Academic Standing

The CPS Professional Education Team uses two policies to evaluate student academic standing: Attendance and Program Progress. Students who are attending the minimum number of required live class sessions (if applicable), making sufficient progress towards their credential and who are eligible or have been allowed to register to take courses at Villanova for the current term are considered in good academic standing.   

Attendance: Students must meet the minimum attendance requirements in each course in which they are registered as defined in the course syllabus and Learning Management System (LMS). 

Program Progress: To qualify for a course completion or program certificate, a student, in addition to completing all the studies prescribed for the credential sought, must earn a passing grade or higher in each course. 

Students who fail a course required for their program are permitted one additional attempt. Students who fail an elective course or a course taken outside of a program are permitted one additional course attempt for the failed course or, if applicable, they may attempt another appropriate elective. If a certificate student fails a course more than once, the Assistant Dean assesses the student’s academic record and may permit any of the following: 1) further repetition of the required course, elective course or alternate elective course, 2) an alternate plan of course substitutions, or 3) dismissal from professional education courses in the College. 

A student who fails a course may be permitted to change programs provided they meet the criteria outlined in the Change of Program policy and the failed course is not a requirement of the new program in which the student enrolls. Repeated courses are subject to the full tuition rate. 

Paralegal Professional Program students who fail one of the following program courses: Introduction to Paralegal Profession & Principles; Civil Procedure & Litigation; and Legal Research, are required to meet with the Assistant Dean before progressing to the next course. The student will be given an opportunity to have his/her work re-evaluated by the Program Director and the instructor. A determination will then be made regarding the student’s ability to successfully complete the program. Failure of a course other than those listed above will require a re-take of the failed course and may impact the expected program completion date. The full tuition rate will apply.

Updated 4/2024