Electives provide options to enhance student learning and allow for more individualized (self-directed) professional development. Some Programs may require completion of a certain number of elective courses to complete degree requirements. Elective courses have administrative requirements for development and delivery that include both minimum and maximum enrollment numbers and early registration dates. Generally, students apply to the course instructor for approval/admittance into an elective course. The University Registrar will enroll approved students in elective courses.

Students that complete an elective course will receive a grade on their transcript. Grades may be pass/fail or a letter grade, with the course instructor determining the grading criteria. Elective courses can only use one grading modality (i.e., the instructor cannot grade some students on a P/F basis and other students on a letter-graded basis). There is no credit associated for auditing a course. Credit hours acquired during the completion of elective courses will add to the cumulative units in the Program. Failing grades may/may not affect the student’s cumulative GPA, depending on whether the elective was given as a P/F or letter-graded course.

General admittance criteria:

• Programs may require students to be in good academic standing to enroll in optional elective coursework. In addition, individual instructors may set specific GPA standards.
• Prerequisites are determined by individual faculty and may include (but are not limited to) general course grades, course grades in an individual track, and student motivation (possibly assessed by a statement of interest and/or an interview).

Elective Course Drop and Withdraw Policy

Due to the nature of the curriculum, students do not have the option of dropping or withdrawing from courses in the required curriculum. Students may, with special permission, drop or withdraw from an elective course determined by program policy. Please note, COP does not allow students to withdraw from elective coursework because they are a degree requirement.

The Program will alert its students of the electives offered and will notify the University Registrar of the elective courses and student enrollment. Once the Registrar has received notice from the Program, the student is considered enrolled in the course, regardless of when the course starts. If the student wishes to drop the course, the student is required to contact the instructor and obtain the necessary approval. Program policies will determine if the student will be allowed to drop the elective course and will designate if the drop is permitted and if it is to be recorded as a “drop” or “withdraw.”

A “drop” means the student is no longer enrolled in the course and there is no indication of registration on the student’s transcript. A “withdraw” means the student is no longer enrolled in the course; however, the course is on the student’s transcript and a “W” is noted in place of a grade, indicating the student withdrew from the course. This does not affect a student’s GPA.

Per University policy, no student may drop an elective course after the 2nd week in the quarter and no student may withdraw from the course after the 10th week in the quarter, unless the student is withdrawing from the University.