The standard academic load for traditional undergraduate students is 16 semester hours per term, but students may take up to 20 semester hours per term. By academic policy, a student seeking to register for more than 20 hours must have at least a 2.5 grade point average and submit an Overload Application to the Office of the Registrar.

Standard North Park undergraduate tuition covers up to 17 hours per semester per student. You will be charged an additional fee per credit hour if you are registered for more than 17 credit hours in any semester. Please see the Tuition and Fees page for more information about the charges.

North Park University reserves the right to restrict a student’s academic load if employment or other conditions create a risk to the student’s health or scholarship.

If you wish to take a course that is part of the North Park University curriculum but is not being offered during the current term, you will need to request to take a course out of sequence. For example, Spanish 2010 is offered in the fall but not in the spring; students needing to take this course in the spring would apply to take this course out of sequence.

To take a Course out of Sequence, you will need to complete the course out of sequence form and return it to the Office of the Registrar with the signatures of the instructor, your advisor, and division chairperson/school dean in order for the request to be approved. Please be advised that if you submit the form after the first week of the semester, you will be charged a $15 add fee.

Enrollment verification offers proof of enrollment as well as your student status at North Park University. To request a letter of verification, please email us or stop by the Office of the Registrar to provide the exact name and address to whom the letter will be sent. There is no cost for this service.

An independent study is a course that is not part of the North Park University curriculum. To register for an independent study, you will need to complete the Independent Study request form and obtain the signatures of the instructor, your advisor, and the division chairperson/school dean before returning the form to the Office of the Registrar. If this form is received after the first week of the semester, you will be charged a $15 add fee.

North Park University encourages all undergraduates to declare a major by the end of their first year as a student. You are eligible to declare your major at any point during your academic career. Students are invited to discuss their potential majors, as well as larger academic and life goals, with their assigned faculty advisors.

You officially declare your major by submitting an online form.

If you would like to register for more than 20 semester hours of credit in any semester, you must complete an Overload Application and turn it into the Office of the Registrar along with the Add/Drop form for the additional course(s) in which you want to enroll. You must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in order for the petition to be considered.

You will be charged an additional fee for each registered credit over 17 semester hours. See Tuition and Fees to review these charges in detail.

Unless otherwise noted, all North Park University classes are offered for a grade, which translates to a specific number in your GPA calculation. If you wish to take a course Pass/Fail instead, you will need to complete the Pass/Fail application and include your name, ID number, department, course number, section, title, and semester/quad. You must obtain the signature of your advisor and the instructor of the course. The application is due by the end of the fourth week of the class and should be returned to the Office of the Registrar.

Guidelines for Pass-Fail:

• Courses taken Pass/Fail will not fulfill General Education requirements.
• You must have completed 30 semester hours of coursework.
• You must have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above.
• You may take only one Pass/Fail course per semester.
• You may take up to 16 semester hours of Pass/Fail during your undergraduate career.
• You cannot take courses on a Pass/Fail basis in your major field or supporting courses for the major.
• You may take only one course per discipline on a Pass/Fail basis.
• To receive a grade of “P,” you need to earn a minimum grade of C. A grade of D or F will otherwise be recorded.

The Student Academic Standing Committee (SASC) exists to hear petitions related to academic policies, procedures, and regulations. The Committee meets on a monthly basis during the academic year. Petitions must be received by Office of the Registrar a week before the meeting in order to be reviewed.

To petition the academic standing committee, you will need to complete the SASC Petition. You will need to use a different form for each petition/concern. Signatures from your advisor and department are optional but it is encouraged for you to obtain their approval. It is requested that you submit a typed letter concerning your petition and attach it to the SASC Petition.

Return this form to the Office of the Registrar. If you have questions concerning the petition process or when the committee meets, please feel free to contact Office of the Registrar directly.

To transfer credit to North Park University for classes taken at another institution, you will need to complete the Application to Transfer Credit. You will need to secure signatures of your advisor, the chair of the department/division accepting the credits, and the records evaluator. Please be sure to include a copy of the course description of the requested transfer class. Once you have completed the course at the other institution, you will need to have an official transcript sent to the Office of the Registrar.

Sixty-Hour Rule

You may not transfer credits from a two-year (junior/community) college after you have earned 60 semester hours of credit.

Residence Rule

You must take the last 30 semester hour of your coursework at North Park to be eligible to graduate from the University. At least 10 of these last 30 hours must in your major field.

Major Courses

If you believe you have taken a course at another school that will meet requirements for your major, you will need to complete a Transfer of Major Courses Form. This form must be signed by your major department.

Learn more about being a transfer student at North Park University.

To withdraw from North Park University, you will need to complete and submit an Exit and Withdrawal form with the Office of the Registrar. This form requires a signature from the Financial Aid Office, dean of students, Office of the Registrar, and Housing Office, if applicable. If you are planning to withdraw after the start of a semester, it is recommended that you review the refund policy.