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• What is the criteria for admission?
• What scholarships do Loyola offer that I can apply for?
• What effect do Advanced Placement Test scores or courses I may have taken at another College while still in high school have on my program at Loyola?
• What Courses Will I Take in My First Term at Loyola?
• Typically 5 courses are taken per semester, can I take more?
• While enrolled at Loyola will credit for courses taken at other Colleges be accepted?
• What majors and specializations within a major are available?
• When and How Do I Declare a Major?
• Can I declare a double major?
• Once a major and/or minor is declared can I change my mind?
• What's the grading system?
• How do I know if I made the Dean's List?
• Can my grades affect my academic scholarship or Financial Aid?
• How will I get my grades?
• Can I Repeat a Course?
• What services are available if I experience difficulty in a class?
• What should I do if can't attend class for a number of days?
• How do I withdraw from a course?
• Can I expect a refund of tuition if I withdraw from a course?
• Can I appeal a grade?
• Do I automatically fail a course, if I'm not able to complete all of the course work?
• What policies govern academic probation or dismissal?
• What if I need to take a leave of absence?
• What is Loyola's policy on confidentiality of records?
• I'm currently enrolled at another College, how can I transfer to Loyola?
• What if I attended Loyola in the past and want to return?
  

Admission Criteria:

Applicants for admission are evaluated according to their academic qualifications.  The most important academic criteria include the secondary school record and performance on the SAT-I Reasoning Test or the ACT Assessment Test, which are the required college entrance examinations.  Candidates are required to take the SAT-I / ACT in their junior or senior year of secondary school and to have the results forwarded to Loyola College.  Arrangements to take the SAT-I / ACT may be made either through the secondary school counselor or by writing directly to either of the following addresses:

College Entrance Examination Board
P.O. Box 6200
Princeton, NJ 08541-6200

ACT
500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168
Iowa City, IA 52243-0168

All applicants are admitted on the condition that they satisfactorily complete their secondary school program.

In addition to its Application for Admission, Loyola College accepts the Common Application (either paper or online version).  Prospective students who use this application also must submit the College's Supplement for the Common Application.  A fee of $50 must accompany the admission application.  This fee is not applied to tuition and is not refundable.  The application deadline is January 15, but students should apply as early in the senior year of high school as possible.  An application for admission will be reviewed as soon as the required test scores and records are received by the Admissions Office.  Some well-qualified applicants are accepted early.  In most cases, additional information will be requested.  Applicants who apply on time will receive an admission decision by April 1.  First-year students are admitted primarily for the fall semester; a limited number of first-year students are admitted for the spring semester.  Interested students seeking to enroll at Loyola College may obtain the application form by writing to the following address:

Undergraduate Admissions
Loyola College in Maryland
4501 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210-2699
or phone: 410-610-5012/1-800-221-9107

Financial Aid/Scholarships:
 
http://www.loyola.edu/campusresources/financialaid/

Advanced Placement Courses:

Advanced Placement Examinations are given in May by the College Entrance Examination Board.  These tests are scored and sent to the College during the summer.  Complete details on the Advanced Placement Examinations are available on request from the College Entrance Examination Board, P.O. Box 6671, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6671.

Students who have taken an advanced placement course in secondary school may obtain college credit at Loyola if their performance on the examination is satisfactory.  Credit, but no grade, is normally awarded and recorded on the student's transcript for a score of four or five, depending upon departmental policy.  The Center for Academic Services & Support (CASS) will work with students receiving advanced placement credits to make any changes necessary in their programs of study.  The maximum amount of credit awarded on the basis of all placement tests is equivalent to one academic year of credit.  Credit awarded on the basis of placement tests does not count toward fulfillment of residency requirements.

First-Semester Courses:

Students take courses in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and mathematical sciences.  These Core courses are required of all students regardless of major.  The Core requirements are as follows:

• Composition: Effective Writing (CM100)
• Ethics: One course from PL300-319 or one course from TH300-319.
• Fine Arts: One Fine Arts Course is chosen from designated possibilities in Art History (AH111), Music (MU201, MU203), Photography (PT275, PT276), Studio Arts (SA200, SA224), or Theatre (DR250, DR251).
• History: History of Modern Western Civilization (HS101) and one other HS300-level course.
• Language: Two courses at the second-year level in the same classical or modern foreign language: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish at the 103-104 level; Greek or Latin at the 123-124 level.
• Literature: Understanding Literature (EN 101) and one other English course at the 200-level.
• Mathematical Sciences: One MA / ST course (excluding MA103, MA104, MA109)
• Natural Sciences: One course in a natural science (excluding BL124).  One additional course in computer science, mathematical science (excluding MA103, MA104, MA109), or a natural science (excluding BL124).
• Philosophy: Foundations of Philosophy (PL201) and one 200-level Philosophical Perspectives course.
• Social Sciences: Any combination of two survey courses from economics, political science, psychology or sociology.  These are typically at the 100-level (200-level for psychology)l
• Theology: Introduction to Theology (TH201) and one course from TH202-280.

Sixth Course:

Students may register for only five courses (excluding Military Science and one and two-credit courses), via WebAdvisor or paper submission, during the official registration period.  To take a sixth course, a Sixth Course Form must be signed by the student's adviser and submitted after the initial registration period for the coming semester.  First-year students are permitted to request a sixth course for the 2nd semester if they earn a QPA of 3.000 or above for five, three or four-credit courses during the first semester.  Upperclassmen must be in good academic standing (having a QPA of 2.000 or above) to request a sixth course. Approval of the request is subject to successful completion of all prerequisites and course availability.

Courses taken at other colleges:

All transfer courses require the prior written permission of both the chair of the department awarding the credit and Center for Academic Services & Support (CASS).  Only courses at accredited institutions will be accepted.

Except for courses taken as part of the BSEP (Baltimore Student Exchange Program) or approved international programs, a letter grade of C or higher must be obtained for any course transferred to Loyola College, and then only the credits are transferred.  Courses with a grade of C or below does not transfer and does not count in the regular Loyola QPA, except that in the determination of honors at graduation, the cumulative average is computed on the basis of all courses taken at all colleges.  No higher honors will be awarded than those earned with grades that appear on the Loyola transcript for courses completed at Loyola through Loyola sponsored programs.

Students who have been placed on disciplinary suspension by the College will not be granted transfer credit for courses taken at other institutions during the suspension period.

Coding for Major & Minors:

For Biology Majors:

For Biology/Chemistry Majors:

For Business Administration Majors:

For Communications Majors:

For Computer Science Majors:

For Engineering Science Majors:

For Fine Arts Majors:

For Mathematical Majors:

For Physics Majors:

Declaring a Major:

Upon admission to the College, most students express an interest in a specific major.  During the entire first year and the first semester of the sophomore year, the student, working with a core adviser, selects or confirms a major in an area of interest and demonstrated ability.  The student has the option to formally declare a major as early as the end of the second semester but may remain undeclared until the end of the third semester.  Upon the declaration of a major, the Center for Academic Services & Support will assign the student to a faculty member from the department of the major who will serve as academic adviser in place of the core adviser.

Declaring a Double Major:

Students may earn majors in more than one department, but they must complete all of the requirements for each major. Students majoring in related disciplines (eg., mathematical sciences and computer science) must receive permission from each department chair for specific courses to be applied towards requirements in both majors. The student's official record indicates the major as, for example, Mathematical Sciences-Computer Science.

A double major / concentration in two business disciplines must be approved by the Assistant Dean of the Sellinger School.  A maximum of 69 credits may be completed within the Sellinger School of Business and Management.

Changing a major or minor:

The advisor and relevant department chair may permit a student to transfer from one major to another provided that:

• the student meets the requirements of the school and department where admission is being sought;
• the proposed change will better suit the student's aptitude, interests, and abilities
• the student understands that all course requirements for the new major must be completed;
• the faculty advisor, the chair of the department to which the student wishes to change, and the chair of the department the student intends to leave have been consulted by the student;
• the student has properly completed and returned the Requests for Change of Major/Minor Form to the Records Office.
  

Loyola College gives no assurance that students who change majors will be able to fulfill degree requirements within 4 years. Students are responsible for making certain that all degree requirements have been completed.

Grading System:

A student's performance in a course will be reported by the instructor in accordance with the following grading system:

A Excellent. Denotes outstanding achievement and an unsual degree of intellectual initiative.  It is the highest grade awarded.
B Good. Denotes work which surpasses the objectives for the course.  It is a mark of distinction.
C Satisfactory. Denotes work which achieves the objectives for the course.  It is the lowest grade given for an acceptable performance.
D Unsatisfactory. Denotes work of inferior quality compared to the objectives for the course.  It is the lowest passing grade and a mark of inadequate performance.
F Failure. Denotes inadequate work below the minimal standards of competence required to pass the course.  A course with this grade does not satisfy prerequisite or degree requirements.
P Pass-Fail. Pass denotes satisfactory work, equivalent to a "C" (2.00) or better for a course taken on a pass/fail basis. Course credits for P grade are added to the student's credit total, but the grade is not included in calculating the quality point average.  The F grade is counted as a zero in calculating the student's quality point average.  Ordinarily, a course taken on a pass/fail basis cannot count toward the requirements for a degree.

S Satisfactory. Denotes satisfactory work, equivalent to a C (2.000) or better for a course taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.  This grade means that course credits will be added to the student's credit total, but this grade has no effect on the student's quality point average.
W Withdrawal. Denotes withdrawal from the course on or before the deadline for this change of status.  This grade means that the course has no effect on the student's credit total or quality point average.
NG No Grade. Denotes a zero credit course.
NR Not Received. Denotes that the grade has not been submitted by the instructor.
GL Grade Later. Denotes the first semester grade for a two semester course when the final grade is given at the end of the second term.
L Audit. Denotes that the student is auditing the course.  To receive this grade on the transcript, the student must satisfy the attendance and other course requirements set by the instructor for an official audit.

AW Audit Withdrawal. Denotes lack of attendance and completion of other course requirements for a student registered as an auditor.
I Incomplete Grade

"Plus" or "minus" suffixes are used to more sharply define the academic achievement of a student within these performance categories:

The quality point average (QPA) is an average of the student's grades that gives proportionate weight to individual courses on the basis of the credit value assigned to them. Most courses have a three-credit value. a few courses have one, two, or four credit values.  

DEAN'S LIST

At the end of each semester, recognition on the Dean's List for distinguished academic achievement is awarded to students who achieve a minimum QPA of at least 3.500 for the term, provided that, in the term they have successfully completed courses totaling a minimum of 15 credits applicable to the degree (excluding pass/fail courses and courses assigned a grade of W).  If the recommended course load for a particular term falls below the required 15 credits, an elective should be added for students to meet the credit requirement for consideration for Dean's List.  These same requirements apply to students participating in the Loyola study abroad programs, affiliations, and exchange programs in which the grades are transferred to Loyola College.

Loyola students in Beijing, Cork, Leuven, and Newcasle must achieve a minimum cumulative QPA of 3.500 for the year, provided that, in the year they have successfully completed courses totaling a minimum of 30 credits applicable to a degree (excluding pass/fail courses and courses assigned a grade of W). 

Loyola students at yearlong programs, exchanges, or affiliations abroad must obtain a minimum cumulative QPA of 3.500 for the year and must complete at least 30 credits applicable to a degree.  Students at semester-long programs, exchanges, or affiliations abroad must earn at least a 3.500 cumulative QPA and complete 15 or more credits applicable to a degree.

Academic Scholarship  / Financial Aid Retention Policy:
 
Students awarded Presidential, Claver and Knott Scholarships must maintain the scholarship retention requirements specified in the original scholarship award letter.  

Federal regulations require that students receiving federal financial aid make satisfactory academic progress in accordance with standards set by the College.  Students are normally expected to complete their undergraduate degree within eight terms (4 years).  Loyola is not obligated to continue aid to students who require more than eight terms to complete degree requirements.  However, students are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements if they earn credits and achieve cumulative grade point averages according to the following schedule:

Financial Aid based on federal and institutional eligibility formulas is granted for one academic year only.  The College Scholarship Service PROFILE Application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be submitted each year the student applies for financial aid.  Renewal awards are based on continued demonstrated financial need and satisfactory academic progress toward a degree.

Students who are suspended from the College as a result of a violation of the Student Code of Conduct or the Honor Code will forfeit eligibility for institutionally-funded, need-based grant assistance and academic scholarship assistance for additional semesters needed to complete an undergraduate degree.

Accessing Grades:
 
http://iggy.loyola.edu/records/student_services/grade.html 
 

Repeating a course:

A student may choose to repeat any course.  All grades for a repeated course will be included with the original grade in the computation of the cumulative QPA.  Students repeating courses specifically required in the core must repeat the same course.  If a course is failed in a core area, it may be repeated by another course in that area (any social science course may be taken as a repeat for any other social science course).  Students repeating courses specifically required in the major must repeat the same course.  Any free or non-departmental elective is a valid repeat for any other free or non-departmental elective.  A major elective must be repeated by a course within the major elective group.  In all circumstances, both the original and repeated grades count in the cumulative QPA.  Students may repeat failed Loyola courses at another institution under the terms specified here.  However, the original grade remains on the transcript, and the transfer grade is not computed in the Loyola cumulative QPA.

Tutoring Services: http://www.loyola.edu/academics/cass/thestudy  

Attendance Policy:

The College educational experience comprises more than just private reading and the passing of examinations and tests. Mature and motivated students recognize that active and informed participation in class discussions is essential to the development of their intellectual abilities and their scholarly growth. Accordingly, the College expects its students to accept their responsibility to attend class regularly. The attendance requirements and the grading system for each course are explained by the teacher of the course at the start of each term.  

If, for reasons of health or other emergency, a student knows that he/she will be absent from class for several days, the student should inform the Center for Academic Services & Support (CASS) by telephone 410-617-5050.  CASS will, in turn, notify the student's instructors.  Only instructors can excuse student absences from their classes. Students are expected to be on time for all classes and must take semester examinations at the regularly scheduled time.  Students who are absent from a semester examination for a serious reason may be permitted to take a deferred examination if they validate their absence to the satisfaction of the instructor.  Students who are absent from a deferred examination automatically receive a grade of zero for the examination.
   
  

Withdrawing from a Course :
 
During the first 4 days of the semester, a full-time student may withdraw from a course without receiving a grade of W. A student may withdraw from a course upon the advice and approval of the instructor of the course, the faculty advisor, and a member of the Center for Academic Services & Support (CASS) and receive a grade of W no later than four full weeks (20 class days) before the end of a semester. Intercollegiate athletes must obtain the signature of the academic coordinator for varsity athletics. Failure to comply with the official withdrawal procedure will result in a permanent grade of F or AW .
 

Withdrawal/Refund Policies:
(Federal Financial Aid Refund Policy)
http://www.catalogue.loyola.edu/records/undergraduate/financial.html 
 
(Loyola's Refund Policy)
http://www.catalogue.loyola.edu/records/undergraduate/withdrawal.html#refund
 

Appeal of a Grade:

Any student who has reason to question the accuracy of a grade should request a consultation with the instructor.  If a satisfactory solution is not reached, the student should request, in writing, a formal review of the grade with the instructor.  This request must be made no later than four months after the grade was issued.  The instructor then reports to the student, in writing, the result of the grade review.  If the student is still not satisfied, the student should make a request, in writing within 30 days of receipt of the instructor's resolution for a conference with the department chair.  Parents and attorneys are not permitted to attend the grade appeal conference.  After conferring with the student and the instructor, the chair then sends a written recommendatin to the instructor and student.

If the instructor does not accept the recommendation of the department chair, then the chair will appeal to a two-member panel to resolve the issue.  The panel will consult all parties concerned with the case and then vote either for or against the recommendation of the department chair.  The decision of the panel is final.  If the vote of the panel is split, the original grade stands  If a grade appeal involves an alleged honor code violation, it is recommened that the grade appeal be heard after the Honor Council has reached a dcision about the alleged infraction.  If a dismissal involves a grade appeal, then both the dismissal and the grade appeal must be filed within 30 days of the close of the semester.  Students who have been academically dismissed and who are in process of an appeal may not register for future terms until the appeal is resolved. 

Incompletes:
 
At the discretion of the course instructor, a temporary grade of I (Incomplete) may be given to a student who is passing a course but for reasons beyond the student's control (illness, injury, or other nonacademic circumstances), is unable to complete the required coursework during the semester. a grade of I should not be issued to allow the student additional time to complete academic requirements of the course (except as noted above), repeat the course, complete extra work, or because of excessive absenteeism or the student's unexcused absence from the final exam.  A grade of I may be assigned to graduating seniors only with the written approval of the academic dean of the student's college, and only if the Incomplete Form is submitted no later than the final day grades are due in the Records Office.  In all other cases, the Records Office will assign a grade of NR.
 
Arrangements for the grade of I must be made prior to the final examination, or if the course has no final examination, prior to the last class meeting. The responsibility for completing all coursework within the agreed upon time rests with the student. The completion dates for courses for which a grade of I is issued are: Fall Semester - February 1st; Spring Semester - July 1st; Summer Sessions - October 1st.  

If an extension to the above deadlines is necessary, the signature of the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences or the Dean of the Sellinger School of Business and Management is required.  The grade of I may remain on the record no longer than the time period agreed to by the instructor and the student and may not exceed one semester.  If the I is not resolved satisfactorily within the agreed upon time period, a grade of F (0.00) will be recorded by the Records Office as the final grade.  Students may not graduate with a grade of I in any course on their record.
 
 

Academic Probation or Dismissal:
 
In order to be in good standing at Loyola College, first-year students are required to have a cumulative QPA of at least 1.800 at the end of their first and second semesters of study.  By the end of the first semester of sophomore year and each semester thereafter, students must maintain a cumulative QPA of at least 2.000.

ACADEMIC PROBATION:

Students whose QPA is at least 1.400 but below 1.800 at the end of the first semester of the first year will be placed on academic probation.  These students will be required to review their performance with a probation board composed of faculty members from the Academic Standards Committee, meet throughout the semester with a staff member from CASS, and meet other requirements of probation during their second semester.  Students with a QPA of at least 1.800 but below 2.000 after the first semester of the sophomore year will be placed on academic probation.  Students already on probation whose QPA does not reach the level required for good academic standing but whose semester average is such that continued work at this level would assure graduation will receive an automatic extension of their probation.

ACADEMIC DISMISSAL:

• Students will be dismissed at the end of their first semester if their cumulative QPA if below 1.400.
• Students whose QPA is below 1.800 at the end of their first year will be dismissed from the College.
• Students with a cumulative QPA of less than 2.000 after the fourth semester or any semester thereafter will be dismissed from the College.,

Leave of Absence:

Students may take a leave of absence for not more than two semesters. Students who take a leave of absence while on academic or disciplinary probation must complete the probation and satisfy its terms upon returning to Loyola. Students subject to dismissal for academic or disciplinary reasons are not eligible for a leave of absence.
 
A medical leave of absence will be granted when the attending physician provides the College with documentation recommending the leave. The documentation must be received within 30 days after the student or parent notifies Loyola of the need for a medical leave of absence.  A review of the student's financial obligations to the College will take place once the medical leave is approved and the medical documentation is received.  If the medical documentation is not received by the College within the 30-day period, the student or parent forfeits the right to a refund.
 
Students applying for leave must complete the Leave of Absence Form and consult the Financial Aid Office to determine what effect this leave may have on financial aid available upon their return. Ordinarily, students on a leave of absence from the College will not receive transfer credit for courses taken at another institution during the period of the leave. Prior written permission must be obtained from the Center for Academic Services & Support for any exceptions to this policy. Upon completion of the leave, students may return to Loyola College under the academic requirements in effect at the time of departure without completing their regular admissions process.  Students on an approved leave of absence who do not return at the conclusion of that leave and who do not request an extension of the leave in writing from the Dean of First-Year Students & Academic Services will be withdrawn from the College at the conclusion of the first formal add/drop period, the first week of classes following the end of the leave.
 

Buckley Amendment on Confidentiality:

Loyola College has a commitment to protect the confidentiality of student records. The College makes every effort to release information only to those individuals who have established a legitimate educational need for the information.  Documents submitted to the College by the student or other authorized person or agency for the purpose of admission to the College become the property of Loyola College and cannot be released (originals or copies) to another party by request.  The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.  These rights include:

• Review and inspect their education records.
• Request correction to their record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading.
• Consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained within the student's folder to a third party (including parents), except for information the College identifies as directory information and to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
• To a file complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Loyola College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
  

The parent(s) of a dependent student, as defined in Title 26 U.S.C.S.S. 152 Internal Revenue Code, also has the right to inspect records which are maintained by the College on behalf of the student. Proof of dependency must be on record with the College or provided to the office responsible for maintaining records prior to reviewing the records. (Please consult Loyola's Undergraduate Catalogue for more in-depth information).

Transfer Students:
 
Application for transfer from other accredited institutions are welcomed.  Due to the College's undergraduate residency requirement, students may not apply for transfer beyond the beginning of junior year.  Upon admission to Loyola, transfer students from accredited two or four-year institutions will be awarded credit for courses comparable to those offered at the College.  Department chairs will determine course comparability.  Credit on the basis of any placement tests does not count toward fulfillment of the residency requirement.  (consult the most recent undergraduate catalogue for deadlines and criteria)

Readmission of former students:
 
Students who miss three semesters (including summer) without filing a request for a leave of absence are automatically withdrawn from the College and must reapply.  This Policy also applies to students who study abroad and do not take an official leave of absence from the College (consult the most recent undergraduate catalogue for readmission procedures).

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