Enrollment

Types of students

Continuing students

Continuing students are those who have been officially enrolled at UNT at least once during the 12 consecutive months prior to the term/semester of planned enrollment and/or have not received a degree during the same period. Students who receive a degree and reapply to the university are considered new graduate students.

Inactive continuing students (undergraduate students only)

Inactive students are undergraduates who have not been officially enrolled at UNT in the last 12 consecutive months and who have not received a degree during the same period.

Inactive students who have not attended another institution are required to complete the following requirements to re-enroll:

1. Complete the ApplyTexas Application for returning students;
2. If previous UNT enrollment was as a dual credit student, all academic credentials from all institutions attended are required prior to re-enrollment; international students should contact the Office of International Admissions.

Inactive students who have attended another institution are required to compete the following requirements to re-enroll:

1. Complete the ApplyTexas Application for transfer students;
2. Submit official transcripts from all colleges attended since leaving UNT.

Former students (graduated students only)

Former students are those graduated students who have not been enrolled at least once during the 12 consecutive months prior to planned enrollment and/or those who have received a degree.

Non-Degree seeking

A non-degree student is an undergraduate student who wishes to take several courses at the undergraduate level without seeking a degree at UNT. Non-degree students are eligible to take up to 15 semester credit hours at which time students must apply to be degree seeking.

Registration and class attendance

Student load

Fall and spring

Undergraduate

The normal load for full-time undergraduate students is 15 semester hours for each fall or spring term/semester, or 30 hours for the nine-month academic year. Note: For information pertaining to the required semester hours for enrollment verification purposes, refer to “Enrollment Certification” below.

During the fall/spring terms, a full-time undergraduate student with a GPA of less than 3.000 may select multiple sessions for a maximum of 19 semester hours.

An undergraduate student with a GPA of at least 3.000 may enroll for a maximum of 21 hours for the fall or spring term/semester by meeting the following conditions:

1. at least a 3.000 GPA on a minimum 15-hour residence load for the term/semester just completed

2. at least a 3.000 GPA on a minimum 12-hour residence load for the summer term/semester just completed, or

3. at least a 3.000 GPA on all work completed at UNT and a minimum 24 hours of credit in residence.

Note: For 3W1 (three week one) the normal load for full-time students is 3 hours. Undergraduate students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in 3W1 session.

Undergraduate students may schedule a maximum of 9 hours in 8W1 session, and a maximum of 9 hours in 8W2 session. During the spring term, students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in the Winter Session.

Graduate

Graduate students may schedule a maximum of 16 hours during any fall or spring term/semester.

Note: For 3W1 (three week one) the normal load for full-time students is 3 hours. Graduate students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in 3W1 session.

Summer

Undergraduate

The normal load for full-time students is 12 hours for the summer term/semester.

During the summer term/semester, a full-time undergraduate student with a GPA of more than 3.000 may select multiple sessions for a maximum of 18 semester hours.

Undergraduate students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in 3W1 session, a maximum of 9 hours in 8W1 session, a maximum of 8 hours in 5W1 session, a maximum of 7 hours in 5W2 session, and a maximum of 15 hours in 10W session.

Note: For 3W1 (three week one) the normal load for full-time students is 3 hours. Undergraduate students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in 3W1 session.

Graduate

A full-time graduate student with a GPA of at least 3.000 may select multiple sessions for a maximum of 18 hours.

Constraints apply to graduate course enrollment. Graduate students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in a three week session (3W1), a maximum of 7 hours in a five week session (5W1, 5W2), a maximum of 9 hours in a ten week session (10W), or a maximum of 9 hours in an eight week session (8W1). At no time during concurrently running summer sessions can graduate students’ enrollment exceed 10 hours. For purposes of fulfilling the graduate residence requirements, a load of 9 semester hours is considered a full load. Graduate students enrolled only in undergraduate courses, for undergraduate credit, may request special consideration of the graduate dean.

Note: For 3W1 (three week one) the normal load for full-time students is 3 hours. Graduate students may schedule a maximum of 4 hours in 3W1 session.

Academic information and planning

Semester hour

A semester hour is the unit of credit at UNT; the credit allows for 1 lecture hour a week for 15 weeks or the equivalent. In course listings, figures in parentheses following the course credit hours indicate the number of clock hours per week devoted to lecture and laboratory. When it appears, the third and final number in these parentheses indicates the number of recitation hours per week.

Term/semester/session

The academic year includes three terms/semesters: fall, spring and summer. Fall and spring include a full-term session, 8W1 (eight week one) and 8W2 (eight week two). Spring also includes a 3W1 session. During the summer term, a number of sessions are scheduled. Presently the options include 3W1 (three week one), 5W1 and 5W2 (five week one and two), 8W1 (eight week one), and 10W (ten week).

Course numbering system

Developmental courses, 100-999.
Freshman courses, 1000-1999.
Sophomore courses, 2000-2999.
Junior courses, 3000-3999.
Senior courses, 4000-4999.
Graduate courses, 5000 and above.

The graduate student enrolled in a 5000-level course that meets with a senior-level undergraduate course will be expected to complete additional requirements beyond those expected of undergraduates in the same course.

Courses 2900, 2910, 4900 and 4910, Special Problems, are used upon approval of the department chair or dean for individual instruction in any department to cover course content in special circumstances. Courses 5900, 5910, 5920 and 5930 are used in any department that offers graduate work; courses 6900 and 6910 are used in any department that offers doctoral work.

Experimental Courses (1980, 2980 and 4980) are new courses offered on a trial basis for 1–4 hours credit each. Registration is permitted only upon approval of the department chair.

Honors College Capstone Thesis, 4951, allows a student in the Honors College to complete an honors thesis as a course within the student’s major. The Honors College Capstone Thesis is a major research project prepared by the student with the mentorship of a faculty member in the student’s major department. An oral defense is required for successful completion of the thesis.

Advanced Courses (or upper-level or upper-division courses), numbered 3000 to 4999, are open to students who have 12 semester hours of credit in a given subject or who have the indicated prerequisites, and to those without the prerequisites who have the consent of the department. College/school/departmental requirements may vary. Students should consult individual areas prior to enrolling in advanced courses.

Prerequisite

A prerequisite is a course or other preparation that must be completed before enrollment in another course. All prerequisites are included in catalog course descriptions.

Texas Success Initiative

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a state statute requiring all undergraduate students who enter a Texas public institution of higher education to either demonstrate readiness for college-level English language arts and reading (ELAR) and mathematics before enrolling in college-level academic course work by achieving the statutory threshold on the state-approved TSI Assessment or meet one of the conditions for exemption from the testing requirement. Students must satisfy all TSI requirements before receiving a baccalaureate degree.

Exemption documentation should be submitted in one of the following ways

• in person to Office of Advising Services, Sage Hall, Room 110;
• mailed to
  • UNT Advising Service
    Attn: TSI Evaluation
    1155 Union Circle #311190
    Denton, TX 76203-5017
• sent via e-mail to TSI@unt.edu

Readiness assessment and course placement

UNT only accepts scores on the TSI Assessment for assessment purposes. This state-approved test measures college-level readiness in English language arts and reading (ELAR) and mathematics. Minimum score thresholds required to demonstrate college readiness in each subject area as follows:

Students may demonstrate readiness by either passing the highest level of indicated TSI course work or by scoring above the statutory threshold on the TSI Assessment.

Students are individually advised into the appropriate TSI course work according to their individual needs. UNT offers course-based and non–course-based TSI related courses. The courses offered at UNT include:

English Language Arts and Reading

• ENGL 1310  with co-requisite tutorial requirement

Math

• Math for major with co-requisite lab
• MATH 340 - Integrated Pre and Beginning Algebra
• MATH 350 - Beginning Algebra

Demonstrating college readiness

Students may demonstrate college readiness or otherwise satisfy TSI requirements by any of the following:

1. Successfully completing all required coursework needed to prove readiness.
2. Achieving a score above the statutory threshold on the TSI Assessment.

Class attendance

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected. Although in general students are graded on intellectual effort and performance rather than attendance, absences may lower the student’s grade where class attendance and class participation are deemed essential by the faculty member. In those classes where attendance is considered part of the grade, the instructor should inform students at the semester’s beginning by a written notice. Departments and similar academic units have authority to establish a department or course attendance policy, so long as the policy is in accord with the above stipulations.

Authorized absences

Absences due to participation in sponsored activities must be approved in advance by the department chair and academic dean. Within three days after the absence, students must obtain authorized absence cards from the Dean of Students for presentation to their instructors. Students with authorized absence cards may make up the work missed when practical or be given special allowance so that they are not penalized for the absence.

Absence for religious holidays

In accordance with state law, a student absent due to the observance of a religious holiday may take examinations or complete assignments scheduled for the day(s) missed, including those missed for travel, within a reasonable time after the absence. The student should notify the instructor of each class of the date of the anticipated absence as early in the semester as possible.

Only holidays or holy days observed by a religion whose place of worship is exempt from property taxation under Section 11.20 of the Tax Code may be included. A student who is excused under this provision may not be penalized for the absence, but the instructor may respond appropriately if the student fails to complete the assignment or examination.

Pre-finals days

So that students can more adequately prepare for their final examinations, the University of North Texas (UNT) sets aside days preceding final examinations during which no new material may be disseminated, and extracurricular and organizational activities are suspended.

Any deviation from these requirements must be approved in advance by the appropriate dean or director.

On the Friday of the week immediately preceding final exams (reading day), no classes are held.

Final examinations

Faculty members are required to administer final exams at the designated times during the exam week of each long semester and during the specified day of each summer term if a final examination for the course is required. Any deviation from the published schedule must be approved in advance by the appropriate academic dean.

Students who have more than two final examinations scheduled on one day may request to reschedule one of the examinations on another day during the final examination period.

Disability Accommodation

In accordance with university policies, and state and federal regulations [especially Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended], the University of North Texas endeavors to make reasonable academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities who require accommodation to fulfill the requirements for a degree.

A student who encounters access problems in a campus instructional facility or who wishes to request accommodation in a course because of a disability (i.e., sign language interpreters, material in alternate format, accommodated testing) should follow the procedures listed below:

1. Students must be registered with the Office of Disability Access (ODA) to request a letter of accommodation be sent to their instructor. This document will contain information relative to the reasonable accommodations of the student and will assure the instructor that proof of disability is on file with the ODA. Students who do not present such a form can be referred to the ODA for assistance in documenting their disability.
2. Preferably, within the first week of class, qualified students must notify the instructor of the need for academic adjustments and present the letter of accommodation from the ODA.
3. The qualified student should confer with the instructor (during office hours) to reach mutual agreement on how accommodations are to be achieved. 
4. If a student does not feel the accommodations are effective, or if they are not provided, the student should contact his/her ODA Coordinator to help facilitate a solution. If the student is not satisfied with the resolution, a formal appeal may be filed in accordance with the procedures described here: studentaffairs.unt.edu/office-disability-access/grievance.

UNT internships

Many employers prefer to hire graduates with hands-on experience in their majors. Students can gain practical experience and enhance their classroom learning through an internship opportunity.

In addition to providing insight into future careers, working as an intern provides a competitive advantage in the job market because of the skills developed while in the position.

The Career Center helps students obtain high-quality internships prior to graduation by working closely with potential and existing employers to promote internships within their organizations.

The Career Center hosts a number of career and internship-related career fairs, networking events, and workshops open to all enrolled students. For more details, students can visit Handshake.

Internships

Internships are work experiences (typically one semester) related to a student’s field of study and may provide a competitive advantage in the job market by:

• providing transferable skills through work in a professional environment,
• creating professional contacts within an industry or occupational area, and
• teaching more about major and career path.

The Career Center works with thousands of employers who offer internship programs as well as full-time job opportunities at companies such as Toyota, Omni Hotels, PGA, Goldman Sachs, American Airlines, Schwab, Texas Instruments, Enterprise, Peterbilt, GM Financial, and many others.   

Internships can be part-time or full-time and are available throughout the year. The summer is the most popular season for obtaining them. Depending on a student’s major, academic credit may be received for completing an internship. Completing an internship is mandatory in some degree programs.  

The Career Center strongly promotes paid internships; however, in some cases, depending on the organization, industry and specific job, internships may be unpaid. If a student accepts an unpaid internship, there may be a small stipend available to the student by contacting the Career Center.  

Some degree programs require students to fulfill an internship as part of their course work and in some cases a paid internship is mandatory to meet curriculum requirements.  

Earning academic credit

Depending on the chosen major, students may be eligible to receive academic credit for an internship. Department policies vary based on these opportunities but often they are evaluated based on how the work relates to the student’s field of study, the length of the internship, what learning opportunities are available and whether supervision or mentoring is provided by a professional in the field. 

The Career Center Internship team works closely with Career Coaches, faculty members, and employers to  promote the internship academic credit process and document student internship outcomes. 

For further information, contact the Career Center in Sage Hall, Suite 202; by phone, 940-565-2105; or visit the web site at careercenter.unt.edu.

Registration

All registration and student-requested schedule changes are conducted via web registration at my.unt.edu. Specific information and instructions as well as dates are found online at registrar.unt.edu/registration/ and at my.unt.edu.

Priority registration

Class registration start dates are determined by your current classification. Classification is based on your cumulative earned credit hours, which includes your UNT credit, transfer credit and test credit.

Late registration

Students who did not enroll during the official registration periods must pay an additional fee to enroll late. Refer to Academic Calendars at registrar.unt.edu for additional information.

Schedule changes

For information concerning adding or dropping courses, consult the online Schedule of Classes at registrar.unt.edu/registration/schedule-of-classes.html?mn=1b or my.unt.edu.

Schedule change (add, drop and withdrawal)

Students may adjust their schedule by adding and/or dropping classes or by withdrawing from the university. Specific procedures and deadlines must be followed in making these changes. Dropping all courses during a term/semester constitutes withdrawing from the university for that term/semester. Students must notify the Dean of Students Office of their intent to withdraw from the university. Procedures and deadlines for withdrawing are available in the Dean of Students Office or online at Studentaffairs.unt.edu/dean-of-students/policies/withdrawals.

Dropping courses

Students who wish to drop a course before the 12th class day of fall or spring terms/semesters or before the equivalent dates for 8 week or summer sessions, may do so at my.unt.edu. Students applying for financial aid are required to notify Financial Aid and Scholarships before dropping any class to learn how it will affect current or future financial aid eligibility.

Students who drop a course between the 12th day of class and the designated day of a given semester’s 10th week for fall or spring terms/semesters or the equivalent dates for 8 week and summer sessions, will receive a grade of W.

If a student fails to drop a course, even if the student does not attend the course, a grade of F will be recorded.

Faculty and staff will not drop a student from a course automatically for nonattendance; the student must initiate the process and complete the necessary steps to ensure the class is dropped.

Drop procedures must be completed by 5 p.m. on the deadline dates specified in the online Academic Calendar . After these dates, a student may not drop a course.

For drop procedures and instructions, please visit the Registrar’s webpage at registrar.unt.edu/registration-guide.html?mn=1d.

Limitation of drops

Students enrolling in higher education for the first time during the fall 2007 academic term or any term subsequent to the fall 2007 term may drop a total of six courses. This total includes any course a transfer student has dropped at another Texas public institution of higher education. This does not apply to courses dropped prior to the census date or to courses dropped with a grade of WF and does not apply if the student withdraws from the term or session.

Certain exceptions may be made to the six drop limit. Reasonable cause for exception could include the following:

• a severe illness or other debilitating condition that affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete the course;
• the student’s responsibility for the care of a sick, injured or needy person if the provision of that care affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete the course;
• the death of a person who is considered to be a member of the student’s family or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student that the person’s death is considered to be a showing of good cause;
• active duty service as a member of the Texas National Guard or the armed forces of the United States of either the student or a person who is considered to be a member of the student’s family or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student that the person’s active military service is considered to be a showing of good cause;
• the change of the student’s work schedule that is beyond the control of the student and that affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete the course.

Requests for exception to the drop limitation must be made in writing to the student’s academic dean and must occur during the semester that the dropped course was taken.

Withdrawal from UNT

A student may withdraw from UNT at any time prior to two weeks before the first day of final examinations for fall or spring terms/semesters or the equivalent dates for 8 week or summer sessions by making a request with the Dean of Student Office or visit their webpage at studentaffairs.unt.edu/dean-of-students/policies/withdrawals. The grade of W is recorded for each course in which a withdrawn student was enrolled.

Official dates and deadlines for withdrawing are specified in the online Academic Calendar .

To receive a refund for a parking permit, a student must return the permit to Parking Services located in the Highland Parking Garage.

Students called to active duty

Texas Education Code 54.006 (f ) indicates, “Beginning with the summer semester of 1990, if a student withdraws from an institution of higher education because the student is called to active military service, the institution, at the student’s option, shall: (1) refund the tuition and fees paid by the student for the semester in which the student withdraws; (2) grant a student, who is eligible under the institution’s guidelines, an incomplete grade in all courses by designating ‘withdrawn-military’ on the student’s transcript; or (3) as determined by the instructor, assign an appropriate final grade or credit to a student who has satisfactorily completed a substantial amount of course work and who has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material.” Students should contact the Dean of Students to determine their options.

In order to be eligible for options under this law a UNT student must produce a copy of his or her orders to the Dean of Students Office. Withdrawal may or may not require that the student talk with each instructor depending on timing in the semester; however, the latter two options do require that the student talk with his or her instructors and come to a decision as to which solution is best for each class given timing and circumstances. A student called to active duty may consider the following options:

1. withdrawal with a full refund of appropriate tuition/fees;
2. incomplete grades with the one-year I (Incomplete) removal time limit starting with the end of active duty; or
3. a final grade if the course is essentially over and the course material has been sufficiently mastered (determined by the instructor).

Auditing

Admitted students may elect to audit a course for no academic credit.

• Students elect to audit a course in consultation with their academic advisor. Election must occur by the census date for the term/session. Once the election is made a change cannot be made after the census date.
• If the course enrollment reaches the maximum capacity, students will not be allowed to audit the course.
• Auditors cannot claim credit based on attendance or petition to change the course to academic credit after census for that term.
• Auditors will be included on the class roll; however, the instructor will not require or accept any papers, tests, or examinations.
• Auditors pay a fee per semester, regardless of the number of courses audited. Tuition and fee information is available online at sfs.unt.edu.
• Auditing a credit-bearing course does not change the status of the course from being an academic credit course to a noncredit credit course.
• Auditors are expected to abide by all class policies and procedures including regular and timely attendance.
• A grade of AU is assigned to students and will appear on their academic transcript.
• A person 65 years of age or older may enroll as an auditor and observer without credit and without payment of a fee, if space is available and if approved by the department chair and the appropriate dean. Such enrollment entitles the person to library privileges, but not to instruction in applied music or physical education, the use of laboratory equipment and supplies, or admission to university-sponsored fine arts events. (Texas Education Code, Subchapter 54, Section 54.210 as added in 1975)

Enrollment certification

Enrollment verification for loan deferments is completed in the Registrar’s Office and is based upon a student’s having registered and paid tuition and fees according to the following criteria. See “Special Conditions for Financial Aid Applicants ” in the Financial Information section of this catalog for loan deferment requirements.

Undergraduate

Full Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 12 or more hours.
Three-Quarter Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 9 to 11 hours.
Half Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 6 to 8 hours.

Graduate

Full Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 9 or more hours. Doctoral and master’s students enrolled in 3 or more hours of dissertation or thesis (courses numbered 5950/6950/6954) are considered full time. Students who receive Veteran’s benefits should work with the Veteran Benefits office (940-369-8021) to ensure benefits are applied correctly.
Three-Quarter Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 6 to 8 hours.
Half Time: fall, spring or summer term/semester, 5 hours.

Extension courses are considered nontraditional credit and are excluded for certification purposes.

International students also may request International Advising to issue letters of enrollment for the use of foreign governments, embassies, scholarship agencies and banks. International Advising is located on the second floor of Sycamore Hall.

Verification of enrollment/enrollment certificate

UNT student enrollment verifications are supplied by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). Third parties such as health care companies, prospective employers, or insurance agencies seeking verification of enrollment may contact the NSC online by going to https://secure.studentclearinghouse.org/vs/Index.

Student enrollment verification self-service

Current and former UNT students may request their own enrollment verification/certification through a direct link in MyUNT. Enrollment verification certificates printed via the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) should be accepted as official and can be used for insurance companies, scholarships, military IDs, employment and all other services that require proof of enrollment at the University of North Texas. For more information, please see the Enrollment Verification/Certification page of the Registrar’s web site.

Other learning opportunities

Concurrent registration

A student in residence who wishes to enroll concurrently at another college must first secure the written permission of the appropriate dean at UNT. Failure to obtain advance approval may result in the refusal of the university to accept such work in transfer.

Students who earn transfer hours from other institutions while attending UNT must submit official transcript to the Registrar’s Office at the end of each term. If the official transcripts are not received, then an academic hold may be placed on the student’s account preventing future registration and receipt of an official UNT transcript.

Special provisions for avoiding more than one minimum tuition charge are available for students enrolling concurrently in more than one state-supported institution of higher education. Students planning concurrent enrollment are cautioned to check these provisions prior to enrollment in any state institution.

Alternative class offerings

In addition to regular daytime classes, UNT offers evening and weekend on-campus and off-campus residence credit courses and courses at the Universities Center at Dallas and UNT at Frisco, as well as other distance education and web-based courses. See “Distance Education (web-based and digital communication) ” in the Campus Resources section of this catalog.

Enrollment at the Universities Center at Dallas

Students may enroll for undergraduate courses offered by UNT at the Universities Center at Dallas (UCD), a Multi-Institutional Teaching Center (MITC) located at 1901 Main Street in downtown Dallas. The University of North Texas and The University of North Texas Dallas cooperate in offering upper-division undergraduate courses and graduate courses at UCD. For more information, call 214-752-5533.

Enrollment at the Collin Higher Education Center

In 2009 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the Collin Higher Education Center (CHEC), where UNT cooperates with Collin College and other universities in the offering of undergraduate and graduate courses and degrees. Enrollment is open to all UNT students.

The CHEC is located at 3452 Spur 399, McKinney, Texas 75059. For current information about the CHEC, call 972-599-3126, visit the CHEC web site at www.collin.edu/chec/, or call the UNT Office of Admissions at 940-565-2681.