Academic Classification
A student’s rank is determined by the number of semester hours that have been completed:
- Freshman: 0 - 29 semester hours of credit
- Sophomore: 30 - 59 semester hours of credit
- Junior:60 - 89 semester hours of credit
- Senior: 90 or more semester hours of credit
Academic Honesty
All members of the YSU community have a responsibility of maintaining high standards of honesty and ethical practice. Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students in violation are subject to disciplinary action, including possible expulsion.
Academic honesty requires that all work that you submit is your own unless properly cited. If you have any doubt as to whether to cite the source of your information, cite the source of your information!
Calculation of GPA
Divide your quality points (“QP” on SID-hyperlink to how to check grades) by your attempted hours (“HA” on SID) to arrive at your GPA. There are a number of GPA calculators available to you online. Just enter “GPA calculator” into your search engine.
Full-time vs. Part-time
You must be registered for 12 credit hours to be a full-time student; anything fewer is considered part-time. If you are registered for 12 hours, you will be in class approximately 12 hours per week (more if you are taking lab classes). You may need to be a full-time student to retain your financial aid and your health insurance.
General Education Requirements
General education courses are designed to:
- Provide students with a global understanding and appreciation of the world and its many facets, both past and present
- Foster critical, independent and objective thinking and an openness to ideas
- Develop the skills necessary to write, speak, and process information effectively
- Develop responsible, informed, and active citizens of the world
For more information about general education requirements and a list of the courses that will fulfill these requirements, please see your advisor, refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin or visit the General Education Program website.
Developmental Courses
The following courses are considered to be developmental courses:
- Math 1500, 1501, and 1504
- RSS 1510A and 1510B
- ENGL 1539 and 1540
If you are required to take these courses they will be counted when determining your course load but they do not count towards you degree hours.
What is a Minor?
A minor consists of at least 18 hours of a specific sequence of courses (in which you must receive grades of C or better) taken in a discipline other than your major. Courses intended for a minor (or major) may not be taken under the Credit/No Credit option. One third of the credit hours must be upper division courses (3700 level or above). See the undergraduate bulletin for approved minors.
Prerequisite
A prerequisite is requirement or a course that is necessary to complete before taking a more advanced course. For example: CRJUS 1500 (Intro to Criminal Justice) is a prerequisite to CRJUS 2601, 2602, and 2603. Courses that have prerequisites have a “P” in the prerequisite column of the Student Schedule of Classes.
All prerequisite courses must be completed with a C or better. See the Undergraduate Bulletin for course descriptions and prerequisites.
Syllabus
A syllabus is your contract with your professor and should be distributed within the first week of class. Some of the information that a syllabus should contain are: the name and catalog number of the course, the prerequisite for the course, the books required for the course, the attendance policy, the grading policy, what will be covered in the course and when, testing and assignment dates. The syllabus is subject to change during the semester, so you must go to class for the most up-to-date course information.
Undergraduate Bulletin
The Undergraduate Bulletin is your YSU guidebook. The bulletin contains information about YSU’s programs, curricula, rules, policies, procedures, course descriptions with prerequisites, etc. It is your responsibility to know what is in the Bulletin.
University vs. College
Youngstown State University is made up of 7 different colleges:
- College of Creative Arts and Communication (CCAC)
- Williamson College of Business Administration (WCBA)
- College of Liberal Arts and Social Studies (CLASS)
- Bitonte College of Health and Human Services (BCHHS)
- College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
- Beeghly College of Education (BCOE)
- School of Graduate Studies
Each college has its own dean, advisors and graduation requirements. Make sure you are familiar with which college your major is in.