Course Load Policies

Students must complete a minimum of 128 semester credits for graduation. The normal full-time course load is 16 semester credits. To be considered full-time, a student must take at least 12 semester credits. Students who wish to underload (register for fewer than 12 credits) shall notify the registrar by submitting an underload card. The underload card must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the end of the add/drop period to qualify for per-credit tuition.

Students who wish to overload (register for more than 19 semester credits) must have a 3.000 cumulative grade point average and obtain approval from their academic advisor. Faculty policy recommends that a request to overload be carefully reviewed, taking into account the student’s overall academic performance and current schedule. The maximum for which a student may enroll in one semester is 21 semester credits.* Note that all coursework, including that taken at another college during the LC semester, is considered part of a student’s course load. The overload form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the end of the add/drop period. Students are not allowed to overload in their first semester.

Summer semester consists of two six-week sessions. To be considered full-time, a student must take 12 credits during the semester. A student may take up to 9 credits per session and a maximum of 18 credits for the semester.  An overload begins at 10 credits per summer session, or 19 for the summer semester.

Course Numbering

Courses numbered at the 100 level are considered introductory; at the 200 level, intermediate; and at the 300 and 400 levels, advanced. Class standing should generally be used as a guide to enrollment in courses at each level. (For example, first-year and sophomore students generally take 100- and 200-level courses.) Exceptions may be made, taking into account an individual student’s academic experience.

Course Requisites and Restrictions

Many courses have listed prerequisites—other courses that, taken previously, build knowledge necessary for success in the course. A student must satisfy stated prerequisite(s) before being allowed to register. Courses with corequisites require that another course (or courses) be taken concurrently. Restrictions are listed when the course requires a student to have a given class level (such as sophomore) or when registration is restricted to certain majors (such as music or sociology/anthropology). Other restrictions (such as required auditions or participation on overseas trips) may also apply.

Prerequisites and restrictions are imposed to ensure all students in the course are prepared and have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. These criteria should be taken seriously, as students with deficient knowledge may struggle with the course material.

If a student believes that the prerequisite or restriction has been satisfied in an alternate manner, the student may ask the instructor for special permission to register. The instructor is not obligated to override the official prerequisite or restriction, but may do so if satisfied that the prerequisite and/or restriction criteria have been met. Instructors may require documentation from the student or verification from the registrar’s office. 

Students who have transfer credit similar to the required prerequisite may need to have the transfer course evaluated for equivalency and/or obtain special permission from the instructor to register.

Please note that some courses have prerequisites and/or restrictions that are not typically waived. This information will be included in the prerequisite or restriction notation. Required corequisites are never waived.

Cross-Registration

Graduate School of Education and Counseling An undergraduate student may be eligible to register for courses in Lewis & Clark’s Graduate School of Education and Counseling during fall or spring by meeting all of the following criteria:

• Has completed 93 undergraduate semester credits.

• Is in good academic standing.

• Has obtained the consent of the graduate course instructor and graduate registrar.

• Is enrolled full-time (is taking no fewer than 12 credits) at the College of Arts and Sciences during the semester of cross-registration.

• Is not taking more than 19 credits (including the Graduate School of Education and Counseling course) during the semester of cross-registration, unless otherwise allowed to overload. Regular College of Arts and Sciences rules for overloading apply.

During the summer term, students need not be registered full-time at the College of Arts and Sciences, but regular Graduate School of Education and Counseling tuition rates will apply.

To apply credit earned in a Graduate School of Education and Counseling course toward an undergraduate degree, the course must be approved in advance as applicable to the major or minor by the department chair in the College of Arts and Sciences. Credit will be recorded under the LCINST (L&C Institutional Credit) subject designation.

Law School An undergraduate student may be eligible to register for specified courses (see below) in Lewis & Clark’s Law School if the student meets all of the following criteria:

• Has completed 93 undergraduate semester credits.

• Is in good academic standing.

• Has obtained the consent of the law school course instructor.

• Is enrolled full-time (is taking no fewer than 12 credits) at the College of Arts and Sciences during the semester of cross-registration.

• Is not taking more than 19 credits (including the law school course) during the semester of cross-registration, unless otherwise allowed to overload. Regular College of Arts and Sciences rules for overloading apply.

Each year the Law School determines which courses will allow undergraduate registration. Check with the CAS registrar’s office for a list of available courses in a given academic year. Credit will be recorded under the LCINST (L&C Institutional Credit) subject designation.

Currently enrolled full-time law school students are eligible to register for one undergraduate course per semester at no additional charge to the student (fall and spring semesters only). Students must complete the undergraduate special student application process. Please contact the admissions department for additional information. Course registration for special students is on a space-available basis.

Please note that the cross-registration policy is not intended to cover courses taken by a student participating in the CAS/Law School dual-enrollment program. Please see information on the Prelaw page of this catalog.

Other Private Colleges and Universities Lewis & Clark participates in a cross-registration program with other members of the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities (OAICU). Under this program, full-time Lewis & Clark students may enroll in one undergraduate course per semester at another OAICU campus without paying additional tuition. However, the host campus may charge special course fees (such as laboratory fees) that apply to all students enrolled in the course. Not all courses at host institutions are covered by the program.

Cross-registration through the OAICU program requires approval of both the Lewis & Clark registrar and the host campus registrar. (Approval of both registrars is also required to drop a cross-registered course.) Students should ask their advisor or department chair for information on cross-registered courses that meet program or major requirements.

Students may not cross-register for a course already offered at Lewis & Clark unless there is a legitimate scheduling conflict. Further details on the cross-registration program and a complete list of participating institutions are available from the Office of the Registrar.

Practica, Internships, Directed Study, and Independent Study

Important: A written agreement between the faculty member and the student is to be finalized, and the internship or independent study form submitted to the registrar’s office, before the end of the semester add/drop period. See Practica, Internships, Directed Study, and Independent Study for regulations and procedures.

Repeated Courses

Certain courses may be taken more than once for credit toward the degree (see individual course descriptions). Otherwise, courses that are repeated may not be counted for credit toward the degree. For example, if a student repeats a particular course to improve the grade, Lewis & Clark counts the course credits only once toward graduation requirements. Both the original grade and the repeated grade are used in calculating the student’s grade point average and will appear on the transcript.

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*Varsity sports courses (PE/A 102) are not included when calculating maximum credits.