Help for Students

Students may view their course grades through the Voyager Information System. Grades for the term just ended will become visible after the grade posting and academic action review process is completed. Lawrence students are responsible for communicating their academic progress to others (parents, scholarship foundations, insurance companies, etc.) as needed. Some choose to sign a release authorizing the registrar and the dean of academic success to send grade reports, academic action letters, and other academic progress information to parents or guardians. Grades will not be given to students over the phone.

A grade of "NR" indicates a valid grade was not reported for the student. Grades of "NR" will lapse to "F" shortly after the end of the term unless a valid grade is reported by the instructor. Students receiving "NR" grades should contact the instructor of the course for clarification.

Students needing verification of their enrollment at Lawrence University should contact the Registrar's Office. Forms for verification for insurance, scholarship, and other purposes should be submitted well before deadlines as verifications are processed after each term begins. Enrollment verification for students with federal loans is accomplished through the Student Loan Clearinghouse.

Enrollment can be verified only for the current term and any previous terms the student may have attended. In cases where a student must have their enrollment verified for the entire academic year, enrollment for future terms will be described as provisional and will be based on the student's advance registration for the terms in question.

Certification of full- or part-time enrollment status is based on the number of units for which a student is registered. Students attending a regular 10-week term session must be registered for 15 units for full-time status, and at least 9 units for half- time status. Students attending a semester session (for example, student-teaching, ACM/GLCA off-campus programs, etc.) must be registered for the equivalent of at least 21 units for full-time status, and at least 14 units to maintain half-time status.

We cannot verify enrollment for students on leave from the university, except for prior terms in which the student was in attendance.

Prior to the fall of 2001 Lawrence used 2-digit course numbers. Courses numbered 20 or above were considered upper-level courses. Beginning with the fall term of 2001-02 Lawrence converted to 3-digit courses numbers. These can be interpreted as follows:

100-199 Introductory Courses

These courses generally do not require prior study unless they are part of a sequence, such as introductory language or mathematics courses. This level includes courses introducing students to the discipline as well as any topical courses aimed at non-majors.

200-399 Foundation/Gateway Courses

These courses represent the second tier of work in each discipline and might include methods courses and introductions to sub-disciplines. Typically these courses are not appropriate for entering freshmen, but in some departments they might be appropriate for continuing students with no prior experience in the subject.

400-599 Advanced Courses

These courses include seminar series, special topics courses, and advanced work in sub-disciplines. Students enrolling in advanced courses are expected to understand the basic methodology of the discipline.

600-699 Capstone Courses

These courses include the culminating work in a discipline, and are not appropriate for students who are neither majors nor minors in the discipline.

Lawrence University operates on a 3-term calendar (September to June) and uses a term-course credit system. A standard course is valued at 6 Lawrence units. A normal course load for a term is three standard courses, or 18 units. Some departments offer fractional courses and the credit earned in tutorials, independent study, and internships varies and is determined by the instructor of the course. The smallest amount of credit recorded is 1 Lawrence unit.

Prior to the fall of 2001, credit was recorded in term courses. A standard course was one credit and fractional courses were reported in sixths.

A term consists of 10 weeks of instruction and one week of exams. The normal class period is either three 70-minute sessions or two 110-minute sessions per week. A standard course (reported as either 6 units or 1 term course credit) is the equivalent of 3.333 semester hours or 5 quarter hours. The laboratory components of courses in the sciences are not listed separately on transcripts. Laboratory courses in the sciences are equivalent to courses at other colleges valued at 5 semester or 8 quarter hours.

Credit attempted and credit earned plays a role in the evaluation of academic progress, eligibility for grants and scholarships, load deferrments, veteran's benefits, participation in sports and co-curricular activities, insurance (car, health), etc.

Current Lawrence students may incorporate work taken at other institutions for credit towards their Lawrence degree. To do so, approval by the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration (preferably in advance of enrolling in another program) is required. It is greatly to your advantage to know in advance that the credits you earn will be applicable to your degree. Not all courses or programs of study offered by other institutions will be accepted for credit at Lawrence.

Students who will attend a Lawrence affiliated off-campus program (those listed in the current course catalog) do not need to petition for transfer credit. Credit for these programs will be automatically transferred to a student's record when the Registrar's Office receives a grade report from the program.

New transfer students do not need to petition for transfer credit from their former institution. The registrar will provide transfer students with an evaluation of their previous work which will describe the courses accepted and the requirements to be completed in order to earn a degree from Lawrence.

The text of the current general education and other degree requirements for each degree program (B.A., B.Mus., and five-year B.A./B.Mus.) can be found at Academics. Current students should refer to the catalog under which they entered to review the requirements for their degrees. Past catalogs can be found at Lawrence University Catalogs.

The most recent revision of the general education requirements occured in Fall 2007 for the B.Mus. degree program, and in Fall 2008 for the B.A. and B.A./B.Mus. degree programs. A 'Cheat Sheet' (PDF) is available to help advisors who need to work with students completing under different sets of requirements (catalogs).

The university faculty has designated certain classes as meeting competency and diversity requirements. Symbols appear in the class schedule and on student transcripts for classes so designated. (G--global diversity, D--dimensions of diversity, A--B.A. foreign language competency, M--B.Mus. foreign language competency, Q--quantitative and mathematical reasoning, S--speaking intensive, and W--writing intensive).

The definitive list of offerings meeting diversity and competency requirements can be found in the Class Schedule, or by using the Schedule Search function.There is no guarantee, however, that every time time a particular course is offered it will taught in a way that fulfills a particular competency or diversity requirement. For example, not every offering of ENG 455 will be done as a speaking-intensive class. Classes that might be offered to meet these requirements can be found at

• Diversity & Competency Requirements (Excel)
• Diversity & Competency Requirements (PDF)

Instructors must request approval from the Committee on Instruction to have the courses they teach fulfill diversity and competency requirements.

    GER approval request forms for faculty and criteria information

Once a course syllabus has been approved for a competency or diversity requirement, the instructor is free to offer the course in a particular term using the approved syllabus. The instructor or department chair must indicate the competency or diversity requirement when scheduling the class.

Completion of Your Academic Program and Graduation

To have your record reviewed for completion of requirements and your degree conferred, you must apply to graduate. The registrar office will email you an Intent to Graduate form as you approach graduation. Graduation applications are good for one academic year only. If you decide to postpone completion, you will need to fill out another application in the following year.

The Academic Procedures and Regulations section of the course catalog also has information about the conferring of degrees and graduating with honors. The course catalog and DegreeWorks provide the minimum amount of work that must be completed in order for your degree to be conferred. If you have questions about your requirements, make an appointment to talk with your academic advisor.

For more information about Commencement Weekend events, ordering a cap and gown, and the schedule for the ceremony, please visit https://www.lawrence.edu/calendars-events/commencement.

1. Procure catalogs or summer school bulletins from the schools you are interested in attending. It is recommended that you try to obtain a syllabus for each course you are considering. At the very least, you must submit a description for each course you wish to be approved.
2. Obtain a petition form(s) for the faculty subcommittee on administration. These are available in the registrar's office, academic building offices, and from the dean of academic success.
3. Your petition statement should indicate you are petitioning for transfer credit and include the specific course (title, number, department, program if appropriate, and institution) for which you are seeking approval. If you wish the credit to fulfill a particular general education requirement, state that as well. Use the remarks section to indicate the amount of course credit in semester or quarter hours awarded by the institution/program for completion of the course, and when you intend to complete it. If the course will be taken during a summer session, please indicate the number of weeks in the session and the number of hours of participation (class, laboratory, field, or studio). Usually no more than two courses will be approved for six or eight week sessions.
4. Attach the course description, and syllabus if you have one, to the petition form and:
   • obtain your adviser(s) comments and signature,
   • obtain the comments and signature of the chair of the department in which the course would be given if the course were offered at Lawrence.
5. Submit the completed petition form to the registrar or to the dean of academic success for review by the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration. You will be notified by memorandum of the action taken by the subcommittee. The subcommittee generally meets once a week when classes are in session.

Upon completion of the course or program, you must have an official transcript of your work sent to the registrar before credit can be awarded. Transfer credit is normally awarded on the basis of 3-1/3 semester, or 5 quarter, hours for 6 Lawrence units. For example, 3 semester hours are equivalent to 5 Lawrence units. Only courses in which you earn a grade of "C-" or better will be awarded credit. If you take a course on an "S/U" or "pass/fail" basis, the registrar must be able to verify that you earned an equivalent grade of "C-" or better before the course can be accepted for credit. The grade(s) you earn will be used in the computation of your composite grade point average. Application of transfer course credits to major requirements is determined by the appropriate academic department.

If you are a senior within three terms of completing your degree and have not yet completed your major requirements, you must petition the faculty subcommittee on administration for a waiver of the senior residency requirement.

If you are a senior and intend to complete your degree at the end of the term in which you will be off campus, please check with the registrar regarding the deadline for receipt of an official transcript of your work.

If you are receiving financial aid from Lawrence, you should inquire about the availability of financial assistance from the program/institution you plan to attend. Lawrence does not provide financial aid to students attending non-Lawrence programs.