Auburn University Policy for Amount of Credit Earned at the Institution for an Undergraduate Degree

Auburn University’s annually updated Bulletin stipulates that at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for an undergraduate degree program be earned at the Auburn University. The Percentage of Course Work Earned in Residence at Auburn University Policy states,

A minimum of 25 percent of the total semester hours are required for the baccalaureate degree and at least 50% of the course work in the major must be earned in residence at Auburn University. As a general rule, these hours must be taken in the final year and in the school/college curriculum of graduation. The student’s dean may waive the final year’s residence and may also allow course credit to be earned at another institution during the final year. However, the minimum of 25 percent of course work in residence at Auburn University is a firm requirement.

Disseminating Policies for Amount of Credit Earned at the Institution for an Undergraduate Degree to Faculty, Advisors, and Students

Policies for the amount of credit toward an undergraduate degree that must be earned at Auburn university are widely disseminated to all relevant campus constituencies. In addition to being published for the entire campus community in the Bulletin, the university’s policy on the Percentage of Course Work Earned in Residence at Auburn University is published in section 5.6.2 of the Faculty Handbook. Similarly, the university’s Policy on Transient Students is published in section 5.6.3 of the Faculty Handbook.

Students are apprised of the policy on the Percentage of Course Work Earned in Residence at Auburn University in their Student Policy eHandbook. The Transient Student Approval Policy, an expansion of the Faculty Handbook version, is also included in the eHandbook as well. Additionally, if a student submits an online request to complete transient coursework through AU Access, the student will use the “Transient Enrollment for Auburn Students at Other Institutions” link. When a student opens the form, the student is first asked to accept the terms of Transient Enrollment Guidelines.

Advisors are reminded of these policies in the instructions for doing online transient approvals. These instructions are located in the Interpretive Guidance section of the Advisor Resources Portal located in Canvas. Likewise, these policies are built into the graduation checklist materials and internal training in the college based advising units.

Monitoring Credit Earned at Auburn University

Individual academic units (i.e., colleges, schools, and departments) monitor students’ earned and transfer credit by way of their academic advisors, who track students’ progress for purposes of course scheduling and graduation. Any credit that a student wishes to transfer in from a junior (community) college is subject to the Articulation and General Studies Committee's established articulation agreements, which are disseminated to students and potential students via the organization’s website as well as Auburn University’s website. Any student earning credit at another accredited four-year institution that they wish to apply to their chosen degree program, while matriculating at Auburn University, must undergo the approval process for earning transient credit beforehand. The policies regarding the earning and application of transient credit are published in the Auburn University Bulletin, as well as via the website of the Office of the Registrar.,

At the undergraduate level, Auburn University monitors and enforces transfer credit limits and residency requirements by way of periodic evaluations by academic advisors. The results of these evaluations are included as part of the student's advising records, and are consulted prior to the student's graduation, to ensure that all policies are being adhered to, in regard to the earning of credit hours.

Three redacted undergraduate student records from three different colleges, demonstrating the review of those records that takes place, are provided as samples. Auburn utilizes a decentralized advising model, with each college having their own advising office led by its own director of advising in addition to an Exploratory Advising Center for undecided students and an Honors Advising office. All the advising directors meet monthly to ensure there is consistency across offices regarding policy implementation and process. It is the responsibility of the Director of Academic Advising to ensure students have an equitable advising experience regardless of the advising office they receive services from.  

College of Human Sciences

The College of Human Sciences advising office utilizes an electronic curriculum sheet to track progress throughout the students’ academic career. When the student is in the second semester of their junior year, the advisor uses an electronic credit check form to check completion of requirements and adherence to policy. A blank version and a completed sample, along with the student’s official transcript, are included in the documentation.

College of Liberal Arts Student

The College of Liberal Arts advising office utilizes DegreeWorks to track completion of graduation requirements. They have their requirements scribed to track accumulation of transfer credits. The maximum transfer credits is set at 60, and that can be altered to go up to 90 if the student is transferring in credits from a four-year institution. A screenshot sample is included as evidence DegreeWorks is used throughout the student’s academic career to track progress toward a degree and monitor accumulation of transfer credit. Beginning the semester before the student graduates, an electronic graduation check form is used to check completion of requirements and adherence to policy. A blank version and a sample, along with a student’s official transcript, are included in the documentation.,,

College of Sciences and Mathematics Student

The College of Sciences and Mathematics advising office utilizes an electronic curriculum sheet to track progress through the students’ academic career. Every semester, a report is run to identify students close to graduating. Students with 75 AU hours and transfers who are identified as approaching graduation are then placed in an appointment campaign and asked to schedule a graduation check. Once the graduation check appointment is scheduled, advisors prepare the graduation checks using their graduation audit check form. A blank version and a completed sample, along with the student’s official transcript are included in the documentation.  At the graduation check appointment, advisors go over the remaining requirements for graduation. Advisors highlight courses that are only taught in a specific semester (e.g., spring). The link to long-range schedules and information about the required UNIV 4AA0 course, Creed to Succeed, are permanently on the form as well. Long-range schedules are always published a year in advance and tell students what semesters and what times courses in COSAM will be taught. Students can plan well ahead based on this website.

After the meeting, the students are emailed a copy of the PDF of this graduation check. An electronic copy is also posted in the Notes section of Advise Assist, which students have access to. They can always come back there if they lose the email. If students do not complete a graduation check, they must still meet with an advisor every semester before registering. Completion of a graduation check (and a GPA that doesn’t put the student at risk) allows the student to register without seeing an advisor each semester.

In the graduation check sheet, finished courses are checked off and specific choices or AP work is noted. Unfinished courses are highlighted. AU GPA’s (overall and major) are confirmed in the notes section as well.

Identifying Institutional Sources for Credits on Transcripts

The institution of origin for any accepted transfer credits is listed directly above the related credits on a student’s transcript. In the case of credits earned through collaborative arrangements such as study abroad experiences, relevant courses are marked as “Exch. Prg.” (“exchange program”), and the name of the host institution is included for each course.

Institutional Credits for Distance and Off-Campus Undergraduate Programs

Auburn University currently offers an undergraduate degree program in Interdisciplinary Studies at one off-campus instructional site, Staton Correctional Facility. There are no differences in the graduation requirements for students at this site, and the policy on institutional credits required for graduation published in the Bulletin applies equally to students at this site. Program administrators at this site ensure that at least 25% of a student’s total credits and 50% of credits in the major were earned at Auburn university via the same mechanisms as Interdisciplinary Studies advisors on Auburn’s main campus. Specifically, they document each student’s transfer credits and progress toward their degree with an advising sheet, and through the platform DegreeWorks., Official transcripts for these students are also included in the documentation.,

Auburn University offers no undergraduate degree programs via distance education; therefore, no requirements are published for such programs.