Learn Your Academic Policies
As a student at UTRGV, it is critically important that you learn the University’s basic academic policies and that you are aware of your own academic progress at all times. Academic polices are the foundational knowledge you will need to successfully navigate and complete your education at UTRGV. Here, you’ll find helpful information that introduces you to course substitutions, academic standing, change of major and more! While we highlight a few academic policies here, the Undergraduate Catalog is your primary source for all academic policies.
To learn more, stop by the Academic Advising Center for assistance in understanding the University’s academic policies and how they might impact your road to graduation.
Throughout your undergraduate experience at UTRGV, you’ll want to continually monitor your academic standing to ensure you remain eligible to continue your enrollment and reach graduation day. As you monitor, you’ll want to be aware of a few key knowledge points.
To be in good academic standing, you will need to continuously earn a cumulative GPA of a 2.00 or higher over the course of your undergraduate career at UTRGV.
If your cumulative GPA is less than a 2.00, you will be placed on academic probation. During your academic probation semester, you’ll be tasked with meeting one of the following requirements to continue your enrollment at UTRGV:
- Earn a semester GPA of a 2.0 or higher in order to continue enrollment as continued academic probation OR
- Earn a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 or higher in order to restore good academic standing
If during your academic probation semester you are unable to meet one of the above requirements, you will be placed on academic suspension and be required to sit out for one full semester (fall or spring). However, if you believe you have merited circumstances that impacted your academic performance during your academic probation semester, you may want to consider meeting with an academic advisor to discuss the possibility of submitting an Academic Appeal.
As with any academic policy, we encourage you to take into consideration how the Academic Standing Policy impacts your financial aid status, institutional bill and your progress towards graduation.
In particular circumstances, you may be considering dropping a course from your schedule after census day. When such circumstances present themselves, you want to take a few steps before you drop a course.
- Check Your Course Drop Bank. Texas law (*Texas Education Code 51.907) mandates that undergraduate student may drop a total of 6 courses over the duration of their entire undergraduate career. Therefore, before you drop a course, you will want to learn how many course drops you have available in your “drop bank.”
- Check Your Financial Aid Status. A course drop will potentially affect your ability to keep your financial aid. Therefore, before you drop a course, you will want to determine the impact a course drop will have on your financial aid status.
- Check with an Academic Advisor. Before you drop a course, you will want to consult with an academic advisor in the Academic Advising Center to develop strategies to successfully complete the course and determine how a course drop impacts your road to graduation.
If you and your academic advisor agree that dropping a course is in your best interest, you will want to take note of the following:
- You may officially drop a course after the university’s official census date to drop a course(s) before the official drop deadline. You may find these important dates on the academic calendar for your immediate reference.
- If you are successful in dropping a course before the official drop deadline, you will see a grade of “DR” on your transcript. A “DR” does not calculate into your GPA but is counted towards your attempted hours.
As with any academic policy, we encourage you to take into consideration how the Course Drop Policy impacts your financial aid status, institutional bill and your progress towards graduation.
Dual enrollment courses and developmental courses do not count towards the six course drop limit.
International Students and Student-Athletes must complete the Course Drop Form before completing the course drop process.
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During your time at UTRGV, an opportunity to retake a course may present itself. As you consider your options, you’ll want to take a few key steps before you retake a course.
- Check Your Course “3 Peat” Count. Texas law (*Texas Education Code 13.106) mandates that undergraduate student may retake a course twice without paying additional tuition cost. If you are considering retaking a course a third time, you will be charged an additional $250 per credit hour for the repeated course.
- Meet With An Academic Advisor. By meeting with an academic advisor in the Academic Advising Center, you’ll work to reflect upon what you enjoyed about the course(s), review your history with the course (s), consider the advantages of working with the same or new professor and, if needed, develop strategies to ensure you meet your goals for the course(s) you are retaking.
If you and your academic advisor agree that retaking a course is in your best interest, you will want to take note of the following:
- Coursework attempted at UTRGV and UT-Pan American are included in the “3 Peat” count.
- Coursework transferred from The University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College (UTB/TSC) for students enrolled at UTRGV prior to Fall 2017 will be included in students’ “3 Peat” counts.
- Effective fall 2017, former UTB/TSC students who have not attended UTRGV previously, or those who have had a one-year break in UTRGV enrollment, will be admitted to UTRGV as transfer students and coursework taken under UTB/TSC will not be included in those students’ “3 Peat” counts.
- Courses taken at UTRGV will only be used to replace a grade earned at UTRGV. Please note the most recent attempted and completed course will be calculated into your CUML GPA.
- If you elect to retake a course, past courses will be labeled on your academic transcript with an “E” (Excluded).
- The most recently repeated and completed course will be calculated into your GPA but ALL courses will count towards attempted hours, which may have financial aid implications.
As with any academic policy, we encourage you to take into consideration how the Course Repeat Policies impacts your financial aid status, institutional bill and your progress towards graduation.
*Applies to all undergraduate students paying in-state tuition, including non-residents who receive waivers to pay in-state tuition.
During your time at UTRGV, you’ll have an amazing opportunity to discover your interest, consider your goals, decide on a major and declare your place in the world. However, as you consider your path to graduation, you’ll want to be aware of the Excess Credit Hour Policy (*Texas Education Code 61.0595), which mandates undergraduate students who…
- Attend a Texas Public Institution of Higher Education AND
- Pay Texas Resident Tuition AND
- Exhaust Their Credit Hour Buffer
…will be charged an additional $100 per excess credit hour.
So, how do you avoid paying an additional tuition cost? Simple: Monitor your academic journey carefully by…
- Meeting With An Academic Advisor. By meeting with an academic advisor in the Academic Advising Center, you’ll work together to identify the requirements for your program of study, increase your knowledge of your graduation requirements, determine your credit hour buffer, set a tentative graduation date and connect you to amazing campus resources.
- Declaring Your Major/Minor. By declaring a major/minor within the first 32 hours of your coursework at UTRGV, you may have the opportunity to explore subjects, reflect on personal strengths and have strong context to make an informed decision about your program of study.
- Determining Your Credit Hour Buffer. If you first enrolled in a Texas public institution of higher education from Fall 1999 to Summer 2006, then your credit hour buffer is 45 hours past your program of study credit hour requirements. However, if you first enrolled in a Texas public institution of higher education from Fall 2006 to present date, then your credit hour buffer is 30 hours past your program of study credit hour requirements.
As with any academic policy, we encourage you to take into consideration how the Excess Credit Hour Policy impacts your financial aid, institutional bill and your progress towards graduation.
*The following credit hours are NOT included in the calculation of excess credit hours: Semester credit hours earned by the student before graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school graduation requirements; Hours earned by the student before receiving a baccalaureate degree that has previously been awarded to the student; Hours earned by the student by examination or similar method without registering for a course; Hours earned from remedial and developmental courses, workforce education courses, or other course that would not generate academic credit that could be applied to a degree at the institution if course work is within 27-hour limit at two-year colleges and the 18-hour limit at general academic institutions; Hours earned by the student at a private institution or an out-of-state institution; Hours not eligible for formula funding; and hours earned by the student 10 or more years before the date the student begins the new degree program under the Academic Fresh Start Program of the Texas Education Code, 51.931.