Academic Policies for Class Enrollment
This page informs you of academic policies pertaining to enrollment in classes. If you don’t find the topic you want on this page, check the Resources list to the left.
Academic Load Regulations
The Extra Unit Authorization form is available online, or visit the Office of Admissions and Records in the Bayramian Hall Lobby, Room 100.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students in good academic standing may enroll in 19 units or fewer during the Registration-by-Appointment period.
- Students needing to exceed 19 units must complete an Extra Unit Authorization form and submit it to their major department chair at the beginning of Nonrestrictive Registration to secure department approval for the overload.
- Undeclared majors should secure approval from the Advising Resource Center/EOP. The Extra Unit Authorization form must be returned to the Office of Admissions and Records for the extra units to be added in SOLAR.
- Undergraduate students on academic probation who wish to enroll in more than 13 units must have an Extra Unit Authorization form signed and approved by their academic advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies (see the 2006-2008 University Catalog, page 32).
Graduate and Credential Students
Graduate and credential students wishing to enroll in more than 15 units need to secure the approval of their major department (from the Graduate Coordinator or the Department Chair) on the Extra Unit Authorization form. Undecided graduate students (Post Baccalaureate Unclassified) must receive approval from the Associate Vice President of Graduate Studies, Research, and International Programs.
Academic Probation and Disqualification
Undergraduate Students
Academic Probation: Undergraduate students will be placed on probation if either their cumulative total or CSUN GPA is below 2.00. Students remain on probation until both their cumulative total and CSUN GPAs are 2.00 or better, or until they are disqualified under one of the provisions of the Disqualification Regulations.
All students on academic probation are required to meet with an academic advisor each semester they are on probation. An academic advisement hold is placed on the student’s record once probationary status is determined, thus blocking the ability to register for classes. This hold will be released only after the student has received advisement. Declared majors will receive advisement from either their academic department or from the SSC/EOP Satellite in their college. Undecided students will receive advisement in the Advising Resource Center/EOP.
A student on academic probation may register for a maximum of 13 units in a given semester or during summer term. Additional units may be recommended by the student’s advisor in the Department, College or Advising Resource Center/EOP but approval of such additional units must come from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Disqualification: Undergraduate students on probation will be disqualified when: a) they are admitted or readmitted on probation and fail to meet the conditions established at the time of their admission or readmission, or b) either their cumulative total or CSUN GPA falls below the following floor levels:
| Class Level | GPA |
|---|---|
| Freshman (1 – 29 units earned) | 1.50 |
| Sophomore (30 – 59 units earned) | 1.70 |
| Junior (60 – 89 units earned); | 1.85 |
| Senior (90 + units earned) | 1.95 |
| Note: Developmental coursework is included in calculating class level. | |
Renewal Semester: Beginning with the Spring 2006 semester, undergraduate students who have received a first disqualification from Cal State Northridge will be allowed an additional semester of enrollment to improve their academic performance. This applies only to the semester (Fall or Spring) immediately following the first disqualification. This additional semester will be known as the “renewal” semester. Enrollment for subsequent semesters will be permitted only if continued improvement in academic performance is demonstrated (i.e., an increase of 0.05 or more in the GPA). Students who fail to make measurable improvement during the renewal semester will be unable to enroll for a minimum of one semester and will be required to reapply. If this occurs, the student will be charged with a second disqualification.
Readmission: Without exception, the following requirement applies to ALL disqualified undergraduate students, regardless of circumstances or proximity to degree:
Undergraduates who have been disqualified for a second time and those who do not take advantage of the “renewal” semester and who are interested in returning to the University for a subsequent semester must submit a formal application for readmission and must submit all forms for consideration of reinstatement and transcripts of any college work completed in the interim.
Consult the application deadlines website for dates and information to submit the required readmission materials. For procedures governing reinstatement, see Readmitted Students in Appendix A of the current university catalog.
Undergraduate students and second baccalaureate degree candidates are restricted to a maximum of two reinstatements from disqualification. Students who receive a third disqualification are not eligible to seek readmission to CSUN for a minimum of five years after the final day of the semester during which they received the third disqualification. After a third disqualification, no courses taken through The Tseng College of Extended Learning may be used to meet degree requirements.
Graduate Students
Students enrolled in a degree program will be placed on academic probation whenever their grade point average (GPA) falls below 3.0 in all units attempted. To be removed from probation, students must earn sufficient grade points in the following semester of enrollment to raise their GPA to 3.0 or above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
If a disqualified graduate student wishes to be considered for readmission to a Master’s program, disqualification forms must be submitted for the semester immediately following disqualification notification. Disqualification materials are e-mailed to students after final grades are posted. The materials are submitted through the departmental Graduate Coordinator. Students who choose not to file readmission forms for the semester following disqualification will be required to submit both the disqualification materials and a new University application and fee in order to enroll in any future semester.
Similar provisions to those stated above apply to Post-baccalaureate Unclassified and Post-baccalaureate Credential students, except that the required maintenance GPAs are 2.50 and 2.75 respectively.
Academic Standing
Students eligible to enroll in the university are considered to be in good standing. Undergraduate students who maintain satisfactory scholarship with at least a 2.0 in both their CSUN and cumulative Grade Point Averages (GPA) are in good standing. Students who are on probation also are considered to be in good standing for purposes of eligibility to enroll in classes. Students who are disqualified or under disciplinary suspension are not considered in good standing and therefore are not routinely eligible to enroll.
See the Graduate Programs section of the current university catalog for definition of graduate good standing.
Grade Point Average (GPA) is used as a measurement of satisfactory scholarship. It is calculated by dividing the number of grade points by the number of units attempted for the grades A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, WU. (CR, NC, I and W are not used in this calculation.)
Credit by Challenge Examination
Currently enrolled undergraduate students not on probation who are especially qualified through experience or private instruction may enroll to earn credit by Challenge Examination in selected courses designated by each department. Check with the academic department for details on the availability of Credit by Challenge Examination.
Credit/No-Credit Grading Policy
Undergraduate students who are not on probation may elect the Credit/No-Credit (CR/NC) option for one or more courses each term, up to a maximum of 18 units applicable to the bachelor’s degree. The CR or NC grade will not be considered in the computation of the student’s grade point average. Students may not change from the CR/NC basis to the graded (or conversely from graded to CR/NC) option after the third week of classes.
Courses taken on a CR/NC basis CANNOT be applied toward the satisfaction of ANY of the following degree requirements:
- General Education and Title 5 requirements.
- The Major, except those courses offered on a CR/NC basis only. (Note: Additional courses in the discipline of the major beyond those used to satisfy major requirements may not be taken for CR/NC.)
- The Minor, except those courses offered on a CR/NC basis only, subject to departmental approval.
If 18 or more semester CR graded units are accepted on transfer from other institutions, no additional CR graded CSUN courses may be used to satisfy degree requirements.
NOTE: Undergraduate students who plan to transfer to another institution or to enter a graduate or professional school should check with that institution for information concerning acceptance of credit for CR graded courses. As a general rule, graduate and professional schools are likely to consider a grade of Credit as equivalent to a grade of C and a grade of No Credit as a Fail.
Enrollment Discrepancies
Students are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of their own academic programs. Immediately bring any enrollment discrepancies in person to the Office of Admissions and Records for correction. Failure to correct an academic program discrepancy or to drop a class officially may result in a grade of WU (Unauthorized Withdrawal) in courses never attended.
Excessive Enrollment
If an undergraduate student repeats enrollment in a course beyond its published maximum “for-credit” limitations (see current university catalog), units earned will not be counted toward the baccalaureate degree. The units attempted and any grade points, however, will be averaged with the student’s other grades. Check with an advisor before re-enrolling in a course. On the third or subsequent enrollment in a course, it is necessary to obtain permission of the associate dean of the college in which the course is offered.
Grade Availability
Grades are available through the SOLAR Student Center starting with the week after the final exam period. Log into myNorthridge at www.csun.edu and select My Path to Graduation » Student Center (SOLAR) » Academics » View My Grades.
Grade Correction Procedure
The University considers all grades reported at the end of each semester to be final. Students are responsible for reviewing their grades for accuracy before the end of the subsequent semester. Students who believe they have received a grade in error should promptly ask the instructor to verify and, if appropriate, correct the grade.
Grades received for the semester of graduation will be considered sealed 60 days after the official date of graduation. However, the deadline to request a grade correction is the end of the semester following that in which the grade was assigned. If the instructor is absent from campus during the subsequent semester, students should promptly consult with the department chair about the grade in question. If the department chair is unable to contact the instructor, he/she will notify the Associate Dean of the College in writing that an extension of the grade correction deadline, up to one year, has been granted.
Independent Study Courses
Enrollment in Independent Study courses (499, 599, 699) is by permission of the department chair and consent of an instructor to act as a sponsor. Students must obtain a permission number from the academic department to enroll in Independent Study courses.
Individual Study Courses
Enrollment in Individual Study is by permission of the department chair and consent of an instructor to act as sponsor. Individual Study courses may be taken only in substitution for approved courses that are not available during the semester of enrollment and are available on a limited basis. Check with the academic department for details.
Repeat Policy
Undergraduate Students
A maximum of 15 semester units of CSU Northridge coursework in which an undergraduate student earned a C- or lower grade may be repeated for the purpose of excluding grades (or grade forgiveness) from the computation of a student’s overall GPA. Only the first 15 semester units repeated are eligible for grade forgiveness. All subsequent repeats will be averaged into the student’s total GPA.
Graduate Students
Effective Fall 2006, students pursuing a graduate degree must maintain a minimum 3.0 (B) average in the formal program and the cumulative grade point average. No grade below a C can be counted in the formal program. Any grade of C- or below in the formal program must be repeated after an approved course repeat form has been filed. If the student does not receive a C or better on the second attempt, the student will be disqualified from the program. A maximum of 6 units in the formal program may be repeated at the graduate level. The repeat grade will appear on the transcript. Departments may have higher standards that take precedence over the university policy.
The Course Repeat Form for Graduate Students is available in the Graduate Studies, Research and International Programs Office (818) 677-2138.
Time Conflicts (Simultaneous Enrollment)
Students are not permitted to enroll simultaneously in any two or more classes whose scheduled times overlap even by one minute. Students are advised to enroll in an alternate section of the class that does not conflict with the rest of their schedule. Note: Permission numbers do not override time conflicts.
Exceptions to this policy will be permitted ONLY IF one of the classes does not meet on a regular basis, such as an independent study, internship or lab class that permits independent lab work. Students who meet the acceptable criteria must submit a completed Time Conflict Petition to Admissions and Records no later than 4 pm on Friday of the third week of classes. Petitions will not be considered after the deadline. No Petition will be accepted without the signatures of the instructor and department chair for each class.
Withdrawals – Student Initiated
Failure to follow formal withdrawal procedures may result in the assignment of failing grades. No approvals are necessary to drop classes through the SOLAR Student Center before a session begins and during Late Registration. For deadlines and instructions, see Adjusting Your Schedule
.Please note:
- The student—not the instructor—is responsible for dropping classes.
- Nonattendance does not constitute a withdrawal, nor does stopping payment on a check for registration fees constitute a request for refund.
Financial aid eligibility is based on enrollment. A student who reduces the number of enrolled units or who completely withdraws from a period of enrollment may be subject to REPAYMENT (including medical withdrawal). Consult a financial aid representative for assistance.