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Policies and Procedures

Change of Major:

Current UA students wishing to change their major to one within the College of Science must contact the Academic Advisor for their intended program. See the list of advisors by major program

Grade Appeal:

Information on the University of Arizona's grade appeal policy can be found in the General Catalog. It is strongly suggested that students make an attempt to resolve the matter within the department offering the course. However, students choosing to proceed with a grade appeal for courses offered within the College of Science should follow the College of Science Grade Appeal Protocol. In addition, a checklist is provided which may be helpful in assisting students as they track their progress throughout the appeal process. It is very important to begin the grade appeal process BEFORE the 5th week of the semester following the semester in which the appealing grade was earned. You may contact smatteson@email.arizona.edu if you have any questions about the CoS Grade Appeal process.

General Petition:

Undergraduate students majoring in the College of Science may petition the University General Petitions Committee for relief if they believe they deserve redress or exception to university rules, regulations, or policies regarding academic affairs. To obtain a general petition form and advising on how to complete the petition packet, please come to the College of Science Advising Office in Gould Simpson 1017.  Use this link for more information on the general petition process. Please know that any student who is found to have violated the Student Code of Conduct when preparing their petition packet for submission may lose the opportunity to resubmit their packet to the College for consideration.

Change of Schedule and Late Change Petition (drop/add):

Use a change of schedule form to drop or add classes when UAccess is no longer is available for those changes. Please refer to the registration dates and deadlines that determine when schedule changes are allowed.

  • Course withdrawals filed before the first deadline (at the end of the fourth week of classes) will result in the course being deleted from the student's permanent record.
  • For course withdrawals filed between the first and second withdrawal deadlines (at the end of the eighth week of classes) the grade of "W" is awarded to students who are passing at the time of withdrawal, and the grade of "E" may be awarded to students not passing at the time of withdrawal.  Either grade will be displayed on the student’s permanent record. The value of the “E” grade will be calculated in the student’s grade point average.
  • After the second withdrawal deadline, students must have an extraordinary reason approved by the student's college dean. Students requesting to drop one or more classes (but not to drop to 0 units) after the eighth week MUST file a late change petition.
    • The petition process involves a few steps which should be started as soon as possible but no later than the Monday of the last week of regular classes during the fall and spring semesters.
    • Students declared in the College of Science may obtain petition forms from Gould-Simpson room 1017 after the eighth week of classes. Other students must see their own college Dean to obtain the forms.
    • The petition requires instructor signature and other information along with a change of schedule form. Students must provide proof of extraordinary circumstances that are preventing participation and completion of the course(s). \
  • Students expecting to drop all classes for the term (withdraw to zero units) may do so by following the online process for complete withdrawal.

Leave of Absence (LOA):

The Leave of Absence policy assists and encourages students to return to their studies after a one or two semester absence from campus. Students with this status need not apply for or pay readmission fees, and may register for classes during their priority registration period. Leave of Absence forms are available online through Registration and Transcripts website. Please refer to the complete LOA policy. College of Science students who require a military leave of absence should see the complete policy regarding military leave of absence. For assistance with the LOA form, contact the College of Science Advising Office in Gould-Simpson 1017. 621-8128 science@email.arizona.edu

Academic Probation and Dismissal: 

The College of Science realizes that there are a variety of reasons for poor academic performance and we are motivated to help students recover from academic challenges. We strongly suggest that students faced with the danger of failing one or more classes arrange to see their academic advisor as soon as possible to discuss options such as campus resources  for academic or personal issues, swapping classes (depending on the timing of the semester), or even dropping one or more classes. There are many ways that advisors can help, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to initiate contact with advisors when needed, and explore options to minimize the chances of going on academic probation. See how probation and dismissal are handled within the College of Science.