Academic Advising
in the College of Arts & Science
Petition Processes
Arts-Professional Arrangement and Combined Programs
A student must petition for permission to enter the Arts-Professional Arrangement or a Combined Program in his/her junior year. Permission is granted subject to satisfaction of all the usual requirements stipulated in the Miami University Bulletin and with the concurrence of the chair of the student's major department.
Validation of Credit Over 10 Years Old
Students whose college studies extend for a period of 10 years or longer must petition to the Committee of Advisers to have credits validated. As stated in section 802 of the Student Handbook, "If a student's course of study is prolonged beyond ten (10) years, curricula changes adopted after entrance date may be required by the University, division, or department."
Petitions requesting such validation will be sent to chief departmental advisers for approval of old course credit being used in fulfillment of a department major.
Credit for Only 1 Semester of a Year Course
If the numbers for a two semester course sequence are separated by a comma, credit for one semester only is automatic. If the numbers are joined by a hyphen for the two semesters, the courses are considered to be continuous and normally a student must pass both terms to receive credit for each individual semester. (Some exceptions are noted in the course listing in the Arts and Science section of the University Bulletin.) Credit for partial completion of a hyphenated sequence may be granted by the chair of the department offering the course and should be confirmed via a petition to the Committee of Advisers.
Waive Suspension or Hold Dismissal in Abeyance
The period of suspension will be waived only under unusual circumstances and students should be discouraged from submitting petitions unless they have strong reasons supporting such petitions. They must provide the Committee with documentary verification of the unusual circumstances.
Fresh Start
Adopted in 1992-93, the Fresh Start Policy is designed to help Miami University students return to good academic standing after an absence of at least two calendar years. All students seeking Fresh Start status must petition through their divisional committee of advisers. See section 105 of the Student Handbook for further information regarding this policy.
Other Petition Requests
Some petition requests require special forms and are not normally considered by the Arts and Science Committee of Advisers.
Miami Plan, University Requirement and/or Common Curriculum Petitions: A student who wishes to petition for exceptions to the Miami Plan Foundation, Thematic Sequence, or Senior Capstone requirements should secure a petition form from the Academic Advising Office (146 Upham) and return the completed petition to the Director of Liberal Education, 229 Culler Hall.
The University Requirement Committee has developed criteria that it follows for exceptions to the University Requirement and Common Curriculum requirements. Exceptions to the University Requirement and Common Curriculum are considered by petition to the University Requirement Committee. Petitions are available from the Academic Advising Office (146 Upham). To file a petition, a student must complete the form properly, secure the signatures and statements of his/her academic adviser and the chair of the department in the area concerned, and finally submit the petition to the Commencement Office, 106 Campus Avenue Building for processing.