Academic Regulations
Degrees, Major, Concentration, Minor
The University offers undergraduate programs of study leading to a baccalaureate or Bachelor's degree. A Bachelor's degree is the entire program of study including general education and major course requirements, and elective courses. Some baccalaureate degrees and some majors require a minor.
A major is the student's primary program of study and typically includes courses from a single discipline or a set of similar disciplines. Some majors require that students choose a concentration within the major. A concentration is a group of courses emphasizing one specialized area of study within a major.
Some majors require that students complete a minor as part of the graduation requirements. A minor is a secondary subject area of interest but not a subdivision of the major subject area. Students must complete all academic requirements, including those for the major and minor, from the same catalog year.
Declaring a Major
The University encourages students to declare a major before completing 42 credit hours. Students may declare a major by completing a form available in the Records Office, 109 Race Hall, or submit a request online at www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/forms.php.
Catalog Effective Dates
The catalog in effect at the student's time of entry or reentry determines the requirements for the degree. Catalogs are valid for 10 years. Consequently, students must complete the requirements in accordance with a valid catalog. Students may also elect:
- the current catalog at the time of reentry to UTC,
- the catalog in effect when selecting a new major, or
- a catalog reflecting a revised curriculum.
Transfer students must fulfill the degree requirements published in the catalog in effect at the time of entry to UTC but may elect to use the catalog in effect at the time of their first entry into college or first entry to UTC. Transfer students must complete the degree requirements in accordance with a valid catalog.
To request a change in catalog year, students must submit the Catalog Year Change Request form to the Records Office, 109 Race Hall. The form can be accessed through the UTC website at: www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/forms.php.
A student seeking the recommendation of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for initial teacher licensure or endorsement must satisfy the current UTC approved program requirements on file with the Tennessee Department of Education at the time of application for licensure.
Registration Classification
Students are classified as full time if they are registered for 12 credit hours or more. Students registered for 6 to 11 credit hours are classified as half-time students. Students with less than 6 credit hours are considered less than half-time.
Registration Limits and Excess Hours
Students may register for 20 or fewer credit hours each spring and fall semester without prior approval of the Petitions Committee.
Summer registration limits are as follows:
- 7 hours in any 5-week session
- 10 hours in any 7-week session
- 10 hours in any overlapping 5-week and 7-week sessions
- 20 hours in the entire summer term
Written consent of the advisor is required to register for a total of 17 to 20 credit hours in the summer. Exceptions to these restrictions must advanced approval from the Petitions Committee.
Students requesting approval of the Petitions Committee to register for excess hours for a given semester must submit the petition to the Records Office no later than one week prior to the first day of class for each semester or summer term. The petition form can be accessed through the UTC website at www.utc.edu/Administration/Records/forms.php.
Drop/Add Policy
Students are responsible for processing their course registrations, additions, and drops. Students who register must pay fees unless they drop the courses before the first day of classes.
Failure to attend classes is not evidence of the student's intent to drop classes or withdraw from the University. A student who does not attend classes will remain on the class rosters and will receive grades for these courses. Registration and drop dates for each specific term can be found on the University's online calendar.
