Catalog

General Academic Policies and Procedures

Course Designations

Each course will have a unique three-digit alphanumeric code followed by a four-digit numeric number, course title, and number of units of credits associated with it. The three-digit alphanumeric code refers to either the school or a program within a school/division (discipline).

Department Codes

School of Business and Management

BUS Business
CAR     Career Development
COM   Communications
HSP Human Services   

School of Education and Leadership       

EDU   Education    

College of Arts and Sciences 

ART Art
BIO Biology
CHE Chemistry
CIS Computer Science
CUL Culture and Language
CPY Clinical Psychology  
DAN Dance
EIS   English for International Students    
ENG English
FRE French
GER Gerontology  
GPY  Art Therapy Psychology
HST History
IDS  Interdisciplinary Studies
KIN Kinesiology
LAT   Latin
MTH Math 
MUS Music
NSC Natural Sciences
PED   Physical Education  
PHL Philosophy
PHY Physics/Earth Science 
PSC Political Science
PSY Psychology 
REL Religious Studies 
SPA   Spanish
SOC Sociology 
THE        Theatre Arts

Course Numbering System

The four-digit numeric code following designates what type of credit is associated with each course. Numeric codes for courses receiving credit (academic and nonacademic) are assigned according to the following classification:

1000-1999 Undergraduate lower-division courses
2000-2999  Undergraduate upper-division courses
3000-3999 Upper-division undergraduate courses given graduate credit when taken by a graduate student with the prior approval of a graduate program director
4000-5999 Graduate courses leading to a master's degree or credential
6000-6999 Academic certificates courses for academic credit (Post-baccalaureate professional growth courses)
7000-7999  Non-Degree
9000-9999 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) professional growth courses non-transferable to academic degree or credential programs

Academic Units

Each semester unit (credit) represents 15 hours of instruction or the equivalent in laboratory, fieldwork, or independent study.

Quantification of a Unit of Credit

NDNU courses meet for the required number of hours and offer an opportunity to prepare, to study, and to cogitate for the required hours to engage appropriately with the course material and meet the expected student learning outcomes.  A "study hour" (Carnegie hour) is defined as 50 minutes (allowing 10 minutes break/travel time per 60-minute hour).

Unit of Credit – Undergraduate, Graduate, and CEU

  • A unit of credit at the undergraduate level represents approximately 45 study hours, e.g., 15 study hours of in-class contact and 30 study hours of out-of-class preparation.
  • A unit of credit at the master’s level represents approximately 60 study hours, e.g., 15 study hours of in-class contact and 45 study hours of out-of-class preparation.
  • A unit of credit at the doctoral level represents approximately 75 study hours, e.g., 15 study hours of in-class contact and 60 study hours of out-of-class preparation.
  • Continuing Education credit is awarded on the basis of 1 continuing education unit (CEU) for each 10 study hours of instruction. (CEUs earned may not be applied to, nor substituted for, degree requirements under any circumstances.)

Accelerated/Intensive Courses (Undergraduate)
Three-unit accelerated undergraduate courses at NDNU meet for approximately 31.5 study hours and thus have approximately 100 study hours of out-of-class preparation to meet the total study hours. A more restrictive attendance policy applies to these courses. (See the General Undergraduate Attendance Policy).

Laboratory, Studio, and Independent Study Courses
Forty-five study hours of laboratory (e.g., physics, chemistry, music) or its equivalent (e.g., workshop, studio, fieldwork, practica, or independent study) shall be considered equivalent to one undergraduate credit hour. Sixty study hours are required at the master’s level, and 75 study hours are required at the doctoral level in such courses for 1 unit of credit.

Community Engagement Courses (Undergraduate)
For courses designated in the Catalog as “Community Engagement” (CE) courses, work in the community is considered to be the equivalent of in-class contact hours. Within these courses, a unit of undergraduate credit may represent 15 study hours of community work and 30 study hours of out-of-class preparation.

Performance/Activity Courses (Undergraduate)
For courses designated in the Catalog as “Performance/Activity” courses, a minimum of 30 study hours of performance/activity shall be considered equivalent to one undergraduate credit hour. The number of such courses that can be used toward the degree is limited.

Exceptions and Variations
For some courses, the number of credit hours assigned may differ from those that would be indicated above for reasons such as disciplinary, regulatory, accrediting, certification, and/or licensure standards or equivalency of learning outcomes.

R. N. Continuing Education Credit
Notre Dame de Namur University offers continuing education courses for registered nurses under provider number 13634. Each semester unit of regular academic courses counts for 15 hours of nursing continuing education credit. Each semester unit of NDNU continuing education courses counts for 10 hours of nursing continuing education credit. A list of courses eligible for credit is available from the Registrar's Office.

Noncredit Study
Noncredit study is not transcripted by the Registrar's Office.

Undergraduate Class Standing

Undergraduate class standing is determined as follows:

  • Freshman: 0-29 units completed
  • Sophomore: 30-59 units completed
  • Junior: 60-89 units completed
  • Senior: 90 or more units completed

Retention of Final Examinations

Final exams are retained by the instructor for a period of one semester after the date of the exam. Students who desire to review a final exam evaluation should contact the instructor within that period. Exams of part-time instructors or those who are no longer at the University are stored in the department or school deans' offices.

Veterans' Affairs

The California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education approves Notre Dame de Namur University degree programs. Some certificate programs, excluding continuing education, are also approved for VA benefits. Veterans who expect to receive VA educational benefits must complete application forms with the Veterans’ Coordinator at the time of registration. Eligible veterans may visit the NDNU Military and Veteran Students Web page at http://www.ndnu.edu/admissions/military for current information or e-mail the Veterans' Coordinator, Mary Vice, in the Registrar's Office at mvice@ndnu.edu to begin using their education benefits at NDNU.

Monthly benefits are based on the number of units taken each semester, the scheduled meeting dates of each course taken, and the number of veteran's dependents. Information on monthly benefits may be obtained by calling (888) 442-4551. Disabled veterans are advised to contact the Vocational Rehabilitation Office in Oakland, CA, at (510) 637-1128. Children and spouses of veterans qualify for Survivor/Dependent benefits only if the veteran’s death or disability is 100 percent service-related.

All applicants and recipients of Veterans' Benefits must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) in a degree program if an undergraduate or 3.0 (B) if a graduate student. Students in articulated programs must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C) in all undergraduate courses and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) in all graduate courses during the period of articulation.

Students who fail to meet the minimum satisfactory GPA requirements will be placed on Academic Probation and notified. If a student remains on academic probation beyond two semesters, the University will report a termination of benefits to the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

The University may not continue to certify the enrollment of a veteran or eligible person whose academic progress remains below graduation requirements. In the certificate program, if a VA student fails one course, the student is placed on Academic Probation. If a VA student fails the second course, he or she will not be certified for VA benefits. Continuous enrollment is subject to University policy. The University must report the assignment of nonpunitive grades (e.g., Incompletes) to the Department of Veterans' Affairs within 30 days from the date the grades are assigned. The student is required to submit corroborative evidence to substantiate his/her claim of extraordinary circumstances. This is necessary to ensure compliance with statutory restrictions on benefit programs. If, at the end of one year from the date the Incomplete was assigned, the student's records still reflect a nonpunitive grade for the course, the Department of Veterans' Affairs will inform the student that the benefit payments for the course must be retroactively terminated.

Please note that while NDNU does certify students eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits, we are not a Yellow Ribbon school at this time.

NEW AT NDNU: Student Veterans’ Alliance
The goal of the NDNU Student Veterans’ Alliance is to help transition veterans from military to civilian life within a higher education environment. NDNU welcomes veterans from all branches and, through the Veterans’ Alliance, strives to provide the support, resources, and advocacy necessary for success at NDNU. The Alliance encourages veteran students to come together for mutual support by providing regular meetings, both informal and formal, workshops on a variety of topics, and veteran speakers. The Alliance also maintains connections with local veterans’ organizations and the community. For more information, contact Dr. Peggy Koshland-Crane at (650) 508-3670 or mcrane@ndnu.edu.

Transcripts

Students may obtain official transcripts of credit work at Notre Dame de Namur University from the Registrar's Office upon written request and with payment of a $10 fee for each transcript requested (first copy free of charge). Please allow a minimum of five business days for processing. Rush transcripts (same day processing) are $30 per transcript. Official transcripts cannot be sent by fax. Transcripts of work taken at other institutions cannot be issued. The University reserves the right to withhold the records of any student not in good financial standing as defined by the University.

Diplomas

Diplomas are ordered only after all grades are posted and the University has verified the completion of all academic requirements and the clearing of all financial obligations. Please allow approximately three months after verification for receipt of diploma.

Diplomas show the degree earned and the date conferred. The date posted on the diploma coincides with the last month of the semester of the completion of all requirements:

  • Fall: December
  • Spring: May
  • Summer: August

Undergraduate diplomas also display the major(s) and honors at graduation. Diplomas for Business Administration majors additionally list the concentration(s). Multiple majors in more than one degree do not yield two degrees; the degree is determined by the primary major.

Graduate diplomas display a maximum of two program concentrations and do not indicate academic honors.

Certificates

To receive a certificate earned at NDNU, students must complete an Application for NDNU Certificate form and return it to the Registrar's Office in St. Mary's Hall, Room 110. To receive the certificate in a timely manner, this form should be filed upon registering for the final class in a certificate program.