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Enrollment Policies

Policy Resources

It is the responsibility of all students, both undergraduate and graduate students, to be familiar with their respective Bulletin-of-record, including institutional and program-specific academic and non-academic regulations.

Undergraduate Bulletin

Graduate Bulletin

VCU Policy Index 

Other resources include:

  • Department of Enrollment and Registration Services
  • Department of Academic Affairs (Office of Academic Advising)
  • Department of your academic program.

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements for all academic degree programs offered at VCUarts Qatar are listed in the VCU Bulletins and are described at each of the respective academic programs’ webpages.

Undergraduate Bulletin

Graduate Bulletin

BA – Art History

BFA – Fashion Design

BFA – Graphic Design

BFA – Interior Design

BFA – Painting and Printmaking

MFA – Design

Course Descriptions

All courses offered at VCU are described in a short paragraph which helps students to understand the general content of the courses they are required -or choose- to take. 

VCUarts Qatar offers a smaller selection of courses than the VCU home-campus does, for its select academic programs. 

Course Descriptions are listed alphabetically by program.

All courses at VCU are numbered. 

Courses at VCUarts Qatar go by the same numbering system as courses at VCU’s home campus. 

Course numbers consist of three digits (XXX). The first digit relates to the course level as follows:

  • 0XX – Noncredit courses
  • 1XX and 2XX – Undergraduate, lower-level
  • 3XX and 4XX – Undergraduate, upper-level
  • 5XX – Introductory graduate courses
  • 5XX – Professional graduate courses
  • 6XX, 7XX and 8XX – Graduate courses

Course Schedule

The Course Schedule lists each of the course-sections offered in a particular academic term, indicating their days/times, location, instructor, and Course Registration Number (CRN), etc. The Course Schedule is made available weeks prior to course registration starting. 

  • The Fall Course Schedule is generally available in mid-March prior to the Fall term. The Fall term at VCUarts Qatar is generally held from late-August till mid-December.
  • The Spring Course Schedule is generally available in mid-October. The Spring term at VCUarts Qatar is generally held from early January till early May. 
  • The Summer Course Schedule is generally available in late April, provided VCUarts Qatar offers courses during Summer. 

The VCUarts Qatar Course Schedule is made available via the VCUarts Qatar Intranet and accessible from eServices via the Course Registration portal.

Course Registration

Online Course Registration is staggered in accordance with a student’s academic classification and seniority standing, and generally in the following order: Honors Program students; graduate students; continuing students (seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshman), and incoming new students. 

Students are encouraged to register as soon as possible after their respective registration time opens to ensure a seat in their required/preferred classes.

Students may register for courses until the conclusion of the Add/Drop period of a given academic term. The Add-Drop period generally ends at the conclusion of the first week of classes.

Each course is associated with a 5-digit (XXXXX) Course Registration Number (CRN).

Course registration is online. 

Students with a HOLD on their academic record are prevented from registering for courses for the coming academic term. Holds signify that a student has outstanding business with VCUarts Qatar (e.g. books due to the library; equipment due to the FabLab or IT; information due to Student Affairs, etc.), VCU, or with the Qatar Foundation (e.g. payment overdue for tuition and fees). As soon as students clear their holds, their ability to register for courses is re-activated.

Cross Registration at Education City Qatar

Education City (EC) students have a unique opportunity to gain depth and breadth by taking courses at other Education City universities. Students may Cross Register at:

  • Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar
  • Georgetown University in Qatar
  • Northwestern University in Qatar 
  • Texas A&M University at Qatar
  • Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar.

Each EC Partner University (EC-PU) identifies a number of courses that are open to Cross Registration each academic term.

CUarts Qatar students comply with the academic policies, procedure, deadlines, etc. of the “host university” for any courses taken in Cross Registration status at another EC Partner University, while complying with all VCUarts Qatar (“home university”) policies, procedures, deadlines, etc. for courses taken at VCUarts Qatar. 

VCUarts Qatar students pay “home university Tuition and Comprehensive Fee” for courses taken in Cross Registration status during Fall or Spring semesters. 

VCUarts Qatar students pay “host university Tuition and Fees” for courses taken in Summer or Winter sessions.

At the end of the academic term, the “host university” provides VCUarts Qatar with student’s official transcript of courses taken in Cross-Registration status. Students are then granted “transfer credit” for courses taken at the other EC-PU, provided the courses were pre-approved for transfer and successfully completed. 

Detailed information about Cross Registration, as well as a listing of How Courses at other EC-PU’s Transfer to VCUarts Qatar, is available from the VCUarts Qatar Intranet. (Section: Enrollment and Registration Services).

Transfer/College Credit

VCU accepts credits, with qualifying scores or grades, from a wide range of college-level courses, including:

A full overview of all additional sources of academic credit is available from the VCU Undergraduate Bulletin.

Newly incoming students to VCUarts Qatar work directly with the Office of Admissions to have their prior academic work assessed for transfer to VCUarts Qatar, prior to – or within – their first term of enrollment at VCUarts Qatar.

Add/Drop and Withdraw

Cancelling Registration – Dropping All Courses

Students who wish to cancel their registration and not be charged for tuition/fee, must drop all courses for which they are registered prior to the stated Add-Drop period ending. The Add-Drop period generally ends at the conclusion of the first week of classes.

Students are fully responsible for dropping their courses/cancelling their registration, should they wish to do so. 

Students can drop any/all courses via the online course registration portal in eServices. 

Add-Drop

Students may change their registration, add or drop a class, through the registration period and until the end of the Add-Drop period. 

Once registered, students are advised to seek the consult of the Office of Academic Advising before adding/dropping or changing their registration in any way, to ensure they continue to meet academic progression requirements.

The Add-Drop period generally ends at the conclusion of the first week of classes. Check the Academic Calendar for Add/Drop dates and deadlines.

Courses dropped during the Add-Drop period do not show on a student’s permanent academic record.

There are no fees associated with adding or dropping courses during the registration and Add-Drop period. Tuition and fee charges are assessed at the conclusion of the Add-Drop period. 

Once the Add-Drop period has concluded, registration locks in. From then forward, ONLY students who are effectively registered for a class may attend that class. Students who are NOT officially registered for a class may NOT attend that class.

Students may NOT be added to a course after the Add-Drop period has ended without express permission from the Academic Regulations Appeals Committee (ARAC). 

Withdrawing from a Course

After the Add-Drop period has passed, students may withdraw from a class in accordance with prescribed procedures.

To officially withdraw from a course, a student must file the appropriate “Withdrawal”-form with the VCUarts Qatar Department of Enrollment and Registration Services.

Courses from which a student withdrew will be graded “W” (WITHDRAW). W-grades are recorded in students’ official academic transcripts.

Students who stop attending a class and who fail to effectively withdraw from the class, will earn an “F”-grade (FAIL) for that course. “Not attending” a course is not a substitute for “withdrawing” from a course.

Tuition and Fee will be charged in accordance with the VCU refund schedule.

Withdrawing from the University

Students who wish to withdraw from ALL the courses for which they are registered after the Add-Drop period has passed, must do so in accordance with prescribed procedures and by the stated deadline date. See the Academic Calendar for the withdrawal deadline.

To officially withdraw from a course, a student must file the appropriate “Withdrawal”-form with the VCUarts Qatar Department of Enrollment and Registration Services.

Students who stop attending classes and who fail to effectively withdraw from those classes, will earn “F”-grade (FAIL) for those courses. “Not attending” a course is not a substitute for “withdrawing” from a course.

Students who withdraw from the university for medical reasons must consult the VCUARTS QATAR Counseling Center and follow the “medical withdrawal” processes.

Tuition and Fee will be charged in accordance with the VCU refund schedule.

Students are advised to consult with the Office of Academic Advising prior to withdrawing from courses for which they are registered. Students who voluntarily withdraw from all courses during a semester are eligible to return to VCUarts Qatar in the subsequent semester, conditional on their academic standing.

In extraordinary, mitigating circumstances students may petition the Academic Regulations Appeals Committee for withdrawal after the stated withdrawal deadline. See “ARAC” for more information.

Grades

University policy requires faculty to provide students with feedback about their academic performance. Although such feedback does not always take the form of a letter grade, grades do provide a clear indication of class progress. Students are encouraged to discuss their progress in courses with their instructors, especially at midterm, before the withdrawal deadline.

VCU Grading System

VCU course work is measured both in terms of quantity (semester hours of credit) and quality (grades). Grades are assigned according to a letter system. Each letter is assigned a grade-point value. The scale used is known as a four-point grading system since 4.0 is the highest grade-point assigned. The number of grade-points earned is computed by multiplying the grade-point value for the letter grade times the number of semester credits for the course. For example, a student who receives an A (four grade points) in a three-credit course earns 12 grade points.


See VCU Grading System for more information on grades.

Pass/Fail Policy for Undergraduate Students

The pass/fail grade policy allows undergraduate students to choose not to have a grade assigned in a limited number of courses for which they receive VCU credit. This available choice allows students to explore elective and general education courses outside their major without the pressure associated with maintaining a particular GPA. It also facilitates timely degree completion and may reduce the need to repeat a course in order to maintain academic standing. It is the goal of the pass/fail policy to support equitable and accessible academic experiences for its undergraduate students.

Undergraduate students may request that a course they are enrolled in be taken under the pass/fail grade option. Undergraduate students can apply no more than 15 credit hours of PP/PS grades taken under the pass/fail grade option over the entirety of their degree program. These restrictions do not apply to courses that are only offered as P/F.
To utilize this option, VCUarts Qatar students should submit the VCUarts Qatar form. Do NOT submit the VCU-Richmond-equivalent of this form. VCU-Richmond forms submitted by VCUarts Qatar students are invalidated.

Students may not use the pass/fail grade option in the following cases:

  • To satisfy a prerequisite that requires a minimum grade of B
  • For courses that count toward the requirements of the student’s major, minor, or certificate program. (For BFA-students, this includes courses within the Art Foundation Program.)

Under the pass/fail grade option, students would have grades reported as either:

  • PP: Grade of pass (equivalent to letter grade of A, B or C) is awarded for certain courses to denote satisfactory completion of requirements equivalent to the letter grades of A-C. The grade of PP is not included in the calculation of GPA. The grade of PP will satisfy course requirements of a minimum grade of C to advance to another course.
  • PS: Grade of pass (equivalent to letter grade of D) is awarded for certain courses to denote satisfactory completion of requirements equivalent to the letter grade of D. The grade of PS is not included in the calculation of GPA. The grade of PS will not satisfy course requirements of a minimum grade of C to advance to another course and students may have to retake the course if they change their major and a minimum letter grade of C was required.
  • F: Grade of fail (equivalent to letter grade of F) is considered not passing and is included in the calculation of the GPA.

Students should consult with an adviser to understand the implications of their decision. Departments require that all courses satisfying major requirements be completed with a traditional letter grade; and in these instances, students who change their majors may need to repeat a course for which they have previously earned a grade of PP or PS.

Instructors of record will not be aware of the student choice. Each faculty member will evaluate student performance in the course consistent with expectations outlined in the course syllabus. If a student has opted for the pass/fail grade option, the assigned grade will be converted to the appropriate pass/fail designation pursuant to the letter grade earned. For example, the instructor would enter a letter grade (A, B, C, D, F) as usual. If the student has chosen the Pass/Fail grade option, then grades A, B or C become a PP; a grade of D becomes a PS; and a grade of F becomes a F.

Students may select the pass/fail grade option for eligible courses no later than the last day to withdraw from a course. All decisions by students are final and irrevocable.

Students have a right to appeal course grades they consider to have been arbitrarily or capriciously assigned or assigned without regard for the criteria, requirements and procedures of the course stated in the syllabus or guidelines for assignments. Students who want to appeal the course grade should follow the guidelines provided under the Grade Review Procedures.

Students may not appeal their decision to choose the pass/fail grade option. If students desire to appeal any other matter related to pass/fail outside the grade assigned, students should follow the guidelines provided under Academic Reglations Appeals Committee (ARAC) at VCUarts Qatar. For more information on ARAC, see the VCUarts Qatar Intranet or the Department of Enrollment and Registration Services.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The GPA is computed by dividing the number of grade points earned at VCU by the number of credit hours attempted at VCU. The grades of accepted transfer courses are not included in the computation of the VCU GPA. However, transfer grades are included in the computation of laudatory graduation honors for undergraduate students.

VCU has three program levels: undergraduate, graduate and professional. Each program level has a cumulative GPA. For students who enroll in multiple programs at the same degree level, the GPA for the multiple programs will be merged. For example, a student who graduates from an undergraduate program at VCU and pursues a second undergraduate program at VCU will have one continuous GPA.

Change of Grade

A final grade may be corrected by the faculty member with proper submission of the Change of Grade Authorization Form (for undergraduates) or Special Action Form (for graduate students) to the chair of the department in which the course was taught. 

Once the chair approves the request, the signed form is submitted to the Department of Enrollment and Registration Services at VCUarts Qatar. 

A change of grade that affects the student’s academic eligibility to enroll must be made prior to the end of the add/drop period in the semester or Summer session in which the student plans to continue attendance. 

Any change of grade must be completed prior to graduation.

Accessing Grades

Students can access their midterm and final grades in eServices, provided they have no “Holds” on their VCU-record.

Grades submitted by faculty/instructors generally roll over to the student’s transcript after the Grading Portal has opened and per the following schedule:

  • Grades submitted by the faculty/instructor Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays will generally be viewable to students by 8:00am the following morning (Doha time),
  • Grades submitted by the faculty/instructor on Saturdays or Sundays will generally be viewable by 8:00am on the Tuesday after (Doha time).

Academic Standing

Good Standing

A student who is enrolled at VCU is in “good standing” until such time the student is placed on academic warning, probation or suspension. Students should consult their program of study regarding specific academic standards constituting good standing in the program.

Warning

A student is placed on academic warning when the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 (grade C) at the conclusion of any semester of attendance — Fall, Spring or Summer.

Notification of warning appears on the student’s academic record.

A degree-seeking student on academic warning may not enroll in more than 14 credits per semester of attendance except under unusual circumstances and with the permission of the dean or designee of the school or college in which the student is enrolled.

A nondegree-seeking student on academic warning may not enroll for more than 11 credits per semester of attendance. A student remains on academic warning for one semester of attendance, at the end of which time the student must obtain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. Failure to achieve this GPA results in academic probation.

Probation

A student is placed on academic probation when the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 for two successive semesters of attendance, including Summer sessions.

Notification of probation appears on the student’s academic record.

A degree-seeking student on academic probation may not enroll in more than 13 credits per semester of attendance.

A nondegree-seeking student on academic probation may not enroll in more than 11 credits per semester of attendance. Students on academic probation are expected to improve their cumulative GPA by achieving a semester GPA of 2.0 or better during each semester of attendance.

A student who achieves a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 is removed from academic probation.

Failure to achieve a 2.0 semester GPA while on probation results in academic suspension.

Suspension

A student is placed on academic suspension when the student’s cumulative GPA is below 2.0 for two successive semesters and the following semester of attendance GPA falls below 2.0.

Notification of suspension appears on the student’s academic record. The student also receives a letter from the Department of Enrollment and Registration Services stating the conditions of the suspension. Academic suspension indicates the student has a record of continued unsatisfactory progress.

A student on a first academic suspension may not enroll at the university for two consecutive semesters, including the Summer session. Course work taken at another institution while the student is under academic suspension from VCU is considered part of the criteria for readmission, but the course work is not used to increase the VCU cumulative GPA. If the student is readmitted, the course work will be evaluated according to regular procedures.

A student may apply for readmission to VCU for the semester following completion of the suspension period. A student readmitted after suspension enrolls under the academic probation status and is subject to the provisions of that status. If a student readmitted after suspension fails to obtain a semester GPA of 2.0 in any semester before achieving a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0, the student is placed on a five-year suspension. The student may be considered for readmission after a minimum five-year separation from VCU.

For Readmission guidelines, see the Office of Admissions.

Dean’s List

The Dean’s List is a recognition of superior academic performance.

A student is automatically placed on the Dean’s List for each semester in which a semester GPA of at least 3.5 is attained, based on a minimum of 12 semester credits, excluding courses graded credit/noncredit, P/F, and with no grade below C. 

A notation is placed on the student’s academic record.

Students earning marks of I or PR are ineligible for the Dean’s List for the semester in which these grades were earned. (Exceptions are made for students with I-grades on account of courses which stretch over multiple academic terms per the program’s design, provided all other eligibility requirements as noted above apply.)

Honors Program

The VCUarts Qatar Honors Program, which operates under the auspices of the VCU Honors College, is an academic enrichment program that provides high-achieving students with more advanced and rigorous levels of study. 

Successfully completing the Honors Program represents the highest academic distinction bestowed upon undergraduate students by Virginia Commonwealth University. Admission to the program is selective and competitive, and Honors students must maintain a 3.5 cumulative grade point average throughout their education, complete a total of twenty-four honors course credits in a variety of academic and creative fields including a three-credit Honors Experiential Learning Project. 

Students who have participated in the Honors Program at VCUarts Qatar and who have met the stated requirements of that program graduate with “University Honors” wear the Honors College medallion as a part of their regalia.

For information on the Honors Program and how to become an Honors Program student, please see the webpages of the Honors Program.

VCUarts QATAR Transcripts

Unofficial Transcripts:

Students can access unofficial Academic Transcripts directly from their eServices account.

Official Transcripts:

Official Academic Transcripts are issued exclusively by the Department of Enrollment and Registration Services. They contain a VCU seal and original signature.

Please contact the Department of Enrollment and Registration to request official transcripts.

Graduating Honors

Valedictorian

The title of Valedictorian is bestowed on the student who hold the highest academic ranking among the graduation class. The Valedictorian has earned the highest cumulative grade point average (CGPA) as assessed at the end of the Fall semester prior to the May graduation term.

The Valedictorian is invited to deliver the Student Address during the Commencement Ceremony.

In the case of two equally qualified students, two Co-Valedictorians are selected.

Salutatorian

The title of Salutatorian is bestowed on the student who hold the second highest academic ranking among the graduation class. The Salutatorian has earned the second highest cumulative grade point average (CGPA) as assessed at the end of the Fall semester prior to the May graduation term.

Latin Honors 

Latin honors, designated at summa, magna and cum laude, date back to the 19th century, and are commonly used in American universities to recognize students of the highest academic distinction. Latin Honors are conferred on students based on their academic performance over the entirety of their undergraduate studies. Upon graduating, students on whom Latin Honors are conferred, have such a distinction noted on their Diploma.

Students with preliminary Latin Honors designations wear Latin Honors cords as part of their regalia at Commencement.

  • Summa cum Laude (“with the greatest honor”) – Cumulative Graduating GPA of 3.90–4.00 (gold and silver cords)
  • Magna cum Laude (“with great honor”) – Cumulative Graduating GPA of 3.60–3.89 (gold cord)
  • Cum Laude (“with honor”) – Cumulative Graduating GPA of 3.30–3.59 (silver cord)
University Honors

University Honors are bestowed on students who have participated in the Honors Program at VCUarts Qatar and who have met the stated requirements of that program.

Honors Program Graduates wear the VCU Honors College medallion as a part of their regalia.

VCU Diplomas

Ceremonies

The VCUarts Qatar Commencement and QF Convocation are the Ceremonies which celebrate students who have completed their academic degree program, and thus considered to be “graduating”.

Commencement and Convocation are held at the end of the Spring term only. 
Students who are no more than six (6) semester credits away from completing their academic degree program, may request to participate in the

Commencement/Convocation Ceremonies, provided they plan to complete the remaining credits by the end of the subsequent Fall term. Such students must complete/submit the Commencement Participation Request Form available from the VCUarts Qatar Intranet. (Section: Enrollment and Registration Services).  

Awarding of the Degree (aka “having graduated”)

A student has effectively graduated when their Academic Transcript in eServices indicates the degree that is awarded (BA, BFA, MFA) as well as the graduation date. 

Degrees are awarded after all graduation reviews and audits are completed, both by VCUarts Qatar and VCU. 

  • For May graduates, that is generally approx. 4 weeks after Commencement 
  • For August/December graduates, that is generally approx. 4 weeks after the semester at the end of which you are graduating (Summer or Fall) ends.
Diploma (aka “Graduation Certificate”) 

A student’s diploma is printed in, and sent from, Richmond, VA, USA. Diplomas arrive in Qatar generally 10 weeks after a student’s Academic Transcript (in eServices) indicates the degree has been awarded.

  • For May graduates, Diplomas arrive at VCUarts Qatar – at the earliest – end-July/early-August.
  • For December graduates, Diplomas arrive at VCUarts Qatar – at the earliest – end-February/early March.
  • For August graduates, Diplomas arrive at VCUarts Qatar – at the earliest – end October/early November.

To be issued their diploma, students may not have any Holds on their VCU-record and must have completed the Separation Process, including an Exit Survey and Interview.

Certifications

Please contact the Department of Enrollment and Registration Services for certifications requested by future employers, government or funding agencies, etc. such as: 

  • Certification of Enrollment
  • Certification of Degree Program Completion
  • Certification of Graduation
  • Certification of Study Abroad Participation
  • Certification of VCUarts Qatar’s medium of instruction being English
  • Etc.

Issuance of such Certifications generally take 2 business days.

ARAC

The Academic Regulations Appeals Committee (ARAC) considers appeals for exceptions to undergraduate program academic regulations listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. 

ARAC is comprised of the Academic Leadership at VCUarts Qatar, and chaired (non-voting) by the Assistant Dean for Enrollment and Registration Services.

Detailed information on the ARAC Appeals Procedures is available to from the VCUarts Qatar Intranet. (Section: Enrollment and Registration Services).

FERPA

FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, is a federal law in the United States of America that pertains to the release of and access to educational records. 

The law (also known as the Buckley Amendment) applies to all institutions which receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. VCU, and by extension VCUarts Qatar, must comply with FERPA. 

FERPA applies to personally identifiable information in educational records that make the student’s identity easily traceable, such as grades, GPA, financial aid awards, registration information, etc.

  • Educational records are records that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by an educational agency or institution, or by a party acting on its behalf. 
  • A record means any information recorded in any way, including handwriting, print, tape, film, microfilm, etc.

In addition to Educational Records, FERPA also identifies certain information which it refers to as ‘directory information’. Directory Information may be disclosed without the student’s permission. The university has designated the following information as directory information:

  • Student’s name
  • Date admitted
  • Date of Birth
  • Semesters of attendance
  • Majors/Minors/Specializations
  • School/College
  • Full or part time status
  • Classification (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, etc.)
  • Degree sought
  • Honors and Awards
  • Degrees earned and dates on which degrees were earned
  • Participation in an officially recognized sports
  • ID Photograph
  • Note that Directory information does not include Race, Gender, Social Security Number, Grades, Grade Point Average, Country of Citizenship, Religion.

All VCUarts Qatar’s FERPA-forms related to a student’s provision or revocation of consent, etc. can be found at the VCUarts Qatar Intranet. (Section: “Enrollment and Registration Services”.)

FERPA training, as provided to all new VCUarts Qatar students and employees during their respective Orientations, is also available from the VCUarts Qatar Intranet. (Section: “Enrollment and Registration Services”.) 

Read more on FERPA.

VA-Code

VA-Code refers to the Code of Virginia section 23.1-405(C), effective July 1, 2018. 

While VCU designates a student’s address, phone number and email address as “directory information” under FERPA, the Code of Virginia section 23.1-405(C), effective July 1, 2018, prohibits the university from disclosing that information under FERPA’s “directory information” exception, 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(a)(11), or the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq., unless the student has affirmatively consented in writing to such disclosure. 

Accordingly, VCU may disclose this information when a student has consented in writing or another FERPA exception applies. 

Read more on Disclosure of Student Contact Information.