Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Classes

This policy addresses undergraduate student interest in enrolling in graduate-level courses, and does not bear on linked courses that blend undergraduate and graduate students in one course.

Undergraduate students who have completed at least 50% of the credits required for completion of their degree may be permitted to enroll in a graduate class, with the written permission of the faculty member teaching the class and the faculty member’s Department Chair, along with the Chair of the petitioning student’s degree program.  The Chair of the department in which the course is taught should notify the School Dean of all such decisions.   

Further, individual departments may set specific guidelines, to be approved by their School Dean, for who may be admitted to graduate classes.   

Students petitioning for enrollment in a graduate class should have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3, and should not be the subject of any current academic or disciplinary action.  The final decision about whether to admit an undergraduate student to a graduate class will be made on a case by case basis, by the faculty member and Chair, through the process noted above.  

Undergraduate students enrolled in a graduate course are held to the same work expectations and evaluation standards as the graduate students in the course.

Graduate credits earned by undergraduate students will count towards a student’s All-Institute elective credits, or—with permission of the department—toward departmental electives.  They may not substitute for General Education courses or for required courses in the student’s major.

Note:  Undergraduate enrollment in any graduate class is contingent on space being available in the graduate class in which enrollment is requested.  Further, undergraduate enrollments do not count toward the minimum number of graduate student enrollments required for a course to run.

PROCEDURE

1. Student discusses the pros and cons of taking a graduate course with Advisor
2. Student should then contact the following via email:
   1. Instructor of course
   2. Chair of instructor’s department
   3. Chair of petitioning student’s degree program
3. Faculty and chairs send approval email to reg@pratt.edu authorizing graduate level course registration.
4. The Registrar’s office confirms eligibility by checking for 3.3 minimum GPA, 50% completion of total credits for degree, and no academic or disciplinary actions.
5. The Registrar’s office will register the student and verify the class on the degree audit.
6. Registrar’s office will then notify the student, faculty, chairs, and advisor that the transaction is complete.
7. All email documentation will be archived into the student’s record on Docuware.