) modes that incorporate remote elements. Since the student learning outcomes are consistent across instruction modes, a course fulfills the same degree requirements regardless of the instruction mode.
Course Delivery Options
Individual classes may have unique characteristics that do not align exactly with the course’s mode; however, the following descriptions of each mode provide an overview of the instructional format.
In Person (IP)
- Students are expected to attend all scheduled course meetings and exam times (including the final exam) in person throughout the semester.
- In some courses, selected content may be delivered remotely, and selected course meetings may be remote.
In Person and Remote (IR)
- Students are expected to attend all scheduled course meetings and exam times throughout the semester. The course will have regular synchronous sessions where some students are in person and some students are remote.
- Many students will attend class in person and may be asked to take exams (including the final exam) in person.
- Remote attendance options will be available for some students, and some students may be able to complete the entire class remotely.
- The amount of available remote participation may vary by course. In some courses, selected content may be delivered remotely to all students, and selected course meetings may be remote for all students.
Remote Synchronous (RS)
- All instruction will be remote.
- Students are expected to attend all scheduled course meetings and exam times (including the final exam) via Zoom, Teams, or a similar platform.
- No in-person attendance will be required.
Remote Mostly Asynchronous (RM)
- All instruction will be remote.
- Students will be expected to attend selected scheduled course meetings and exam times (including the final exam) via Zoom, Teams, or a similar platform.
- Synchronous session attendance requirements will be detailed in Class Features before the start of the term.
- Most class sessions, activities, and/or exams will be asynchronous and self-paced within defined timeframes; students will be expected to meet deadlines throughout the semester.
- No in-person attendance will be required.
Remote Asynchronous (RA)
- All instruction will be remote.
- All class sessions, activities, and/or exams (including the final exam) will be asynchronous and self-paced within defined timeframes; students will be expected to meet deadlines throughout the semester.
- No in-person or synchronous session attendance will be required.
The College of Arts & Sciences is committed to providing in-person, residential instruction as the primary experience for undergraduate students. However, there are some specific situations when remote student learning may be beneficial or necessary. The college dean, in consultation with the provost, will establish guidelines on both the types of courses that can be offered and the specific situations when courses can be offered in a remote format (modes 2–5). In addition, senior associate deans, in consultation with the dean of the college, will establish guidelines on both the types of courses that can be offered and the specific situations when courses can be offered in a remote format (modes 2–5). They will also set limits on how many and in which cases remote classes can be offered every semester. Instructors will need approval from their department chair to offer remote classes (modes 2–5).
For more information, see UPM #31.
Global Language Placement Credit
For General Education Purposes:
Students may complete their General Education global language requirement through one of the below means:
- Completion of a level 3 or higher language course at UNC approved for the global language requirement.
- Verified completion of two or more years of secondary education primarily taught in a language other than English.
- Verified completion of two or more semesters of higher education (defined as the equivalent of 24 eligible for transfer credit hours) primarily taught in a language other than English.
- Completion of a UNC language placement test in the language with a placement beyond level 3.
- Non-UNC language exam scores (including AP, IB, and others) submitted to UNC which are approved as credit for level 3 or above.
- Transfer credit for a language course approved as level 3 or above. Credit for languages not currently taught at UNC will articulate as GENR 203 (level 3) which meets the global language General Education requirement.
- Placement (PL) credit without hours for level 3 (GENR 203) of a language not currently taught at UNC obtained through the language proficiency verification process detailed on the UNC Language Placement website. Every effort is made to verify proficiency in any language, but UNC cannot guarantee that an appropriate placement test or language expert will be available for proficiency verification in all languages.
For the purposes of the above policy, “language other than English” includes languages regardless of country of origin, including sign languages and other languages that do not include a written form. Institutions primarily taught in a language other than English do not need to be located outside the United States to qualify under this policy.
For Continuing a Language Taught at UNC:
Experiential Speakers of a Global Language
Enrolled students who have learned a language currently offered at UNC–Chapel Hill by experience (i.e., having grown up speaking another language in the home or having lived several years in another country) and who are conversant and literate in that language and in English, may take a placement test in that language for placement (PL) only and not for credit hours. This placement will determine the student’s next UNC course in the language.
Native Speakers of a Global Language
For academic purposes, a native speaker is a student raised in a country outside the United States and formally educated through all or most of high school in a language other than English. Native speakers cannot use By-Examination (BE) credit in their native language to reduce the requirements for a major in that language and will not receive credit for levels 1 through 4 of their native language(s). However, upon recommendation of the appropriate language department, they may receive credit for courses taken at UNC–Chapel Hill beyond level 4 if those courses are heavily based on literature, film, culture, or other content. Native speakers of languages other than English may use the above listed options to satisfy their General Education global language requirement. Native speakers who wish to pursue placement (PL) in their language should follow the appropriate department or General Education process on the Language Placement website.
Hours of Credit
Work is valued and credited toward degrees by semester hours, one such hour usually being awarded for one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work each week. One hour of credit is usually awarded for each three hours of laboratory or field work or work in studio art.
For more information on the University’s course numbering system, see UPM #4.
For the definition of a credit hour, see UPM #29.
Independent Studies for Credit
The University offers independent study experiences for undergraduate students. Such courses, including directed readings, internships/practica, mentored undergraduate research, and senior honors thesis courses for an individual student, are offered for academic credit through departments and curricula. Twelve hours of graded independent study credit may be counted toward graduation (excluding six hours of senior honors thesis credit). No more than 12 hours may be taken in any one semester, with the exception of students completing a full-time teaching internship program in the School of Education and other approved practicum/internship programs in the professional schools. Students may participate in formalized programs, or they may make individual learning contracts for work under the supervision of a member of the permanent faculty at the department/curriculum level. For information about independent study courses in their majors, students should consult the director of undergraduate studies or independent study coordinator in their major department or curriculum. Students, in consultation with the faculty member, must complete a learning contract and have it approved by the director of undergraduate studies (or designee). Registration for an independent study course must be completed after the learning contract has been approved and no later than the last day of "late registration" (the end of the second week of classes in fall or spring semester or the equivalent date in each summer session). A template for such a learning contract is available online. Students are strongly encouraged to begin this process early, well before the beginning of the semester.
For more information, see UPM #30.
This policy is maintained by the College of Arts and Sciences and Educational Policy Committee. Last revised November 28, 2017. See also Resolution 2012-12 and Resolution 2013-6.
Semester Schedule
UNC–Chapel Hill academic operations are on a semester calendar, primarily divided into the fall and spring semesters with standard course meetings within a 17-week session. Summer School offers two sessions of five weeks each, a three-week Maymester, and other short courses with various beginning and ending dates. For specific dates, see the University's Academic Calendar.
