Attendance Requirements 

Residency Requirement

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS)
To satisfy the residency requirement at Mills, degree-seeking students must:

• be in attendance at Mills for a minimum of three semesters;
• be in attendance at Mills during the last two semesters before they graduate; and 
• complete at least 12 semester course credits in attendance at Mills, not including cross-registration courses.

Courses taken through cross-registration, concurrent enrollment, domestic exchange/visit, or international study do not count toward the residency requirement.

With the approval of the Academic Standing Committee (ASC), students may be allowed to spend the first semester of their senior year on exchange or study abroad when their academic program justifies an absence. In these cases, the requirement of a minimum of 12 semester course credits in attendance at Mills still applies.

In exceptional circumstances, a student may petition the ASC to complete up to two final semester course credits of work outside the major at another institution, provided she has completed a total of at least 32 credits before leaving Mills, has no more than 2 credits remaining to fulfill the degree, and has met the residency requirement of 12 semester course credits in attendance at Mills (see Degree Completion “In Absentia”).

Pre-Nursing Certificate
To satisfy the residency requirement at Mills, students enrolled in the Pre-Nursing Certificate Program must:

• be in attendance at Mills for a minimum of two semesters;
• be in attendance at Mills during the last two semesters before they graduate; and 
• complete at least 8.5 semester course credits of required course work for the certificate in attendance at Mills, not including cross-registration courses, at least two of which are core science courses, or more if needed to complete the requirements for the certificate.

Courses taken through cross-registration or concurrent enrollment do not count toward the residency requirement.

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Student Status

Course Load
While a minimum of 3.5 semester course credits is considered full time, a regular full-time course load consists of 4.25 semester course credits per semester or a total of 8.5 semester course credits each year. Thirty-four semester course credits are required for the BA and BS degrees. Students receiving financial assistance must be enrolled in a minimum of 3.5 semester course credits, and are typically expected to earn a minimum of 8.5 semester course credits per year. The maximum course load for first-year students in their first semester is 4.75 semester course credits. The maximum course load for all other undergraduates is 5 semester course credits.

Overload
Any semester course schedule with more than 5 semester course credits constitutes an overload. Overloads must be approved by the Academic Standing Committee (ASC) and are generally granted only to students with a Mills College cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. First-year students in their first semester at Mills are not eligible to take an overload. Students enrolled in teaching practica or academic internships are not permitted course overloads. The maximum overload credit allowed is 5.75 semester course credits in any semester. There are no exceptions.

Class Standing
Students who are candidates for the bachelor’s degree are classified as first-years, sophomores, juniors, or seniors. The following chart indicates the credit range for each classification:

Leave of Absence
Students in good standing may take a leave of absence from the College for a period not exceeding two consecutive semesters or a total of four semesters. A student wishing to take a leave of absence should contact the Division of Student Life to complete the required paperwork. An enrolled student who wishes to apply for a leave of absence or a withdrawal effective for the term in which she is currently enrolled must file paperwork by the last day of instruction. Students should contact the M Center to explore the financial ramifications of taking a leave of absence. (See Tuition and Fees Adjustment Policy.)

A student who has been placed on academic probation is ineligible for a leave of absence. She may apply for a withdrawal and then apply for readmission if she wishes to return to Mills.

Students who wish to complete college work elsewhere while on leave from Mills are advised to submit a Transfer Credit Verification form to the M Center to confirm that the course(s) will transfer to Mills. Upon completion of the courses, the student should request official transcripts to be mailed to the M Center. These transcripts must be received by the end of the student’s first semester of return to Mills.

International students are not permitted to take a leave of absence and should consult with the International Student Advisor in the Division of Student Life regarding any breaks in attendance.

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Withdrawal
A student wishing to terminate her enrollment in the College should contact the Division of Student Life to complete the required paperwork. Students should contact the M Center to explore the financial ramifications of withdrawing from the College. (See Tuition and Fees Adjustment Policy.)

Withdrawal without Notice
A student who fails to confirm her semester attendance or register at the beginning of a the term without filing the required paperwork for a leave of absence or withdrawal is considered to have terminated her enrollment in the College as of the end of the last semester in which she was enrolled, and will be withdrawn without notice.

Readmission
A student who has withdrawn, has been withdrawn without notice, or has been disqualified and wishes to be readmitted to Mills must complete an Undergraduate Application for Readmission, available online and in the M Center. This application should be submitted with a $50 readmission application fee by two weeks prior to the end of the term preceding the term for which the student is requesting readmission:

Transcripts for any course work completed while away from Mills must be submitted with the application.

A student who wishes to be readmitted following academic disqualification must submit the readmission application and fee with an official transcript of at least one full-time semester of transferable course work from a regionally accredited college or university.

Readmission applications for students who have been away from Mills for five or fewer years are reviewed by the Academic Standing Committee (ASC). The student's prior Mills record and, in the case of disqualified students, subsequent course work will be considered by the ASC in making its decision regarding readmission.

A student who has been away from Mills for more than five years must reapply for Undergraduate Admission.   

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