The Registrar's Office is located in Machen Hall on the Philadelphia campus. Click here for the address and contact information.

Registration is contingent upon receipt of a transcript showing completion of any prerequisite degree. Registration dates are stated in the academic calendar. No student is permitted to register for any course after the first ten days of the semester. Those on tuition scholarship must also document proof of housing.A late registration fee will be charged in the event that a student fails to register at the time designated for that purpose (see page 141).

Each student is responsible for meeting his or her degree requirements, though the Registrar and faculty advisers will provide information and help.

The student is required to inform the Registrar of any changes in course registration, at the earliest possible opportunity. Students are to inform the Student Affairs Office of any change of address.

The privilege of adding or dropping courses is granted within a grace period each term. This period is between the third and tenth day after the beginning of each semester, and between the third and fifth day of the summer and winter terms. If a course is less than one month in length, an appropriate comparable time for dropping the course will be set.

After the grace period a student is not permitted to register for any course and may drop a course only with the written permission of the instructor and the Registrar, provided that it is no later than the tenth week of the fall or spring semester or the second week of the summer or winter term. The effective date for the dropping of a course is the date on which approval is gained from the Registrar. Withdrawal under any other circumstances will result in a failing grade in the course.
A fee is charged for each course change made after registration (see page 141).

It is expected that each student will attend every class session for which he or she is registered. Absences caused by illness, or other justifiable causes, will be permitted to a limited extent. If, in the judgment of the instructor, these permitted absences, or other (unauthorized) absences, endanger the standing of the student in the course, the instructor shall counsel the student concerning the situation. Further absences will normally result in a failing grade in the course.

A student enrolled in an M.Div., M.A.R., M.A., or Certificate program who is interested in changing from one program to another should speak to the Director of Admissions.

An emphasis within an M.Div., M.A.R. or M.A. program may be changed by arrangement with the Registrar.

Academic Standing

A, B, C, and D are passing grades; F is a failing grade. The general standing for the year of every regular student is ascertained by the use of a grade point system. Grade points are assigned to grades as noted on the chart below. A student’s general standing is the result of the total number of grade points earned, divided by the total number of semester hours taken.

The faculty has adopted a four-point grading system with 12 levels as follows:

Grade	Points
A	4.0
A-	3.66
B+	3.33
B	3.0
B-	2.66
C+	2.33
C	2.0
C-	1.66
D+	1.33
D	1.0
D-	.66
F	0

In addition to the student meeting due dates and using correct English, the following table will serve as general criteria for grade levels for the M.Div., M.A.R., and M.A. programs. Final grades for each course are awarded at the discretion of the member of faculty responsible for that course.

A	An outstanding and thoughtful piece of work which shows evidence of reading and research beyond that which was assigned. The student has shown mastery of the subject and offers new insights which are well-supported by cogent and profound arguments.
B	A standard, good piece of work which fulfills the assignment and shows a good grasp of the basic principles. There is substantial evidence of ability to analyze and utilize course content.
C	This work is satisfactory but is lacking in a significant area and does not show a grasp of some basic principles.
D	There are serious problems with this work, though it is still passable. It represents a poor performance in comprehending the course content and only meets the minimal standard of the professor.
F	This work is unacceptable and fails to meet the requirements of the assignment.

 

In a course in which a failing grade has been received (including Incomplete/Fail), a student who has feasible reasons may ask the professor to grant permission to take a re-examination or complete a reassignment of sufficient quality to raise the grade to an F/D. Such work must be completed within 21 days after notification of the failing grade or, in the case of spring semester courses, between the opening of the semester and September 30 of the following academic year. If the grade is raised to an F/D, the student receives credit for the course, but no grade points are counted in calculating the student’s general standing. When a student repeats a course with an F, the F remains factored into the grade-point average (GPA), as does the new grade. If a student repeats a course that has been passed, the second grade will be shown on the transcript, but only the first grade will be factored into the GPA.
Students whose cumulative academic average at the completion of 24 semester hours in the M.Div., M.A.R., or M.A. program is 1.75 or lower are not permitted to continue in the institution. However, if the faculty considers it probable that, in the future, the student will be able to make satisfactory progress, it may readmit him or her to the institution, upon petition, and grant whatever credit for work completed it deems appropriate. To be eligible to graduate, students in these programs must have a cumulative academic average of 1.80 or higher.
Students in the Th.M. and Ph.D. programs are required to maintain an academic average of 3.00 during the program. Students whose cumulative academic average at the completion of three courses in the Th.M. or Ph.D. program is 3.00 or lower are not permitted to continue in the institution.

Students in the D.Min. program are required to have an academic average of 3.00 in order to graduate.

Requests for a transcript should be in writing from the student to the Registrar’s Office, accompanied by the appropriate fee (see page 142). Transcript Request Forms are available from the Machen receptionist or on the Westminster website (www.wts.edu). Altering a record is an act of fraud.