Auditing Courses
An auditor is one who enrolls in a course but does not want credit. The cost of auditing a course is the same as enrolling for credit. Students must contact the College of Graduate Studies and Research Office to obtain the appropriate form for enrolling in a course for audit. Changing a course from audit to credit or credit to audit must be completed by the ninth calendar day of a semester. The time frame for classes meeting less than a full semester is prorated. At the end of the semester, students will receive a grade of “AU” (audit) on their transcript. The instructor has the option of requesting a withdrawal from the course if a student’s attendance is irregular or if the student does not complete the course work required by the instructor. Departments may require a student to meet all prerequisites for a course prior to granting permission to audit a class.
Course Attendance
Students are expected to attend all course meeting dates and times in which they enroll. Students who are absent from a course because of participation in university sponsored activities are excused. Students are responsible for all course work whether or not their absence is excused.
Course Limitations
A maximum of 8 credits can be earned in Directed or Independent Study (597/598/698) courses, with the except of the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies degree, which has a maximum of 12 credits.
A maximum of 16 credits earned through a combination of courses of unspecified content (including Thesis 599/699) credit can be applied to the total minimum number of hours required to complete the master’s degree. Of these 16 credits, a maximum of 12 credits can be earned through courses of unspecified content excluding thesis. Individual programs may have more restrictive requirements. Graduate courses of unspecified content are defined as courses in which the student or department is not restricted by the Graduate Bulletin to a specific area of subject matter.
Course Substitutions
Normally, the courses required to complete the total degree plan are offered frequently or on a rotational basis so that the student, with academic advisement, may complete all requirements as stipulated in a timely fashion. The faculty adviser with the support of the department head may substitute a required course in their major or minor with another departmental course when:
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there has been a curriculum revision and the required course listed is no longer offered;
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the student is in the final semester before graduation and one required course is offered at a time that conflicts with another required course, or a required course is not being offered during that final semester;
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the faculty adviser has waived a requirement and has selected another course to complete the required hours.
All course substitutions must be signed by the adviser, department head and dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research.
Repeating Courses
On the recommendation of the student’s adviser and the department head, and with the approval of the of Dean of Graduate Studies, a student may repeat a maximum of two graduate courses to improve their grade. In addition, students may choose to repeat courses that were taken more than seven years ago, if the original grade received in the course was B or better. A course may be repeated only once.
When a course is repeated, credit is only granted once. The last grade and credit hours for a repeated course are used for computing a student’s grade point average and for awarding credit hours applicable toward a degree or certificate, even if the last grade and/or credit hours is lower than the previous grade and credit hours. A grade of “W” (withdrawal, no credit) will not replace a previous grade or credit hours for a course.
Students receiving federal student aid should review how repeats may affect their financial aid. See Financial Aid Repeat Policy.
Admission of Undergraduate Seniors to Graduate Courses
A Northern Michigan University senior with at least a 3.00 NMU grade point average and a 3.00 grade point average in the area of concentration, who is within 12 credit hours of graduation, may petition to enroll for a maximum of eight credit hours of graduate credit. These credits may be applied to the undergraduate degree, at the department’s discretion, or toward a master’s degree from NMU, but not both.
Credit to be applied toward a master’s degree at NMU will be accepted and recorded as graduate credit only after admission to the College of Graduate Studies and the successful completion of an additional 12 credit hours of graduate study. In general, these credits will not be accepted in transfer by another institution.
Permission forms to take a graduate course are available from the Registrar’s Office. They require approval from the instructor of the course, the adviser and the registrar.
Note: Students will be charged graduate tuition for all courses taken for graduate credit and for 500-level courses taken for undergraduate credit.
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