Undergraduate Academic Rules and Regulations

Credits transferred from institutions of Higher education that are recognized by the Lebanese MEHE are accepted provided that the concerned Department and Faculty ensure that the credits accepted are applicable to the corresponding degree program and that a minimum grade of C was obtained. However, the accepted credit does not count toward the student’s GPA at NDU. The criteria established by NDU regarding this policy are made available to students through its website and its catalog.

Depending on the Faculty, a transfer student is required to complete at least 30 or 45 credits at NDU in order to be eligible for a degree, while the remainder of the credits that are taken at other institutions of higher education can be transferred if they satisfy the criteria of the concerned Department and Faculty. Exceptionally, transfer students who want to join the Faculty of Engineering /Bachelor of Architecture can receive credit for NDU courses listed under the GER, core requirements and free elective categories of the NDU contract sheet. In order to ensure that students have achieved the required outcomes and objectives specified by the concerned department, the Faculty of Engineering reserves the right not to give transfer credit for courses listed under the major requirements category even if students have taken similar courses at the institution they previously attended.

Freshman students are considered ineligible for transfer.

There are 4 kinds of academic standing for an undergraduate student at NDU (catalog p. 72):

Good Academic Standing

An undergraduate sophomore student is deemed in good academic standing if his/her
cumulative GPA satisfies any of the following cases:

Cumulative GPA # of Undergraduate Credits

At least 1.5/4.0 (1 cr. – 12 cr.)
At least 1.75/4.0 (13 cr. – 24 cr.)
At least 2.0/4.0 (25 cr. or more)

Academic Probation

An undergraduate student will be on academic probation if his/her cumulative GPA satisfies any of the following cases.

Cumulative GPA # of Undergraduate Credits

Academic Suspension

An undergraduate student placed on academic probation for three consecutive semesters will be placed on academic suspension (i.e. third probation is the suspension) irrespective of whether she/he is registered or not. If the third semester of probation happens to be the first (ie Fall) or second (ie Spring) semester of the academic year, the student is granted one more semester for the removal of suspension.

Students placed on suspension may consider the following options:

1. The student may register, upon the written approval of his/her academic advisor, in a number of courses at other accredited institutions of higher education. The credits for the courses completed with a grade of “C” or better may be transferred, as appropriate, towards the requirements of his/her degree at NDU. The grades and GPA for these courses, however, shall not be transferred.

2. The student may petition to the Dean of his/her Faculty to reconsider the suspension decision. The Dean will, then, determine the final status of the student in the light of the GPA obtained. If the Cum. GPA is 1.79 or lower the student will be placed on academic suspension in his/her Faculty but may, nonetheless, register in another Faculty at NDU following due procedure. The suspension may be withheld if the Cum GPA is 1.8-1.99. The student is given another chance to obtain good standing.

Academic Dismissal

There are two kinds of academic recognition:

Dean's Honor List

Full time students who obtain a semester GPA of 3.20/4.00 or higher with no incomplete grades, during a given semester are placed on the Dean's List for that semester. These students are invited to attend the Dean’s Luncheon held in their honor.

Graduation with Distinction

An undergraduate student with high academic achievement will graduate with:

• Cum Laude (Distinction), if the cumulative GPA falls between 3.20/4.0 and 3.49/4.0;
• Magna Cum Laude (High Distinction), if the cumulative GPA falls between 3.50/4.0 and 3.79/4.0;
• Summa Cum Laude (Highest Distinction), if the cumulative GPA is 3.80/4.0 or above.

Such distinctions appear on the student’s transcript and degree. A transfer undergraduate student is only eligible for these distinctions if he/she has completed at least 60 credits at NDU.

Within a Faculty

From Faculty to Faculty

A student moving into another Faculty within the University is considered as a new student by the new Faculty. The student is required to fill in a petition form for a change of major provided by the Registrar’s Office and signed by the Business Office and by his/her advisor. The form is to be submitted to the Registrar’s Office, which in turn will send the form to the University Admission Committee.

By University Action

A student will be asked to change his/her major for any of the following reasons:

• If he/she is on probation and fails at the end of a semester or summer session in two or more of his/her major and/or core courses;
• If he/she fails to pass a major course after having repeated it twice.

Upon approval of change of major, all grades on transferable or non-transferable courses taken by a student in his/her old major/area of concentration remain part of his/her official transcripts. Unlike the transferable grades, the non-transferable ones are not computed in the student’s GPA for the new major and are not counted toward the total number of credits required for graduation for the new major. A student cannot ask for a non-transferable course to be computed back in his/her GPA.

The students who benefited from the above rule (#1) cannot return to their old major, and cannot request to have their major changed again to any major which requires a non-transferable course grade, which was deleted from his/her GPA.

Degree Requirements

Students are required to fulfill the following requirements in order to be eligible for a bachelor degree:

• Completing all required credits for the degree.
• Fulfilling satisfactorily all course requirements for the degree as well as remedial/intensive courses given upon admission.
• Fulfilling all other admission requirements.
• Maintaining at least a 2.0/4.0 cumulative GPA for the degree.
• Satisfying the residency requirements for the degree.
• Maintaining the required minimum cumulative GPA for the major and core courses required for the degree, as specified by the concerned Department.
• Maintaining good academic discipline.
• Settling all accounts with the University.

These conditions must be met together with the degree requirements in effect during the semester of the student’s first registration at NDU. This shall also apply to reinstated students. However, readmitted students must meet the degree requirements in effect during the semester of their readmission, unless their readmission letter states otherwise.

Students who do not have the required cumulative GPA of 2.0/4.0 for the degree and/or the
required cumulative GPA for the major and core courses required for the degree, but yet
have completed all other requirements, may repeat up to 5 courses, as approved by the
Academic Advisor, to meet the required numerical level(s).

Second Degree Requirements

A student with a Bachelor degree may register for another degree at NDU after being accepted by the University. Such a student must:

• Satisfy all the requirements for the new degree in accordance with the statements of Section I of this policy (catalog p. 76);
• Have a residency of at least two full semesters;
• Complete at least 30 credits in the new degree over and above the credits already used
  to satisfy the first degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0/4.0.

Upon admission and prior to registration, each student shall be assigned an Academic Advisor by his/her Department Chairperson, upon the approval of the Faculty Dean. The Academic Advisor shall:

• Advise his/her advisees to observe the basis of admissions as set in his/her letter of acceptance.
• Make himself/herself available to his/her advisees during office hours, and when necessary by appointment, throughout the academic year.
• Assist his/her advisees to properly fulfill all requirements of the degree enrolled in.
• Study and update the files of his/her advisees throughout his/her residency at NDU.
• Make his/her advisees aware of and familiar with the University academic rules, regulations and policies.
• Explain clearly the registration process, course offerings, course substitution, course prerequisite, course selection, full-time / part-time credit load, degree planning and other related matters. Hence, students are encouraged to consult with their Academic Advisors on a regular basis all throughout their residency at NDU.

An undergraduate student will be eligible for registration upon settling all previous pending issues (academic, financial, disciplinary, administrative, etc. ) with the University at the offices concerned. Otherwise, he/she cannot proceed any further toward his/her registration.

The registration date for undergraduate students is assigned by the Registrar’s Office. To register, a student should:

• Receive tuition statement from the Business Office.
• Pay the appropriate tuition and fees to the allotted bank(s).
• Prepare his/ her course schedule.
• Register for courses; off campus (internet) or on campus (intranet): Advisor or Division of Computing Services.

New students should register at the Advisor’s Office.

An NDU undergraduate student may be allowed to cross-register a course at another institution if:

• The course is not offered at NDU during the semester in which the student is expected to graduate;
• The course in which the student intends to cross-register is equivalent to his/her required course at NDU;
• The course does not conflict with his/her course schedule at NDU;
• The student has the Cross-Registration and Registration Forms signed by his/her Department Chairperson, and Academic Advisor as well as tthe Registrar’s Office and the Business Office;
• The student returns the appropriate Cross-Registration form(s) to NDU Registrar’s Office after officially registering at the other institution;  
• The student has to submit an official transcript of records for his/her cross-registered Course to the Registrar’s Office at NDU.

A non-NDU undergraduate student may be allowed to cross-register a course at NDU upon submission of a written authorization from his/her institution allowing him/her to register for this course at NDU in accordance with NDU undergraduate registration policy.

A student may add or drop a course or change a section in his/her registration schedule during the add/drop day only.

This can be done by:

• Dropping or Adding by himself/herself: online or at the Division of Computing Services or in the Advisor’s Office.
• In the Drop/Add period, two modifications are allowed by the student.
• In case a section is closed, or a student wishes to wave prerequisites/co-requisites and the like, only during Drop/Add period he/she has to fill in a Drop/Add form to secure the concerned Dean’s signature.
• Receive his/her modified tuition statement from the Business Office.

• In accordance with the University Refund Policy, students may officially withdraw from courses without academic penalty by the late registration day. In this case no grades will be inscribed on their record. They may also withdraw any time prior to the 14th week of the Fall or Spring semesters and before the 28th day of the Summer session. Then a grade of “W” will be inscribed on their records.
• Withdrawal after the deadline will result in an “F” or “UW” on the dropped course. No withdrawal is allowed beyond this period unless the student petitions to the Dean concerned, due to urgent reasons. Once the petition is approved, the Registrar will then be instructed by the VP for Academic Affairs to assign the grade “W” on the dropped course(s).

Full-Time and Part-Time Loads

Maximum Load for Registration per Semester

The maximum load for registration during the Fall or Spring semester by any undergraduate student is 16 credits. However, student on good academic standing can take up to 19 credits per semester provided that this number of credits does not contradict any residency requirements. Student with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 and above, may petition to register for one additional three credits course over and above the regular load. This additional load, may be approved provided the residency requirements are met.

Maximum Load for Registration in the Summer Session

The maximum load for registration by any undergraduate student in the Summer session is 9 credits or less as determined by the Faculty concerned.

Maximum Load for Students on Probation

Maximum Load for Students with Cross-Registration