Repeating Courses

Any course may be taken at most twice, and any grade (including W, I, V) counts as an attempt.  See the Price College of Engineering guidelines for details.

For some cases in which a non-academic emergency has prevented a student from completing a course successfully in two attempts, a third attempt may be granted.  To petition for such an exception, the student should complete the Third Attempt Request Form and include a formal letter to the School Undergraduate Committee, ensuring that it meets these requirements:

• The letter must contain a concrete and detailed plan for success in a third and final attempt, enumerating points of struggle from the previous attempts and what will be done differently to overcome them.  The committee looks favorably on a plan that is proactive and makes good use of teaching assistants, tutoring, and other campus resources for success.
• The letter must also contain a draft of the student’s proposed schedule for each week, including all classes and all commitments outside of class.  The schedule should demonstrate adequate time is being spent attending class, as well as doing assignments and studying outside of class.  Complete and attach the Time Audit Worksheet.
• The letter should contain the student’s name, University ID number, and the date.

Note: A student who is found to be enrolled in a course for a third attempt without approval will be removed after the start of classes or will find the course not considered toward degree status.

Petitions for Fall semester must be submitted before August 15.  Petitions for Spring semester must be submitted before Jan 1.

Degree Requirement Modification

In limited cases, a student may request that degree requirements be modified.  In all cases, a student must meet the University of Utah graduation requirements.  Further, the student should plan to substitute an equal number of credit hours as the required course.

Petitioning for Course Equivalence

For courses taken at other institutions and transferred to the University of Utah, see the information for transfer credit.

Substituting a Required Computing Course

A modification to a required course is considered only when a student already has an equivalent university-level course completed.  In such a case, a more advanced substitute course is required.

Substituting an Elective Computing Course

The Kahlert School of Computing degree programs offer a wide breadth of electives.  In the rare case where an outside course addresses topics uncovered by offered electives and supports the learning outcomes of their degree program, a student can petition to have such a course accepted in lieu of an elective.

Substituting a Required Math/Science Course

In most cases, advanced math courses automatically satisfy this requirement.  If there is a course that does not have Calculus II as a co- or prerequisite, yet otherwise meets the math/science requirement, a student can petition to have the course substituted.

Petition Criteria & Process

Before petitioning for a degree modification, a student should review the learning outcomes of their degree program.  In order for a modification to be allowed, the substituted course must significantly support one or more of these outcomes.  Furthermore, the modification is considered in combination with the student’s overall degree plan, where in the view of the reviewing committee, the entire program substantially covers all learning outcomes.

The following criteria are used to evaluate degree modification requests:

• Requests are reviewed based on a holistic overview of the student’s entire academic profile.  Variances are granted only when the committee determines that the change will:
  • improve the individual student’s career
  • maintain a degree that meets the expected rigor, depth, and breadth
• Be sure to request permission for a variance before taking the proposed substitute course.
• A student with a strong academic career, as demonstrated by a high GPA and a broad range of foundational courses in their major are much more likely to be considered for a variance.
• Requests to substitute a class because of scheduling conflicts are very unlikely to be granted.
• Courses which require strong computing-related technical skills are more likely to be accepted as substitutions.  This includes the use of computational methods to solve real world problems.
• When a petition is granted based on a proposed program of study, the variance is contingent on the student completing the agreed-upon plan.  Any changes to the agreed-upon course plan results in a reevaluation of the variance with the possible revocation of the variance.

To petition for such a degree modification, a student should complete the Degree Modification Request Form and include a formal letter to the School Undergraduate Committee outlining the required information below.  Each section should be titled, and the letter should contain the student’s name, University ID number, and the date.

• Variance Request (one paragraph) – Concisely define the variance that is being requested.   Also, declare the semester/year that you plan to graduate.
• Justification (less than one page) – Describe how completing the proposed substitute course complements your education and supports the learning outcomes of your degree program.  Elaborate on why the material in the proposed substitute course is not available in a course that already satisfies the degree requirements.  Elaborate further on how the proposed variance, in combination with all of your other courses and experiences, forms a strong foundation in computing and meets your degree program’s learning outcomes.
• Appendix: Program of Study (new page, one page) – In a table (ordered by department, then date), list all CS, DS, and/or math/science courses you have completed, or will have completed by graduation.  List the course number, course name, and semester/year taken.  When in doubt about future electives, indicate the probable course choices.  Include any other coursework or formal experiences that support your request.
• Appendix: Course Syllabus (new page) – Attach a syllabus for the proposed substitute course.  If the syllabus does not include a list of specific assignments, request such a list from the instructor and attach it to the syllabus.

Requests for degree modifications to go in effect during the following Fall semester must be submitted before August 1.  Requests for degree modifications to go in effect during the following Spring semester must be submitted before October 1.

Transfer & Prior Learning Credit

Transfer Credit

To petition for transfer credit to satisfy computing degree requirements, follow these steps:

1. Locate materials that fully describe the course taken, including:
   • Course description
   • Outline of topics covered
   • List of assignment descriptions
   • Prerequisite courses
   • Textbook or required readings
2. Verify that the transfer credits have been posted to your Degree Audit. If you have a prior degree, you may need to provide an academic advisor with a copy of your transcript for verification.
3. Follow the instructions below for each course you wish to petition:
   • For a Kahlert School of Computing course, complete the Transfer Course Evaluation Form.
   • For a Math, Biology, Physics, or Chemistry course, see College of Science Transfer Course Evaluations.
   • For a general education course, complete the Gen Ed Exception Form

Prior Learning Credit (AP, IB, and more)

Prior Learning Credit