Students who have attended Brandeis for 8 semesters and are one or two classes short of graduating can go on "Extended Credit." This status allows you to participate in Commencement ceremonies and complete your final classes afterwards. Most students on Extended Credit choose to complete their final classes that summer, although you have up to two years. Under some circumstances, the final classes can be taken at schools other than Brandeis. Contact the Office of the University Registrar for more details.
Numeric Credit
Numeric credit is credit that goes towards the 32 courses/128 credits that students need for the residency requirement and ultimately to graduate. A combined maximum of 16 credits from the external sources listed below may be applied toward the 128 credits needed for graduation. Students may request credit from these sources through the Office of the University Registrar.
Purpose Credit
Purpose credit is credit that cannot go towards the residency requirement (i.e., towards the 32 courses/128 credits needed to graduate), but if pre-approved can be used to fulfill a general university requirement (i.e., School of Science, Quantitative Reasoning, etc…) or to fulfill a major/minor requirement.
There is no deadline to claim scores. AP scores can be claimed any time between your first and senior year. Students should email transfer@brandeis.edu (Registrar's Office) to officially claim their AP credits. If you did not send your scores to Brandeis, you will need to request to have them sent.
Yes. In a number of cases the credits from AP or IB tests could to allow you to take a lighter courseload in future semesters. There is no downside to declaring the credits even if you choose not to use them.
Based on a your individual situation, AP credits may be used for "purpose credit" and/or "numeric credit." Look at the AP chart in the University Bulletin (for the year you entered Brandeis) and confirm whether Brandeis accepts the specific AP exam you took and the score you received.
For more information on how credits may be used, visit the Registrar's Office website.AP scores can be claimed any time between your first and senior year. Students should email transfer@brandeis.edu (Registrar's Office) to officially claim their AP credits. If you did not send your scores to Brandeis, you will need to request to have them sent.
Students are required to fulfill the world language requirement by successfully completing a minimum of a third semester course in a language sequence. If you wish to be exempt from the requirement from a language not taught at Brandeis you must petition the Foreign Language Oversight Committee by submitting a letter describing your formal and informal education in the language, including your proficiency level in reading, writing and speaking.
Students are strongly encouraged to begin this process as early as possible in order to ensure completion of this requirement by their expected graduation date.
You should speak with your thesis advisor and discuss your situation. If you both agree that it is appropriate to not complete your thesis, the second semester can be dropped. Although the thesis will still be listed as a "99" on your transcript, you will not be eligible for departmental honors. The basis for grading the work done during the first semester will vary depending on the field and nature of the thesis and this will be decided by your thesis advisor in consultation with others in the department. In some cases, a grade will be issued based on the work you have already completed, and in other cases the instructor will require that you write a paper summarizing your research. If your thesis was registered as a 99a and 99b you can drop the 99b as you would any other class (paying close attention to drop deadlines). If it was registered as a 99d then you should fill out an add/drop form and bring it to the Registrar's Office.
In order to be eligible for departmental honors, a majority of departments require students to register for two semesters of a thesis, designated by the course number of "99." Some departments require that students register for a "99d," a two-semester, 8-credit course. You register for it in the fall and it will automatically roll over to appear on your spring schedule. After the first semester, the instructor should issue an "EI" (excused incomplete) as a place holder. This will not affect your GPA. Once you complete the second semester, a grade will be issued, and that grade will replace the "EI" and will also appear next to the spring "99d" course. That grade is factored into your GPA twice (once for each semester).
Other departments have their students register for a "99a" in the fall and for a "99b" in the spring. Separate grades are given for each course and they each count for one semester course credit (4 credits). Check with your department to find out how the "99" courses work.
Brandeis awards academic credit for the completion of an internship in conjunction with a faculty-led internship course. Read more about internships in the University Bulletin. Students have the option to register for INT 92g over the summer in a one-credit course, or register for INT 89a in the fall semester for two credits. Four-credit internship seminars are offered in fall/spring semesters in select departments.
Brandeis Summer School
All courses through Brandeis Summer School allow students to earn numeric credit (towards the 128 credits needed to graduate). Course grades appear on transcripts and factor into cumulative GPAs.
Non-Brandeis Summer School
The non-Brandeis summer school policy and petition process can be found here. If you would like to complete a course at another institution, obtain a copy of the syllabus, and submit through the form on this page. The Registrar's Office will review your petition, and will share with an academic department if you're looking for the course to count towards a major or minor. You will receive a decision from the Registrar's Office as soon as possible. (Please do not register for the course until you receive approval.) After you finish the course (with a B- or above), have an official transcript sent to Brandeis.
Coursework completed at other institutions over the summer can be transferred back to Brandeis for purpose credit only: satisfying a general education/Brandeis Core requirement, or as a course towards a major or minor. Numeric credits do not transfer back to Brandeis, nor does the grade earned in the course factor into your cumulative GPA.
The total number of summer courses that can be applied to a student's degree, no matter where the courses are taken, cannot exceed three semester courses/12 credits each summer.