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Academic Regulations

Pre-registration

All students returning to Delaware State University following the current semester of attendance should pre- register during the period prescribed in the Academic Calendar. Returning students who do not register prior to on-site registration will be assessed a “failure to pre-register fee.” To participate in online registration, a student must be advised and obtain his/her unique alternate registration pin number from his/her academic Department: The alternate registration pin number is different from the pin needed to view grades, student accounts, and financial aid information. To ensure that all matriculating students are advised prior to registering each term, a new registration pin number is assigned to each student each semester.

Registration

Every student is expected to complete registration before the first day of classes each semester. Students are advised to see their assigned departmental Advisor during the pre-registration period specified in the Academic Calendar to select courses for the next semester. Students are officially registered for a course only when they have completed all procedures applying to registration, including making full-payment or payment arrangements for any outstanding balance. Students not officially registered for a course will not receive credit for the course at the end of the semester.

A student who fails to register prior to the Late Registration period, which begins on the first day of classes, is charged a late registration fee. Returning students who register during the late registration period are assessed a failure to pre-register fee and a late registration fee.

Online Registration

It is required that all degree-seeking students consult with an Advisor prior to registering. Students may have their academic departments continue to enter their registrations and schedule changes (drop/adds) or they may register and make adjustments to their schedule online. To obtain their unique “alternate registration pin number” for registering online, students must see their Academic Advisor; some colleges will only permit registration and changes to registration with advising. To register online, students may visit the University’s MyDESU website.

Students may view their unofficial transcripts, as well as student accounts and financial aid information, at the MyDESU website listed above. Unofficial transcripts and schedules may also be printed.

Change in Major or Personal Data

Students must submit major and personal data (address or telephone number) changes on the appropriate forms available in the Office of Records and Registration as often as changes are made or may update their personal data on the MyDESU website.

Credit Hours

Academic work in University courses is measured in semester hours of credit. A semester hour is equal to fifty (50) minutes of recitation or lecture work per week for one semester (16 weeks). A minimum of two (2) hours of laboratory work yields one semester hour.

Credit will not be accepted for a course in which a student is not officially registered, nor will credit be granted for the same course twice.

Classification of Students

0-29 Hours	Freshman
30-59 Hours	Sophomore
60-89 Hours	Junior
90+	Senior

Grading System

A grade is reported for each course in which a student is enrolled. The grade is an indication of the quality of the student’s performance in a course.

Mid-semester and final grades will be issued to all students for all courses enrolled. Final grades become a part of the student’s permanent record and are used in computing grade point averages. If a student repeats a course, the highest grade in the course is calculated in the grade point average (GPA.). The lower grade earned in the course is disregarded when calculating the GPA, but is not deleted from the student’s record. On the student’s transcript, an “E” placed next to a course indicates the repetition of a course excluded from the GPA and an “I” indicates the repetition of a course included in the GPA. The GPA is computed by dividing the total number of quality points by the total number of GPA hours earned. Non-traditional grades including grades of I, W, WA, AU, S, U, and P are not computed in the GPA.

The Dean of the College in which the course is offered must approve grade changes or the school in which the course is offered during the semester of instruction immediately following the semester the grade was issued. The Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences must approve grade changes for Academic Enrichment courses. All grade changes submitted later than the succeeding semester must be approved by both the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Approved grade changes will be forwarded to the Office of Records and Registration for processing.

The grading system at Delaware State University is shown below:

Grade	Quality Points	Explanation
A	4.00	Excellent
B	3.00	Good
C	2.00	Fair
D	1.00	Poor
F	0.00	Failure (Normal Grade Mode)
WF	0.00	Unofficial Withdrawal/Fail
I	(Not Computed in GPA)	Incomplete
W	(Not Computed in GPA)	Withdrew
WA	(Not Computed in GPA)	Administrative Withdrawal
AU	(Not Computed in GPA)	Audit - Not Taken For Credit
S	(Not Computed in GPA)	Satisfactory
U	(Not Computed in GPA)	Unsatisfactory
P	(Not Computed in GPA)	Pass
F*	(Not Computed in GPA)	Failure(Pass/Fail Grade Mode)
TR	(Not Computed in GPA)	Transfer Course

Pass-Fail Policy

TRANSFER OF CREDIT POLICY

Matriculating Student

Note: Transfer credit will not be awarded for developmental level courses (below college level)

Prior to a student taking some courses at another institution, he or she needs to have the requested courses at the other institution properly evaluated, vetted and signed by his or her Department Chair and the Chair(s) of the Department(s) offering the specific subjects of courses requested at Delaware State University on a “Approval to Transfer Credits Form.”

The requested courses are to be evaluated by the academic Department Chairs to determine if or how they might meet the requirements of the Delaware State University General Education Program or of the major program or minor program; they also must be equivalent to respective courses or generic electives at Delaware State University to be transferrable. If the student is about to graduate and is in his or her last 30 hours at Delaware State University, he or she will also need to have the Dean of his or her College sign the form. Then the student must have the signed copy of the “Approval to Transfer Credits Form” submitted to the Office of Records and Registration before his or her enrollment at the other institution. Once the course is taken and passed, the student needs to request an official copy of the transcript from the other institution to be sent to the Office of Records and Registration in a sealed envelope.

If the courses are taken outside of the continental United States (U.S.) at a non-English speaking institution, transcripts must be evaluated by the World Education Service (WES) (https://www.wes.org/), the Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) (https://www.ece.org/), or the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) (https://www.aacrao.org/), and forwarded from the evaluating organization to the Office of Records and Registration. All academic records must be converted into their education equivalents by a University-recognized credential agency to obtain transfer credit for education completed at non-U.S. postsecondary institutions. Transcript evaluations must be submitted sealed from the evaluating organization. PLEASE NOTE: The Office of Records and Registration reserves the right to request that transcripts from international English-speaking institutions be evaluated by WES or any of the other recognized credential agencies if educational equivalency cannot clearly be determined by the Office of Admissions. A World Education Service (WES) evaluation will not be required for international transcripts, if they meet all of the following criteria:
1. They must be translated in English.
2. They must have an official seal.
3. The requested courses at the foreign institution need to have been properly evaluated and vetted by the Advisor/Chair/Dean on the “Approval to Transfer Credits Form,” and the signed “Approval to Transfer Credits Form” must have been submitted.
4. College courses that have been completed more than ten years ago will not be accepted automatically for transfer credit. Acceptance of such courses for transfer credit will be at the discretion of the Department in which the equivalent course is offered.
5. Credit will not be granted for correspondence courses.
6. Courses with grades less than “C” will not be accepted as transfer credit. Course grades of C- will not transfer.
7. Grades received in courses taken at other institutions are not calculated in Delaware State University cumulative GPA; only the credits may be transferred.
8. Transfer credit will not be awarded to developmental level courses (below college level) from previous institutions.

UNDERGRADUATE CHALLENGE EXAM POLICY

Delaware State University recognizes that relevant college-level learning can happen outside the classroom. In acknowledgment of this, academic credit at Delaware State University may be granted for successful performance on a challenge exam. The following are the minimum guidelines. At their sole discretion, departments may adopt policy that is more stringent or has greater limitation, including outright prohibitions of challenge examinations.

General Guidelines

A student may sit for a challenge exam only in a course in which she/he has not yet registered. Students may not receive credit by challenge exam either for courses already completed.
Students must be registered for at least one (1) credit hour in the semester in which a challenge exam(s) is taken, but should not register for the class(es) they are challenging.
Students may receive a maximum of eight (8) credit hours or two (2) classes through challenge exams.
Challenge examinations may not be requested for courses for which standardized credit courses already exist (e.g., CLEP.)
The total number of credit hours awarded through challenge exams is limited to thirty (30).
A particular course may only be challenged once.
The student may not retake the challenge exam.
Students are expected to prepare for challenge examinations on their own time.
Credit for successful performance on a challenge exam will be treated like transfer credit; no grade will be awarded.
Challenge examinations may not be requested in the student’s final 30 hours.
Experiential courses may not be challenged (e.g., internships, practica, student-teaching, lab-based courses.)
Capstone courses may not be challenged.
Courses with lower-level content than the courses successfully completed by the student may not be challenged. For example, a student who has received credit for “Calculus I” cannot take a challenge exam for “Survey of Math I.”
Credit from challenge examinations counts toward the academic load of the semester the test is taken.
Application for the challenge credit will not be allowed if the student has previously received a grade other than “W” in the course
The Dean and the appropriate Chairperson make the final decision on the eligibility to challenge a course.

Test Guidelines

For purposes of ensuring adequate proficiency in every area covered by a course, challenge examinations will comprehensively test course content.
Credit may only be earned by demonstrations of knowledge or skills, not by previous training/experiences alone.
Test performance will be evaluated by the Chairperson of the Department and one person who regularly teaches the course.
A minimum score of 75% on a challenge exam is required for course credit; however, departments and/or colleges may set higher requirements at their sole discretion.

Procedures

Application for challenge credit is made on forms available in the Dean’s Office in the College of the student’s major. Use one form for each course challenged, unless multiple courses are in the same Department.
A Request for Credit Form must be completed before the third week of the semester. This form should be submitted to the Department which houses the course being challenged. The form will include:
1. Name and course number of the course being challenged;
2. A brief description of where and how knowledge of the course was obtained;
3. Signatures from the student, the Academic Advisor, the Chair and Dean of the student’s major and the Chair and Dean of the course being challenged;
4. A copy of the student’s most recent transcript.
Students will pay for challenge examination credits at the same rate as other course credits. An additional fee of $50 per credit will be charged and must be paid prior to taking the challenge exam.
Students will need to take the receipt from Student Accounts to the test administrator prior to taking the examination. A copy of the receipt will also be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.
The test examiner grades the challenge exam and completes a challenge grade form which then is forwarded to the Department Chair, the Dean and then to the Office of the Registrar. Once all the above information is received in the Office of the Registrar, the credits will be recorded on the student’s transcript.
All challenge examinations for a given semester will be administered on Reading Day, before final examinations.

Removal of Incompletes

Incomplete coursework due to reasons clearly beyond the control of the student will yield the grade “I”. This grade must be removed by the end of the first six (6) weeks of the following semester (i.e., for fall, the following semester is spring; for spring, the following semester is fall) unless prior arrangements are made in writing with the instructor, with a copy sent to the Office of Records and Registration. Otherwise, the grade “I” is automatically changed to “F” by the Office of Records and Registration.

A student seeking a grade of incomplete in a course must adhere to the following guidelines in order to have the request reviewed:

Student must have completed 60% of coursework;
Student must have passing grade at initiation of paperwork;
Student must initiate paperwork; and
Faculty has the final say as to whether incomplete will be granted.

Academically suspended students who have “incompletes” may register only if they have removed the incompletes and achieved the necessary 2.00 average no later than the last day of the late registration period.

Academic Load

A normal load is 12-19 credit hours per semester. The normal load may be exceeded under the following circumstances:

On the recommendation of the Academic Advisor, the Department Chair may approve as many as nineteen (19) hours if the curriculum of the Department specifically calls for more than eighteen (18) hours.
On recommendation of the Academic Advisor and the approval of the Department Chair and the appropriate academic Dean, a student may schedule an overload not to exceed twenty-three (23) hours if all of the following conditions are met: 1) the student has a 3.00 cumulative average (minimum); 2) if, during the previous semester, the student carried twelve (12) or more hours; and 3) if, during the previous semester, he/she carried twelve (12) credits and he/she did not fail any course and earned a 3.00 grade point average (minimum).

Overload Fee

For all course overloads, students will pay a fee equivalent to the cost-per-credit for each hour that exceeds nineteen (19) credits.

Full-Time Status

The minimum course load for a full-time status is twelve (12) credit hours per semester. A full-time student is normally expected to complete thirty (30) credit hours of coursework each academic year (fall, spring, and summer terms); and must complete a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours of coursework each academic year to qualify for financial aid. In addition, full-time students must meet the academic regulations stated elsewhere in the University Catalog.

Class Attendance Policy

Regular class attendance is a vital part of the educational process. Students are required to attend all classes. If a faculty member chooses to evaluate attendance as part of a grade for a course, such a policy must be written in the syllabus, which is distributed at the beginning of a course. The policy must state what part of the course grade is based on attendance and how individual absences will be assessed. If a faculty member declines to integrate attendance as part of a course grade, under no circumstances may a student’s final grade be reduced solely because of class absences.

The offices of the Provost and of the Vice President for Academic Affairs issue excuses for students who are absent from classes for participating in other official University-related activities or on University related travel. In all other cases, only the Instructor can approve a student’s request to be excused from class.

DOCUMENTATION FOR NON-ATTENDANCE (NO SHOW POLICY)

All enrolled students are required to attend each class at least once during the first week of classes in order to verify participation in the class. Failure to verify participation in a class before the end of the first week of classes will result in the student being classified as a “no show” for the course. All tuition and fees for the course will be refunded and no grade will be issued.

Adding and Dropping Classes Online

Eligible students without financial holds are permitted to add and drop classes online at the University’s myDESU website. The approval to adjust the course schedule online must be obtained from the student’s Academic Advisor prior to going online to adjust his/her schedule.

ADDING CLASSES

To add a class, students may go online after obtaining approval from their Academic Advisor or Department Chair or follow the steps below:

Obtain a Notice of Class Change form (Add Slip) from their academic Department.
Complete the student and class information portions of the form.
Obtain the signatures of the appropriate instructor and the appropriate Advisor/ Chair.
Submit the completed form to the Office of Records and Registration. The effective date of the add is the date the slip is processed in the Office of Records and Registration.

The deadline for adding of classes is outlined in the Academic Calendar. Exceptions to the deadline period set forth shall be allowed only in cases involving extraordinary circumstances. Such exceptions shall be at the sole discretion of the appropriate academic Dean.

Dropping Classes

To drop a class, students may go online after obtaining approval from their Academic Advisor or Department Chair or follow the steps below:

Through the End of Late Registration:
1. Obtain the Notice of Class Change Form (Drop Slip) from the academic Department.
2. Have instructors and Advisors/Chairs sign and date the form.
3. Submit the form to the Office of Records and Registration. The effective date of the drop is the date the slip is processed in the Office of Records and Registration. Courses dropped prior to the end of the Late Registration Period will not appear on the student’s academic transcript (a current Refund Policy statement may be obtained from the Office of Student Accounts to determine the student’s financial responsibility).
After Late Registration through the Scheduled Last Day for Dropping Classes:
1. Obtain the Notice of Class Change Form (Drop Slip) from the academic Department.
2. Have instructors and Advisors/Chairs sign and date the form.
3. Submit the form to the Office of Records and Registration. The effective date of the drop is the date the slip is processed in the Office of Records and Registration. The dropped course will appear on the academic transcript with a grade of “W” for “Withdrew” (a current Refund Policy statement may be obtained from the Office of Student Accounts to determine the student’s financial responsibility for courses dropped during this period).
After the Scheduled Last Day for Dropping Classes and up to the Last Week of Classes:
1. Obtain the Notice of Class Change Form (Drop Slip) from the academic Department.
2. Have Instructors and Advisors/Chairs sign and date the form.
3. Students must obtain the signature of the Dean of the School/College. The Dean is the only University official who may approve the dropping of a class at this point in the semester. The appropriate Dean shall permit students who officially request to drop specific classes from their academic schedules to do so only in cases involving extraordinary circumstances that are clearly beyond the control of the students making such a request. In no case shall a student be permitted to drop a class for any reason that relates exclusively to academic performance.
4. Submit form to the Office of Records and Registration. Course(s) will appear on academic transcript with a grade of “WA” for “Administrative Withdrawal.”

Withdrawal from the University

A withdrawal from the University is the process which includes the removal from all classes within a specific semester. To withdraw from the University, students must follow the steps listed below:

OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY

All withdrawals from the University are initiated in the Office of Records and Registration.
Students who are unable to physically obtain a Withdrawal Form from the Office of Records and Registration can send a written request via fax or email requesting a withdrawal for the current term to registrar [at] desu.edu.
Once the student has completed the form in the Office of Records and Registration, the student has a 5-day grace period to stop the withdrawal process.
After the 5-day grace period, if the student has not requested to stop the withdrawal process, the Registrar will remove all classes effective the date the withdrawal paperwork was initiated.

ADMINISTRATIVE WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY

If a student, for some compelling reason (such as a documented extreme personal difficulty or documented medical reason), requests to be administratively withdrawn from the University beyond the official withdrawal deadline for a given semester, then that student must follow the procedure listed below.

Administrative withdrawal from the University is rarely granted, but some students’ circumstances may require it. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs confirms the approval for administrative withdrawal from the University:

Student must submit in writing the request for administrative withdrawal from the University, along with documentation, to the appropriate academic Dean. The request must state the reason(s) for the request and specify the semester to be withdrawn.
The Dean submits his or her recommendation to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
If the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs approves the request, then the student is reported to the Office of Records and Registration as “Administratively Withdrawn” and a grade of “WA” is assigned for all courses taken during that semester. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will also inform the student in writing of his/her decision.

A student who withdraws from the University on or prior to the last day to withdraw from the University will receive a grade of “W” in each course for which he/she is enrolled at that time. A student who officially withdraws from the University at any time after the last publicized date for withdrawal from the University will receive a “WA” grade in all courses for that semester.

Note: If a student has received financial aid, including a refund, from Title IV funds and completed less than sixty (60) percent of the semester from which he/she wishes to withdraw, then that student must refund the percentage of financial aid corresponding to the percentage of the semester the student has not completed.

UNOFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL

If a student stops attending a course prior to the sixty (60) percent date, as specified in the Academic Calendar, the student will be assigned a WF grade, along with a required last date of attendance.

All students with a grade of WF will be reviewed for by the Office of Financial Aid in accordance the Return of Title IV policy. This review could result in the review and reassessment of federal financial aid received by the student after the semester has ended. Please see the Return of Title IV policy for more information.

Auditing

Persons who wish to attend a course without receiving credit must obtain the consent of the instructor and the Academic Advisor. As auditors, students are entitled to the advisory services of the instructor. Persons with a full-time load pay no additional fees for auditing. Persons carrying less than a twelve (12) credit hour load are charged the per credit hour fee for the course. Veteran Educational benefits will not pay for auditing courses.

The final grade of “AU” is assigned to the course and does not affect the grade point average. Courses taken for audit do not count toward full-time enrollment or for financial aid eligibility.

Official requests to audit a course are accepted by the Office of Records and Registration during the period between pre-registration and late registration (the period for submitting a request to audit a course coincides with the add period.) The Notice of Class Change form (Drop/Add Slip) should be used to change a course to audit status.

Major Academic Advisors

Each student will be assigned a professional Advisor in their College and a faculty Advisor by his or her academic Department. At a minimum, the Advisor will meet with the student each semester during the pre-registration period and officially approve the program of study before the student registers online or in the academic Department.

Academic Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal

A student whose grade point average is below 1.70 at the end of any semester shall be placed on academic probation for the succeeding semester unless the student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.00 or greater. A student on probation is ineligible to hold elective positions or to represent the University in any capacity.

A student on probation will be allowed to take no more than thirteen (13) credit hours. Students on academic probation who have incompletes in courses taken the previous semester will not be permitted to register until the incompletes are removed and an average of 2.00 is achieved.

Students with academic probationary status or students who are academically suspended may attend summer school at Delaware State University. The grades earned in Delaware State University summer school will be computed with the grades of the last semester that the student was enrolled to determine the academic status of the student.

A student on probation who fails to earn a 2.00 average the following semester will be suspended academically. At the expiration of one semester, the student may apply for readmission on probation. The student must complete a minimum of nine (9) semester hours with a grade point average of 2.00, “C”, or better during the semester of his/her reinstatement.

If a student fails to earn the necessary 2.00 average, he/she will be dismissed from the University. He/she may apply to the Office of Admissions for reinstatement if he/she successfully completes twelve (12) semester hours with an average of 2.00, “C”, in summer school at the University or attends another accredited institution and completes twenty-four (24) semester hours with a grade average of “C” or better. Veteran educational benefits will be terminated if the veteran student fails to earn a 2.00 average while on probation.

General Probation

Any student who has been dismissed, suspended, or placed on disciplinary probation may not represent the University in any public activity nor hold any elective office or appointment of responsibility during the semester affected.

Final Examinations

Examinations are required in each course. Final examinations will be administered during the final examination period in the academic calendar of that academic year. A final examination schedule is available on myDESU.

Foreign Language

All students are required to take at least three credit hours of one foreign language to satisfy the General Education Program requirements.

Lifetime Fitness and Wellness

All students are required to take a two-credit hour Lifetime Fitness and Wellness course as part of the General Education curricula. The course is modified when the need exists for those individuals who are unable to participate in normal physical activity or for those individuals who are non-traditional students.

Electives

A student may select the minimum designated number of electives based on interests and major departmental requirements. Selecting required or free electives should be done in consultation with the faculty Advisor.

Transcript Requests

An official copy of a student’s academic record is released to a third party upon the written and signed consent of the student. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), exceptions to this include release of academic records to University officials with legitimate rights, educational interests, and transfer institutions.

An official transcript, one bearing the seal and Registrar’s signature, is sent from the Office of Records and Registration directly to the official or institution specified by the student. There is a fee for each transcript requested; matriculating students are entitled to five (5) free transcripts. A request for a transcript will normally be processed within 3-5 business days (subject to change) except during peak work periods such as registration, pre-registration, final examinations, and Commencement. An official transcript includes all academic coursework at Delaware State University.

Transcripts submitted by the student from other institutions become the property of Delaware State University and are not reissued or copied for release. Requests for other institutions’ transcripts must be made directly to the respective institutions.

Please Note: Unofficial transcripts are not printed in Office of Records and Registration. Please view and or print unofficial transcripts through the Banner Self-Service portal.

Notification of Rights under FERPA for Delaware State University Students

The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records: They are:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within forty-five (45) days of the day the University receives a request for access.
Students should submit to the Registrar, Dean, Head of the Academic Department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The University official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the students of the decision, and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the University discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
The student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Delaware State University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act permits the release of directory-type information to third parties outside the institution without written consent of the student provided the student has been given the opportunity to withhold such disclosure.

The University releases, upon inquiry to third parties outside the University, directory information without written consent of the student. Directory information includes name, address, telephone number, college, class, major, dates of attendance, and degree, honors, and awards conferred. Students may withhold directory information by going to the Office of Records and Registration.

Note: While the withholding request may be made at any time, students wishing to have directory information withheld from the student directory should submit their requests no later than three (3) weeks prior to the first day of fall semester classes.

Academic Honors

The President’s and Dean’s Lists

The President’s List will honor those students who have distinguished themselves by earning a 4.0 in all their classes for the semester. Students must carry and pass a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours, earning a grade of A in all classes.

The Dean’s List includes students who have earned a scholastic average of 3.25 to 3.99 and have completed twelve (12) or more degree (earned) credit hours at the end of the semester.

Any grade of Incomplete will disqualify a student from the President’s List or the Dean’s List.

Graduation With Honors

Honor is awarded at graduation to the candidate who has attended the University for at least three (3) years (90 semester hours) and has met the following criteria:

SUMMA CUM LAUDE for a scholastic average of 3.75 or above
MAGNA CUM LAUDE for a scholastic average of 3.50 to 3.74
CUM LAUDE for a scholastic average of 3.25 to 3.49
Honorable Mention for transfer students who have completed the last two (2) years of academic work toward graduation (60 semester hours) at Delaware State University and a minimum GPA of 3.50.

Graduation Requirements

Courses and Credits

The minimum number of semester hours required for graduation is 120. This number varies with many of the major programs. Candidates must satisfactorily complete the requirements of the major study area in which they are enrolled to be eligible for graduation. Of the minimum total of 120 semester hours, 37 hours of General Education courses must be completed by the candidate. General Education Program Requirements are distributed as follows: sixteen (16) hours of Core Courses, six (6) hours of Arts and/or Humanities, three (3) hours of History, three (3) hours of Social Science, three (3) hours of Literature, three (3) hours of Mathematics, three (3) hours of Natural Sciences with laboratory, and the Capstone Experience course. Student must also complete the Across- the-curriculum requirements. See complete set of details in the General Education section above.

A candidate for the baccalaureate degree must complete the last thirty (30) semester hours of credit at Delaware State University. However, a student may enroll in 6-8 hours of courses at another institution upon approval of the Department Chair and the Academic Dean.

Students who transfer from other institutions must earn a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours at Delaware State University.

Grades and Grade Point Averages

To qualify for graduation, the following grades and grade point averages must be earned by the candidate:

A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (“C”);
A minimum grade of 2.00 (“C”) in each course in a field of specialization;
A minimum of 2.00 (“C”) grade point average for the last thirty (30) semester hours of work at the University;

No student may graduate with an “I” grade, “Q” grade or “In Progress” on his/her transcript.

Double Degrees

A student can be awarded two (2) degrees at the same time only if the degrees are different (e.g., Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees). If a student is pursuing two (2) fields of study for which the same degree is awarded, then only one (1) degree will be granted, but both fields of study will be listed on the degree. To be eligible for a second degree, the following conditions must be met: 1) coursework must be taken in two (2) fields of study, and 2) the student must satisfy the curriculum requirements of both departments.

A student returning to Delaware State University for a second degree or major must officially declare a major in the second area and need only satisfy the additional requirements for the second major in order for the second baccalaureate degree to be conferred.

Diplomas are ordered by degree. One (1) diploma will be ordered for each degree earned and will not be issued to a candidate who has not satisfied all financial obligations to the institution, including loan programs administered by the University.

Application for Graduation

Students who intend to participate in Commencement exercises in DECEMBER OR MAY should file an application and audit for graduation in the Office of Records and Registration or online by September 24. Students who intend to graduate in the SUMMER ONLY should file an application and audit for graduation in the Office of Records and Registration or online by July 15. Each student who applies for graduation will be assessed a graduation fee (NO EXCEPTIONS). There is no guarantee that diplomas or regalia will be available for the graduation exercise for those students who apply after the deadline.

Students who have met degree requirements are eligible for graduation at the close of any semester. Degrees are awarded on the students’ transcripts upon completion of all requirements with the actual conferral date: December 15 for fall, May 15 for spring, and August 15 for summer.

The University’s annual Commencement exercises are held in December and May. All summer and December graduates are eligible to participate in the graduation exercises in December and all others in May; students can only participate in one Commencement.

Diplomas and a complimentary transcript will be mailed 2-4 weeks with the conferral date. Any student who fails to graduate for the applied semester of graduation will need to re-submit a new application and audit for the new graduation date (NO EXCEPTIONS).

Participation in Graduation Exercises

Students may participate in the Commencement exercises only if they satisfy the following conditions:

File the application and audit for graduation by the application deadline (see application calendar).
Enroll in and successfully complete all academic requirements for graduation prior to Commencement.
Satisfy all financial obligations to the University.
Complete the Office of Financial Aid Exit Counseling.
Resolve all “I” and “Q” grades and “in progress” from transcript.