Registration: Changing or Adding Courses

In-person registration is held a week prior to the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. It is possible to change or add a course before the class has met for the second time. The same limitation applies to the student who registers late.  There is a $5 fee for late registration.

Tuition Payment

Semester fees and tuition must be paid in full before the first day of class. Students whose accounts are delinquent may be barred from classes or examinations and will have diplomas, transcripts and other official documentation withheld until the account has been cleared.

Course Load

For students in the degree program the maximum course load is three per semester. One course may also be taken during May-June and one during Summer Session. Authorization for one additional course will be given only if a student has completed three courses in the previous semester, each with a grade of B- or above. Courses taken without reference to this regulation do not advance a student's degree program.

To Drop a Course

To avoid a course failure, students must officially withdraw from a course in writing to the Woods College of Advancing Studies prior to December 1st for fall semester and April 20th for the spring semester. For a course from which a student withdraws a grade of W is received and no academic credit is granted. Non-attendance does not constitute official withdrawal, nor does just telling the instructor. A student is responsible for tuition of a course for which registered until the withdrawal notice is received. Stopping payment on a registration check or a registration check being returned by the bank does not constitute withdrawal and full charges are due.

Student Record Availability

Certain personally identifiable information from a student's education record, designated by Boston College as directory information, may be released without the student's prior consent. This information includes name, term and home address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended. A student who so wishes has the absolute right to prevent release of this information. In order to do so, the student must complete a form requesting nondisclosure of directory information, which is available in the Office of Student Services.

Tuition Refunds

Fees are not refundable; no refunds are made to auditors.

Tuition is refundable under the following conditions:

(a) Notice of withdrawal must be made in writing to the College of Advancing Studies Office.
(b) Date of receipt of written withdrawal determines amount of tuition refunded.

For courses with six sessions:
Notice after the first but prior to the second session..................................... 60% tuition refund
No refunds are allowed after the second session.

For other courses:

There are no tuition refunds after the fifth week of class.

If students do not wish to leave the resulting credit balance in their accounts for subsequent use, they should request in writing that the Office of Student Services issue a refund check.

Courses at Other Institutions

Students enrolled in the Woods College of Advancing Studies as degree candidates must follow a curriculum prescribed by the college. They cannot take courses at another institution for inclusion in their Boston College program without the prior permission of the Dean.

Summer Session Courses

Students may continue their degree program in the Summer Session at Boston College. Authorization for summer courses is obtained in the Woods College of Advancing Studies office.

Transfer within the University

The various colleges and schools of Boston College operate under the jurisdiction of separate deans. Approval for transfer within Boston College from one college to another or between day and evening divisions is governed by the admission and degree requirements of the college to which transfer is desired. Students wishing to inquire about transfer possibilities should confer with the Office of Transfer Admissions in Devlin Hall.

Leave of Absence: Readmission

If for serious reasons such as illness or job transfer to another part of Massachusetts, etc., students wish to obtain a Leave of Absence from the Woods College of Advancing Studies, they should personally notify the Woods College of Advancing Studies office. Readmission at some future date will be smoother as a result of this planning.

Clarification of Degree Status

Simply taking a course does not constitute "degree status." To become a degree candidate, formal application must be made by the student. The necessary application form is available in the Woods College of Advancing Studies office.

Absences for Religious Reasons

A student who is unable to attend classes or participate in an examination or academic requirement on a particular day because of religious beliefs will be excused from the examination or academic requirement, and will be provided an opportunity to make up the examination or requirement missed on that day.

Class Attendance

Attendance at each class meeting is especially necessary. A student's achievement is based on the combined results of class participation and examinations. Any absence, regardless of the reason, will normally prevent a student from gaining the full benefit of the course.

Grading System

Student Evaluation. The undergraduate grading system consists of twelve categories: A (4.00), A- (3.67), excellent; B+ (3.33), B (3.00), B- (2.67), good; C+ (2.33), C (2.00), C- (l.67), satisfactory; D+ (l.33), D (l.00), D- (.67), passing but unsatisfactory; F (.00), failure; I (.00), incomplete; F (.00), course dropped without notifying office; W (.00), official withdrawal from course. The graduate grading system is A (4.00), A- (3.67), Excellent; B+ (3.33), B (3.00), good; B- (2.67), C (2.00), passing but not for degree credit; F (.00), failure.

Grade Reports. The Office of Student Services is now offering you the opportunity to view/print your grade mailer on- line. Please note that we will not be sending a printed Grade Mailer to your home address at the end of the semester. Follow this link for directions on how to view your grades on-line.

Requirements for Undergraduate Good Standing. To remain in good standing a student must maintain a cumulative average of C- as the minimum standard of scholarship. Failure to maintain a C- average in one semester will result in a degree candidate being placed on probation. A student must complete 8 courses before sophomore year to also remain in good standing; l5 courses by the beginning of junior year; and 23 courses by the beginning of senior year. A student always registered full-time completes undergraduate degree requirements within five academic years.

Probation and Undergraduate Academic Withdrawal. Probation (see above paragraph) may be removed only by receiving a C- average or better in the next semester of full-time attendance. Degree students with two failures in any semester or a student on probation with a semester average less than C- will be issued an academic withdrawal from the College of Advancing Studies.

Dean's List. The Dean's Honor List, published each semester, ranks undergraduate degree students registered for three courses according to their semester averages: First Honors (3.667 - 4.000), Second Honors (3.333 - 3.666), and Third Honors (2.900 - 3.332).

Grade Point Averages. Semester and cumulative averages are computed at the end of each term and are indicated on the student's grade report.

Final Examinations

Written examinations are held at the end of each semester. Students who have not received a passing grade in class work, tests, presentations and assigned readings, incur a deficiency, and are not eligible to take the final examination in the course.

Missed Finals and Absentee Exams

Students who are absent from examinations may be permitted to take an absentee examination with the dean's approval provided an acceptable reason for the absence is filed with the dean within a 24-hour period of the incurred absence. In addition, students must file an official application to take the absentee examination in the Woods College of Advancing Studies Office and pay a $25 fee. Students who fail to take the final examination in a course from which they have not withdrawn in writing on or before December 3rd for the Fall semester and April 21st for the Spring semester will automatically incur a failure in the course.

Incomplete Grades

A course instructor may give an incomplete grade for a serious reason. If this is done, the Woods College of Advancing Studies office must be notified in writing of the extension at the time semester grades are due. The grade for such an extension must be submitted no later than March 3rd for Fall and August 1st for Spring.

Plagiarism and Writing of Papers

Papers, projects, reports, or any other materials submitted to meet course requirements are expected to be the student's own work. In the preparation of all papers and other written work submitted to meet course requirements, a student should be careful to distinguish between ideas that are his or her own and those derived from other sources. Information and opinions cited from any source should be attributed specifically to their respective sources. Students should learn the proper forms of acknowledgment. Quotations must be properly placed within quotation marks and cited fully. In all cases where ideas or material presented are derived from a student's reading and research, the source used must be indicated. A student is guilty of plagiarism who submits work that is not his or her own or that is without clear reference to the original source.

A student may not submit the same paper, in substance, in two or more courses without the prior written permission of the instructors involved.

Student Appeals

Students who have requests for special consideration regarding academic policy may appeal in writing to the Academic Council of the Woods College of Advancing Studies. Student petitions are reviewed when the Council meets during the fall or spring term. A counselor should be consulted prior to an appeal being filed. Appeals are addressed to the Dean of the Woods College of Advancing Studies and should be as detailed and documented as possible.

The grievance procedure for students wishing to formally request reconsideration of a decision made on non-academic matters is administered through the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. A counselor can provide information regarding the appropriate way to address a non-academic grievance.