Academic Regulations

Regulations covered below:

• Application for Graduation

• Class Absences

• Chapel Policy

• Day Student Registration Policy

• Traditional Age Online Policy

• Concurrent Registration

• Concurrent Graduate Coursework

• Cross-Listed Courses

• Continuous Progress Course (CP)

• Independent Study/Research Courses

• Correspondence Work

• Advanced Placement (AP)

• International Baccalaureate Programme (IB)

• College Level Examinations Program (CLEP)

Application for Graduation

The student must officially apply for graduation. The student must meet all requirements to graduate in the semester of application to graduate. The student is cautioned that: (1) application for graduation must be made before the published deadline (See Academic Calendar) and preferably at least one semester before the semester of graduation, (2) all grades must be officially transmitted to the Registrar's Office at least four days prior to the date of graduation by the final grades due deadline posted in the Academic Calendar, (3) applicants who apply for graduation and fail to meet requirements must reapply for graduation. Note: If the student does not apply for graduation in the semester in which requirements are completed, then the degree will be posted in the next graduation after the official application has been received.

Class Absences

Attendance in class is considered a necessary factor in the learning process. Therefore, absences for all reasons must be kept to a minimum and should not exceed 25 percent of the total class time. Students are held responsible for all academic work required or performed during their absence regardless of the reasons for those absences. Students who register late are responsible for work missed. The policy concerning class attendance for individual courses, seminars, or other guided learning experiences will be determined by the faculty members in charge of such course, seminar, or learning experience; and this policy will be communicated to the students in the course syllabus. 

POLICIES

Chapel Policy   

Chapel attendance is a required part of the educational experience at Dallas Baptist University. Chapel programs are presented on Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. for all students and Friday at 10:00 a.m. for first year students who have not completed 30 hours or two long semesters (Fall/Spring) of University course credit at DBU or in transfer [not counting dual credit, CLEP, or AP credit]. Each non-exempt student must complete the chapel requirement each fall and spring semester. The only students exempt from Chapel are: 

1. Students 25 years of age or older as of first class day of first enrolled semester at DBU

2. Graduate students

Chapel credit will be administered and tracked by the Student Life Office. Students must have their valid DBU student I.D. with them during Chapel in order to scan their I.D. and receive credit for that day. First year students are required to attend thirty-three Chapel services each semester, while upperclassmen must attend twenty-two for credit. Responsibility for making sure the Chapel requirements have been met and duly recorded rests solely upon each student. Students arriving late for Chapel will not receive credit for that day's Chapel service.

Students who come to DBU with 0-14 hours [not counting dual credit, CLEP, or AP credit] are required to attend 8 semesters of Chapel in order to graduate. Transfer students will receive credit for Chapel according to the scale below. A transfer student is defined as one who has been out of high school for at least one long full semester (fall/spring) and has attempted some college or university work for credit [not counting dual credit, CLEP, or AP credit].

In some instances students may qualify for a Chapel Waiver for a specific semester. For example, part-time students may wish to apply for a waiver if they will not be taking any classes on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. To be waived from Chapel for a semester, a student must submit a Chapel Waiver Form online from the Student Life Office. After evaluating each waiver, Student Affairs will notify the student after the 10th class day regarding their request via e-mail. Students are encouraged to keep a copy of the e-mail for their records. Students should continue to attend Chapel while their petition is being considered. Chapel Waivers will be granted in only the most imperative circumstances. Excuses such as work schedule, driving distance, or excessive class or workload are not acceptable excuses to receive a Chapel Waiver. Students must re-apply for a Chapel Waiver every semester in which they wish to be considered. Students must also complete the Chapel requirement every semester regardless of waiver application. 

Day Student Registration Policy

The Day Student Registration Policy restricts undergraduate traditional program students with less than 45 college credit hours from taking evening classes after 5:00 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters. Undergraduate students enrolled through the College of Professional Studies are excluded from this policy. 

Traditional Age Online Policy  

DBU undergraduate resident students with 24 or more hours may register for two additional online classes per semester, provided that the undergraduate student enrolls or maintains enrollment in at least 12 hours of on-campus classes in the regular semester, not including mini-terms.

Undergraduate commuter students (non-PRST) with more than 24 hours of college credit may enroll in online classes.

Undergraduate resident and commuter students may take online classes during the winter and summer terms, regardless of the number of credit hours earned, after the first semester of enrollment.

Concurrent Registration

After matriculation, a student may transfer a maximum of 12 credit hours to DBU. 

A student enrolled at Dallas Baptist University who wishes to enroll for a course at another college must secure the written permission of the Registrar at Dallas Baptist University two weeks before registering for the course. Failure to obtain this approval in advance will result in the refusal of this University to accept credit earned at other institutions. Students should seek full understanding of the conditions under which transfer credit is accepted. A Permission Request form may be obtained from the student advisor. Official copies of transcripts from other institutions showing the completion of the approved class(es) will be required in order for credits to be placed on the DBU transcript. Students must request that official copies of transcripts be sent to the Office of the Registrar within two weeks of completion of the class(es) in order for credits to be placed on the DBU transcript and must pay any applicable fees to the other institution for the transcript.

NOTE: Graduating students are not allowed to transfer hours taken at another institution if the hours are taken during their final semester at Dallas Baptist University.

Concurrent Graduate Coursework

Senior DBU undergraduate students who have been accepted into the Graduate Programs at Dallas Baptist University pending completion of their undergraduate degree and who possess a 3.0 or greater cumulative GPA are allowed to register for up to 12 graduate credit hours in the final semester of their undergraduate degree at DBU. Please note that financial aid may only be received for the undergraduate hours. Any student registering for any combination course load exceeding 12-credit hours must have the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Admissions and the appropriate academic Dean.

Cross-Listed Courses

Graduate students cannot receive credit for cross-listed courses already completed at the undergraduate level. In situations where repeated courses are required, substitutions will be allowed by the appropriate Academic or Program Director and Dean.

Graduate courses at the 5000-level cross-listed with undergraduate 4000-level courses will include specific graduate course requirements which reflect appropriate deeper learning experiences and rigor in the higher-level course.

Continuous Progress Course (CP)

This is a non-traditional system of course progress for students who have been admitted to the University. There are no regularly scheduled class meetings; all necessary conferences are scheduled individually between the student and the instructor. The following policies apply to Continuous Progress Courses:

1. Only students who have been admitted to the University may register for these courses during the regular registration period as published and must complete the course before the end of that semester.

2. Course work cannot begin until enrollment is completed and course fee paid.

3. There is a $100.00 fee per course over and above the regular tuition for each CP course. Refunds and withdrawal policy are based on the standard refund schedule and withdrawal policies as published in this catalog.

4. Authorization to take CP courses will not be given except in extenuating circumstances.

5. The dean of the college involved will approve both the student and the faculty instructor for all CP courses.

Registering for a Continuous Progress Course. In order to register for a CP course, a Continuous Progress Form must be completed for each course listed in the section of this catalog titled "Course Descriptions." The form must state the definite plan for accomplishment of the course objective. The plan must include the course syllabus and work schedule, defining blocks of material to be completed in specified times.

After the Continuous Progress Form has been completed by the instructor and signed by the student, it is then submitted by the student for approval to the dean of the college in which the course will be taught. Upon final approval by the dean of the college, regular registration procedures are followed.

Independent Study/Research Courses

Whereas students at any level may take Continuous Progress Courses, only juniors or seniors are allowed to take Independent Study/Research courses. In addition, while regular course numbers should be used in the case of CP courses, only experimental numbers (courses with a "9" as the third digit) may be used in Independent Study/Research courses. Finally, no limits are placed on the number of CP courses a student may take, yet limits are placed on the number of Independent Study/Research courses that may be taken.

Resident Study Programs (3190-3390) and Research Problems (4190-4690) are regulated by the following:

1. Resident study programs are available only to juniors and seniors with the exception of the foreign language department.

2. Research problems are available only to seniors.

3. The student must have a minimum GPA of 2.50 in the field of study for 3190-3390 and 4190-4690 courses.

4. The student must have a minimum of nine hours in the field of study for 3190-3390 courses.

5. The student must be a major in the field of study for 4190-4690 courses.

Students will be limited to nine hours per discipline in any combination of independent study courses. In no case will the student be permitted to accumulate more than six hours of independent study courses per discipline. In any case, the student will be limited to 12 overall credit hours in any combination.

 Guidelines:

1. No faculty member should accept a combination of more than five students for Continuous Progress, Independent Study, or Research courses during one semester.

2. The Independent Study/Research Course Form must be used to report enrollments in 3190-3390 and 4190-4690 courses.

3. Enrollment for Independent Study/Research Courses can be accomplished only during registration periods.

4. The original form for Independent Study/Research is taken to the Registrar's Office when the student registers.  A copy is provided to the student, the professor, and the dean of the college.

The basic difference between the Continuous Progress Courses and the Independent Study/Research Courses is that CP courses are regularly scheduled courses that students may not be able to take because of a conflict in their schedules, whereas Independent Study/Research Courses are devised by professors to permit students to explore material not offered in regularly scheduled courses, or to do guided research on their own in a given discipline.

Correspondence Work

A maximum of 30 credit hours of correspondence work will be considered for transfer toward degree requirements at Dallas Baptist University, as long as the work comes from another regionally accredited institution. After matriculation, a student may only transfer a total of 12 credit hours to DBU. The acceptance of the correspondence work is subject to prior approval of the Registrar. Final determination regarding acceptability of transfer course work will be made within each discipline when questions arise.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Dallas Baptist University participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) Program of The College Board. Credit will be awarded for the AP tests listed in the following chart. No credit will be awarded for AP tests that are not listed. Letter grades are not given in any course for which credit is granted. These credits may be used to satisfy degree requirements, but do not apply to the 25-percent-credit-hour residency requirement.

International Baccalaureate Programme (IB)

Dallas Baptist University participates in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization. Credit will be awarded for the IB tests listed in the following chart. No credit will be awarded for IB tests that are not listed. Letter grades are not given in any course for which credit is granted. These credits may be used to satisfy degree requirements, but do not apply to the 25-percent-credit-hour residency requirement. 

** Languages:

      A1 = course in the student’s native or best language, including selections from world literature

      A2 = course for native speakers or for speakers with a high level of proficiency in the target language.

      B = foreign language program for students with two to four years previous experience in learning the target.        

College Level Examinations Program (CLEP)

Students may seek college credit by satisfactorily completing the College Level Examinations Program (CLEP) of the College Entrance Examination Board according to the chart below. Only tests listed in the chart below are acceptable for credit. Letter grades are not given in any course for which credit is granted by examination. General examinations of CLEP are not acceptable for credit. Students may receive credit for a maximum of 15 hours through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

CLEP credits may be used to satisfy degree requirements, but do not apply to the 25-percent-credit-hour residency requirement. In addition, these credits may be used to meet prerequisites for advanced courses. Students who have failed a class are not eligible to take a CLEP exam for that same course. A student may not receive credit for a CLEP exam for a course in which a grade has already been earned at Dallas Baptist University. Graduating seniors are not allowed to take CLEP exams during their final (graduating) semester.

Credit by examination secured by students transferring to Dallas Baptist University will be accepted only if the examinations and resulting scores meet specified requirements.

Credit by Examination Course Listing

*Scores are computed by tallying the number of correct answers. There is no deduction for unanswered questions.  The results are converted into scaled scores within a range of 20-80.

Note:   ** DBU essay required in addition to objective CLEP exam. A student must pass both the CLEP exam and the essay (with a score of C or higher) to receive credit for English 1301.

Note:  The number of hours accepted from any combination of College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) is limited to thirty hours.