Glossary Of Terms And Services
P
Pass/No Pass Registration (P/NP) - Enrollment option in a course for which a student will not receive a standard letter grade. To enroll in a course with the Pass/No Pass grade option, or to change a course to P/NP, students may use Web Registration or visit the Registrar One-Stop Center located in the JHH lobby. The deadlines relevant to any course are available on the Schedule of Classes by clicking the calendar icon next to the course in question. Effective Fall 2015, students who register for a Pass/No Pass course may request to have the grade option changed to Letter grade up until the 45 % mark of the session in which the course is offered.
Undergraduates may take a maximum of 24 units as Pass/No Pass. Certain classes, such as those fulfilling the Writing requirement, may not be taken as Pass/No Pass.
Graduate students must receive department approval to enroll in a graduate course on a Pass/No Pass basis. Refer to the Pass/No Pass Graded Work section in the USC Catalogue under "Academic Policies."
Students should consult their academic advisor before enrolling in any course on a Pass/No Pass basis.
Permit to Register - Students are allowed to register for an upcoming semester on Web Registrationthrough a Permit to Register, also known as a Registration Appointment, that the Registrar's Office assigns. Students can see their registration appointment on MyUSC. For questions, please contact the Registration department at (213) 740-8500 or email us.
Petitions (Articulation) - See Articulation Petition.
Petitions (Department-Initiated) - Requests for exception to specific degree requirements are generated in schools and departments. Most requests will be forwarded by the advisor to CAPP, through the Petition Services Unit in the Registrar One-Stop Center located in the JHH lobby. Some exceptions are made by the dean of the school and are recorded in the student exception process by the academic department. See Academic Review.
Petitions (Registration-Related) - Requests for exceptions to published registration procedures and enrollment deadlines. Such requests are generated in the Petition Services Unit in the Registrar One-Stop Center (located in the JHH lobby) and reviewed by the university registrar. Requests denied by the registrar are referred to a faculty panel for review. Any request to change the official registration for a semester retroactively must be submitted within 24 months of the end of the semester in question. The 24-month period starts with the last day of final examinations for the semester in question. If appropriate, the time limit can be waived by the dean of the academic unit in which the student is seeking a degree. There is a $150 processing fee for all registration-related petitions, regardless of the outcome.
Placement Examinations - See Examinations (Placement).
Pre-Approval - Written permission from the Degree Progress Department for eligible students to take course work outside of USC. Even if there is an Articulation Agreement with the other college, pre-approval is necessary to ensure the student’s eligibility. Courses may be taken only in the summer. The Pre-Approval form can be obtained from the student’s academic advisor or from the Web. For more information, review the Transferring Course Work information or contact Degree Progress in the lobby of Trojan Hall 101 or at (213) 740-7070.
Prerequisites - Courses and/or specific background required of students prior to advancing to the next course in a prescribed sequence of courses. Passage of appropriate examinations or consent of the academic unit offering the course will waive prerequisites. However, a prerequisite course within the same discipline taken after the higher level course has been passed will not be available for unit or grade point average.
Privacy of Student Records - See FERPA
Probation (Academic) - An overall USC grade point average (GPA) of at least C (2.0) on course work taken at USC is required for completion of undergraduate degrees. A student whose overall USC GPA falls below 2.0 is placed on academic probation. Academic probation is monitored by the Academic Review and Retention Office and clearance from an academic review counselor is required for continued enrollment. See Academic Review and Retention.