Student Academic Resources

The Academic Petition form is accessed through BannerWeb. Go to Enter Secure Area, sign in, then go to the Academic Tab/Registration and Academic Services page.

Students should use this form to request:

• Using an alternate course to fulfill a requirement (substitution of degree requirement or request to take the requirement at another institution)
• An override of a course prerequisite (or to take a prerequisite as a corequisite)
• Waiving a requirement (unusual, most requests would be for a substitution)
• Repeating a course (students may repeat a course in which they receive a C- or lower with permission of appropriate dean)
• Course overloads (registering for more than 18 credit hours in a semester)
• Freshman privilege (see academic policies and procedures section of the undergraduate bulletin)

For some students, an instructor may suggest an independent study plan that requires the approval of the department chair and the appropriate dean.

Deadlines:

1. For fall semesters, all registration paperwork for independent studies must be completed and received by the respective offices by the Friday before the first day of classes. This includes:

   1. A request from the department to add a section to the class schedule (via Coursedog at app.coursedog.com).

   2. An Independent Study Contract form, signed and submitted to the CAS Dean's Office. 

2. For spring semesters, all registration paperwork for independent studies must be completed and received by the respective offices by the Friday before the start of winter break. This includes:

   1. A request from the department to add a section to the class schedule (via Coursedog at app.coursedog.com).

   2. An Independent Study Contract form, signed and submitted to the CAS Dean's Office. 

Independent Study Contract (Google Doc)
This is a view-only file. After opening, go to “File” then “Make a copy” to rename and edit.

Routing the contract form for signatures may take several days, so please plan accordingly!

The College of Arts and Sciences supports optional self-designed majors and minors for students with an expressed interest in an area of study not otherwise available at JCU. While the traditional departmental majors and minors are the backbone of the University, there are times when cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary majors and minors are both possible and desirable. These majors or minors may take advantage of the opportunity for cross-registration at other local universities, though the first priority is to draw upon the facilities and the expertise at John Carroll University.

Creating these self-designed majors or minors is not an automatic process, but the process and its results can be very rewarding. The major or minor should be proposed and approved during the student’s sophomore year. A proposal should include the following items:

1. A rationale for the proposed major or minor that:
   1. Discusses the focus of the program and the expected benefits;
   2. Articulates learning goals for the major or minor;
   3. Explains how those learning goals connect to University Learning Goals and to selected departmental goals
2. A plan of courses for the junior and senior years that:
   1. Lists specific courses and the reason each course is included;
   2. Indicates which courses will provide the basis of assessment of which learning goals and what form that assessment will take;
   3. Provides alternative courses in case first choice courses are not be available. Care should be taken in planning this sequence of courses since too many alternatives or too many subsequent requests for alterations can complicate the approval process and invalidate the major’s or minor’s approval.

The proposed program should be constructed in consultation with an advisor and the CAS Associate Dean for the appropriate division. The advisor could be the student’s freshman/sophomore advisor or another faculty member who is willing to oversee the student’s progress toward fulfillment of requirements. It is best to select an advisor who has some competence in the general area or areas of the proposed major.

The appropriate divisional Associate Dean in CAS should be consulted when a student is first considering a self-designed major or minor and should be shown drafts of the proposed
major or minor as it is being developed. Once the proposal has been constructed with and approved by an advisor, the proposal is then submitted to the divisional CAS Associate Dean and, subsequently, to the CAS Dean for approval.

• Self-Designed Major Proposal (Google Doc)
• Self-Designed Minor Proposal (Google Doc)
  These are view-only files. After opening, go to “File” then “Make a copy” to rename and edit.

Seniors of exceptional ability in the undergraduate programs of the University may apply to receive credit for graduate courses completed in excess of the undergraduate degree requirements. Application for Graduate Studies and written approval of the appropriate undergraduate dean must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the date of registration.

Guidelines for Applying for Graduate Coursework

1. Qualified seniors may apply to take graduate courses.
   1. Students must hold a 3.2 grade point average.
   2. Students taking a graduate course(s) must maintain full-time status of 12 undergraduate hours to maintain eligibility for financial aid.
   3. Graduate credits are not used to meet the 120 credit requirement for graduation.
2. An application must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the course is to be taken to the Office of Graduate Studies (AD B103).
3. A student’s application must include:
   1. A completed online application.
   2. A letter of support from the student’s advisor.
   3. A letter of support from the department chair of a department if the course is not part of the student’s major.
4. Financial aid will not cover the cost of graduate coursework over 18 semester hours.

If you have questions please contact the Office of Graduate Studies, located on the first floor of the Administration Building, Room B103 at 216.397.4284 or gsapp@jcu.edu

Online Application for Graduate Coursework

The Office of the Registrar offers many services and keeps many forms to allow you to meet your academic goals, including:

Application for Undergraduate Declaration of Major
Application for Undergraduate Declaration of Minor
Change of Address/Name Form
Complete Withdrawal and Leave of Absence
Course Audit
Cross Registration
Degree Evaluation
Graduation Major/Minor/Concentration Audit Form
Pass/Fail Option
Proxy Access
Request to Remove Major, Minor, or Concentration
Transcript Requests
Update Academic Interests (for students who have not declared a major)
Update Expected Graduation Date
Verifications

The Advising Office's resource page has information on overloads, absences, repeating courses, and more!