Academic Standards & Resources

Academic Advising Center

The Academic Advising Center is devoted to helping students navigate their journey through college. In group sessions and individual meetings, students explore options, define educational goals, and develop an academic plan to achieve their goals. The services provided by the AAC are available to all undergraduate students. Students meet with an advisor to:

• discuss educational goals
• understand academic requirements, policies, and procedures
• receive guidance with course selection and registration
• seek support and referrals when having difficulty with a course
• plan ahead to incorporate Emerson external programs (e.g. Kasteel Well, LA), a minor, an internship, an early graduation, or any other academic goal

Overall, the Academic Advising Center is available to help students make the most of their college experience.

Contact Us: 216 Tremont Street, 6th floor, 617-824-7876

Academic Calendar

Students are expected to be familiar with the Academic Calendar and all important dates listed.

Policy Pertaining to Religious Observance—Students who are unable, because of religious beliefs, to attend class or participate in any examination-, study-, or class-related activity on a particular day should contact their instructors ahead of time to facilitate their absence without prejudice.

Academic Grievance

Students who wish to make a complaint or grievance regarding any College academic policy should file a petition with the Academic Petitions Committee through the Office of Academic Affairs.

View the full Academic Grievance Policy

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct includes traditional textual plagiarism and its manifestations, including self-plagiarism (submitting work to meet a requirement in one class that was submitted to meet a requirement in another class without the explicit authorization of the class’s instructor), falsifying work or academic records, cheating, substitution of work or the work of another, actively participating in or condoning these activities with others, appropriating creative works of art in whole or part(images, sounds, lighting designs, audio tracks, scripts, etc).

View the Academic Misconduct Procedures for Faculty

View the Plagiarism Policy

Academic Probation, Suspension, And Dismissal

The College requires students to meet minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress. Students who do not meet these standards are placed on academic probation. Two consecutive semesters of academic probation result in academic suspension.

View the Academic Standards Policy

Attendance

Students are expected to attend classes regularly and promptly and are responsible for all work done in their classes while they are absent. Individual instructors determine the number of times a student may be absent or tardy before one’s grade is adversely affected. 

View the Attendance Policy

Career Services

Career Development Center provides programs, services, and other resources to help you integrate and present classroom and co-curricular experiences in preparation for an internship, graduate school, or employment.

The Career Services team can help guide you along your unique career path. Whether you are a first-year student unsure about your career plans, a junior seeking an internship in your chosen field, or a graduating student starting your job search, Career Services can help.

Contact Us: 216 Tremont Street, 6th floor, 617-824-8586

Classroom Behavior

The primary responsibility for managing the classroom rests with the faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the class for the remainder of the class period. A disciplinary hearing will determine whether a longer suspension or dismissal from a class is warranted.

Directed Study And Directed Projects

In a directed study or project, students work closely with a faculty supervisor in designing and carrying out an academic study or project for credit.

Honors

Dean’s Honor List

Full Time students achieving a 3.70 or higher grade point average for the preceding semester will be placed on the Dean’s Honor List. A grade below C– automatically disqualifies a student for the Dean’s Honor List for that semester, regardless of the grade point average.

Gold Key Honor Society

The Gold Key Honor Society is Emerson’s official academic honor society. To qualify, a student must be either a junior or senior, with no fewer than 48 credits earned at Emerson College. Inductees into Gold Key are those juniors at the top 5 percent of their class and seniors in the top 10 percent of their class (including seniors inducted in their junior year).

Honors Graduation

Honors graduation at Emerson College is based on a student’s entire undergraduate academic record. For a student to graduate with Latin honors, the student must have: completed a minimum of 64 credits at Emerson College and at least 75 percent of the college-level work done in letter-graded courses (not pass/fail courses). Students who meet all the above criteria and are in the top 30 percent of their graduating class will receive Latin honors. Students in the top 5 percent will graduate summa cum laude; students in the next 10 percent will graduate magna cum laude; and students in the next 15 percent will graduate cum laude.

Internships And Professional Development Experiences

An internship is an opportunity for a student to transfer knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to a professional setting while under the supervision of professionals. Students who take advantage of internships gain first-hand experience in their field of study, acquire marketable skills, and begin to establish professional networks.

Internships and Professional Development Experiences

Liberal Arts Curriculum And Requirements

The core of Emerson College’s mission is to challenge students to think and communicate with clarity, substance, and insight. The Liberal Arts Curriculum is designed with these goals firmly in mind. More than this, the Liberal Arts Curriculum seeks to produce students who possess what Aristotle called “practical knowledge,” which implies intellectual breadth, but also the verbal skills and essential experience to put that breadth to effective use. Practical knowledge is first and foremost about solving problems. It recognizes that whether for the successful professional or involved citizen, life’s challenges are to a great extent unpredictable and unique.

View the Liberal Arts Curriculum and Requirements

Majors And Minors

A major allows the student to gain in-depth knowledge of one of the fields of communication or the arts. The Schools specify the major courses that constitute the student’s college work.  Minors give students the opportunity to explore an area outside their major field of study.

List of Majors and Minors

Academic Advising Information on Majors and Minors

Professional Studies And Special Programs

Professional Studies and Special Programs provide continuing education opportunities for individuals to broaden their skill-sets and knowledge for professional and personal growth. Services include: professional certificates, summer courses for undergraduate and graduate credit, and pre-college academic programs for high school students.

View Professional Studies and Special Programs

Readmission Policy

Students are eligible to be readmitted to the College up to two years from the date of their Leave of Absence. To be readmitted, students must submit an Online Request for Readmission to the Academic Advising Center.

View the Readmission Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress

To be eligible for financial aid, all students must satisfy Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), which is required by federal law. SAP measures a student’s completion of coursework toward a degree. Emerson College evaluates SAP at the end of each semester (Fall and Spring) for each student. Students who do not meet all SAP criteria may lose their eligibility to receive all types of financial aid (e.g., federal, state, private, institutional, and other aid). Students will be notified of the decision by email.

View the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Process

Federal regulations require students to demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward an eligible degree or certification program to qualify for financial assistance. Students who are no longer eligible for financial aid due to one or more of the federal requirements and have documented extenuating circumstances may submit a SAP appeal to allow the Office of Financial Aid to determine if aid eligibility may be reinstated.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid (PDF)

Student Accessibility Services

Emerson College is committed to providing access to its academic programs and social activities for all qualified students with disabilities. While upholding this commitment, the College maintains the high standards of achievement that are essential to the integrity of its programs and services. In advancing these aims, the Student Accessibility Services ensures that College policies, practices, and procedures conform to federal and state statutes and regulations. Our philosophy is that students are independent and self determined and that students with disabilities—just like all students—have control over their lives here at Emerson and are ultimately responsible for making their own decisions.

Student Accessibility Services: 216 Tremont Street, 5th floor, 617-824-8592

Veteran Affairs

Emerson College welcomes former and current members of the armed services and their families to our community.

We aim to support your continued success by assisting you in the utilization of military educational benefits and connecting you with campus, local, and national resources. As an institution, we are committed to working with you to understand and support your needs in transitioning from a military to a collegiate environment.

Emerson College values the unique contributions our military students make towards bringing innovation to the arts and communication.

Veteran Affairs, Call to Active Duty, Military Withdrawal and Reinstatement after Serving in Active Duty

Withdrawal/Leave Of Absence From The College

Office of Student Success

A Withdrawal (WD) signifies a decision not to return to Emerson College. (Please note, a course withdrawal is a different process.)

A Leave of Absence (LOA) is a temporary leave from the College and is valid for up to two years.