College of Arts & Sciences

Undergraduate Catalogue

The Undergraduate Catalog is published online each academic year to include important University related information for students. It includes the requirements of all the majors, minors and certificate programs offered at the University. Previous catalogs can be accessed by selecting the appropriate year from the drop down menu at the top right.

Catalog Year

A student’s catalog year is determined by their first term of enrollment at the university. A student will follow the requirements of University Studies, their major(s), and possible minor(s) or certificate program(s) that are stated in that catalog. If a student changes their major or minor, they will still stay in the same catalog and follow the requirements of the new major or minor listed there.

There are times when a student’s catalog year may change and if so, they must follow the requirements of University Studies and their chosen degree program as stated in the new catalog:

  • If a student wishes to pursue a new major, concentration within their current major, minor, or certificate that did not exist under their catalog year, they must change their catalog year.
  • If a student was previously academically dismissed with 88 or fewer credits earned when they left, they must re-enroll under the current catalog.
  • If a student leaves the university in good standing and re-enrolls, they can choose to come back under a previous catalog from a year in which they earned credit, as long as they can graduate within 6 years of that catalog. Students should discuss the various options with their academic advisor.

University Regulations

While a student follows the academic requirements of their catalog year, all students are held to the University Regulations of the current academic year and catalog. Some of the ones related to academics are highlighted here.

  • Academic Honor Code

    The University of North Carolina is a community of high academic standards where academic integrity is valued. UNCW students are committed to honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. Any member of the university community who has reasonable grounds to believe that an infraction of the Student Academic Honor Code has occurred has an obligation to report the alleged violation. This obligation is a core value of the Honor Code and must be fulfilled by each and every member of the university.

    Academic dishonesty takes many forms, from blatant acts of cheating, bribery, or similar misdeeds to the more subtle forms of plagiarism, all of which are totally unacceptable in an institution of higher learning. Reporting and adjudication procedures have been developed to enforce the policy of academic integrity, to ensure justice, and to protect individual rights. Complete details may be found in the current Code of Student Life (http://www.uncw.edu/cosl) and the Faculty Handbook (http://www.uncw.edu/facsen/documents/Faculty_Handbook.pdf).

  • Change of Major or Minor

    All requests for a change of major, degree or option, the declaration of a double major/degree, or the declaration or change of a thematic transdisciplinary cluster/minor must be requested through mySeaport. The mySeaport application will guide students through the process of changing their program of study and will route the student’s request for appropriate approvals. Students are advised to consult with their advisor in the original major before changing majors.

    Curriculum changes are suspended during key advising points in the semester.

    This applies to changes/additions of catalog year, major, minor and/or concentrations. No opportunities for change will be allowed during the time periods listed below.

    • Fall - October 1st through the 10th day of registration in November
    • Spring - March 1st through the 10th day of registration in April

    This allows your advisors to adequately prepare for advising you under your current curriculum. Please discuss possible changes with your advisor, prior to these dates.

  • Grade Appeal Procedure

    Any student considering a grade appeal should understand that each faculty member has the academic freedom and responsibility to determine grades according to any method, chosen by the faculty member, that is professionally acceptable, communicated to everyone in the class, and applied to all students equally. However, prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation by a faculty member is a violation of a student’s rights and is the valid ground for a grade appeal.

    Any student who contests a course grade shall first attempt to resolve the matter with the instructor involved. Failing to reach a satisfactory resolution, the student may appeal the grade in accordance with the procedures outlined below. These procedures are not to be used in cases involving student academic dishonesty. An appeal must be made no later than the last day of the next succeeding regular semester. Grades not appealed by that time become permanent.

    1. The student shall present the appeal in writing to the chairperson of the department within which the contested grade was awarded. The written statement shall limit itself to citations of evidence pertaining to the valid ground for the appeal. By conferring with the student and the instructor, the chairperson will seek resolution by mutual agreement.
    2. Failing such resolution, the department chairperson shall transmit the written appeal to the appropriate dean who will convene the Grade Appeals Committee.
    3. The Grade Appeals Committee shall consist of the convening dean and five faculty members appointed by the dean. If the committee affirms the instructor’s decision, the dean will notify in writing the faculty member, the student, and the department chairperson as appropriate. If the committee supports the student’s appeal, it shall prescribe the method by which the student will be reevaluated. The grade resulting from the prescribed reevaluation is final and may not be further appealed.
  • Repeating of Courses

    Students who receive a grade of “C” (2.00) or better in a course may not repeat the course but may audit without credit. Students who repeat a course in which they have earned credit or for which transfer credit has been awarded, will have the status changed to audit during the term the course is repeated. Students who wish to have the grade for the course repeat show on their transcripts without the course counting in their credit total or grade point average may arrange this before the end of add/drop by submitting an online Graded Course Audit Registration Form. The form and instructions are available in the Office of the Registrar or online at http://www.uncw.edu/reg.

    Students who receive a grade below a “C” (2.00) in a course taken at UNCW may repeat the course at UNCW. For the first three different courses repeated, the previous grade and hours of credit for the repeated course will not be used in calculating the student’s grade point average and hours toward graduation. All grades shall remain on the student’s transcript.

    In interpreting the policy it is to be understood that:

    • the term “first three times” means
      • that the policy is automatically operative for a student the first time that the student repeats a course, and
      • that the three repeats involve three different courses;
    • a student may go beyond three course repeats, but such repeats will not enjoy the privilege of the policy;
    • all students will be able to enjoy the benefits of this policy irrespective of prior course repeat activity;
    • this policy does not govern the repeating of graduate courses (see the Graduate Catalogue for the appropriate policy).

    Students enrolled in a special topics course for a grade replacement must enroll in the same topic for which they originally received an unsatisfactory grade. Grades earned in repeated courses will not be used to replace grades earned as part of a degree once it has been conferred.

    Note: A failing grade received owing to admitted or adjudicated academic dishonesty shall not be replaced if the course is repeated. Both the penalty grade and the new grade shall appear on the student’s transcript and count in the student’s grade point average. A student may not appeal the policy stated in this paragraph to any faculty or administrative level.