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University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Agricultural Economics

Decision-making At Work for Nebraska

Course Substitutions and Waivers

To complete a degree, students must fulfill requirements at the departmental, college and university levels. Sometimes students find that their program would be facilitated or improved by the substitution of a different course for one of these requirements or by the waiver of a requirement altogether. Adjustments in coursework required by the department for the departmental degree programs must be approved by the Undergraduate Committee. Approval of substitutions or waivers of courses that are required as part of the core requirements of CASNR must be approved by CASNR Curriculum Committee.

CASNR requires that requests for substitutions and waivers of CASNR graduation requirements be filed with the CASNR Curriculum Committee before the start of the academic semester in which a student intends to graduate. Requests for substitutions or waivers of departmental requirements must be filed with the Undergraduate Committee before the start of the academic semester in which the student intends to graduate. Forms are available from the Dean's office (103 Agriculture Hall), the department head's office (102 Filley Hall) or from your adviser.

Departmental Policy on Waivers and Substitutions

  1. Courses that are redundant or inappropriate for a student's particular circumstances may be waived upon submission of the appropriate form. For example, an orientation course might be waived for students who have transferred to UNL from another college or university. Waivers will only be granted if the student can show that the required coursework has been covered in some other way.

  2. The substitution of a course taken at UNL or transferred in from another college or university for a required course will only be approved if the course represents an educational experience that is comparable in content and is of equivalent educational level to that of the course for which the substitution is being requested.

  3. Each request for a substitution or waiver will be evaluated on its merits. Previously granted substitutions and waivers do not constitute precedents for subsequent requests.

  4. Requests for substitutions and waivers based on scheduling conflicts or a student's desire to graduate by a certain date will generally not be granted. It is important for students to plan their program carefully so as to avoid scheduling conflicts and to keep close track on their progress toward the degree in order to avoid last-minute scheduling problems or difficulties in completing required course work.

  5. Departmental requirements reflect our best judgment of what is needed for a well-rounded education in agricultural economics and agribusiness. A fair amount of flexibility has been built into the departmental requirements in an effort to avoid the problems that might give rise to the need for substitutions and waivers. Our goal is to minimize this paperwork as much as possible without preventing legitimate curriculum adjustments. We realize that substitutions and waivers are unavoidable for transfer students.

Procedures for Processing a Substitution/Waiver Request

  1. Students should begin by consulting with their advisers who can help with filling out the forms. As noted above the forms are available from the Dean's office, the department head's office or from your adviser.
  2. Completed substitution and waiver forms along with any needed supporting documentation should be submitted to the chair of the Undergraduate Committee after obtaining your adviser's signature.
  3. If the substitution or waiver request is for a course that is part of the CASNR general requirements (e.g. CHEM 109), the form will be forwarded to CASNR by the chair of the Undergraduate Committee with no departmental recommendation. The decision to grant or deny the request will be made by the CASNR Curriculum Committee and notice will be sent to the student and her/his adviser.
  4. If the request pertains to departmental requirements, it will be evaluated by the Undergraduate Committee. If approved by the Committee, the form is forwarded to CASNR with a favorable recommendation and the appropriate CASNR representatives add their signature and send out official notice of approval.
  5. If a request for a substitution/waiver of a departmental requirement is denied, the form will be returned to the adviser who will notify the student of the decision.
  6. Students may appeal decisions of both the Undergraduate Committee and the CASNR Curriculum Committee. Contact the chair of the Undergraduate Committee.
  7. As noted at the outset, substitutions and waivers need to be taken care of before a student begins his/her final semester. As a general rule, early submission of requests will allow careful consideration by the appropriate committee, and will permit you to make adjustments to your schedule if necessary.