Distance Learning Program

Distance Learning Program

Advising

DL CCJ Advisor:

Cheyenne Selby; crselby1@ua.edu; (205) 348-3910 Click here to make an appointment 

Distance learning (DL) students are required to meet with their advisors each semester to select courses and to get their PINs cleared for registration. DL students are NOT required to meet in person; DL students will meet with their advisor via telephone, email, or Zoom.

Advising Note: Advising is a two-way process. Before your advising appointment, all DL students are expected to conduct your own research to decide what courses you would like to take. DL students who have attended other universities may have had a different advising experience and we hope to easily transition you to this new advising model.

Fall Advising for Spring 2024 Registration

  • Seniors: Advising appointments for seniors begin October 16th, 2023.
    • Seniors graduating during the upcoming 2022-2023 year will be given preference during this time.
    • Seniors should also begin the process of applying for graduation through the Office of Registrar website during their final year: https://registrar.ua.edu/graduation/
  • Juniors: Advising appointments for juniors begin October 23rd, 2023.
  • Sophomores: Advising appointments for sophomores begin October 30th, 2023.
  • Make-up Advising: Make-up advising appointments begin November 6th, 2023.

Please see our FAQ below for questions.

For dates and times of registration, visit the UA Registrar’s website.

Please make sure to register on your designated date/time. Classes fill up fast and are limited.

Reminder: DL students will always need to register for “OL” sections in the course catalog. These are designed for DL students. If a student registers for any other course designation they will be removed from the course. Taking main campus courses could result in additional charges made to the student’s account.

Distance Learning or Main Campus Changes

Any student considering switching to Distance from Main campus (or vice versa) should contact their advisor before making the switch.

**When changing programs from Main campus to Distance Learning, students will lose the courses they were previously registered for as a Main campus student. Students will need to be re-advised by the DL advisor and re-register for DL-designated courses.

 

Registration

How to Search for Courses
  • My Bama – Student Page – Academic and Student Services – Registration
  • Look Up Classes
  • Select summer or fall 2023
  • Click “Advanced Search”
  • Select your intended department I.e., Criminal Justice, English, etc.
    • To search all subjects, select the top subject (AAST African American Studies), scroll to the bottom, press and hold the Shift key, and click on the last subject (WS Women Studies). That should highlight all subjects.
  • For Campus: Select “Online – Distance Students”
  • Attribute Type: if you want to look specifically for humanities/lit/writing/etc.
  • Part of Term: for winter interim classes, etc.
  • Click Section Search
How do I Register for Courses
  • My Bama – Student Page – Academic and Student Services – Registration – Add or Drop Classes
  • Select Term “Spring 2024”
  • Enter the provided CRNs in the small boxes.
  • Submit Changes
  • More information
  • Open “Registration Instructions” to view video guide.
How do I drop classes
  • My Bama – Student Page – Academic and Student Services – Registration – Add or Drop Classes
  • Select Current Term
  • Open the drop-down menu next to your registered courses. Select drop/delete.
  • Submit Changes
What is priority registration?
Typical Course Offerings for DL students in the CCJ Department
  • insert chart here later
  • The College General Education requirements include two writing courses (with a W designation). We will only be offering one in CCJ, but you can take the second W course in other departments or in your minor.
  • The College requires 12 upper level courses (36 hours). Six of those courses (18 hours) will come from the CCJ major. DL students should prioritize taking upper level classes in their minor to complete the remaining 18 hours.
  • Students must complete CJ 102 before they can take any 300-400 level CCJ courses.
  • A C- or higher is required for all CCJ courses in major requirement blocks. If you earn a D you will still earn elective credits for the course, but it will not be applied to your major requirements.
Capacity Overrides
  • Please note CCJ advisors and office admit cannot grant overrides for courses that are not listed as CCJ or CC.
  • To request an override
    1. Obtain the course instructor’s permission for the override in writing (via email).
    2. Forward the instructor’s email granting override permission to the appropriate department’s office administration. Be sure to include your full name, CWID, and course CRN.
    3. If the override request is approved, you will need to register for the course using the CRN on the registration page.
Waitlist Policy
I have a hold on my registration. How do I find out what this is?
  • My Bama – Student Page – Academic and Student Services – Academic Records and Curriculum – View Holds
    Please note students must meet with their advisor to have the registration hold/pin removed.

Registration Error Troubleshooting

What do I do if the class I want to register for is full?
  • If the course is a CCJ class, you will need to add yourself to the waitlist. If this is your final semester at UA and this course is required to complete your degree requirements please contact your advisor.
  • If the class is outside of CCJ, you will need to contact the college the course is housed in to seek permission. Advising locations and contact info can be found
    here
What does “campus code” error mean?
  • You are trying to sign up for a section of the class that is restricted to main campus students. When registering for classes, be sure to check the class has a campus code of “OL”, otherwise you won’t be able to register for it.
What does “course link” error mean?
  • You are trying to sign up for a section of the class that requires a lab or recitation section. You must register for both the lab or recitation and lecture section simultaneously. You can generally find additional information and instructions in the “title” column. Lectures generally have a “3” in the credit column while labs and recitation sections typically have a “0” listed.
What do I do? I meet the prerequisites for a class but I get an error when I try to register.
  • Double check to be sure you meet the prerequisites (see them at catalog.ua.edu). If you do, you can contact the department that houses the class directly for information about obtaining a permit.
    University Catalog

GPA and Academic Standing

What’s the difference between my “overall GPA” and my “UA GPA”?
  • The overall GPA combines a student’s transfer GPA and their UA GPA, whereas the UA GPA is solely based off the work completed at the University of Alabama. Academic standing is based off the UA GPA. Coursework taken elsewhere and transferred back to UA will not impact the UA GPA, on the Transfer and Overall GPA.
What does “academic standing” mean and are their different types?
  • There are four standings a student can be placed in based on their UA GPA. The University of Alabama uses the Satisfactory Progress Standard (SPS) to determine a student’s academic standing.
  • Good Standing – any student with a UA GPA above 2.0
    Academic Warning – any student with a GPA below a 2.0 but above the SPS
    Academic Suspension – any student who has not met the SPS based on their overall hours after at least one term on Academic Warning
    Reinstated from Suspension – any student that has earned a suspension but has been reinstated to their college
    For full policy terms click here
Why have I been placed on academic warning?
  • An academic warning serves as an alert that a student’s GPA is close to the threshold for academic suspension and is placed on any student whose UA GPA falls below a 2.0 but remains above the SPS.
  • For more information on the SPS and academic status, warning and suspensions, Click here
  • Students who are placed on academic warning are required to meet with an Online Success coach at least twice during the semester (within the first two weeks of classes and again around midterms). To schedule a meeting with an Online Success Coach please use the link below.
    Click here to schedule an appointment
If I’m suspended, can I take summer classes to raise my GPA?
  • Yes, but those courses must be taken through UA. Take courses away from UA in summer will not impact a student’s UA GPA, which is what academic warning/suspension is based on.
What is academic bankruptcy?
  • The UA catalog defines academic bankruptcy as a “student’s request to retroactively withdraw from one academic term of study because of extreme personal, emotional, or financial circumstances so devastating that it was impossible for the student to perform academically at a level approximately the usual record of achievement”. If a student finds themselves in this situation, they can appeal for Academic Bankruptcy.
  • Please also see Academic Second Opportunity

Math Placement Exam

Information on the Math Exams and Placement
  • Students will be placed in math courses based on their ACT Math score, SAT math score, AP exam scores, IB exam scores, or through the math placement exam. All options will be considered and the best/highest placement will be used. Please see the photo below for more information.
  • If you have not taken the ACT/SAT/AP math courses/the IB Exam, you should consider taking the math placement exam. Without taking the placement exam, you would need to take 005, 100, and then 110 to take the CJ 381 Statistics course that is required in the major. The placement exam can be found on the Admissions tab of MyBama. If you are not able to access it, you should contact testing services (testing.services@ua.edu) and explain that you are a Distance Learning student and that you need to take the Math Placement assessment. They should be able to give you access.
Math Placement Options