Substitution – Waiver Policy
Students who transfer courses to Dickinson State University (DSU) that might meet program requirements of a particular major, minor, or concentration should have the courses evaluated by the appropriate department after transfer coursework has been posted to the DSU transcript. Students should be able to provide information on each course involved, such as a detailed course description or a course syllabus.
When a transfer course is found to be equivalent to a particular DSU course, a Course Equivalency Form should be submitted to the Office of Academic Records. A Course Equivalency Form allows any future transfers of the same course from the same institution to automatically be accepted as meeting the requirement of the particular DSU course (valid for five years). In cases where the transfer course is not similar enough for equivalency, but is deemed appropriate as a substitution, a Course Substitution – Waiver Form should be submitted to the Office of Academic Records. A Course Substitution – Waiver Form only applies to that particular case for that student and does not meet prerequisite requirements.
There may be times when a student cannot take a particular DSU course required for a program because of time conflicts or changes in a program’s frequency of offering. In such cases, the program may allow another course to substitute for the required course. However, the course used to substitute for the required course cannot be another required course; in other words, one course in a program cannot be used to fulfill two required courses in that program. The substitute course must be one that is not already required by the program. Poor planning on the part of the student or failure to enroll in a required course does not constitute sufficient grounds for course substitutions or waivers.
Permission may be granted to substitute or waive courses for General Education, majors or minors, or other institutional requirements upon approval of the student’s advisor, department chair, Director of Academic Records and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs when applicable.
Students and faculty should be familiar with this policy. Students shall work with their academic advisor, anticipated transfer institutions, and employers to determine any negative consequences of the substitution. Deviation from the course of study as outlined in the course catalog will be approved through the process listed below.
Conditions for course substitution:
- Student shall be currently active in Campus Connection in the program of study to which the substitution applies.
- Course substitution request should be submitted after the student has been matriculated and the course being substituted has been posted on the DSU transcript.
- Course substituted shall compare adequately to the content and outcomes of the required course or satisfy program outcomes that override course outcomes.
- Substituted courses shall be within one academic level of the required course (200 level substituted for a 300 level course)
- A course syllabus and/or course description and current DSU unofficial transcript must be attached to the request.
Approval Process:
General Education Course Substitution: The student shall have the approval of his/her advisor, department chair of the student’s major, department chair of the course, and Director of Academic Records.
Major/Minor Course Substitution: The student shall have the approval of his/her advisor, department chair of the student’s major, and Director of Academic Records.
Other Institutional Requirements: Requests to waive other graduation requirements (not course related) require completion of a Waiver of Graduation Requirement Form. The student shall have approval of the department chair of the student’s major, and Director of Academic Records and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Notification of approval or denial of the substitution will be sent to the appropriate department chair. Approved substitutions/waivers will be applied to the student’s Academic Advisement Report on Campus Connection which will be identified as a course exception and include the date substitution/waiver was approved.
NOTE: Substitution forms are not necessary for transfer courses appearing on the student’s unofficial transcript as equivalent to the DSU course.
For further information, contact the Office of Academic Records, May Hall, room 111.