Course Numbering System

Each course offered by The University of Texas at El Paso is identified by a four-digit course number. The first number indicates the level: 0 = developmental, 1 = freshman, 2 = sophomore, 3 = junior, 4 = senior, 5 or 6 = graduate. The second number indicates the semester-hour value of the course. The last two numbers identify the course within its particular department.

Registration

Registration is a process every student must successfully complete each semester. Although every effort is made to advise students academically, final responsibility for registration rests with the student. Students can attend only those classes for which they are officially enrolled. A student is not enrolled in a course and will not receive a grade for it unless the proper tuition and fees are paid by the deadlines published in the online Class Schedule or unless arrangements have been made with the Student Business Services Office for deferral of payment. If after census day, a student continues to attend classes even after their class schedule was canceled because tuition and fees were not paid, or a student attends a course(s) that he or she is not officially registered in, the student must obtain approval from the instructor(s) to enroll in the course(s). After the semester is closed, the student must obtain approval from the instructor(s) and department chair(s) to enroll in the course(s) no later than 90 days after the end of the term for which the approval is being requested. All approvals must be forwarded to the Registration and Records Office. The student must pay the proper tuition and fees, plus any late fees associated with the late enrollment. After registration, enrollment can be verified by the Registration and Records Office.

Late Registration

Any student who, with proper permission, registers after the scheduled days for regular registration will be required to pay a special charge of $20.00 for the late Web registration process, $30.00 for in-person late registration, or $50.00 on or after the first official school day of class. A new student will have the late registration fee waived as long as registration is made before the first official day of class. Late registrants are subject to the same regulations and course requirements as students who enroll on time. Classes missed because of late registration will be counted as absences, and class or laboratory work missed will be counted as a zero (0) unless the instructor grants the student permission to make up the work.

Any student who has been withdrawn and has his or her schedule reinstated after census day will be assessed a $200 reinstatement fee.

Audit Registration

Courses can be audited under the following provisions:

1. Students should complete an Audit Registration Form for each course to be audited after classes have begun and prior to the Census Day of the long semester. This form must be signed by the instructor teaching the course and by the department chair and then taken to Student Business Services in the Academic Services Building for payment.
2. No grades will be assigned and no credit will be awarded for audited courses. The extent of the auditing student’s class participation is at the discretion of the instructor.
3. Credit by examination for audited courses will not be permitted unless tuition and all appropriate fees are paid before the exam is taken.
4. The following courses cannot be audited: clinical, laboratory, studio activity, any physical activity class (such as PE or Dance), individual instruction, private lessons, or courses specified in the degree plan. It is the student’s responsibility to verify that the course being audited is not within the excluded categories. Audit registration fees will not be refunded for a class in an excluded category.
5. Audit-only students must purchase a library community user card and a parking decal if they wish to park on UTEP property. Other student benefits such as tickets to events, student health services, access to the Swimming and Fitness Center, or a student ID are not available to audit-only students. Existing student IDs will not be activated for any semester in which a student is in an audit-only status.
6. Audit fees:
   1. $10.00 per course for students concurrently enrolled at UTEP.
   2. $30.00 per course for students not concurrently enrolled at UTEP.
   3. No charge for students over 65 years of age.
7. Students should not register for courses they plan to audit. Course registration does not guarantee a seat as an auditor. Registering for the course will result in the assessment of regular tuition and fees, in addition to the audit fees noted above.

In accordance with Texas Education Code, Section 51.974, undergraduate course information including syllabi and faculty curriculum vitae may be obtained by visiting the Public Access to Course Information Search Page. 

Texas Common Course Numbering (TCCN) System

The University of Texas at El Paso participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering (TCCN) System, which was developed to facilitate the transfer of general academic courses among Texas colleges and universities. Common courses are freshman- and sophomore-level courses taught throughout Texas which correspond with the general description of courses or category of courses included in the Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual. A UTEP course determined to be equivalent to a course listed in the Guide has the common course number listed below the UTEP course title in the individual course description of this catalog and a Texas state symbol is to the left of the course prefix and number. Students interested in transferring can refer to the common course number in each college or university catalog to determine course transferability among institutions.

Classification of Students

Classification is based on the total number of UTEP and transfer semester hours earned:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Classification		Hours
Freshman		0-29 hours
Sophomore		30-59 hours
Junior		60-89 hours
Senior		90 or more hours

Maximum Course Load

A student is permitted to register each term for the maximum number of semester credit hours listed below. Written permission from the academic dean must be obtained to take more than the maximum load. Students must have a grade point average above 2.0 to request permission.

Course Load

semester	description	hours
Fall		21
Spring (Wintermester)		24 (combined terms), or 21 for Spring, or 6 for Wintermester
Summer (Maymester)		15 (combined terms), or 9 for Summer, or 6 for Maymester

Enrollment Status and Verification

Enrollment

Fall and Spring	Hours Per Semester/Term
Full-time	12 or more
Part-time	Fewer than 12

Enrollment2

Maymester and Wintermester
Full-time	3 or more
Part-time	Fewer than 3

Summer Sessions

Summer Sessions
Full-time	6 or more, or 3 in Summer I and 3 in 8-week, or 3 in Summer II and 3 in 8-week, or 3 in Summer I and 3 in Summer II
3/4 time	4-5
1/2 time	3
Less than 1/2 time	Fewer than 3

Students enrolled in accelerated, online or other special programs that use “parts-of-term” are considered full-time if they are enrolled in at least 3 credit hours in any given part of term and also meet the full-term requirements noted above.

Students who are not eligible to enroll without conditions, who are on academic probation or academic suspension/dismissal, who have been readmitted or reinstated from such conditions, or who are in the START Program will have course load conditions imposed by their advisor or dean. Students should see the section of this catalog entitled Standards of Academic Performance.

For enrollment verification to financial aid, scholarships, loan agencies, insurance companies, etc., the following categories will be followed. Students are encouraged to enroll in the appropriate number of credit hours as required/specified by the agencies. Veteran students are recommended to consult with the campus Veterans Affairs Office.

Limits on Undergraduate Course Enrollment

In most instances, a student may enroll in an undergraduate class a maximum of three (3) times; further enrollment requires PERMISSION OF THE ACADEMIC DEAN OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT OFFERS THE COURSE. This includes enrollments that result in a grade of W, F, D, or P. It does not apply to courses taken prior to a student’s re-enrolling under “Option 2” as described under the Reinstatement After Extended Absence or Academic Fresh Start portions of this catalog. Individual colleges might have more restrictive policies.

A student may enroll more than three times in a variable-topic, studio, performance, workshop, or other course that is identified as “may be repeated for credit.” A student may not enroll in a course in which he or she has an unresolved grade of I (Incomplete).  Because all grades earned remain on the academic record and are included in the GPA calculation, and because obtaining an "A" in a course where a "C" was earned previously results in only a negligible increase in GPA, students are strongly discouraged from repeating grades higher than D/F.  Exceptions will be considered by the Dean of the academic college in which the course is offered.

Courses Taken on a Pass/Fail Basis

Some courses are graded only on a Satisfactory (grade of S)/Unsatisfactory (grade of U) basis, sometimes called “Pass/Fail.” For these courses, students who earn the “S” grade will earn the course credits and students who earn the “U” grade will not earn the course credits, but neither the S nor the U will impact the student’s Grade Point Average (GPA). Check with the appropriate academic department for a listing of these courses. These courses can be used to fulfill degree requirements if so specified on the student's degree plan. In addition, an undergraduate student whose cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or higher can take courses on a Pass/Fail (S/U) basis with the following conditions:

1. To obtain credit for the course, the student must meet the minimum standard and do all assigned work required for the grade of A, B, C, or D.
2. Courses taken on a Pass/Fail (S/U) basis cannot be counted toward the minimum residency requirement
3. A maximum of four courses attempted on a Pass/Fail (S/U) basis can be used to fulfill degree requirements, as free electives only.
4. Such courses cannot be reserved for graduate credit.
5. Not more than two such courses can be taken in a long semester or one in a summer session.
6. Business majors cannot take any course offered by the College of Business Administration on a Pass/Fail (S/U) basis.
7. No course graded Pass/Fail (S/U) can be used to fulfill any degree requirement in the College of Engineering.
8. No courses taken on a Pass/Fail (S/U) basis can be counted for the major in the College of Liberal Arts.

To enroll on a Pass/Fail (S/U) basis in courses that are not normally graded Pass/Fail, a student must:

1. Obtain a Pass/Fail (S/U) form and approved signature from the academic dean of his or her college.
2. Submit the approved form to the Records Office by the submission deadline listed in the on-line Class Schedule.

Election of the Pass/Fail (S/U) option is irrevocable after the submission deadline. Pass/Fail (S/U) courses are not included in the grade point average calculation. There is no assurance that Pass/Fail (S/U) courses will be accepted as transfer credit by another institution.

Reservation of Work by Undergraduates for Graduate Credit

Ordinarily, undergraduates are not eligible to take graduate courses; seniors are eligible to register for graduate courses in their last semester under the conditions listed below. A student who already has a baccalaureate degree cannot reserve courses for graduate credit unless enrolled at the undergraduate level working toward a second baccalaureate degree. 

1. The undergraduate must need no more than 12 semester hours (or six semester hours in summer session) of work to complete all requirements for the baccalaureate degree and must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 in junior- and senior-level courses.
2. These 12 hours (or less) must all be completed in the same semester or summer session in which the graduate courses are taken.
3. Total registration for all work must not exceed 15 semester hours (or 9 hours in a summer session).
4. Enrollment in graduate courses must be approved prior to registration by the graduate advisor of the department, the undergraduate dean, and the Dean of the Graduate School.
5. This option is limited to one term.

With the exception of students enrolled in institutionally approved curricular programs that explicitly involve the joint granting of baccalaureate degrees and graduate degrees and fast-track programs, an undergraduate cannot count credit for graduate courses toward the baccalaureate degree.  It will be reserved for credit toward a graduate degree.  A form for reserving courses is available in the Graduate School.  Approval to reserve work for graduate credit neither constitutes nor implies admission to any graduate program.

Repetition of Courses

D/F Repeat for all 1000 and 2000 level courses

If a student earns a D or F in a 1000 or 2000 level course the student may "D/F repeat" that course.  Students have only one opportunity per course to improve their original grades under the D/F repeat policy.  The new grade becomes the grade that counts toward the student's cumulative GPA and credit hours for graduation, even if the repeated course grade is lower than the original grade in the course.  The D/F repeat policy will be enacted any time an eligible course is repeated.

When a course is D/F repeated, the following procedure occurs:

1. The original grade is disregarded for the purpose of determining the overall GPA, it is marked as excluded (E) in the semester that the student originally took the course.
2. The original grade is not deleted from the student's permanent record.
3. The second grade is entered on the student's transcript and marked as included (I) in the semester that the course was repeated.

Other Repeated Courses

Courses repeated, but not eligible for the provisions of the D/F repeat policy follow this procedure:

1. The original grade is included in determining the overall GPA.  It is excluded from earned or degree hours and is marked with an (IA).
2. The original grade is not deleted from the student's permanent record.
3. The second grade is entered on the student's transcript and is included in the semester that the course was repeated.
4. Courses repeated more than once are handled the same way with the final attempt carrying earned or degree hours.  All attempts are used for determining the GPA.

Final Examinations

Exemption from final examinations cannot be given. Final examinations are scheduled to be two hours, forty-five (45) minutes in length and take place during the final examination period. It is the policy of the University not to administer a second final examination in a course. It is also University policy that students shall not have more than two final examinations in a single day. In the unlikely event that the examination schedule results in a student having three final examinations on a single day, the faculty member upon the request of the student shall reschedule the second of that student’s three examinations.

Coursework Requirements

Prerequisites

The first prerequisite for entering students is a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. The second prerequisite is that entering students must have taken at least 12 semester hours of advanced undergraduate courses in the area of study in which they propose to pursue a graduate major. Some areas may require more semester hours of undergraduate or master’s level preparation; prospective applicants can consult with individual programs on this. Students must earn at least a 3.0 grade point average in any preparatory or leveling work required (refer to section on Conditional Acceptance). These courses will be in addition to the 30 hours (or more) required for the master's degree itself. Leveling work will be generated on a transcript reflective of the level of the course and will affect cumulative grade point average.

Applicants accepted conditionally must work to have conditions removed within one semester.  In cases where preparatory or leveling courses are not offered during a student’s first semester, the program/graduate advisor can request an extension from the Dean of the Graduate School. Conditions for acceptance as recommended by the graduate advisors are subject to final approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Course Load

Registration in excess of 15 semester hours during a long semester, or six (6) semester hours in a summer term requires the approval of the departmental graduate advisor, the college dean, and the Graduate School.

At least 30 semester hours of upper-division and/or graduate instruction are required for any master's degree. Nine (9) semester hours of upper-division undergraduate courses approved for graduate credit are the maximum allowable in any program of study. Undergraduate courses taken for graduate credit will require additional work, the amount and nature of which are determined by the instructor. Every proposed program of study needs the approval of the Graduate School. The Graduate School discourages students from working toward more than one graduate degree at the same time except for the case of dual degree programs. If eligible for financial aid, only one program of study will be funded. Courses that are not part of the student’s official degree plan are not financial aid eligible.

Maximum Course Load

Course Load

semester	description	hours
Fall and Spring	Full-time	9 or more hours per semester
Fall and Spring	Part-time	8 or fewer hours
Fall and Spring		Maximum course load is 15 semester hours.
Maymester and Wintermester	Full-time	3 or more hours per term
Maymester and Wintermester	Part-time	2 or less hours
Maymester and Wintermester		Maximum course load is 6 hours.
Summer and 10 weeks	Full-time	3 or more hours per term
Summer and 10 weeks	Part-time	2 or less hours
Summer and 10 weeks		Maximum course load is 6 hours.

Enrollment Status and Verification

For enrollment verification to financial aid, loan agencies, insurance companies, scholarships, etc., the following categories will be followed.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Fall and Spring		Hours per Semester/Term
Full-time		9 or more hours per semester
Part-time		7-8 hours
Half time		4.5 - 6 hours
Less than half		1- 4 hours
Maymester and Wintermester
Full-time		3 or more
Part-time		2 hours
Less than part		1 hour
Summer Sessions
Full-time		3 or more
Part-time		2 hours
Less than part		1 hour

To maintain financial aid eligibility, all graduate students must enroll for a minimum of six (6) hours every Fall and Spring semester, and six (6) total hours in Summer sessions.  Students enrolled in accelerated, online or other special programs that use “parts-of-term” are considered full-time if they are enrolled in at least three (3) credit hours in any given part of term and also meet the full-term requirements noted above.

Eligibility for Teaching and Research Assistants: Teaching and research assistants must be classified as full-time students as a criterion for employment, as well as for receipt of stipends, scholarships and financial aid. This represents a minimum standard, and individual programs may require students to enroll in more hours.

VA Education Benefits: Students receiving VA education benefits should consult the Military Student Success Center.  VA education benefits do not cover courses that are not part of the student’s degree plan.

Reduced Course Load: A request for reduced course load will only be considered during the final term/graduation term. For verification purposes, a student requesting a reduced course load must submit a final degree plan and, if applicable, apply for graduation.

Career and Professional Development Services and CO-OP courses: Students who participate in the Career and Professional Development Services Cooperative Education Program and who are only enrolled in a CO-OP course will be classified as full-time for the term.  Enrollment in CO-OP only beyond two semesters requires Graduate School approval. International students with assistantships seeking to enroll in CO-OP must obtain approval from the Graduate School before enrolling in CO-OP.

Summer Enrollment: Graduate students enrolled in three (3) hours during one of the summer semesters are classified by the Graduate School as full-time for the entire summer. Students continuously enrolled on a full-time basis the immediate preceding fall and spring semesters are not required to enroll during the summer term if degree applicable course offerings are not available during the summer term. To maintain financial aid eligibility during the summer, all graduate students must enroll for a minimum of six (6) total hours in Summer sessions.  

UTEP Connect Students

Graduate students enrolled in on-line programs offered through UTEP Connect take courses in 7-week terms throughout the year. The maximum course load is 15 hours per term. UTEP Connect students adhere to Graduate School standards for enrollment status.

Enrollment Verification for Thesis and Dissertation Students

This full-time equivalent classification is a criterion for employment as teaching and research assistants, and for receipt of stipends, scholarships and financial aid. It represents a minimum standard, and individual programs may require students to enroll in more hours to qualify for support.

Thesis Students

Master’s degree students are classified by the Graduate School as full-time equivalent for financial aid purposes for up to four semesters of continual enrollment in thesis only. Students enrolled in three (3) hours of thesis are financial aid eligible and may receive loans and loan deferments. Thesis students must be enrolled in a thesis course during the semester the thesis is defended and completed, and during the semester of graduation.

Non-Thesis Students

Students will not be financial aid eligible if enrolled in less than six (6) hours every semester including the final semester. Non-thesis students must be enrolled during the semester of graduation. 

Dissertation Students

Doctoral degree students are classified by the Graduate School as full-time equivalent for financial aid purposes for up to five semesters of continual enrollment in dissertation only. Students enrolled in three (3) hours of dissertation are financial aid eligible and may receive loans or loan deferments. Dissertation students must be enrolled in dissertation during the semester the dissertation is defended and completed and during the semester of graduation.

Non-Dissertation Students

Students will not be financial aid eligible if enrolled in less than six (6) hours every semester including the final semester. Non-dissertation doctoral students must be enrolled during the semester of graduation. 

Courses Taken on a Pass/Fail Basis

Some courses are graded only on a Satisfactory (grade of S)/Unsatisfactory (grade of U) basis, sometimes called “Pass/Fail.” For these courses, students who earn the “S” grade will earn the course credits and students who earn the “U” grade will not earn the course credits, but neither the S nor the U will impact the student’s Grade Point Average (GPA).

A student can elect to take an S or U (Pass/Fail) grade in a course, but this course cannot count as leveling work or as a part of the minimum requirements for a degree except for internships and practica when designated by the department. The Pass/Fail option must be requested by or before the date listed in the online Class Schedule at www.utep.edu and is not available for all courses. Each academic department has a listing of these courses.

1. To obtain credit for the course, the student must meet the minimum standard and do all assigned work required for the grade of A, B, C, or D.
2. Courses taken on a Pass/Fail (S/U) basis cannot be counted toward the minimum residency requirement
3. Not more than two such courses can be taken in a long semester or one in a summer session.

To enroll on a Pass/Fail (S/U) basis in courses that are not normally graded Pass/Fail, a student must:

1. Obtain a Pass/Fail (S/U) form and approved signature from the academic dean of his or her college.
2. Submit the approved form to the Records Office by the submission deadline listed in the on-line Class Schedule at www.utep.edu/register.

​Election of the Pass/Fail (S/U) option is irrevocable after the submission deadline. Pass/Fail (S/U) courses are not included in the grade point average calculation. There is no assurance that Pass/Fail (S/U) courses will be accepted as transfer credit by another institution.

Courses Counted for Another Same Level Graduate Degree

No course counted toward a graduate degree may be counted toward another same level graduate degree, either directly or by substitution.
Students pursuing a second graduate degree must satisfy degree requirements without using courses applied to a previous same level graduate degree. If a second graduate degree requires the same course(s) as a previous degree, those courses should not be repeated.  Instead, the graduate advisor should assign appropriate substitutions to ensure the total number of hours required for the second graduate degree are met.  Students in combined programs such as the MBA-MPA cannot apply the same courses to MBA and MPA requirements. They must complete a separate set of courses to meet requirements for each degree.

Reserving Courses for Graduate Credit

Undergraduate students are not eligible to enroll in graduate-level courses, but under certain conditions, can request permission from the Graduate School to enroll in the graduate-level courses. The undergraduate student must submit a graduate advisor and college dean-approved Reservation for Graduate Credit form to the Graduate School. If approved, registration is processed by the Graduate School. Credit for graduate courses cannot be counted toward a baccalaureate degree; it can only be reserved for credit toward a graduate degree. Graduate level courses reserved for graduate credit will appear on a separate graduate level transcript.  A student who has a baccalaureate degree is not eligible to reserve courses for graduate credit unless enrolled at the undergraduate level working toward a second baccalaureate degree. The form for reserving courses is available at the Graduate School website. Approval to reserve work for graduate credit neither constitutes nor implies admission to any graduate program.

1. This option is limited to one term.
2. The undergraduate must not lack more than 12 semester hours (or 6 semester hours in summer session) of work to complete all requirements for the baccalaureate degree and must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 in junior and senior-level courses.
3. These 12 hours (or less) must be completed in the same semester or summer session in which the graduate course(s) are taken.
4. Total enrollment for all work must not exceed 15 semester hours (or 9 hours in a summer session).
5. All requests for enrollment in graduate courses must be approved by the departmental graduate advisor, college dean and the Graduate School.
6. Graduate Research, Individual Studies, or Seminar courses cannot be reserved for graduate credit.

Grades and Grade Point Averages

Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 or higher program grade point average (PGPA) in their major field. Graduate students (except those enrolled as post-baccalaureate students taking largely undergraduate courses) must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Credit is given in the Graduate School for the grades A, B, and C only. In the graduate course grading scale, faculty members should award grades of A or B to students who perform at an acceptable level. Dissertations and theses that are acceptable must be awarded a grade of A or B.

A grade of C represents unacceptable performance. In cases where a student should receive no credit whatsoever, an F grade should be awarded. At the graduate level D grades should not ordinarily be awarded.

In some courses, the standard grading system is not practical; such grades are not used to compute the GPA. These grades include I (incomplete), P (in progress), W (withdrawal), and S or U (pass/fail). In courses such as dissertation and thesis, that represent work toward completion of a larger project, students should be awarded a grade of P [progress] if students are making satisfactory progress or U [unsatisfactory] if the progress is not satisfactory. When the project is complete, the supervising faculty will award an appropriate letter grade. That letter grade will apply to the final thesis/dissertation course and to previous thesis/dissertation hours up to a maximum of twelve (12) hours (dissertation) or six (6) hours (thesis) unless the specified requirements for hours in those courses is higher.

For information on the grade appeal process, students should refer to the Student Grievance Procedures in the Student Life Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.

Academic Standing

Students admitted into graduate programs must remove all admissions conditions within one semester. Failure to meet conditions within one semester can result in dismissal from the Graduate School. Students admitted into a graduate program must maintain a 3.0 or better program grade point average. Post-baccalaureate non-degree, teacher and professional certification, and/or endorsement students must maintain a program grade point average of 2.5 or higher. Students enrolled in cooperative (COOP) courses must maintain a minimum program grade point average (PGPA) of 3.0.

Individual departments can impose more rigorous grading standards.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

A student admitted into a graduate program whose program grade point average drops below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. The student must return the program grade point average to a 3.0 after completion of the next nine (9) hours of study. Failure to meet the 3.0 grade point average requirement during the probationary period will result in dismissal from the Graduate School.

A dismissed student will remain on suspension for one full semester before appealing for reinstatement. Appeals for reinstatement are submitted by the respective graduate studies program committee to the Dean of the Graduate School. Only the Dean of the Graduate School can approve reinstatement of dismissed students.

Appeals must include a plan of action describing intervention to ensure student success. If readmitted, the student must raise the program grade point average to a 3.0 by the end of the first semester of reinstatement or face permanent dismissal from the Graduate School.

Post-baccalaureate non-degree, teacher and professional certification, and/or endorsement students whose program grade point averages drop below 2.5 will be placed on academic probation. The program grade point averages must be raised to at least a 2.5 after completion of the next nine (9) hours of study. Failure to meet the 2.5 grade point average requirement during the probationary period will result in dismissal from the Graduate School.

Dismissed non-degree, teacher and professional certification, and/or endorsement students will remain on suspension for one full semester before appealing for reinstatement. Appeals for reinstatement are submitted by the respective college dean to the Dean of the Graduate School. Only the Dean of the Graduate School can approve reinstatement of dismissed students.