Frequently Asked Advising Questions

Answers to all of the questions below can be found in the Scripps College Catalog. These abbreviated answers are intended to facilitate advising, not eliminate the use of the Catalog. Moreover, students may petition to the Committee on Academic Review (CAR) for any special circumstances.

• Double Counting Courses
• Requirements
• Graduation Requirements
• Academic Probation
• Registration Concerns
• Registrar’s Office

Double Counting Courses

If a student is a double major, how many courses may count for both majors?

No more than two courses.

May a course double count for a major and a minor?

Yes, any course may double count (but never triple count).

How many requirements may be fulfilled by any one course?

Two only (e.g., women’s studies and social science but not women’s studies, social science, and race/ethnicity; or history major requirement and race/ethnicity but not history major requirement, race/ethnicity, and social science).

Requirements

What courses satisfy the race and ethnicity requirement?

Race and ethnicity courses must be approved by Faculty Executive Committee. A comprehensive list of approved Race and Ethnic Studies courses can be found in the current Registration Handbook as well as on the Registrar web site. Students may petition to CAR to have a course added to the list.

May a student satisfy any of her General Education requirements (e.g., women’s studies, race and ethnicity, etc.) within the CORE curriculum?

No.

Does Introduction to Neuroscience satisfy the Scripps breadth requirement in Science?

Yes.

When must a student finish her general education requirements?

All general education requirements must be completed by the end of the first semester of the senior year.

When must a student finish her foreign language requirement?

Students are strongly encouraged to fulfill their language requirement in an uninterrupted sequence by the end of the first semester of the senior year.

Graduation Requirements

What grade point average does a student need to graduate?

• A minimum GPA of 6.0 (C) in the major(s), minor(s), and cumulatively.
• The cumulative is calculated only on courses taken at the Claremont Colleges or on an affiliated off-campus study program (Study Abroad) as a Scripps student.
• Transfer courses approved by the major adviser to be used toward major or minor requirements do count in the major or minor GPA.
• Prerequisites are not calculated in the major or minor GPA.
• A minimum grade of C is required for Writing 50.
• A minimum grade of D is required for the senior thesis.

What is the residence requirement for graduation?

• A minimum of 16 courses, evidenced by a minimum of 2 years in regular, full-time attendance at Scripps.
• The last 8 courses registered at Scripps.
• Affiliated off-campus study programs meet residence requirements.

What courses may be transferred to Scripps?

• Courses will be considered for transfer credit only if they were completed through a comparable liberal arts college or university program and are also comparable to courses offered by, and within disciplines at, the undergraduate Claremont Colleges.
• Grades earned will not be calculated in the cumulative GPA.
• There are two common calendars among colleges and universities: quarter and semester. The credit transfers differently: (1) the total number of quarter credits divided by 6 equals the Scripps course value; (2) the total number of semester units divided by 4 equals the Scripps course value. (Examples: a 5-quarter-credit class transfers as .83 course; a 3-semester-unit class transfers as .75 course.) A transfer class of 4 or more quarter credits or 3 or more semester units may be used to meet a general education (or major/minor with department approval) requirement.
• Courses completed at community colleges must be considered lower division and most often are considered as prerequisite to the upper division major courses.

Academic Probation

What constitutes academic probation for a student?

• When her semester GPA falls below 6.0 (C). She remains on academic probation until her cumulative GPA rises to 6.0 (C).
• When there is jeopardy toward progress toward degree.

What does a student need to do to get off academic probation?

She must achieve a semester GPA 6.0 (C) average and a passing grade in each of exactly four full, letter-graded courses each semester until the cumulative GPA is above 6.0.

Registration Concerns

For how many courses may a student cross-register?

• First-year students normally register for the entire first-semester program at Scripps.
• One course for second-semester First-Year students and Sophomores.
• One-half of enrolled courses each semester for Juniors and Seniors. Some majors have limits on number of cross-registration courses toward the major (e.g., English).
• Cross-registration does not include courses in joint or cooperative programs.

How many courses may a student register for at pre-registration?

• Before classes begin, all students are limited to no more than 4.75 courses.
• During the add period, all students are limited to no more than 5.75 courses.
• Students may petition the Committee on Academic Review to take 6 or more courses per semester.
• Incomplete courses count as part of the 5.5 maximum course load if the student does not complete them by the new deadline of the last day to add classes and petitions an extension. The registration/enrollment, however, remains with the semester where the incomplete appears.

May all students petition for Independent Studies?

No. Seniors, juniors, and second-semester sophomores may petition enrollments in independent study courses.

Is the language requirement the equivalent of 3 semesters for all languages?

Yes.

How many semesters of language does a student need before she studies abroad?

It depends upon the program she plans to attend. The barest minimum (in Italian for Pitzer’s program only) is two semesters. The normal minimum is at least three semesters. However, many programs require four semesters. The student should check with the foreign language department and the Off-Campus Study for this requirement.

For how many independent study courses may a student register?

A maximum of the equivalent to 4 course credits in independent studies and internships combined will count toward degree requirements.

When do students turn in their junior and senior major forms?

• Sophomores must declare their major by submitting an approved Junior Major Form to the Registrar’s Office before April preregistration for their junior year.
• Seniors must submit an approved Senior Major Form before preregistration for their final semester of enrollment.
• Juniors and Seniors need to submit a Junior or Senior Minor Form (available in the Registrar’s Office) if applicable.
• Seniors must submit a Course Substitution Form (available in the Registrar’s Office) for any changes made to their Senior Major Form.

What should I tell students about taking courses pass/fail?

• A maximum of one course per semester may be taken pass/fail with a maximum of four pass courses counting toward the 32-course degree requirement. Work must be C (not including C-) or above in quality to receive a P.
• Courses used to meet any general requirement or courses in the major(s) or minor(s) may not be taken pass/fail.
• Pass/fail grades are not calculated into the cumulative grade point average.

Do students get credit for taking physical education courses?

Physical education activities for which students register and receive a grade of pass will receive one-quarter course per semester. A total of one course of accumulated PE credit may be counted toward graduation.

Registrar’s Office

When sending a student to the registrar’s office, whom should she see?

For a general answer, students may ask any of the staff in the registrar’s office. For more individualistic concerns, students should specifically request a personal appointment with the Registrar.