Advising A-Z

Add A Course – Students may add a course or courses online at any time up until the first day of classes via the “Add a Class” function in . Once classes have begun, students will need to obtain a permission number from the instructor to add a course through .  All course additions must occur by the deadline dates. Exceptions to the time limit are made only with the written consent of the instructor.

Associate Degree in Arts and Sciences Requirements –

1. A minimum of 60 credits is required. 
2. At least 24 of the 60 credits must be completed within the UW Colleges, or at least 12 of the last 24 credits must be earned within the UW Colleges. 
3. Students must be enrolled at a UW Colleges campus during the semester in which the degree requirements are completed or have earned 60 degree credits prior to transferring from the UW Colleges to a baccalaureate degree-granting institution.
4. A student must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 earned at the UW Colleges and 2.0 overall GPA in credits applied to the Associate of Arts and Science degree.
5. The UW Colleges General Education Requirements must be fulfilled.

Audit - Taking a course without getting credit for it. The "AU" grade carries no credit and cannot be changed to any other grade.  You must receive permission for auditing a course from the instructor.  The deadline to audit a course is listed in the course schedule. Wisconsin residents over the age of 60 years may audit courses at no charge (student must still purchase books, if required). 

Catalog – The College Catalog is a resource available to all students within the UW Colleges.  The Catalog details your responsibilities as a student, as well as admission requirements, graduation requirements, course descriptions, academic policies and regulations and other relevant campus information.

Course Schedule – A publication listing all courses (including dates, times and professors) offered during a particular semester.

Degree – Once a student has completed all requirements for graduation and filed an associate degree application with the Student Services office, the student is awarded a degree. Students will be invited to the May Honors and Degree Ceremony.  UW-Waukesha offers an Associates Degree in Arts and Sciences. 

Developmental Courses – Courses that do not carry degree credit and do not count toward degree progress, but may be a required part of your study at UW-Waukesha.  These courses are often prerequisites for higher level courses and may be based on your placement test results.  Courses have a three digit course number, beginning with zero (i.e. 095 or 098). 

Dropping a Course - If you are unable to continue in a course, you may drop it without receiving a failing grade provided that you do so before the Official Withdrawal date (see semester calendar) and access your account to process the withdrawal.  Tuition refunds are determined by the length of time a course was in session before the drop occurred.  Refer to the Tuition refund schedule.

Elective Course – A course selected and taken based on student’s interest. This course will not substitute for a required one, but credits accumulated from elective courses may be applied toward the degree credits needed for graduation.

Financial Aid – Term given to scholarships, loans, grants, and part- time jobs that make it financially possible for a student to attend college.

Full–Time – Status of a student enrolled for at least 12 credits during a semester.

Grade Point Average (GPA) – A number that ranges from 0.00 up to 4.00, which indicates an average of the grades that a student receives based on the number of credits he or she has completed.

Guaranteed Transfer Program - You can begin your education as a freshman at the UW Colleges and be "guaranteed" admission to another UW System institution as a junior by participating in the UW Colleges Guaranteed Transfer Program. After fulfilling certain credit and grade point average requirements, you will transfer with the same rights and privileges as those who begin their education at the baccalaureate institutions.

Grades – Designate the quality of work a student produces academically.

Graduation Requirements – Any courses, exams, and/or fieldwork experiences required by the college to earn a particular degree. For students to receive their degree, they must complete an Associate Degree application with the Student Services office.

Honors Program – This program is designed for highly motivated, above-average students, and either new or continuing UW-Waukesha students are eligible.  If you have graduated in the top ten percent of your high school class or if you were enrolled in the UW System for at least one semester and earned a minimum grade point average of 3.4, you are eligible. If you transfer from a college or university outside of the UW System, you may participate in the Honors Program if your grade point average is 3.4 or above. If you do not meet these criteria, you may appeal to the UW-Waukesha Academic Actions Committee for admission to the program.

Incomplete (I) – A grade that is given to a student, who is passing, but missed an assignment or examination. Students who receive an “I” should speak with their professor to complete missing work in order to receive a passing grade.

Placement Testing

Prerequisite – A course or other requirement, which a student must successfully complete before taking another specified course.

PRISM Tipsheet

Probation – A student is placed on probation by the college when their GPA falls below 2.0.

Part-Time Status – A student enrolled in less than 12 credits during a semester.

Syllabus – Provided by the instructor, it is an outline of class requirements, indicating assignments, readings, and brief description of the courses and grading procedures.

Transcript – The official record of courses taken, grades received, grade point average, and degrees awarded at UW-Waukesha. Transcripts are maintained in the Student Services office.  Official transcripts are sent from the Central office of the UW Colleges in Madison.

Tuition Refunds - Students, who have paid their tuition in full and either have reduced their class load or have withdrawn for the semester, may be entitled to a full or partial refund of tuition. Tuition refunds are determined by the length of time that course was in session before the drop occurred. Course tuition adjustments are made on per week basis.