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Academic Policies

Examinations

Final Examinations Make-up Policy

When a final examination falls at a time that conflicts with a student's observance of a holy day, faculty members must accommodate a request for an alternate examination date at a time that does not violate the student's religious creed.

A student must discuss a final examination conflict with the professor no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled examination date to arrange an acceptable alternate examination date.

Administrative Examinations

The following administrative examinations are given at USC:

Placement Examinations

Placement Examinations determine the student's level of ability in order to establish the appropriate placement level in subjects such as chemistry, physics, mathematics and foreign languages. No unit credit is available.

Placement tests are administered by the University Testing Bureau in the following areas: math, chemistry, physics and foreign languages as well as the International Student English Examination. The tests are given for placement and/or counseling and/or subject credit (which may fulfill a required or elective subject area). They are administered on scheduled dates on the USC campus. Both a USC ID and a non-USC ID are required along with proof of USC admission for all placement tests. For additional information concerning these tests, contact the USC Testing Bureau, YWCA 104, (213) 740-7166, (www.usc.edu/student-affairs/testing_bureau).

Placement in elementary and intermediate foreign language courses is made by the Foreign Language Placement Tests. Transfer courses equivalent to a USC language course fulfill the prerequisite for the next course in the sequence, but students are required to take the USC placement exam. Transfer students may be advised (although not required) to repeat, without additional credit, a semester or semesters of instruction to qualify for the next level in the sequence if their skills are judged insufficient at the time of testing. Questions concerning foreign language placement should be directed to the chair of the appropriate department.

Placements in Chemistry 040x and 105a; Mathematics 040x, 108, 116, 117, 118 and 125; and Physics 135 and 151 are determined by the appropriate tests.

University Writing Examination

Students who score below the specified level on the verbal portion of the SAT are required to take the University Writing Examination to determine if they must complete preparatory course work before enrolling in Writing 140. Also see the Writing program section.

Equivalency Examinations

Equivalency examinations are given at the discretion of the academic unit to determine whether upper division transferred course work may be applied as subject credit to the major requirements for the degree. Passing the examination does not provide additional unit credit. Contact the appropriate academic unit for specific details.

Subject Credit by Special Examination

Special examinations for subject credit establish subject credit in a subject area in which the student is sufficiently prepared but in which no previous credit has been accepted or attempted toward the USC degree.

Students who would like to request a waiver from the normal course requirements may request that the chair of the department in which the course is offered allow them to take a special examination challenging the course for subject credit only. The fee for the examination is one half of a unit per examination.

With the permission of the dean of the academic unit in which the student is a degree candidate, the student may file a Request for Credit by Special Examination form in the Grade Department (JHH 106). The following rules apply:

(1) Credit by special examination is available to undergraduate students only.

(2) No more than one special examination may be taken in a given course.

(3) Special examinations will not be allowed in any course for which a student has received a grade or mark on the transcript (e.g., W, UW, IN, IX, F or D) at USC or elsewhere.

(4) A special examination will not be allowed if the course is a prerequisite to or sequentially precedes a course or courses that appear on a college level transcript, unless USC allows similar courses to be taken out of sequence.

(5) Credit cannot be earned by special examination for the Expository Writing requirement, the first three semesters of any foreign language or Mathematics 040x.

(6) Native speakers of a foreign language may challenge only literature or linguistics courses offered through the respective language department.

(7) Results of all special examinations taken for subject credit only will appear on the USC transcript with a grade of "CR” (credit) or "NC” (no credit) and will not reflect unit value.

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