Academic Policies and Procedures
Mathematics Placement
Mathematics, in the form of calculus or statistics, is required for all geological sciences degrees. To enroll in a calculus or statistics course in the college, students must first take the mathematics placement exam. All incoming Jackson School students are required to complete this placement exam before the start of fall classes, preferably during summer orientation.
Minimum Scholastic Requirements
The student must earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 in all courses taken at the University of Texas at Austin (including credit by examination, correspondence, and extension) for which a grade or symbol other than Q, W, X, or CR is recorded. In addition, the student must earn a grade point average of at least 2.00 in geological sciences courses taken at the University and counted toward the major requirement. The student must earn a grade of at least C- in each course used to fulfill any of the requirements for the degree. For more information about grades and the grade point average, see General Information .
Academic Probation and Dismissal
Students are expected to make continuous progress toward the degree while maintaining the University minimum scholastic requirements. A student is placed on academic probation if his or her grade point average falls below 2.00. University regulations on scholastic probation and dismissal are given in General Information.
Students on academic probation are expected to focus on academic improvement and thus are not allowed to hold student offices (elected or appointed) or to receive college stipends for travel to professional meetings or other college-sponsored events.
Students in the Bachelor of Science in Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology (GEH) degree program must maintain the scholastic requirements of the Cockrell School of Engineering. Although GEH students have an active student status in the Jackson School, they are subject to the academic policies and procedures of the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Repetition of a Course
A student may not enroll in any course in the Jackson School more than twice, even if the course is needed to meet degree requirements, without first obtaining written consent from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The symbol Q or W counts as an enrollment unless it has been approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as nonacademic.
A student who is denied approval to repeat a course in residence at the University will also be denied approval to complete the course by transfer, extension, correspondence, distance education, or credit by examination and then count it towards the degree.
Concurrent Enrollment
Concurrent enrollment is enrollment simultaneously at the University and at another educational institution or in any combination of correspondence, extension and online or distance education courses. During a long semester students enrolled in the Jackson School of Geosciences are not allowed to take courses at another school or institution or by correspondence or extension at the University unless approved in advance by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
A student in his or her final semester may not enroll concurrently at another institution in any course, including a distance education course, to be counted toward the degree. In the final semester, the student may also not enroll by extension or correspondence in coursework to be counted toward the degree. All transfer, extension, and correspondence coursework must be added to the student's official record before his or her last semester.
Undergraduates in a Graduate Course
The Jackson School encourages undergraduates who excel academically and would benefit from further challenges to enroll in graduate courses. With permission, undergraduates may count graduate courses toward their undergraduate degrees or may reserve them for graduate credit. To enroll in a graduate course, undergraduates must meet the University's eligibility requirements and must receive permission from the course instructor, the graduate adviser for the offering department, and the dean's office. Undergraduates reserving courses for graduate credit must also receive permission from the graduate dean. More information is available in the section Coursework in the Graduate School and the School of Law .
Petitions for Degree Requirements
Petitions for exceptions to degree requirements, with the exception of the University-wide Core Curriculum, are handled through the JSG Student Services Office. After meeting with the student, an academic adviser initiates the petition on the student's behalf and routes it to the appropriate faculty. The most common reason for petitioning is to request the substitution of transfer coursework for a specific degree requirement. Final decisions on all petitions are made by the Jackson School dean's office.
Attendance
Jackson School students are expected to attend all meetings of the classes for which they are registered. Students who fail to attend class regularly are inviting scholastic difficulty. In some courses, instructors may have attendance requirements; these should be made known to students during the first week of classes. With the approval of the dean, a student may be dropped from a course with a grade of F for repeated unexcused absences.
Honors
University Honors
Each fall and spring semester, undergraduate who complete a full course load and earn outstanding grades, are recognized on the fall or spring University Honors list, respectively. Students are notified on the semester grade report of their inclusion on the list. The Jackson School hosts an event each spring to recognize JSG University Honors students in conjunction with University-wide Honors Day.
Additional information on University Honors is available in General Information .
School Honors Program
The Jackson School offers a departmental honors program to its majors. Students who wish to participate in the program should submit an application to the JSG Student Services Office when they have completed 60 semester hours of coursework, including at least 12 semester hours of upper-division coursework in geological sciences. The Jackson School of Geosciences Honors Program receives an increasing number of qualified applications each year and not all applicants are guaranteed acceptance.
Minimum requirements for the completion of this program are:
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A cumulative University grade point average of at least 3.00, and a grade point average in geological sciences of at least 3.50,
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Geological Sciences 171H, 172H, and 173H with a grade of at least B- in each,
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Geological Sciences 379H, with a grade of at least B-,
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Completion at the University of at least 60 semester hours of coursework counted toward the degree.
An honors student who completes all program requirements will receive the designation “Special Honors in Geological Sciences” on his or her transcript and be recognized at the Jackson School commencement ceremony.