All of Lafayette’s degree programs are available to part-time students through the day program, which consists of fall and spring semesters. The College also offers an interim session in January, as well as various summer options.
Students who intend to enter a part-time degree program normally must have completed high school at least two years previously and meet the minimum requirements for admission established for all students in the chosen program. The College welcomes applications from students who wish to transfer from two-year and four-year institutions.
A student who transfers from a regionally accredited institution will be granted credit toward a Lafayette degree for courses that are consistent with the goals of his or her academic program at Lafayette and in which a grade of at least “C” (or equivalent) has been earned. Engineering courses must be from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
Students who have earned credits from other colleges and universities must submit official transcripts and catalogs containing course descriptions from these institutions as part of the admissions procedure. Applicants will receive an evaluation of transfer credit before matriculation. An official copy of the student’s high school transcript is also required.
Transfer students are normally not admitted with advanced standing beyond the sophomore level. They are required to complete at least one-half of their degree requirements at Lafayette.
Non-degree-seeking students may be admitted on a semester-to-semester basis as special students. Evidence of course prerequisites is required. Courses may be taken for credit or audited.
The audit fee for part-time and special students is the prevailing part-time audit rate. All audits must have the approval of the course instructor. Courses that require a high degree of participation (e.g., laboratory courses, studio art classes, and foreign languages emphasizing conversation) normally may not be audited.
Current, full-time Lafayette students are not eligible for the part-time studies program; there is not a pathway for a full-time student to be reclassified as part-time. The light load option is designed for students who seek to enroll less-than-full-time (less than 3 credits) in a fall or spring semester.
If you are a full-time student interested in a light load, please review the policy on Light Load with Pro-Rated Tuition and discuss this option with your academic adviser. Any student seeking a light load must send a petition to the Academic Progress Committee. This policy is designed for seniors in their last semester who don’t need a full-time course load to graduate, but others with extraordinary circumstances may petition, as well. Approval is not guaranteed.
Part-time students are limited to no more than two course units per semester and are charged the prevailing part-time per-unit rate. When reaching senior standing, however, the part-time student may take an additional unit in two of the last four semesters at Lafayette. The student will continue to be billed at the part-time rate. Such exceptions must be approved by the director of part-time studies.
Advisers in the student’s major area are assigned when the student is accepted into a degree program. Students who have not been officially accepted into a major and special students not seeking entrance into a degree program are advised through the Part-Time Studies Office.
All part-time students are expected to follow the College’s policy on Statute of Limitations for Students and be aware of the rights and responsibilities of students.
A part-time degree candidate wishing to enroll as a full-time student must petition the Academic Progress Committee to change status. Admission on a full-time basis is restricted to those with exemplary academic records and a minimum of five course units taken at Lafayette.
Lafayette is a member of the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC), which also includes Cedar Crest, DeSales, Lehigh, Moravian, and Muhlenberg. Part-time degree candidates who have achieved sophomore standing may cross-register for part-time day and evening courses. Grades and credits earned at one of the cooperating colleges will transfer automatically to the student’s home institution.
Cross-registration provides the opportunity to take courses not available at the home institution and thus eases the scheduling difficulties sometimes experienced by working adults. A part-time student may enroll in a maximum of two courses through cross-registration for each year of equivalent full-time study. Fees are charged according to the policy of the host institution.
For more information regarding the Part-Time Studies program contact: