Mar 18, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Enrollment



The Enrollment section explains matters related to registering for classes, dropping classes, attending classes and taking final examinations.

 

Mandatory New Student Orientation


All incoming undergraduate students new to UNT Dallas are required to attend New Student Orientation as part of their enrollment and transition to the University community. New Student Orientation is an opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with campus before the start of their first semester.

During New Student Orientation, students will have the opportunity to get their UNT Dallas student ID, learn about campus life, receive information on placement testing, key support services, and meet the academic advising team about scheduling their new student advising appointment. During this appointment, advisors will be available to assist you in setting your first semester schedule. Please note, this new student advising appointment is scheduled and held separate from the orientation experience.

Throughout the day of orientation, new students will be able to speak with Orientation Leaders who are current students at UNT Dallas that can help answer questions about favorite moments on campus, support services available, or anything that can help ease their transition to college. Students will have the opportunity to meet other students who are in the same academic majors and learn about financial aid and scholarships, payments plans and options to cover the cost of attendance, housing, tutoring, and so much more.

Orientations are traditionally held in the summer months (i.e. June, July, August) for students starting in the Summer and Fall terms. New students starting in the Spring semester attend orientation in December and January prior to the start of classes. Orientation session dates are listed on the orientation website.

New Student Orientation does come with an associated fee. The orientation fee does not need to be paid up front or in order to attend an orientation. It will be applied to the student’s account upon completion of the required orientation session and can be paid along with tuition and fees. Currently, the fee for first-time-in-college (freshman) orientation sessions is $140, and the fee for transfer orientation sessions is $80.

All new incoming undergraduate students receive orientation information following acceptance notification. 

New students must pre-register in order to attend an orientation session. Students can sign up for the corresponding orientation session in 4 easy steps via their UNT Dallas student portal.

Step 1.  Login at https://my.untdallas.edu/ with your EUID and password.

Step 2.  Click the button/tile labeled “Admissions”.

Step 3.  Click the “Orientation Registration” option on the left hand side menu.

Step 4.  Select the NSO session that best fits within your schedule and click “save”. This will confirm a student’s orientation date.

 

Students who do not complete the required new student orientation will have a registration hold placed on their account and will not be able to register for courses.

Questions regarding Orientation should be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 972-338-1663, orientation@untdallas.edu, or visit https://admissions.untdallas.edu/new-student-orientation.

 

Change of Address


It is the responsibility of the student to provide correct permanent and local mailing address information at all times and on all documents at the University. Students who change their mailing address must notify the Office of the Registrar immediately by submitting the change in writing or by updating their address at my.untdallas.edu.

 

Student Load (Fall/Spring)


The normal load for full-time undergraduate students is 15 semester hours for each fall or spring term/semester, or 30 hours for the nine-month academic year. Note: For information pertaining to the required semester hours for enrollment verification purposes, refer to “Enrollment Certification” below.

Students who registers for or earns fewer than 9 undergraduate hours of college work each semester may not hold a responsible Student Government Association (SGA) office.

Undergraduate students may schedule a maximum of 9 hours in one eight week session (8W1 or 8W2). Any request for a course overload beyond the maximum hours listed must be approved in advance of registration by the appropriate Dean.

An undergraduate student with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.00 may schedule a maximum of 19 total semester hours. Any request for a course overload beyond the maximum hours listed must be approved in advance of registration by the appropriate Dean.

An undergraduate student with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 may enroll for a maximum of 21 total hours for the fall or spring term/semester by meeting the following conditions:

  1. at least a 3.00 GPA on a minimum 15-hour residence load for the term/semester just completed,
  2. at least a 3.00 GPA on a minimum 12-hour residence load for the summer term/semester just completed, or
  3. at least a 3.00 GPA on all work completed at UNT Dallas and a minimum 24 hours of credit in residence.

 

Student Load (Summer)


The normal load for full-time students is 12 hours for the summer term/semester.

During the summer term/semester, a full-time undergraduate student with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 may select multiple sessions for a maximum of 18 total semester hours.

Undergraduate students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in 3W1 session, a maximum of 9 hours in 8W1 session, a maximum of 8 hours in 5W1 session, a maximum of 7 hours in 5W2 session, and a maximum of 15 hours in 10W session. Any request for a course overload beyond the maximum hours listed must be approved in advance of registration by the appropriate Dean.

Note: For 3W1 (three week one) the normal load for full-time students is 3 hours. Undergraduate students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in 3W1 session.

 

Enrollment Certification


Enrollment verification and loan deferments are requested online through the Student Center at my.untdallas.edu and are based upon a student having registered and paid tuition and fees according to the below criteria. Please click here for more information on generating an enrollment certification/verification from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). See “Special Conditions for Financial Aid Applicants” in the Tuition, Expenses, and Financial Aid  section of this catalog for loan deferment requirements.

 

Undergraduate


  • Full Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 12 or more hours.
  • Three-Quarter Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 9 to 11 hours.
  • Half Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 6 to 8 hours.

 

Registration


All registration and student-requested schedule changes are conducted via web registration at my.untdallas.edu. Specific information and instructions as well as dates are found online at https://registrar.untdallas.edu and at my.untdallas.edu.

 

Late Registration


Students who are unable to enroll during the official registration periods must pay an additional fee for late registration. Refer to https://registrar.untdallas.edu for late registration information.

 

Concurrent Registration


A student in residence who wishes to enroll concurrently at another college must first secure the written permission of the appropriate dean at UNT Dallas. Failure to obtain advance approval may result in the refusal of the university to accept such work in transfer.

Special provisions for avoiding more than one minimum tuition charge are available for students enrolling concurrently in more than one state-supported institution of higher education. Students planning concurrent enrollment are cautioned to check these provisions prior to enrollment at any state institution.

 

Enrollment at the Universities Center at Dallas


Students enrolling for upper-division undergraduate courses or graduate courses offered by the partner universities of the Universities Center at Dallas (UCD), a Multi-Institutional Teaching Center (MITC) located in downtown Dallas, may enroll at their home institution for courses offered by the other UCD universities.

 

Evening and Saturday Classes


A large number of classes at the graduate level are scheduled for one three-hour meeting per week during the spring and fall terms/semesters, usually on Saturday morning or on a weekday evening. Consult the online schedule of classes at my.untdallas.edu, available prior to spring and fall registration, for schedule details.

A few of these classes also are available during summer terms/sessions. Consult the online schedule of classes at my.untdallas.edu.

 

Schedule Changes


For information concerning adding or dropping courses, consult the online Academic Calendars at https://registrar.untdallas.edu.

 

Registration Changes for Lacking the Prerequisite


A prerequisite is a course or other preparation that must be completed before beginning a course to ensure that students can successfully complete the course.  All prerequisites are included in catalog course descriptions.

Students will be allowed to enroll in the next course of the sequence for the following term if they are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course at UNT Dallas.  However, students will be dropped from that course prior to the beginning of the next term if they do not meet the prerequisite specified in the catalog.  Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop a plan for successful completion of the prerequisite course. 

Concurrent prerequisite enrollment is not permitted; however, in rare instances, exceptions may be approved by the department via the Academic Exception Form.

 

Advanced Placement and Credit by Examination


UNT Dallas awards undergraduate college credit on the basis of local and national examinations, subject to general limitations. This also includes military service credit and classroom instruction offered through the non-academic institutions approved by the American Council on Education. Such credit is not included in determining grade point averages and has the following additional restrictions:

  1. may not be used to reduce the general degree requirement of completing a minimum of 30 semester hours in residence at UNT Dallas;
  2. may not be used to reduce the general degree requirement of completing at least 24 semester hours of advanced work at UNT Dallas;
  3. may not be used to reduce the general degree requirement of completing at least 12 advanced hours in the major at UNT Dallas;
  4. may not be earned in any course the student has previously completed at any university; and
  5. may not be earned in any course prerequisite to another course in the same subject for which the student has previously earned credit.

UNT Dallas recognizes exam credit in transfer from other accredited institutions within the limits outlined above. Scores from exam credits accepted in transfer are not re-evaluated by UNT Dallas. Credit by examination cannot be substituted for any grade, including an F earned for a course in high school, at UNT Dallas or at another college or university. The credit earned through examination will not be included in the grade point average at UNT Dallas, but it will be included in accepted semester credit hours.

 

Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations


Students who have received college-level training in secondary school and who present applicable scores on the appropriate Advanced Placement Examination will be granted, on request, placement and credit for comparable courses at the university following enrollment.

The College Board Advanced Placement Examinations are offered in May each year and are administered by The College Board in most school districts. Students typically complete an AP course offered by their high school before taking an AP examination in that subject. However, in consideration of homeschooled students and students whose schools do not offer AP courses, The College Board does not require a student to complete an AP course before taking an AP examination. All requests for information should be directed to the Advanced Placement Program of The College Board, 250 Vesey Street, New York, NY, 10281.

Visit https://admissions.untdallas.edu/forms for updated information on accepted AP exams, scores, and UNT Dallas course equivalencies. 

 

AP Credit Evaluation and Notification


Entering freshmen who took the Advanced Placement (AP) Exam for credit (and who designated that their scores be sent to the University of North Texas at Dallas, code 5999) will receive an evaluation of their scores, if scores have been received and qualify for credit. Students who do not receive their AP evaluations at that time should check with the Office of Admissions prior to receiving academic advisement to confirm that their AP results have been received.

Former, continuing and transfer students who wish to have their AP test results applied to their UNT Dallas transcript must initiate this process through the Office of Admissions during their first term/semester enrolled at UNT Dallas. (Note: students who fail to initiate the process during their first term/semester at UNT Dallas may still be eligible to receive credit, but may be subject to the standards in place at the time of initiation, rather than those that were current when the test was taken.)

 

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)


UNT Dallas recognizes credit earned through College-Level Examinations of the College Board only if the credit is first certified by the Office of Admissions. 

 

CLEP General Examinations


UNT Dallas does not grant credit on the basis of College Board CLEP General Examination scores.

 

CLEP Subject Examinations


Credit is certified but not necessarily applied to a degree if the student scores at or above the average scores of those students in the national norms sample who earned a C in regular college courses on the subject. A student may not earn examination credit for any course failed. 

Effective July 1, 2001, CLEP began using a new “common recommended credit-granting score” for all CLEP exams. UNT Dallas recognizes CLEP credit recommendations as posted on the official student score report. Entering students who took the CLEP Subject (CLEP) Exam for credit (and who designated that their scores be sent to the University of North Texas at Dallas, code 3681) will receive an evaluation of their scores, if scores have been received and qualify for credit.

Visit https://admissions.untdallas.edu/forms for updated information on accepted CLEP subject exams, scores, and UNT Dallas course equivalencies. 

 

SAT Subject Tests


UNT Dallas does not grant college credit on the basis of The College Board SAT Subject Test scores.

 

Educational Experience in the Armed Services


Credit may be given for formal service school courses completed in the armed services after evaluation of official documents by the Office of Admissions and the Office of Academic Advisement. The student’s academic dean decides if credit awarded for such courses will be applied toward requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

 

Credit for Work Experience


UNT Dallas will not be grant credit for knowledge acquired through prior work, certification, or performance experience regardless of whether these experiences were of a paid or voluntary nature.

 

International Baccalaureate (IB)


UNT Dallas awards a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit to students who have completed the International Baccalaureate Program and have received the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Students must earn a minimum score of 4 on tests that count toward the diploma. The admissions office will certify the examination credit based on the qualifying scores.

A student who has completed a high school International Baccalaureate Program but has not earned the diploma and who has scored 5, 6 or 7 on the higher level IB examination will receive college credit at UNT Dallas. Note: The minimum score requirements for awarding credit based upon International Baccalaureate examinations is under review and subject to change.

The IB institution code for UNT Dallas is 01800. Students should use this code when requesting to have IB scores sent to the UNT Dallas undergraduate admissions office.

Visit https://admissions.untdallas.edu/forms for updated information on accepted IB exams, scores, and UNT Dallas course equivalencies.

 

Student Attendance


The University of North Texas at Dallas (“UNTD” or “the University”) recognizes that student success is promoted by the expectation of regular attendance and participation in class (Policy 7.005).
 

Class Attendance:

  1. Responsibility for class attendance rests with students. Regular and punctual attendance at all scheduled classes is expected.
  2. Faculty members will clearly state their policy regarding class absence and the impact of absences on course grades on their course syllabi. Absences may lower a student’s grade where class attendance and class participation are deemed essential by the faculty member.
  3. Faculty members will be expected to report accurately attendance for class roll audits, early alerts, and last day of participation for financial aid purposes.

 

Excused Absences:

  1. An absence may be excused for the following reasons:
    1. Religious holy day, including travel for that purpose;
    2. active military service;
    3. participation in an official university function; or
    4. illness or other extenuating circumstances.
  2. A student is responsible for requesting an excused absence in writing, providing satisfactory evidence to the faculty member to substantiate the excused absence and delivering the request personally to the faculty member assigned to each course.
  3. When the absence is excused, the faculty member will provide a reasonable time after the absence for the student to complete the assignment or examination.

 

Student Absence Due to Religious Holy Day:
A student may be excused from attending classes or other activities, including examinations, for observance of a religious holy day, including travel for that purpose.

  1. A student should notify a faculty member of anticipated absence to observe religious holy days as early in semester as possible.
  2. An excused student may not be penalized for the absence and must be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment from which the student is excused within a reasonable period after the absence. The faculty member may take appropriate action if a student fails to satisfactorily complete an assignment or examination.
  3. If a student and faculty member disagree about the nature of the absence being for the observance of a religious holy day or about whether the student has been given reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the faculty member may appeal to the Student Academic Appeals Committee (SAAC). The student and faculty member will abide by the decision of the SAAC.

 

Student Absence Due to Military Service:
A student will be excused from attending classes or other activities upon providing notice of participation in active military service.

  1. A student called to active military service must provide a copy of the student’s military order to each faculty member instructing a course in which the student is enrolled.
  2. An excused student will not be penalized for an absence due to military service and will be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment from which the student is excused within a reasonable period after the absence.
  3. The course syllabus or instructional plan for a course in which a student was enrolled when called to active military service will be retained so that the student may complete the course without prejudice and pursuant to the course requirements that were in effect when the student enrolled in the course upon the student’s return from active military service. All course work completed by the student prior to being called to active military service will be retained until the student returns.
  4. A student who returns from active military service who will not be able to satisfactorily complete any outstanding assignments or examinations within a reasonable period of time must contact the Office of the Provost to develop a written plan and timeframe for completing all outstanding assignments or to make any other arrangements as may be appropriate under the circumstances.
  5. The maximum period for which a student may be excused will be no more than 25% (twenty-five percent) of the total number of class meetings or the contract hour equivalent (not including the final examination period) for the specific course or courses in which the student is currently enrolled at the beginning of the period of active military service.
  6. A student returning from active military service who believes that they have not been given full and fair treatment in accordance with this policy, or all other relevant state or federal laws relating to return from active military service, may seek review by the Student Academic Appeals Committee (SAAC). The SAAC will review the complaint asserted by the student, meet with all university officials who may have knowledge of the circumstances, and attempted to resolve the dispute amicably in accordance with UNTD policy and state and federal law.

 

Student Absence for Official University Functions:
Student absences due to participation in a university function or activity must be approved in advance within a reasonable time by the faculty member. Students should be prepared to provide appropriate documentation of participation in the official function.

Student Absence Due to Illness and Extenuating Circumstances:

In cases of brief illness or extenuating circumstances in which a student can return to class participation in a reasonable timeframe, the student should inform his or her faculty of currently enrolled courses with the reason for absence and make arrangements to make up work immediately upon return. Documentation may be requested by the faculty member to verify illness. In case of an absence in which the student is not able to communicate effectively with faculty, the student should notify the Assistant Provost for notification of the faculty.

 

Course Drop/Withdrawal


  1. A student may drop a course prior to the census date in the Office of the Registrar. Courses dropped prior to the census date will not appear on the student’s transcript and will not be included in the limitation of dropped courses as set forth below.
  2. If a course is withdrawn from prior to the end of the 12th week of classes for the fall or spring semester or equivalent date for shorter sessions, a grade of W will be assigned.
  3. No student may drop any course after the date designated by the Office of the Registrar during the twelfth (12th) week of the fall or spring semester, or the equivalent date of the shorter sessions.
  4. No student may withdraw from more than six (6) courses during their academic program except as set forth below. The Registrar may refuse to allow a student to drop a course if the student has dropped six (6) courses previously.
  5. Students applying for financial aid must contact the Office of Student Financial Aid prior to removing any class from their schedule in order to understand the potential impact of the drop/withdrawal of the course on student financial aid eligibility.

 

All relevant course drop dates will be published annually by the Registrar and will be made available on the UNTD online academic calendar. All drop procedures must be completed by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline dates specified on the UNTD academic calendar.

 

Limitations on Course Withdrawals


Undergraduate students who enrolled in higher education for the first time after fall 2007 will not be permitted to drop a total of more than six (6) courses, including any course a transfer student dropped at another institution unless the student shows good cause for dropping more than six (6) courses, including but not limited to a showing that:

  1. A severe illness or debilitating condition affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete a course;
  2. The student’s responsibility for the care of a sick, injured or needy person if the provision of that care affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete the course;
  3. The death of a person who is considered to be a member of the student’s family or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student that the person’s death is considered to be a showing of good cause;
  4. The active duty service as a member of the Texas national guard or the armed forces of the United States of either the student or a person who is considered to be a member of the student’s family or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student that the person’s active military service is considered to be a showing of good cause;
  5. The change of the student’s work schedule that is beyond the control of the student and affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete the course; or,
  6. Other good cause as determined by the Student Academic Appeals Committee. Courses dropped for complete withdrawal from UNTD are not calculated for the purpose of the course drop limitation.

 

Administrative Withdrawal from Courses


At the beginning of each session, faculty report students who do not participate in any classes or coursework prior to the official census date for the term. Students, who are enrolled for courses but fail to attend or participate in all enrolled courses before census, will be administratively dropped from courses for the current term and any future terms. Students who do not attend for one, full academic year are discontinued from the University and required to reapply for admission.

 

Withdrawal from UNT Dallas


A student may withdraw from all courses from UNTD any time prior to for the end of the 13th week of classes the fall or spring semester or the equivalent dates for summer session.

The Registrar will record a W for each course in which a student was enrolled for withdrawals processed prior to the 12th week of classes for the fall or spring semester or the equivalent for summer sessions.

 

Conditionally-Admitted Student Enrollment


Students conditionally admitted to the institution will be assessed at the end of their first two long terms (Fall and Spring) to ensure that all conditions stated in the academic agreement were met. Students not meeting all of the academic conditions will be suspended and eligible for readmission only after the successful completion of at least 12 semester credit hours at a community college with at least a 2.25 semester GPA documented on an official transcript from that institution.

Students may appeal the suspension for extenuating circumstances (i.e. rarely occur, unforeseeable, and unpreventable events) to the Student Academic Appeals Committee.  More information about the deadlines and appeal process can be found at Academic Advising & Support > Suspension and Reinstatement or with a student success advisor in the Office of Academic Advising & Student Success.

 

Pre-Finals Week


So that students can more adequately prepare for their final examinations, special rules apply to the seven calendar days preceding the final week of each fall and spring term/semester. During pre-finals week, student organizations do not meet; and activities requiring student participation such as field trips or performances by dance, drama or music ensembles are not scheduled.

 

Final Examinations


Faculty members are expected to administer final examinations at the designated times during the exam week of each long semester and during the last class meeting day of each summer term. Any deviation from the published schedule of final examinations must be approved in advance by the appropriate academic dean.

Students who have as many as three final examinations scheduled on one day may appeal to their academic dean to reschedule one of those examinations on another day during the final examination period.

 

Graduation and Commencement


 

Application for Graduation


Applications for graduation are available in online at the student center at my.untdallas.edu. (Visit https://registrar.untdallas.edu for degree application deadlines.)

Degree applications are accepted only from undergraduate students who have a minimum overall C average. See “General University Requirements “ on the Undergraduate Academic Programs page of this catalog for grade point calculation details. 

Students otherwise eligible for graduation who complete their final course or courses elsewhere will not graduate at the end of the term/semester or summer session/term in which the work is completed, because of the time required for obtaining transcripts. Such students will have their degrees conferred at the close of a subsequent UNT Dallas term/semester.

 

Graduation with Honors


Candidates for graduation whose overall grade point average, based on grades earned in UNT Dallas resident credit courses, is at least 3.500 but less than 3.700 are eligible to graduate cum laude; those whose GPA, as defined above, is at least 3.700 but less than 3.900 are eligible to graduate magna cum laude; and those whose GPA, as defined above, is 3.900 to 4.000 are eligible to graduate summa cum laude.

Hours earned through correspondence and extension courses, or pass/no pass courses, will not be counted in calculating the GPA for determination of eligibility for graduation with honors. Candidates for a second bachelor’s degree are not eligible for graduation with honors.

 

Commencement Exercises


Commencement exercises are held in May and December. Diplomas are mailed to candidates approximately eight weeks after the end of the semester in which the student has applied for graduation and the coursework has been verified.

 

Definition of Terms


Active Military Service. “Active Military Service” includes active military service performed by a member of the Texas National Guard of the Texas State Guard.

Census Date. “Census date” means the 12th class day of the fall or spring semester or the equivalent dates in a summer session. The census date will vary based on the length of the course and are established and available from the Office of the Registrar.

Class Participation. “Class participation” is determined by the faculty member and may include activities such as attendance in class, submitting homework assignments or discussion board posts, and communication with the faculty member of record.

Course Drop. “Course drop” means a course credit not completed by the student that was removed from his/her schedule prior to the session census date and is removed from the transcript.

Course Withdrawal. “Course withdrawal” means a credit course not completed by the student who was enrolled in the course on the session census date for which the student will receive a non-punitive grade of W on his/her transcript.

Discontinuation. Students who are “discontinued” at UNTD are those who have not been enrolled for at least 12 months at UNTD and must reapply to the institution to reenroll.

Grade. “Grade” means an indicator assigned upon completion of a course (usually A,B,C,D or F). A grade indicates that the student has earned and will be awarded credit if the course was completed successfully or that the student remained in the course until completion but failed to make satisfactory performance to be awarded credit. “Grade” does not include “incomplete.”

Member of a student’s family. “Member of a student’s family” includes the student’s spouse, child, grandchild, father, mother, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first-cousin, step-parent, step-child or stepsibling.

Person who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student. “Person who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student” includes any relative within the third degree of consanguinity, plus close friends, including but not limited to roommates, housemates, classmates or other persons identified by the student as determined by the Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs on a case-by-case basis.

Reasonable Time. “Reasonable Time” means no fewer than 10 days.

Religious Holy Days. “Religious Holy Days” means a holy day observed by a religion whose place of worship is exempt from state property tax.

Student. “Student” includes students enrolled in distance education, self-paced and other asynchronous courses.