General Information

The Course Information section of the Registrar’s web site provides the course offerings for the current semester. Course offerings for the prior two semesters are also provided. For descriptions of courses the student is referred to the Undergraduate or the Graduate School Announcements. Copies are available at the Office of the Registrar, Office of the Dean of the College, large departments, residential college offices, and most libraries. Detailed information about the content of new courses may be obtained from departmental representatives or directors of graduate studies. The University reserves the right to withdraw any course if the number of students electing it is too small to justify giving it, or if other reasons make its cancellation advisable or necessary.

Course Enrollment Dates

All students now in residence who expect to be in attendance during the spring term must enroll in courses on or before the dates listed on the inside cover of Course Offerings. An undergraduate whose proposed off-campus program - e.g. foreign study, field study - for the up-coming term has not yet been approved should enroll in courses. The individual's course selections will be cancelled automatically when the program is approved. An undergraduate who fails to enroll in courses by the specified time will be subject to a fine of $10 per business day.

Distribution Area Requirements

See the Undergraduate Announcement for a detailed description of distribution requirements. Distribution Areas appear in parentheses after the course title in Course Offerings. If no area designation appears, the course satisfies no distribution area. Audited courses do not meet distribution requirements.

Candidates for the AB degree must successfully complete each of the following areas: one course in Epistemology and Cognition (EC); one course in Ethical Thought and Moral Values (EM); one course in Historical Analysis (HA); two courses in Literature and the Arts (LA); one course in Quantitative Reasoning (QR); two courses with laboratory in Science and Technology (ST); and two courses in Social Analysis (SA); and one course that satisfies the Writing requirement (W).

Candidates for the BSE degree must complete a minimum of seven humanities and social science courses, among which they will be required to take one course in four of the following five distribution areas: Epistemology and Cognition (EC); Ethical Thought and Moral Values (EM); Historical Analysis (HA); Literature and the Arts (LA); and Social Analysis (SA). A student may substitute for one of these five areas the study of a foreign language at the 107/108 level or beyond.

Any questions about distribution requirements should be directed to students' residential college dean or director of studies.

P/D/F Grading

The P/D/F Budget System: Students who take courses on a Pass/D/Fail basis will be graded as follows: earned grades of A+ to C- will be converted to P, while D and F will be recorded on the transcript. Undergraduates (A.B. and B.S.E.) may elect four Pass/D/Fail courses out of the 31 A.B. or 36 B.S.E. courses required for graduation during their four years. An undergraduate may elect no more than one course per semester on a P/D/F basis (excluding "P/D/F only" courses). All courses may be taken P/D/F except: (1) "Departmental" courses; and (2) Courses marked No Pass/D/Fail (npdf) in the Course Offerings. Pass/D/Fail Only (pdfo) courses are not included in the budget of four.

Starting with the sixth week, and continuing through the ninth week of the term, students may rescind a P/D/F grading option. The final grade will appear on the A-F scale. However, a rescinded grading option counts as one of the four permitted P/D/F courses.

Auditing

A student is permitted to audit courses in any term without extra charge. Audited courses do not fulfill distribution requirements and do not count toward the required number of courses needed for graduation. They may not be used as departmentals. Courses not open to the audit option are noted na.

A.B. Course Load

Students should refer to the "Program of Study for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts" section in the Undergraduate Announcement.

B.S.E. Course Load

Students in the B.S.E. program normally enroll in four courses in the first term of the freshman year, and in four or five courses in each succeeding term, in a sequence appropriate to their individual programs.

Course Deficiency
(A.B. and B.S.E.)

Under exceptional circumstances, and in consultation with the academic adviser, as well as the appropriate director of studies or academic dean, a student will be allowed to fall one course below the expected course load and thus incur a course deficiency. A failed course does not count toward the number needed for graduation, nor can it be used to satisfy any of the University requirements. A failed course results in a deficiency, which must be made up by successful completion of an extra Princeton course or an approved course at another school. See the section on Academic Regulations in the Undergraduate Announcement for more information.

Graduate Students

Graduate student programs are determined in consultation with the directors of graduate studies. Course Enrollment Worksheets are filled out with the directors of graduate students after which students log on to SCORE to enroll in their approved courses. For information about courses contact the departments and consult the Graduate School Announcement.

Departmental Concentration

The Office of the Registrar provides a web site prior to course enrollment for the fall term in which rising B.S.E. sophomores and rising A.B. juniors declare their concentration. Students should first meet with their departmental representative to ensure that they have met prerequisites for the department. Specific information will be provided by e-mail from the Office of the Registrar each year.

Program of Freshmen Seminars in the Residential Colleges(FRS):

Freshmen Seminars are open, by application, to freshmen only. Visit the Freshmen Seminars web site at http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/fs/ for more information, as well as to submit an application for a desired seminar.

Student Right to Know Disclosure Statement:

Ninety-seven percent (97%) of the undergraduates who entered Princeton in 1999 on a full-time basis had graduated by June, 2005.