Additional Exploratory Semester Beyond 60 Credit Hours
Per university policy regarding timely declaration of major, undergraduate students must declare a degree-granting major by 60 earned credit hours and will be prevented from registering beyond 60 credit hours until a degree-granting major is declared. Students who have received this hold but can be eligible for their desired major within one semester may submit an appeal for one additional semester as an Exploratory student beyond 60 earned credit hours. All students submitting this appeal must first meet with their Exploratory Academic Advisor to discuss their academic plan. If the appeal is approved, the registration hold will be removed and students will be granted one additional semester to become eligible for their primary desired major. If the appeal is denied, the registration hold will remain until a degree-granting major is declared.
Factors Taken into Consideration when Reviewing These Appeals
- Documented extenuating circumstances that prevented timely declaration of desired major
- Presence of a feasible parallel plan. Students should work with their Exploratory Academic Advisor to identify a feasible secondary academic pathway that they are eligible for and can pursue if the appeal is denied. This plan should be included in the appeal documentation.
- Outside of extenuating circumstances, a positive trend in coursework for desired major
- Necessity of primary desired major for career ambitions. Many careers do not require specific majors, and rather emphasize the baccalaureate degree itself along with substantive experiential learning. Students can work with their Exploratory Academic Advisor and University Career Services to explore the relationship between majors and careers and identify ways to gain professional experience. If the primary desired major is essential for students’ career ambitions, this should be included, along with supporting rationale, in the personal statement.
To submit an appeal for an additional Exploratory semester beyond 60 earned credit hours, students should meet with their Exploratory Academic Advisor to fill out the Academic Action Appeal Form to submit alongside the required personal statement and documentation.