University of South Alabama College of Arts and Sciences
     
 
   
Frequently Asked Questions
 
What is a full-time load?
 

Undergraduate students taking 12 or more semester hours are full-time. Graduate students enrolled in 6 or more semester hours are full-time. Students may need to be full-time to receive financial aid and/or to be covered by insurance. Note: Students receiving scholarship funds need to take 15 semester hours each term.


How many hours should one normally take on semesters?
 

Usually a student will take 15 to 16 hours each semester in order to complete a bachelor's degree in 4 years.


What should I do if I want to take more than 19 semester hours?
 

Requires Dean's approval. You must go to the Advising Center in Alpha Hall South Room 345.


I'm on probation and am limited to 13 semester hours. What if I want to take more hours than that?
 

Requires Dean's approval. You must go to the Advising Center in Alpha Hall South Room 345.


Do I need to take the courses in the model curriculum for my major exactly the way they are listed?
 

No, it is just a suggested model. Note the prerequisites for the required courses. Many of the general core curriculum courses do not require any prerequisites and may be taken at any time.

Students also should consider other factors when scheduling their classes, such as the number of work hours each week, family responsibilities, the possible need for developmental studies classes to be better prepared for college-level work, etc. These issues can be discussed with your advisor.


What is a prerequisite?
 

A prerequisite is a course that must be taken prior to another course in order to be prepared for it. If a student registers for a course without having taken the prerequisite(s), he or she may be administratively withdrawn from the class.


What is the core curriculum?
 

These are general required courses for your degree that may vary from major to major. These required courses are found in the model curriculum sheet for your major. Also check with your advisor if you have questions about options that may be available. The core curriculum comprises four areas of coursework in the General Education Requirements.


How can I be exempt from EH 101?
 

If you have a score of 27 or higher on the English section of the ACT (SAT Verbal of 550 or higher), you will be exempt from EH 101 and may register for EH 102. Students must replace the 3 semester hours for EH 101 with another course if the minimum 128 hours for a bachelor's degree are not met.

Advanced Placement (AP) credit for EH 101 and 102 will be awarded with a score of "4" or higher. Six semester hours of credit will be granted. Official AP scores mailed from the College Entrance Examination Board are required.

College Level Examination (CLEP) credit for EH 101 and 102 will be awarded if a student scores "50" or higher on the Freshman College Composition Exam. Six semester hours of credit will be granted. Official CLEP scores mailed from the Educational Testing Service are required. See Counseling and Testing for more details.

   
 
       
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