Current university regulations apply regardless of the regulations in effect at the time a student entered the university, except where current regulations specifically state the contrary.

Students must register during the official registration period at the times announced in the university calendar. They should plan their courses with their advisers prior to registration and follow the instructions contained in bulletins issued by the Office of the Registrar. Those seeking to enroll after the scheduled registration period cannot be guaranteed acceptance. If permitted to register, they will be charged a late registration fee. For foreign students, registration must be completed before a student visa can be issued.

Change of Courses

If careful attention is paid to the degree requirements and course offerings, there should be minimal need for course changes after registration has been completed. Any student who desires a change must first obtain a change of course form from the department of major and have it approved by his/her adviser and the chair of the department of major. The student must submit the form personally to the Office of the Registrar.

• No other course may be substituted for a required course unless university action requires that the change be made.
• A course may not be added to the student's schedule after the registration deadline.
• Students may drop classes up to the end of the fourth week of classes in an academic semester or the summer session, with no record being maintained.
• Between the end of the fourth and the tenth week of classes in an academic semester, students may drop courses. A grade of WP will be assigned to students whose performance is evaluated by the professor as B or above, or a grade of WF will be assigned to those whose performance is evaluated as less than B.
• After the tenth week in academic semesters and the fourth week in the summer session, students are not permitted to drop classes.
• Students will receive a grade of 'F' if they stop attending classes without officially dropping the course.

Credit Hours

Coursework is counted in credit hours. In general, a credit hour represents a one-hour class period and at least two hours of individual study each week for one semester. Thus a course of three credit hours would meet for three hours a week and the student would be expected to study for at least six hours outside of class.

Academic Load

The normal program of study for a full-time graduate student is nine hours per semester; however, upon the recommendation of the department concerned, a student may register for up to fifteen hours per semester. A graduate student taking a load of less than nine hours is considered a part-time student. A foreign student carrying a full academic load is entitled to university certification for obtaining a student visa. Foreign graduate students carrying less than a full load are not entitled to such certification unless they are fellows or sponsored students.

Grades

At the close of the semester students receive a final grade in each course. The grade is the professor's official estimate of the student's achievement as reflected in examinations, assignments, and class participation. The final grades are recorded on the student's permanent record at the Office of the Registrar. The grade may not be changed or removed from the record.

The following grading system is used at the American University in Cairo:

Students, whether registered or not, are responsible for making arrangements with the professor and the department of the major to complete the course in the following semester, otherwise, a tentative grade estimated on the basis of work already completed will be recorded. Failure to complete the course within the following semester will result in the grade being recorded as 'F' unless a tentative grade has been previously reported. Meanwhile, students are not allowed to register for the same course.

The incomplete grade 'I' will appear on the student's record along with the final grade received upon completion of outstanding work.

Any instructor submitting an incomplete grade must supplement this submission with a form to the Office of the Registrar (copies to the instructor and the student) giving the following information:

a. Reason for the incomplete.

b. The material which is lacking.

c. Action necessary for removal of the incomplete.

The instructor will also inform the Registrar, on the same form, of the grade the student will receive if the outstanding work is not completed on time. This grade is to be submitted to the registrar at the time of submitting the incomplete grade sheet.

Students who have an incomplete grade are not allowed to carry more than twelve credit hours a semester including the incomplete course or courses.

Students on warning who receive an incomplete are not permitted to register the following semester unless they have completed the coursework of the previous semester.

Probation, Dismissal and Course Retake

If the student's grade point average falls below ‘B' either in graduate work or in prerequisite course requirements, he/she will be placed on probation for one semester, during which time he/she must regain a ‘B' average.

Students who receive an ‘F' in any course will normally not be allowed to continue in the university (please refer to the course repeat policy in the following paragraph); a student may also be dismissed from the university if he/she does not complete all requirements within the period specified under ‘Residence'.

With the recommendation of the department and the approval of the school dean, a graduate student may be allowed to repeat one course in which a grade of ‘B-, C+, C or F' is received. This privilege may be exercised only once. With the recommendation of the department and approval of the school dean, substitution is allowed for an elective or an infrequently offered course. Both the original grade and the new grade will appear in the transcript but only the new grade will be used in calculating the GPA.

Planned Educational Leave of Absence

Students at The American University in Cairo may apply for a Planned Educational Leave of Absence. A Planned Educational Leave of Absence is defined as a planned interruption or pause in a student's regular education during which the student temporarily ceases his or her formal studies at AUC while pursuing other activities that may assist in clarifying the student's educational goals. The intent of the policy is to make it possible for a student to suspend his or her academic work, leave the campus without jeopardizing his or her rights and privileges, and later resume his or her studies with a minimum of procedural difficulty. A student who is approved for a planned leave will be considered as maintaining his or her status as a continuing student.

Planned educational leaves may be granted for a variety of reasons or projects, but certain characteristics must be contained in any request for a leave:

• The leave must have a definite purpose relevant to the student's overall educational objectives and goals.
• The request must be for a specific period of time which should not exceed 2 regular semesters for students pursuing a graduate program.
• The student must plan to return to AUC at the conclusion of his or her leave.

The following regulations apply to the planned educational leave:

1. An application for a Planned Educational Leave of Absence and additional information can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.
2. The student must obtain the approval of his or her faculty advisor, the department chair of his or her major.
3. The student should be in good academic standing at the time of the leave request. The leave application must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the start of the final examination period of the semester immediately preceding the requested leave. The Office of the Registrar will notify the leave applicant of the status of the request after all of his or her final grades have been submitted.
4. The student may cancel a leave of absence as late as the first day of classes of the term for which the leave has been requested. However, the deadlines for payment of the term bill and the penalties for late payment apply in such cases.
5. A degree student who discontinues active enrollment in degree studies without being granted a leave of absence, or a student granted a leave who does not return to active study at the close of the period of approved absence, will be considered to have withdrawn from the University and must apply for readmission and be subject to the regulations and requirements then in force.
6. The right to use university facilities is suspended while the leave is in effect, with the exception of library privileges subject to the approval of the department of major.
7. A Planned Educational Leave of Absence is counted as part of the time limitations. A student returning from an approved leave remains under the requirements of the catalog that he or she was following upon the declaration of major.
8. Any academic credit during a Planned Educational Leave of Absence is accredited by AUC only if permission is granted in advance by the Registrar.

Withdrawal from the University

Students who are unable to complete a semester because of illness or other emergency may be given permission to withdraw. They must get a withdrawal form from the Office of the Registrar, obtain signatures as indicated on the form, and return the completed form to the Office of the Registrar. The deadline for withdrawal from the university is one week prior to the last day of classes.

Withdrawal grades will be recorded for each course at the time the student receives permission to withdraw. The grades are either WP, meaning that the student was doing satisfactory work at the time of withdrawal, or WF, meaning that the student was not doing satisfactory work at the time of withdrawal. No academic credit is given for courses from which a student withdraws.

A student who withdraws from the university and later wishes to return must apply for readmission. Readmission is not granted automatically. (See the "Admissions" section of the catalog.)

Transcripts

Students who graduate or who withdraw from the university in good standing are entitled to one free student transcript of their academic record. No transcript of academic record will be issued during the examination, registration, or graduation periods. Academic transcripts will not be issued when unsatisfied financial obligations to the university exist.

Non-degree students should note the sections pertaining to registration, change of courses, academic load, grades, warning, incomplete work, class attendance, and transcripts in the graduate section, as appropriate.

Foreign students who wish to transfer their ALU (Arabic Language Unit) special program credits towards a degree in a regular AUC program should get the approval of the ALU Director. However, those wishing to transfer credits to their home universities should check these universities' policies before coming to Cairo.