Frequently Asked Questions

The graduate requirements are listed in each course catalog that is published. The requirements can be found in the Academic Program section of the Bryn Mawr Catalog or in the Academics section.

You can access the Academic Requirements Report from your "Academic Progress" tile. Once there, click on the left side navigation tab for "Academic Progress." Your Academic Requirements report is displayed.

The report is broken down into three main areas: 

1) College Academic Units completed will show when you click on the ">" (right-pointing arrow) under "Academic units." Then your units will display, e.g.: " Units: 32.00 required, 12.00 taken, 20.00 needed:.  The Residency Unit Requirement: total units towards graduation and while in residence at Bryn Mawr, is visible under the Residency Units heading.  Again, click on the ">" (right-pointing arrow) under Residency Units and you will see what you have completed, e.g.: "Units: 24.00 required, 12.00 taken, 12.00 needed."

2) College Requirements

• Emily Balch Seminar
• Quantitative Readiness
• Foreign Language
• Approaches to Inquiry: Critical Interpretation, Cross-Cultural Analysis, Inquiry into the Past, Scientific Investigation
• Quantitative and Mathmematical Reasoning
• PE Requirement (Wellness, Swim Test, Physical Education electives)

3) Additional Courses: courses that count towards the total units and residency requirement, but do not fulfill college requirements (including transcript and test credits)

Icon Key

Green Circle with a Checkmark: means you have taken the course.  A grade will be visible in the grade column.  Only courses with a grade of 2.0 of higher will satisfy a college requirement.

Yellow Diamond: this is a course you have preregistered for or are in the process of taking. Once this course is graded and if you receive a 2.0 or higher, the icon will become the "taken" icon.  If you do not pass the course with a  2.0 or higher, you will see the course listed in the Additional Courses area of the Academic Requirements Report.

Planned: If you have add the course to your academic planner, they will appear as completing a requirement and be given the "planned" icon. 

Requirements Appearance:

A "satisfied" requirement will have a green check mark, click on the check mark to see what course satisfied the requirement.

If a requirement is "not satisfied," the requirement will be open. Search the catalog to find a course that fulfills the approach.

• Courses you have completed with a 2.0 or better and courses are you currently registered for will complete a requirement in the report. Completed requirements are marked "Satisfied." If you do not complete in progress courses with a 2.0 or better, they will not fulfill the requirement.
• If a requirement is "satisfied," the requirement area will collapse and the requirement will display "satisfied." To view the courses used to complete the requirement click the ">" symbol (right-pointing arrow).
• Requirements marked "Not Satisfied" have not been satisfied by the courses you have taken or are currently registered for.  Courses taken CR/NC must have a grade of 2.0 or greater to satisfy the requirement.
• Sometimes you have taken more than one course that fulfills an approach, the first course you took will appear.

If you have questions about your Academic Requirements Report, please visit the Registrar's Office in the Lower Level of Guild Hall, or email registrar@brynmawr.edu

A prerequisite is a course you must have completed before registering for another.  (A co-requisite is a course must take at the same time or prior to registering for another). All prerequisites are listed in the course description for each course. Prerequisites are in place because for some courses prior knowledge of a topic is requirement.

If you don’t meet prerequisites (or co-requisite), you will not be allowed to register without a permission number.

Some departments list suggested courses to take prior to registering for another. These courses are not mandatory, but the department feels the courses help the student better prepare for the course material. Students could consult their Dean or Major Advisor before taking a course without the necessary suggested preparation courses.

You should talk to the instructor of the course. In some situations, instructors may feel that your alternate preparation will still allow you to be successful in the course.  If they permit you to take the course without the prerequisite, you will need to obtain a permission number from the instructor.

No, not all courses have prerequisites. If there is nothing listed in the course description, then the course is open to all students.

You must sign up in Bionic (starting after Confirmation of Registration ends) to declare a course credit/no credit.  The deadline to sign up for a full semester course is by the end of the sixth week of classes.  This deadline is strictly enforced.  If a student changes their mind prior to the end of the deadline, they may use the same process to revert the course back to the normal grading basis.

Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) is taking a course pass or fail.  It is an option available to allow you to a take an academic risk or pursue new subject matter.  The grade submitted by your professor for a CR/NC course is not factored into your GPA.  You will receive credit toward graduation as long as you earn least a 1.0 in the course.  On your transcript a “CR” (credit) or “NC” (no credit) will appear instead of a grade.   When taking a course CR/NC you are considered a regular member of the class and must meet all the academic commitments of the course on schedule.  The instructor will not be notified of your CR/NC registration.

Yes.  Please note that the Bryn Mawr CR/NC rules apply to courses at other institutions.

Yes.  However, you must earn a grade of 2.0 or above in such a course in order to fulfill the requirement.   If you get below a 2.0 but above 1.0, you will still receive credit, but the requirement will not be fulfilled.

You cannot take courses in your major department as CR/NC.  If you take a course CR/NC and then decide to major in that department, the grade will be uncovered. 

Yes. You must receive at least a 2.0 in the course for it to count towards your minor.

You can take up to 4 units CR/NC throughout your four years at Bryn Mawr.  You can only take one course CR/NC within a given semester. 

Exception: If you are taking a course that is CR/NC for everyone (e.g. Chorale or Orchestra), you may still choose to take one course under the ordinary CR/NC option.  Transfer students may take one CR/NC unit for each year they spend at Bryn Mawr based on class year at entrance.

You can view the covered numeric grade by checking the grades page in your Student Center in Bionic. 

No. Once the CR/NC deadline has passed it is not possible to uncover your grade.  The only exception is if the course becomes part of your major, since students may not take any courses in their major under the CR/NC option.

In general, the deans advise that you not take courses related to potential graduate work CR/NC. 

• Law schools don't like to see a pattern of CR/NC courses, but one to two CR/NC courses is generally fine. 
• Medical schools and other graduate programs in the health professions want to see actual grades for prerequisite courses. 

The Guide for 1st and 2nd Year Students prepared by Bryn Mawr's Health Professions Advising Office recommends the following:  “Take few (or no) credit/non-credit courses.  It is best to take all your courses for a grade because medical schools look for applicants who have consistently challenged themselves throughout the undergraduate years. You must take all of your premedical requirements for a grade.” Please consult the Health Professions Advising Office if you need additional guidance.

Grades for courses taken credit/no credit are taken into consideration by the Registrar’s Office when determining your eligibility for magna cum laude and summa cum laude distinctions, but these grades are not uncovered.

Please see the special Covid Credit/No-Credit FAQ here.