Student FAQs

Yes.  As long as a decision is made prior to the start of the semester in which you are expected to graduate there is no rush to make a decision.  Remember, you may only choose one grade to change to S or U.  Once the form is submitted to change a grade to S or U  you will be unable to change another grade throughout your time at Oxy.

Yes. Since the grades are changed retroactively we will know what was the original letter grade assigned.  As long as the original letter grade received was sufficient to satisfy a requirement, a grade changed to S will still allow the course to satisfy a major, minor, or Core requirement.

Students can transfer coursework from an accredited institution to Oxy for credit. However, students currently registered at Oxy must obtain prior approval to take courses at another institution. Courses offered at Oxy cannot be taken at another institution for transfer during the fall and spring semesters. In order to transfer credit, please follow the instructions below:

1. Fill out the Current Student Transfer/Course Substitution Form (available online or in the Registrar’s Office).

2. Acquire the required signatures: adviser, corresponding department chair, and Core Department if using the course to fulfill a Core requirement. Double check that all necessary information has been included on the form.

Please note: If the course will be used to fulfill a specific requirement for your major, be sure to refer to your Degree Evaluation or the catalog in order to precisely identify the requirement. If the requirement to which the course will be applied is not accurately identified, the execution of your petition will be delayed and possibly voided. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to collect the necessary signatures for any petitions that are submitted to our office. We will not hold or print any electronic signatures from faculty members on the student’s behalf. Incomplete petitions will not be processed.

3. Once complete, submit the petition to the Registrar’s Office.

**The petition will be reviewed by the Student Progress Committee. Students will be notified of the decision to approve or deny the transfer credit petition by email. This process can take two weeks or more depending on various factors.

4. Upon completion of the course, you must request an official transcript be sent directly to the Registrar’s Office from the institution where the course was taken. We will accept hard copies and/or electronic copies of official transcripts. We will not accept personally delivered transcripts from the student. A minimum grade of “C-" or better is required to transfer credit to your academic record.

** Keep in mind that quarter units are not equal to semester units. Courses taken at an institution that is on the quarter system are worth less units than those taken at an institution on the semester system. A quarter converts to .667 of an Oxy semester unit.

Advanced Placement: Students that have earned a score of 4 or 5 on any AP exam will earn four units of transfer credit for each eligible score. For those students that requested to have your scores sent to Oxy at the time you took the test, it is likely that the College Board has sent your scores to us. students can review all accepted transfer credit in the Grades & Academic Record portal in myOxy. Please email registrar@oxy.edu for confirmation that your scores have been received. If we have not received your scores from the College Board you will need to request them here.

International Baccalaureate: Students that have earned a score of 6 or 7 on the Higher Level exam, in any subject, will earn four units of transfer credit for each eligible score. To receive credit students must request an official transcript be sent directly to the Registrar's Office. Transcripts can be requested here.

A-Levels: Students that have earned a grade of A or B, in Sociology, Mathematics, Economics, or Theater, will earn four units of transfer credit for each eligible score. To receive credit students must request an official transcript be sent directly to the Registrar's Office. Transcripts can be requested here.

Note: As with all transcripts, our office will not accept, as official, any transcript that is issued to or handled by the student. All official transcripts must be sent directly to the Registrar's Office.

Yes, our office accepts electronic signatures from our faculty members for all our forms. Students are responsible for collecting the necessary signatures for any petitions they are submitting. Our office will not process petitions without the necessary approval(s). We will not print signatures separately or hold incomplete petitions. Please note the following:

1. If opting to submit a hard copy of the petition with electronic signatures, students must print the entire email chain and attach it to the petition. This will allow us to confirm that the approval has been granted for a specific request. Be sure to write your Student ID Number on each page of the printed email. Emails must be submitted at the same time as the petition.
2. If opting to submit an electronic/scanned copy of the petition along with electronic signatures, students must print & scan email chains and send all documentation to registrar@oxy.edu as ONE email. Any documents attached to your email should be in PDF format. You also have the option to fax the necessary paperwork to (323) 341-4886.

Provided the an IS conforms to the IS criteria in the catalog here, almost all IS contracts are eventually approved. The time between when the student submits the completed form to the Registrar and the time approval is received by the student and faculty advisor may be as long as a month, depending on the particular proposal and the steps required for its review. Four-unit independent studies are generally prioritized for review.

We encourage students and faculty to begin the proposed work while they await for an official response from the Sub-Committee on the Curriculum of the Academic Planning Committee.

Currently enrolled students looking to change their status from full-time to part-time must submit a Petition For Special Consideration with the appropriate signatures. This option is primarily reserved for seniors that have completed all requirements, have a sufficient number of units, and are otherwise on track to graduate by their expected graduation date. It is imperative that students considering part-time status speak with Financial Aid/Student Accounts prior to submitting their petition. In order to be classified as a part-time student, you must be enrolled in 11 units or less.

Currently enrolled students have the option to withdraw from the college or take a Leave of Absence to accommodate any health or personal issues that may arise during the course of a semester. See the Leave/Withdrawal Form, available on the Registrar’s website for complete information and instructions. If you need help navigating the Leave/Withdrawal process or are having difficulty obtaining the necessary signatures please contact the Dean of Student’s Office for assistance. Students that decide to Withdraw from the College or take a Leave of Absence, will always have the option to return to Oxy.

The phrase “catalog year" refers to the Academic Catalog by which a student’s major, minor and core requirements are assessed to determine eligibility for graduation. For students entering Oxy before Fall 2013, requirements are assessed according to the published catalog for the year in which they entered Occidental College. For students entering Oxy Fall 2013 or after, requirements will be assessed according to the catalog year in which they declare their first major. Please note that regardless of which policy is applicable to any given student, graduating seniors should not be following the current catalog year requirements to complete their major or minor requirements.

Degree Works is set to pull the best fit courses to meet your requirements. For courses that meet more than one Core requirement or that satisfy the second-stage writing requirement, this is not an automatic process. If you find that a course is not displaying on your Degree Works correctly please contact the Registrar's Office at registrar@oxy.edu. You can also refer to this Degree Works guide for helpful information. 

In order to declare a major or minor a student must submit a major/minor declaration form. Both forms are available in our office or online.

Students are required to declare their major by the end of their sophomore year. Students will be required to declare in order to fulfill the "Clearance" process during their junior year. When a student declares a major they must select an adviser within the major. If a student chooses to pursue a double major, they must select an adviser from each department.

Minors must be declared no later than the last day of classes of a student's penultimate semester. Students may declare multiple minors. However if it becomes apparent that the requirements will not be complete by the student's final semester, the minor may be dropped in order to clear a student for graduation and participation in the commencement ceremony.

It is important that students become aware of their major/minor requirements by familiarizing themselves with the academic catalog that is applicable to him/her. Additionally, inquiries about major/minor requirements or questions about potential transferable courses must be directed to the student’s adviser or the appropriate department chair. If a student feels he/she is not receiving adequate advising from his/her current adviser, it is always possible to change advisers by submitting the “Adviser Change Request Form" available in our office or on our website.

Students have the option to change their adviser if they feel they are not receiving adequate advising from current adviser at anytime during his/her stay at Oxy. You can access the “Adviser Change Request Form" on the Registrar’s Office website. If you have already declared a major, students must request a faculty adviser within the major.

Current students and alum can request an official transcript through Parchment. Current students can access the site through MyOxy under the Academics Tab.

To be placed on the Dean's List students must complete 16 units (for a letter grade) and earn a GPA of 3.5 or better for the semester in question.

Students in their sophomore year or above have the option to register their internship with the Career Services in the Hameetman Career Center (HCC) in order for it to appear on their transcript. Students are only allowed to receive credit for one internship each semester. The student can receive a maximum of two units of elective credit for each internship. Students interested in receiving credit for their internship experience must visit Career Services prior to the start of the internship for enrollment and approval purposes. For more information regarding the internship programs available to you, please visit the Career Services online at their website or in person.

The Art Center and CalTech Institutional Exchange Programs offer students the opportunity to study at either institution while in attendance at Oxy. The exchange program is available to full-time students (a minimum of 12 credits) looking to take courses that may not be offered here at Occidental. Students will receive elective credit for any courses taken at the Art Center or CalTech. The program is available during the fall and spring semesters only, with the permission of both institutions.

Additional tuition payments are not required, but there may be special laboratory or studio fees. In order to participate in this program, please contact the Registrar’s Office for exchange program forms and permission. Courses taken at the Art Center or CalTech are added to the student's transcript as transfer coursework and do not calculate in the students GPA.

Students that score a 4 or 5 on an AP Exam will receive 4 units of elective credit. However, exams are not given course equivalency without a petition. Students can petition to use an AP course to fulfill a major/minor requirement by submitting a Current Student Transfer & Course Substitution Form with the appropriate approvals (Department chair & current adviser).

For students that have taken an IB Exam, credit is given for scores of a 6 or 7 on the Higher Level Exam. We do not give credit for Standard Level IB examinations.

If you cannot meet or locate your adviser, the chair of your adviser's department/program may sign for your adviser.

Our office also accepts emails from our faculty and staff members for all our forms as long as they are sent using an Oxy email address and clearly indicate awareness of the student request. The email message(s) must be sent to the student who would attach the message(s) to the form requiring a signature. Students may access their email and print the message(s) from a computer station in the registrar's office. Students are responsible for collecting the necessary signatures for any forms they are submitting. Our office cannot process forms without the necessary approval(s) and/or comments. Please note the following:

1. If opting to submit a hard copy of the form with an email from a signatory, students must print the entire email chain and attach it to the form. This will allow us to confirm that the approval has been granted for a specific request. Be sure to write your Student ID Number on each page of the printed email. Emails must be submitted with the form.
2. If opting to submit an electronic/scanned copy of a form along with emailed approvals and/or comments, students must print and scan email chains and send all documentation to registrar@oxy.edu as ONE email. Any documents attached to your email should be in PDF format. You also have the option to fax the necessary paperwork to (323) 341-4886.