Academic Honesty
If a student is found to be academically dishonest, a failure is given for the assignment or the course. See the catalog statement and/or consult with faculty colleagues or your College Dean for further information.
The student is ultimately responsible for the fulfillment of all requirements for graduation in the Catalog in effect at initial enrollment. Those who opt for a subsequent Catalog, however, must notify the Records Office and meet all requirements in that Catalog. Students who have not been registered for three or more regular semesters must meet requirements listed in the Catalog in effect at the time of re-entry.
Faculty may initiate a de-enrollment for a student who has accumulated sufficient absences to threaten academic success in that class. See the current catalog for full details.
Freshman - 0-24 units
Sophomore - 25-56 units
Junior - 57-88 units
Senior - 89+ units
Credits from a community/junior college are limited to a total of 70 units, any time during the degree program. These 70 units also include any type of transfer credits: AP, CLEP, and IB. These credits at no time transfer in as an upper-division equivalent course.
Students must obtain prior permission to attend another institution while they are registered at PLNU. This petition is available in the Records Office.
The University has established a course grade appeal policy that may be used when a student believes the syllabus was not followed in the grade calculation. A Course Grade Appeal Form is available from the Vice Provost for Academic Administration and must be filed within one year from the end of the course in which the grade was given. If there is a compelling body of evidence, a student may appeal a grade if the student is dissatisfied with a faculty member's professional judgement.
A student may elect to take a course on a Credit/No Credit basis under the following circumstances:
- Completion of at least 24 semester units
- The courses selected must be elective only - outside the major or minor
- A maximum of 12 units can be applied to a student's degree
- Not more than one course per semester
The student must indicate the Credit/No Credit option on the Change of Schedule Form. Students must aquire the signature of their academic advisor and must submit the completed form to the Records Office before the last day to add classes. Students may not declare the letter grading option once the form has been submitted.
The following is a list of requirements in order to obtain a degree at PLNU:
- A minimum of 128 units is required (not including courses below 100-level)
- The last 24 units must be taken in residence
- A minimum of 24 upper division (300-400 level) units in the major
- 1/2 the upper division major units must be in residence
- A 2.000 cumulative and major GPA is required
3.500-3.699 = Cum Laude
3.700-3.899 = Magna Cum Laude
3.900+ = Summa Cum Laude
Honors for Commencement are based on the student's resident GPA at the conclusion of the fall semester. Students must have a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 to be considered. The official honors that appear on diplomas are based on the student's resident GPA after all grades have been entered and degrees have been posted.
Academic Probation will be enforced if a student's cumulative GPA falls below a 2.000. An exception is made during a student’s first semester of the freshman year when a 1.800 is permitted. Students on probation are required to carry a restricted course load of 13 units (a total of 9 in the summer). Probationary students who fail to earn a 2.000 session GPA the following semester are disqualified from continuing at the University.
Courses numbered below 100 do not count toward the minimum 128 units required to graduate. These units, however, do appear on the official transcript for eligibility purposes.
If a student receives a "C-" or below in a PLNU course, the course must be repeated at PLNU and then the new grade will replace the lower grade. If a student receives an "F" at PLNU, he/she may transfer an equivalent course to PLNU, but the new grade will not replace the "F" in the student's GPA; it will be averaged into the cumulative GPA. The repeat policy only applies to courses retaken at the original institution and the units will only be counted once.