The Academic Policy Petition form is used to petition for an exception or other accommodation to college or University academic policies. Contact your college to determine what additional documentation may be required; whether your request is due by a specific date; and where to submit your completed request. Your request will be reviewed by the Student Scholastic Standing Committee and other University offices as necessary.

• Add a second major

Complete parts I & II, student background information and petition description, then submit it do the department office of the major you intend to add. Once departmental approval has been attained, attach a current unofficial transcript or APAS report to the petition and return it to CSE Academic Advising in 196 Shepherd Labs.

• Add a course after the deadline, or change sections of a course after this deadline

Complete parts I & II, student background information and petition description, then submit it to the department office of the course you would like to add. For physics courses please see the staff in office 148. Instructor consent will be required to join a class after the cancel/add deadline.

• Withdraw from a course after the deadline

Complete parts I & II, student background information and petition description. Attach any relevant documentation (i.e. doctor's note(s) if ill, etc.) to support your request for late withdrawal. Part III, departmental recommendation, is not required for course withdrawals. Note that late withdrawals may not be granted solely because a student is failing the course; there must be extenuating non-academic circumstances justifying late withdrawal. Click here to see the university policy on withdrawing from a course.

• Withdraw from a course using your “one-time drop”

Complete parts I & II, student background information and petition description. Check the middle box under “cancel classes” indicating your decision to use your one-time undergraduate discretionary course cancellation or withdrawal. Part III, departmental recommendation, is not required for course withdrawals. Students are permitted to use their one-time drop at any time up to and including the last day of instruction for that course. A student may not withdraw after completing the final examination or equivalent for a course. Click here to see the university policy on withdrawing from a course.

• Change the grading basis in a course after the deadline

Complete parts I & II, student background information and petition description. Attach any relevant documentation supporting your petition (i.e. confirmation that your program requires the specific course to be taken A-F rather than S-N, etc.) and attain the signature of the instructor in part III, departmental recommendation.

There are two types of special exams:

1. Proficiency: A special examination for proficiency yields no credits, but may fulfill prerequisites for advanced courses or satisfy requirements.
2. Credit: A special examination for credit may yield credits if completed at a passing level (i.e. the equivalent of C- or better). Note that special exams are pass-fail only, and no credit will be granted for the lab portion or writing-intensive portion of the course, if applicable. For example, if a student tests out of PHYS1301W (4 cr), s/he would receive 3 credits for PHYS1301 (the “W” would be dropped).

Testing out of a course in physics entails taking the final exam with the respective course. Note there are no special exams offered in summer session.

To take a special examination for either proficiency credit in physics, print the Request For Special Examination form, fill out the student information portion, then submit it to your college office for approval. Once college approval has been attained, bring it to physics office 148 for departmental approval. The staff in office 148 will send an email notification when your form is approved, along with instructions on how to proceed with the testing process.

Please see the CSE transfer guide for US course equivalencies or international course equivalencies to see if your course(s) have already been reviewed for transfer. If you cannot find your course in these guides, please submit a syllabus and any other relevant course information to physics office 148 for review by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Once your course has been reviewed, it will be sent to CSE to be added to the transfer guide, and to your transcript.