Columbia College:

The minimum requirements to be permitted to study abroad are:

• GPA above 3.0
• Sufficient progress on Core requirements
• At least 4 semesters of language study (or the equivalent) in the language of the country in which you wish to study abroad
• One course about the country or region in which you wish to study abroad

CC students should meet with a study abroad adviser in the Office of Global Programs.

Columbia Engineering:

• GPA above 3.0
• Sufficient progress on First-Year Sophomore requirements

Engineering students should look through the Engineering Global Initiatives website and plan to meet with Dean Leora Brovman.

The mark of "R" or registration credit is equivalent to auditing a course.  Please note that no points/credits are earned.  The "R" credit option is available only to Columbia College seniors who submit a completed petition found HERE.  

"R" credit petitions will only be authorized if:

• the courses are in excess of the 124 points required for the B.A. degree
• the courses are not used to fulfill a requirement for the B.A. degree, and
• the student has the permission of the course instructor.

For more information regarding the "R" Credit option, please see your Advising Dean.

Science Requirement: Columbia College students who wish to request an exception to the Science Requirement should go to the Dean's Office in 208 Hamilton Hall.

Global Core/Major Cultures: Students who wish to request an exception to the Global Core or Major Cultures Requirement should meet with their advising dean at the CSA and submit the Global Core Petition Form.

Columbia College Students

Pass/D/Fail:

The purposes of the Pass/D/Fail option are to encourage students to take courses of interest to them outside of their field of specialization and to permit those who have not decided upon a major to test their talents in a particular field that may be of interest. Instructors are not informed if a student in their classes elect to use the Pass/D/Fail option. 

Courses used to meet the stated degree requirements (except those only given on a Pass/Fail basis) may not be taken for a Pass/D/Fail grade. All Core Curriculum courses (i.e., Literature Humanities, University Writing, Frontiers of Science, Contemporary Civilization, Art Humanities, Music Humanities), as well as courses for the Global Core Requirement, Science Requirement, and Foreign Language Requirement, must be taken for a letter grade.

All courses used to meet the requirements of a major, concentration, or minor including courses in other departments that fulfill requirements for a major, must also be taken for a letter grade, with the possible exception – to be determined by the relevant academic department or program – of the first one-term course taken by students in their eventual major.

All students registered in Columbia College during the regular academic year may elect one course each term during the regular academic year to take on a Pass/D/Fail basis (in addition to any courses that are graded only on a Pass/Fail basis). Students who do not utilize both Pass/D/Fail options during the academic year may elect, in the summer immediately following, to take one Columbia Summer Session course on a Pass/D/Fail basis. No more than one course may be designated to be taken on a Pass/D/Fail basis at any point in a given semester.

Students who wish to exercise the Pass/D/Fail grading option may designate in Student Services Online (SSOL) a single course for the grade of Pass/D/Fail until the Pass/D/Fail deadline specified on the Academic Calendar. After that deadline, students seeking to exercise the Pass/D/Fail grading option must petition the Committee on Academic Standing for an exception. Students should consult their advising deans in the Berick Center for Student Advising about the petition process.

In order to encourage students to engage more fully in the courses they elect to take for a grade of Pass/D/Fail, students are allowed to uncover a grade of Pass in SSOL until the end of the Change of Program period of the following semester. Students have until the end of the Change of Program period in the Spring semester to uncover the grade of a course taken in the previous Fall term, and until the end of the change of program period in the Fall semester to uncover the grade of a course taken in the previous Spring or Summer term. Seniors who graduate in May have until June 1 to uncover the grade of a course taken in their final Spring semester. Students who wish to uncover a grade of Pass can do so in Student Services Online (SSOL).

The grade of Pass is not included in the calculation of grade point averages; the grades of D and Fail are included in the calculation of grade point averages.

Columbia Engineering Students

Pass/Fail:

Columbia Engineering students can take up to two non-technical courses pass/fail and the courses will count towards their non-tech requirement. Courses must be at the 3000 level or higher. Students should check that the department offering the course allows courses in their department to be taken pass/fail.  Students cannot take any core classes or language instruction classes pass/fail.  Only one class per semester may be taken pass/fail. (This restriction does not include courses that are only offered pass/fail.) The course grade cannot be uncovered. Courses taken pass/fail cannot count towards a minor; all courses taken for a minor have to be taken for a letter grade.

Before the Deadline

The Pass/D/Fail deadline is the last day of classes for Columbia College students and in the 10th week of classes for Columbia Engineering students. Students may elect to change the grading option via SSOL on the P/D/F Grading tab. Students should reach out to their Advising Dean with any questions. 

After the Deadline

Students must petition the Committee on Academic Standing. Find all instructions and forms online.

Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students declare their majors online during the major declaration period in their sophomore year.  Engineering students declare in October; CC students declare in March.  Look for an email from your Advising Dean with a clickable link.

Some College majors require departmental signatures to finalize online major declaration.  If your major is housed within one of the following departments, download the CC Major Declaration Form and bring it to 403 Lerner:

• Archaeology
• Architecture
• Art History and Visual Arts
• Astronomy
• Astrophysics
• Biochemistry
• Comparative Literature & Society
• Creative Writing
• Drama and Theater Arts
• Earth & Environmental Sciences
• East Asian Languages & Cultures
• Film Studies
• Hispanic Studies
• Italian
• Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies
• Physics
• Portuguese Studies
• Sustainable Development
• Urban Studies

You can find information about the 3-2 Program in this brochure.  Take a look and contact your CSA adviser if you have further questions.

Read the CSA fact sheet regarding the SIPA 5-Year MIA/MPA Program. Contact your CSA adviser if you have further questions.

A sample schedule may include: Principles of Economics and Calculus I or Calculus III.

Take a variety of classes that interest you! Your first year is a great time to explore classes and to figure out what you are really passionate about. Peruse the Directory of Classesand the CC Bulletin, make a list of classes that interest you, and then put them intoVergil to see what might work best with your schedule. You may also take classes that fulfill your core requirements, such as a foreign language, a Global Core class, or a class that fulfills the science requirement.

Can I change my section of Literature Humanities?

To change your section of Literature Humanities, use the CHANGE SECTION feature on SSOL when your registration window opens.  If that fails, the Core Office in 202 Hamilton will accept requests to change sections starting at 9:00 a.m. on the first day of classes, Tuesday, September 8 through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 14.   The Core office will accept pairs of petitions from students wishing to swap sections with each other. The method of receiving requests is TBA. 

Can I change my Frontiers of Science discussion section?  

To change your Frontiers of Science discussion section, use the CHANGE SECTION feature on SSOL when your registration window opens.  If that fails, the Core Office in 202 Hamilton will accept requests to change sections starting at 9:00 a.m. on the first day of classes, Tuesday, September 8 through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 14.   The Core office will accept pairs of petitions from students wishing to swap sections with each other. The method of receiving requests is TBA. 

Please consult the CC Bulletin or SEAS Bulletin.

• Don’t panic! During NSOP and once classes begin, it is likely that more spots will open up as all students finalize their schedules. The first two weeks of classes are known as the Change of Program period. You'll be able to add courses to your schedule during that time. 
• You should check to see whether or not the course has a waitlist; if so, add yourself to the list.
• If you still want to get into a class that is full, it is essential to attend the first class.
• In case a seat does not open up, you should plan to attend the first class meetings of the next best options on your list. Twelve credits is the minimum required for all students. If you drop below 12 points, you risk being withdrawn from the term (except in your last term, when you are permitted to go below 12 points).

Placement exams will be given during the New Student Orientation Program (NSOP). You will receive a list of all placement exams during NSOP. For languages, you may consult the Academic Planning Guide to see if AP or SAT II scores place you into either a higher level or place you out of the language requirement.

For the subjects below, please consult the appropriate department’s website for more information:

• Math
• Physics
• French
• Spanish

Typically, advising deans add AP/IB and other outside credit to a student’s record the summer after his/her first year at Columbia. Please consult the Academic Planning Guide to see if AP credit or SAT II scores may place you into a higher level class or give exemption to a requirement.