Academic Policies
Transfer Policy
Graduate transfer credits policy conforms to university policy which allows up to six credit hours in transfer with prior approval from the Assoc. Dean of Academic Affairs School of Pharmacy.
Academic Progress
To receive a degree, candidates must satisfy all curricular requirements of the Belmont University School of Pharmacy and of Belmont University. Course availability is limited to courses offered during the fall and spring semesters (exceptions: year-round Advanced Professional Practice Experience courses, Year Four) as published in the catalog. Occasional opportunities arise to provide students unique educational opportunities outside the traditional academic year.
Satisfactory academic progress is required of all students to remain in the School of Pharmacy (see Academic Probation, Suspension & Expulsion below). Academic standing is determined by the professional GPA using grades earned in courses that fulfill the School’s curricular requirements. Unless otherwise stated in course syllabi, grades are assigned using the following scale: 100-92= A, 91-90 = A-, 89-88 = B+, 87-80 = B, 79-78 = B-, 77-76 = C+, 75-67 = C, 66 and below 66 = F.
Academic Probation, Suspension & Expulsion
Probation: A student who fails a course or whose cumulative GPA is below 2.3 in any semester will be placed on academic probation for one semester, during which their activity will be guided by a Student Success Plan developed by the Academic and Professional Standards Committee as part of required counseling sessions. Students are allowed a maximum of two semesters of probation during their time in the program. Additional failed courses, or failure to achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.3 at the end of all remaining semesters, will result in academic suspension or expulsion from the School of Pharmacy as delineated below.
Suspension: Students are suspended upon failure to resolve conditions of probation. Students who amass two course failures and/or whose cumulative GPA is below 2.3 for two academic semesters will be suspended (placed on inactive student status) from the pharmacy program, and as part of required counseling sessions the Academic and Professional Standards Committee will develop a Student Success Plan to guide activity leading, potentially, to reinstitution of active student status. If reactivated following the prescribed suspension period, students are placed on probation for one semester. Because the level of a student’s academic difficulty may be determined by the quantity of failed coursework, failed courses in a given academic semester may preclude the option of probation or suspension. Multiple probations may preclude the option of suspension which may lead to expulsion. Regardless, Belmont University continued enrollment rules prevail.
Appeals for Reactivation of Student Status:
Students dismissed for academic reasons may apply in writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for reactivation, no later than three months before the desired return date (unless stipulated differently in the individual Student Success Plan). The letter should explain reasons for prior academic difficulty and measures taken to ensure the ability to raise the GPA, including completing stipulations contained in the Student Success Plan created by the School’s Academic and Professional Standards Committee during mandatory counseling sessions embedded in the probation and suspension process. The Academic and Professional Standards Committee decides on reactivation of student status. Reactivated students must understand that additional failed courses or failure to achieve and maintain a minimum cumulative 2.3 GPA for all remaining academic semesters may result in academic expulsion from the School of Pharmacy. Additionally, upon reactivation, students may find that catalog requirements for graduation have changed and they will be held accountable to these new requirements. Associated Consequences: Students on academic probation and students suspended from the School of Pharmacy may not serve as officers or committee members in campus organization, participate in extracurricular activities sponsored by Belmont University that involve appreciable amounts of time, or be employed by any Belmont department. Outside employment for students on academic probation is discouraged.
Academic Expulsion: Students who fail three or more courses or fail the same course twice or whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.3 for any three academic semesters will be expelled, resulting in permanent dismissal from the school. Expelled students are not eligible for readmission to the School of Pharmacy; those wishing to remain at Belmont University are subject to University academic progression and retention policies.
Course Prerequisites: A student may not take a course until all prerequisites for that course have been successfully completed.
Progression to Advanced Professional Practice Experiences: A 2.3 minimum cumulative GPA is required before entering the Advanced Professional Practice Experience (APPE) courses in year four.
Time to Degree Completion: Students have six (6) academic years from the original matriculation date to complete the entire prescribed curriculum.
Graduation Requirements
To be eligible to graduate, students must complete all curricular requirements with a grade of “C” or better, have a final, cumulative GPA of 2.3 or better, and have completed the prescribed curriculum of 150 minimum earned graduate credit hours within six years of the original matriculation date.
Financial Aid
Students in good standing are eligible for scholarships awarded by the School of Pharmacy and its community partners. Scholarship eligibility criteria and application processes are managed by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Information on federal loan programs is listed under “Financing Your Education” in the Belmont University Catalog.