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Academic Standing

Brown students are expected to complete four courses each semester, for a total of 32 courses over 4 years, and, with a few exceptions, must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 30 courses in 8 semesters. Enrollment in three, four, or five courses in a semester is considered full-time. RUE students are exempted from this policy.

In order to remain in good academic standing in progress towards a degree, a student will ordinarily pass 8 courses in any two consecutive semesters. Academic progress rules do allow students to pass three courses in a semester once every two years. The chart below shows the number of courses students must pass each semester in order to stay in good academic standing.

 
Sem.
Good
Standing
Warning
Serious
Warning
Suspension
First Year
I
3
2
1
0
II
7
6
5
4
Sophomore
III
11
10
9
8
IV
15
14
13
12
Junior
V
18
17
16
15
VI
22
21
20
19
Senior
VII
26
25
24
23
VIII
30
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Students who fall below academic progress requirements are placed on warning, serious warning, or suspension. In addition, students who pass no courses in a given semester or fewer than five courses in subsequent semesters are eligible for suspension. Suspension involves a mandatory one-year separation from the University.

Students on warning or serious warning may improve their academic standing by taking one or two courses in Brown’s summer session. Summer courses taken elsewhere have no effect on academic standing at Brown.