Provisional University Bulletin (2025-2026)

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Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal regulations require the Office of Student Financial Services to apply reasonable standards for measuring whether a student is making progress toward a degree. This is to ensure that a student is successfully progressing through a program of study.

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is a term used to describe successful completion of coursework toward a degree or certificate. This policy applies to all students who receive federal and state financial aid. If a student does not meet the minimum requirements of satisfactory academic progress, the student could lose eligibility for financial aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Student academic progress (SAP) is measured against the following standards: cumulative qualitative measure, pace progression (completion percentage), and maximum time frame. Both pace and maximum time frame are measured in credit hours, regardless of full-time or part- time attendance.

Brandeis delegates the responsibility to monitor undergraduate academic progress to the Committee on Academic Standing and the responsibility to monitor graduate academic progress to the individual Schools and departments. Brandeis charges these entities with making such determinations on the basis of individual merit, and not in relationship to some arbitrary numerical standard. However, to maintain SAP, a student must, in general, meet the below requirements.

Undergraduate Academic Progress Standards

1) Minimum Qualitative Requirements

Students are in good academic standing when they earn a semester grade point average of at least 2.000, have not received a grade of E, F or NC, and no more than one grade in the range (D+, D or D-).

Degree eligibility normally requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.000. The following chart defines academic standing:

Semester Record	Semester GPA Less Than 2.000	Semester GPA 2.000 or Greater
No grade below C-	Good Standing, unless cum. GPA is below 2.2, in which case Advising Alert	Good Standing, unless cum. GPA is below 2.2, in which case Advising Alert
1 D	Probation	Advising Alert
2 Ds, 1 E, 1 F or 1 NC	Probation	Probation

If a student receives more than one D, E, U, F or NC in a single semester or if a student has had multiple semesters with unsatisfactory grades, the student may be required to withdraw from the university because of a lack of academic progress.

Any student permitted by the Committee on Academic Standing to register for the following semester is considered to be making academic progress and is eligible for financial aid from federal and university sources.

2) Pace Progression (Rate of Work)

The normal rate of work is defined as 16 credits per semester, counting toward the 128 credits required as the graduation standard. Some courses — notably, physical education courses — do not carry credits and do not contribute toward the calculation of a legal course load or progress toward the graduation standard. Students enrolling in them do so as a supplement to an otherwise legal program of study.

The minimum rate of work is three semester courses per term and seven per academic year.

The maximum rate of work is 5.5 semester courses per term and 11 per academic year.

Below are the rate of work limits:

	Number of courses	Equivalent number of credits
Minimum per semester	three	12
Maximum per semester	5.5	22
Minimum per year	seven	28
Maximum per year	11	44

Exceptions to Rate of Work Provisions

Students may petition the Committee on Academic Standing for exceptions to the rate of work provisions.

Students may petition to take up to 6.5 classes in a single semester. Typically students must demonstrate a legitimate academic reason for taking the additional courses, have a minimum grade point average of 3.500 or above, and have successfully completed five courses in a previous semester. Students enrolled in more than 23 credits will be assessed an additional tuition charge per credit: $1,856. Refunds for this additional tuition charge are subject to the University's Refund Policy for Dropped Courses.

Students may not petition to exceed the maximum rate of work during their first year at Brandeis.

Exceptions are rarely made to the minimum rate of work limits. Students working below the minimum rate of work without permission will be placed on probation and may be subject to withdrawal. In severe cases of student or family member health that limit, but do not fully impede academic progress, a student may petition for a Medical Underload. A student may only be granted a Medical Underload one time in her/his/their undergraduate career. Petitions and supporting documentation are submitted to the Office of Academic Services. Requests are reviewed by the Committee on Academic Standing (COAS) or its Executive Council (EXCO).

The minimum course load for students in the Brandeis Adult Student Option is one course per semester. Students in this program pay tuition at the per-course rate.

Students in their final year may work at the rate of 12 credits each term, as long as all degree requirements will be met by the end of their final semester.

External Credit Sources

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.

Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate Exams
Approved courses taken while on a leave of absence for medical reasons
Approved courses taken through an approved summer study abroad program
For students who applied for fall-term admission as freshmen, but who were accepted for the following spring term as members of the midyear class:
- Approved college courses taken during the fall semester immediately prior to entering Brandeis
- Approved courses in General Chemistry I and II (plus labs) taken the summer prior to entering Brandeis

External Exams/Courses for Purpose

Advanced Placement exams and International Baccalaureate exams, college courses taken while in high school or summer courses taken outside of Brandeis, may be used for placement purposes, general degree requirements (for example, school distribution, foreign language), and major/minor requirements as allowed by individual departments and programs. Courses transferred for purpose have no numeric credit value and will not count toward the 128 credits required for graduation. Students may request a transfer of courses from these sources through the Office of the University Registrar.

Repeating Courses

Students may repeat a course once for the purpose of demonstrating a higher level of mastery. Students may only earn credit once per course (unless the course is explicitly defined as allowing repetition for credit). Students repeating a course in which they have already earned a passing grade must enroll in at least 12 credits in addition to the course being repeated.

Students may not repeat a course for credit at a lower level when they have successfully completed a higher level course in the same sequence with a grade of C or higher.

Students who receive grades below a C for the original course and for the repeated course may petition to be allowed a second repeat attempt. Petitions will be heard by the Executive Council of the Committee on Academic Standing and require the consent and support of the department and instructor offering the course.

This policy applies to courses repeated when the second or final attempt is taken in fall 2019 or later. It does not apply to repeated courses taken prior to fall 2019; these courses are governed by the prior policy.

Repeating Courses and the Effect on GPA and Earning Credits

The original course grade remains on the transcript, but is not factored into the calculation of the GPA when the repeated course is taken and a final grade is assigned.
The grade in the repeated course, regardless if it is lower than the original course grade, will be factored into the GPA.
If the student earns a passing grade on the repeated course, it will earn credit toward the 128 credits required for graduation, and the original course will not.
If a grade of E is earned during the first attempt, the repeated passing course grade will be calculated into the GPA and earn credits towards the graduation requirement.
Original courses with outstanding incompletes will not be deemed repeatable until a grade is posted.
If a repeated course has an outstanding incomplete, the original course grade will be factored into the calculation of the GPA until a final grade in the repeated course is assigned.
A repeated course that is dropped with a W will not be identified as a course repeat.
If the original course is dropped with a W, the second attempt will not be considered a repeated course.

Dropping Courses

Students who wish to drop a course, providing they adhere to the constraints of rate of work, may do so on or before the deadline announced in the university calendar, normally the 50th day of instruction.

Petitions to drop a course after the deadline must be initiated in the Office of Academic Services; such requests are granted only in exceptional circumstances.

During an academic integrity investigation, students are not allowed to drop the course in question. If a sanction of failure in the course is imposed, then students will not be allowed to drop the course and a failing grade will be recorded.

Auditing

While there is no formal audit status for undergraduates, students wishing to audit a class informally may contact the instructor directly to obtain permission to attend the class.

Permission to audit a course is at the discretion of the instructor, who may impose requirements for auditors such as regular attendance and course readings.

In general, auditors do not participate in group work, examinations or writing assignments.

In all cases auditors must reach an agreement with the instructor as to the level and type of participation the auditor will have in the class.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Undergraduate students may enroll in up to four semester courses pass/fail. Letter grades covered by "pass" ("P" for performance at the "C-" level or above) will not be used in computing grade point averages. Grades of "D"and "E" will remain letter grades, to be used in computing grade point averages, and will be considered by Committee on Academic Standing when determining academic standing.

The following constraints apply to the use of the P/F grading option:

No more than one course may be taken pass/fail during a single term.
One course may be used to fulfill a general university requirement, excepting University Writing Seminars, writing-intensive and oral communication courses, with the pass/fail grading. No more than one course (and never the final one) in the foreign language sequence may be taken pass/fail if the language is being offered in satisfaction of the foreign language requirement.
Courses taken pass/fail will not satisfy major or minor requirements.
In full-year courses, the elected grading option (pass/fail or letter grade) applies to both semesters and may not be changed at midyear. (Such a course taken pass/fail would expend two of the allowable four pass/fail semesters.)
Election of the pass/fail grading option for a course must be made on or before the deadline published in the Academic Calendar in the semester they are enrolled in the course. A course attempted on the pass/fail basis, in which the student received a grade of C- or higher, may be converted to a P grade after the end of the semester and before the published deadline in the following semester. Students who wish to use the pass/fail grading option for an allowable general education requirement must indicate this when converting the received grade of C- or higher to the P. Electing a course pass/fail counts as one of the four semester courses, regardless of whether the final grade is converted to a P grade.
In an undergraduate's final semester, conversion of a course attempted on the pass/fail basis, in which the student received a grade of C- or higher, must be converted to a P grade before the deadline announced in the University calendar for the receipt of senior grades, normally three days after the last day of final examinations.

Students must make all pass/fail option requests within the published deadlines — no exceptions will be made for a student missing the deadline to make an initial pass/fail option request nor to make a request to cover a grade for a course which had been elected on the pass/fail option earlier in the semester.

Petitions will not be entertained for exceptions to the above constraints and deadlines.

Please note: Arrangements between students and instructors do not constitute official pass/fail enrollment. Instructors are not informed of the grading option that a student has chosen. Students taking courses pass/fail must complete all assignments and examinations. Undergraduate students elect the pass/fail option by completing the online Pass/Fail Option Request Form prior to the published deadline.

Transfer Credit Policy

Transfer students are obliged to supply official transcripts documenting all previous college-level work. All such work is evaluated and each incoming transfer student is furnished by the registrar with an evaluation based upon existing faculty policies. The evaluation will indicate the number of course credits granted and the number of degree requirements that have been met.

No more than 64 credits (equivalent to 16 four-credit courses) may be granted, because residence requirements specify that a minimum of 64 credits in four fall/spring semesters must be successfully completed at Brandeis.

Courses must have been taken at accredited, degree-granting institutions from which an official transcript has been received. The courses must be generally equivalent to courses offered at Brandeis, and the grade received must be equivalent to at least a C-, though credit is usually awarded for a "pass" grade in a system allowing nonletter grades.

Only selected overseas study programs are acceptable for Brandeis credit; for further details on the transfer of credit from overseas study sources, consult the Office of the University Registrar. Students may not be concurrently enrolled at Brandeis during a term in which transfer credit is sought, except as allowed under the provisions of cross-registration.

Credit is granted on an equivalent semester basis with four course credits being awarded for completion of a normal semester's work at the other institution. Normally, one quarter-course receives no credit, two quarter-courses are granted one course credit, and three quarter-courses are awarded two course credits.

Students who do not initially receive credit for a particular course taken at another institution may petition the registrar for reconsideration. Such a petition requires the signature of the appropriate Brandeis faculty member and must indicate the Brandeis course to which it is considered equivalent. In an unusual situation, the petition may be referred to the Committee on Academic Standing for final resolution.

In determining progress toward the requirements of a major, departments may consider only non-Brandeis courses that have been accepted for degree credit. Departments may limit the number of such courses that they will apply toward the major. Rules governing the application of transfer credit to majors may differ from department to department.

Graduate Academic Progress Standards

1) Minimum Qualitative Requirements

Graduate students are expected to maintain records of distinction in all courses. Letter grades will be used in all courses in which grading is possible. In readings or research courses, if a letter grade cannot be given at the end of each term or academic year, credit (CR) or no credit (NC) may be used.

NC and any letter grade below B- are unsatisfactory grades in the Graduate School. However for the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Studies program letter grades of C+ and C are considered to be satisfactory. A course in which the student receives an unsatisfactory grade will not be counted toward graduate credit.

Programs may review academic records at the end of each semester if a student is not making suitable academic progress. In these cases, academic probation or withdrawal may result.

Any student permitted by the School/department to register for the following semester is considered to be making academic progress and is eligible for financial aid from federal and university sources.

2) Pace of Progression (Rate of Work)

A full-time student is one who devotes the entire time, during the course of the academic year, to a program of graduate work at Brandeis. Full-time students should consult with their advisers before taking on any outside commitments that might interfere with their academic progress.

A full-time program may include a combination of teaching and research assistance, other work leading to the fulfillment of degree requirements, such as preparation for qualifying, comprehensive and final examinations, supervised reading and research and PhD dissertations, as well as regular course work.

A full-time resident student may take as many courses for credit in any term as are approved by the program chair, but no student may receive credit for, or be charged for, more than a full-time program in any term. Thus, the minimum residence requirement for any degree may not be satisfied by an accelerated program of study or payment of more than the full-time tuition rate in any single academic year.

Residence requirements for all full-time graduate degrees are computed by determining the amount of registration for credit and the tuition charges.

Masters

The minimum residence requirement for most full-time master's degree students is one academic year in a full-time graduate credit program at full tuition. A few programs have a two-year residency requirement, so consult specific programs for this information. Programs with one or two year residency requirements may take an additional one or two semesters as an extended master's student. Transfer credit may not normally be applied to residence requirements for the MA and MS degrees.

There is no residence requirement for approved part-time master's programs.

Master of Fine Arts

The minimum residence requirement for all MFA students in music is four terms at a full-time rate, at the full tuition rate for each term. Residence may be reduced by a maximum of one term with approved transfer credit.

The minimum residence for students in acting is six terms at the full tuition rate for each term. Residence may be reduced by a maximum of one term with approved transfer credit. There is no residence requirement for approved part-time MFA programs.

Doctor of Philosophy

The residence requirement for all students is three academic years in a full-time graduate credit program for each year, at the full tuition rate for each year, or the equivalent thereof in part-time study. A maximum of one year's approved transfer credit may be granted toward residence for the PhD degree.

Part-Time Resident Students

A part-time student is one who devotes less than the entire time to a program of graduate work at Brandeis and is enrolled in fewer than 12 credits.

Students who wish to change their status from full-time to part-time residency, must file with the Graduate School office a request to change to part-time. Students are assumed to be full-time until such a request is made. Once students have matriculated into a part-time program they typically cannot change their status to full-time.

Many master's and post-baccalaureate programs allow students to apply as part-time students at the time of admission.

Post-Resident PhD Students

A PhD graduate student who has completed residence requirements and who needs to utilize the full range of academic services and university facilities while completing degree requirements is a post-resident student and should register for CONT 500a (Graduate Research), or the appropriate courses required to complete their programs.

Extended Master's Students

A graduate student in a Master’s program who has completed the residence requirements and who needs to utilize the full range of academic services and university facilities while completing degree requirements is an Extended Master’s student and should register for the appropriate courses required to complete their program.

Students in this category may register for content courses and/or complete their thesis or research paper/project required for their degree. In most cases, students cannot exceed two semesters on Extended Master's status.

A student who is completing a required thesis or paper/research project should register for the thesis course. This course enables the student to remain full-time, however, the student may register for this course for no more than two semesters. If the program requires a specific thesis or paper/research course the student will need to register for that course at some point during their career in order to receive a grade. A student who does not have a thesis or paper/research project may not register for CONT 200A but may register for content courses. Partial fee waivers may be available.

In addition, the following restrictions apply to this category:

Students registering for less than 6 credits in a semester will not be eligible for federal loans, or loan deferments.
Students registering for less than 7 credits in a semester will not be eligible for health insurance offered by the University.
Students who are completing incompletes only will need to be placed on a leave of absence (LOA) while they compete the incompletes; access to library will be arranged.

Continuation Students

A PhD student who has completed all degree requirements except the dissertation (and in some cases the teaching requirement) is eligible for continuation status. A student in this category enrolls on a full-time basis, and is eligible for university health insurance, borrowing privileges in the library, a computer account, use of gym facilities and purchase of a parking sticker.

Continuation students must enroll before the end of the registration period each semester in a graduate research course.

Continuing Education Students

A student must successfully complete two courses (B- or higher) in each semester.

Transfer Credit Policy

Graduate level courses taken prior to matriculation at Brandeis may be applied toward the fulfillment of graduate course requirements and may reduce the residence requirement for programs with a 2-year or longer residency.

The Master of Arts or Master of Science degrees with less than a 2-year residence requirement do not accept transfer credit to reduce the residence requirement, although a program may accept work taken elsewhere in partial fulfillment of specific course requirements for the degree. In that case, additional courses are designated to replace courses from which the student has been exempted.

The post-baccalaureate programs and Heller School do not accept transfer credit.

For the Master of Fine Arts and for Master's degree programs that have a two-year residence requirement, a maximum of one term of residence credit for graduate-level courses may be transferred toward fulfillment of the residence requirement.

Students in PhD programs may file an application to have graduate-level courses counted toward fulfillment of residence requirements at Brandeis. A maximum of one year of residence credit may be granted.

Applicants for transfer credit will not necessarily be granted the credit requested. Each program reserves the right to require of any student work in excess of its minimum standards to assure thorough mastery of the area of study. In all cases, courses being transferred must carry a grade of B or better and must have been earned at an appropriately accredited institution.

After completing one term of residence at a full-time rate or the equivalent at a part-time rate, students eligible to apply for transfer credit may do so. The External Transfer Credit Form is available on the Office of the University Registrar's website in the 'Forms' section. This form should be submitted to the student's program for approval and then submitted the Office of the University Registrar.

Maximum Time Frame for undergraduates and graduates – within 150%

To receive federal and state financial aid, students must complete a degree program in no more than 150% of the average published length of the program. For example:

Undergraduate degrees require a minimum of 4 years - Attempted years must be no more than 6 years (4 years x 150% = 6 years)
Master’s degrees (non-continuing education) generally require 1 year or 2 years, depending on the program - Attempted years must be no more than 1.5 or 3 years (1 year x 150% = 1.5 years; 2 years x 150%=3 years)
Master’s degrees (continuing education) generally require 3 years- Attempted years must be no more than 4.5 (3 years x 150% = 4.5 years)
Doctoral degrees generally require 8-10 years, depending on the program – Attempted years must be no more than 12 -15 years (8 years x 150% = 12 years; 10 years x 150% = 15 years)

SAP Evaluation Frequency

Undergraduates

The Committee on Academic Standing (COAS) serves as the academic review board for undergraduate students in the School of Arts and Sciences. The committee evaluates student records at the end of each semester to determine academic standing. Academic standing refers to whether a student has a satisfactory or unsatisfactory academic record (see the Academic Status section below for further details).

The Committee on Academic Standing reviews the records of students whose performance was unsatisfactory, that is, more than one D and/or one or more E or F, at the conclusion of each semester. Students whose progress has been judged unsatisfactory and whose withdrawal has been required by the Committee on Academic Standing shall be accorded a reconsideration by that body in the presence of new information, judged to be relevant by the Dean of Arts and Sciences or his/her designee.

Graduate Students (Non-continuing education)

Programs may review academic records at the end of each semester if a student is not making suitable academic progress.

Graduate Students (Continuing Education)

The Division of Graduate Professional Studies is responsible for monitoring academic progress within its graduate programs at the end of each semester. To receive federal funding, a student must successfully complete two courses (B- or higher) in each semester in which he or she receives federal loans.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Definitions

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal

SAP appeal is a process by which a student who is not meeting SAP standards petitions for reconsideration of eligibility for financial aid funds.

Financial Aid Warning Status

Financial aid warning status is assigned to a student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress. Financial aid eligibility for a student on financial aid warning will be reinstated for one semester; no SAP appeal is necessary. During the warning semester, students are expected to improve their academic standing and degree progress, to meet standards of SAP at the end of the semester. If a student fails to achieve SAP at the end of the semester, he or she will be denied financial aid beginning the following semester. A student must submit a SAP Appeal to request financial aid consideration.

Financial Aid Probation Status

Financial Aid probation status is assigned to a student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress and who successfully appeals. Eligibility for aid may be reinstated for one semester/payment period and the students will be required to fulfill specific conditions stipulated in an academic plan.

Academic Plan

An academic plan, when followed, will ensure that a student will meet SAP standards by a specific time. If he or she fails the satisfactory progress check after the end of the probationary semester/payment period, the student may only continue to receive aid if we can determine that he or she is following the prescribed academic plan. If we determine the student is not following the academic plan, the student will be denied financial aid. A student may file a new appeal if he or she wishes to be considered for aid eligibility.

Notification of SAP Status

Active students with a FAFSA on file will be notified by email or mail if they fail to meet SAP standards. This communication will include notification of financial aid warning, probation or ineligibility status.

SAP Appeal

When a student loses financial aid eligibility for failing to make satisfactory progress, the student may appeal that result based on: injury or illness, the death of a relative, or other extenuating circumstances. The appeal can be submitted at any time, however, aid cannot be reinstated retroactively. (Please note that a student who enrolls for classes before a SAP appeal is approved is responsible for paying all charges without financial aid.)

The SAP appeal must include an explanation statement. The explanation MUST contain the following:

A detailed explanation as to why the student was unable to maintain satisfactory academic progress.
A detailed explanation of what has changed to allow the student to regain satisfactory academic progress and the corrective measures that have been taken, or will be taken, to achieve and maintain this progress.
If this is not a first appeal, the student must also explain what has changed since the last appeal and submit an improvement plan signed by an academic advisor.

There is no formal form for a SAP appeal; an appeal may be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Services in writing via paper or e-mail.

A student should not assume that a SAP appeal will be approved. Decisions of SAP appeals review are final. Please note that students are responsible for any charges to the University.

Appeals are reviewed on a rolling basis. The University will make every effort to respond to complete appeals within 15 days. Incomplete appeals will be denied.

Approval of the SAP Appeal

If the SAP appeal is approved, the student will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester/payment period. If the student fails the satisfactory progress check after the end of probationary period, the student may only continue to receive aid if the student is meeting the requirements of the prescribed academic plan.

Denial of the SAP Appeal

If the SAP appeal is denied, the student will not be eligible for Title IV aid and will need to use alternative financial resources to pay any balances due to the University. Please note that a student who enrolls for classes before a SAP appeal is approved is responsible for paying all charges without financial aid.

The Financial Aid SAP Appeal only applies to a student's eligibility for financial aid and is separate from the University’s policies on academic probation and withdrawal.

Reestablishing Aid Eligibility

Eligibility for financial aid can be regained if a student takes actions to comply with satisfactory academic progress standards. If a SAP appeal is approved, the student is on probation, and is following the prescribed academic plan, the student can be eligible for aid.

Should a required withdrawal action be rescinded on appeal, financial aid eligibility shall be reinstated.