Courses are numbered according to the following system:
000-099. . .developmental courses
100-199. . .freshmen
200-299. . .sophomores
300-399. . .juniors
400-499. . .seniors
500-599. . .Graduate Level I
600-699. . .Graduate Level I
700-799. . .Graduate Level II
Courses numbered 500 and above are for graduate students. Under certain circumstances, undergraduate students may be permitted to enroll in these courses (see
Undergraduate Students in Graduate Courses below).
The following are enrollment classifications for students enrolled in the School of Health Professions:
Undergraduate Programs
FR freshman (preprofessional phase student with 0-29 semester hours of college credit);
SO sophomore (preprofessional or professional phase student with 30-59 semester hours of college credit);
JR junior (preprofessional or professional phase student with 60-91 semester hours of college credit);
SR senior (professional phase student with 92 or more semester hours of college credit).
Graduate Programs
MR master's (student enrolled in a master's degree program);
DR doctoral (student enrolled in a doctoral program);
NG nondegree graduate (student enrolled in graduate courses who is not seeking a degree)
The unit of credit at UAB is the semester hour. Course descriptions indicate the number of semester hours that may be earned for a particular course. At least twelve (12) semester hours of coursework per semester are required for full-time status as an undergraduate student and at least nine (9) semester hours for a graduate student. While the maximum load in the university is eighteen (18) hours in a semester and three (3) hours in the May Session, students in certain programs in SHP may be required to take a greater course load. Students should consult
SHP Programs of Study and
SHP Course Descriptions for specific course information. Requests for an overload in any term should be directed to the director of the appropriate program.
A student wishing to attend any of the academic terms (see
UAB Calendar) must register for that specific term. A student is eligible to register if the student has been admitted to UAB, has clear financial records in the Student Accounting Office, and is in good academic standing. An early registration period for fall semester will occur every spring immediately before registration for summer term. Full information on the registration process is given in the
UAB Class Schedule published each term.
Changes or corrections to a student's name, address, or telephone number should be made through the Office of Registration
and Academic Records, Hill University Center, Room 207, 1400 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294-1150; telephone: (205) 934-8222. Forms to submit changes are available on the second-floor lobby of the University Center. It is the student's responsibility to submit any changes so that university notices and other materials are sent to the current address.
In general, class attendance records are not maintained by SHP. However, an instructor has the prerogative to drop a student from a course if the student is absent from the first class of a term without prior notification to the instructor. Such action is at the discretion of the instructor, and absence from the first class does not automatically drop the student from the course. If a student wishes to drop the course, the student must follow official drop or withdrawal procedures. A student who misses the first class of a term is responsible for determining the student's status in the class.
Individual programs may have additional written policies on classroom and clinical attendance. Students are advised to attend all sessions of classes in which they are enrolled. Instructors usually explain their attendance policies and procedures at the beginning of each term. If a student is absent from a class to the extent that, in the judgment of their instructor, continued enrollment in the course will be of little profit to the student, the instructor may recommend to the director of the program that the student be dropped with the grade of F.
In the case of fall and spring semesters and the 9 and 12 week sessions in the summer term, the last day to drop a class without paying full tuition is the eighth calendar day of the term; the last day to add a class is the ninth calendar day of the term. Dates to drop and add for May session, A Session, and B session are published in the
UAB Class Schedule for summer term.
It is the student's responsibility to initiate add/drop procedures. Registration during late registration (the add period) for any class requires the signature of the instructor unless the class has not met for the first time and there are seats available. The official add/drop form must be used, and there is a fee for each change-of-course form used during late registration. The add/drop form may be obtained from the Office of SHP Student Services (Webb Building, Room 604) or the Office of Registration and Academic Records (Hill University Center, Room 207).
A student beginning the registration process during the late registration
period will be assessed a late registration fee.
To avoid academic penalty, a student must withdraw from a course by the withdrawal deadline shown in the
Academic Calendar and the
UAB Class Schedule and receive a grade of W (withdrawn) with no academic penalty. The withdrawal period ends at approximately 60% of the academic term. After this deadline, the student must receive a grade in the course.
Withdrawal from courses can only be accomplished using official procedures. Students are not considered officially withdrawn from a single course or their entire registration until they have completed a change-of-course (add/drop) form, obtained the instructors' signatures if necesary, and submitted it to the Office of Registration and Academic Records, or until they have written a letter to that office requesting that they be withdrawn.
It is the student's responsibility to initiate the withdrawal process. Failure to attend class does not constitute a formal drop or withdrawal, either academically or financially. Provided the withdrawal would not violate any academic or financial rules, the request will be honored. The date that the change-of-course form or the letter is received in the Office of Registration and Academic Records wil be regarded as the official date of withdrawal. It is important that students keep the official validation of all course changes as evidence of the transaction. If a student withdraws by mail, a withdrawal validation will be mailed to the student's address of record. Withdrawal is not complete until the student receives the validation notice. If the withdrawal validation is not received, the student is responsible for contacting the Office of Registration and Academic Records before the deadline to withdraw. As shown in the
Academic Calendar and the
UAB Class Schedule, if the official date of withdrawal is after the last day to withdraw without paying,
no tuition or fees will be refunded.
Students are encouraged to contact the Office of SHP Student Services if assistance is needed prior to withdrawing from school.
As an alternative to full participation in a course, students may audit a course. Auditors do not receive grades and do not usually participate in the examinations; however, instructors have the option of establishing requirements for a satisfactory audit.
Audit is similar to regular enrollment. Students choosing this option must be admitted to UAB; enroll in the course by completing a UAB registration form, indicating "AU"in the column labeled "Sem. Hrs.;" obtain the signature of the instructor; and pay the same tuition and fees as regular enrollees. Provided the instructor's requirements are met, the course will appear on the transcript with the notation AU and zero semester hours credit. If the requirements are not met, a W will be entered on the transcript.
Course registration, withdrawal, and drop policies apply to audited courses. In instances of over-enrollment, preference is given to students taking courses for credit, and auditing students may be dropped.
A student is not permitted to change from audit to credit or credit to audit at any time.
A degree student who is in good standing may opt to register for a course on a pass/fail basis. The course must be one for which the student is eligible to register and cannot be among those used to satisfy core, major, or minor requirements. A student must declare the intention to take a course on a pass/fail basis by notifying the instructor at the first class meeting. It is recommended that students consult their academic advisors prior to taking any course as pass/fail. Certain courses in the professional phase of a SHP program may be designated by the program as pass/fail.
Grades awarded for a pass/fail course are P (pass) or F (fail). A grade of P carries full credit for the course, but the course is not counted in calculating the grade point average. At most, twelve semester hours taken on a pass/fail basis may be used to satisfy degree requirements; this does not include courses for which P or F is the only grade awarded by the SHP Program.
With the approval of their advisor, the undergraduate program director or department chair, the instructor, and the graduate program director, UAB undergraduate students may be allowed to register for a graduate course. Credits earned by undergraduate students may be applied to either an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree, but not both. If the student is subsequently admitted to the Graduate School, use of this credit toward a graduate degree requires the approval of the graduate program director and the Graduate School dean. (The Graduate School does not give credit for any grade below a C.) Credits that have been used toward the baccalaureate degree cannot be used a second time toward a graduate degree.