Academic Information

All students, regardless of classification, are expected to attend all scheduled classes.

Accumulation of absences may affect grades or ability to remain enrolled in the course. A course withdrawal may affect residency status based on the number of credits taken, and the final grade may be recorded as Withdrawn Passing or Withdrawn Failing based on grades earned at the time of withdrawal. See Student Handbook for details.

Students wanting to take a class for personal benefit may audit a course with approval from the Registrar. A course may not be changed from audit to credit or from credit to audit after the course has started.

Spouses of full-time married undergraduate students may audit one course per semester (maximum 3 semester hours load) with no tuition charge. Applicable course fees must be paid. Enrollment is granted on a space-available basis after the regular college students have registered.

PCC’s mission is to equip students for life and ministry with a core foundation in God’s Word. To prepare students with the ability to understand sound doctrine and share the gospel of Christ with others, all students in a baccalaureate degree program will complete a Biblical Studies minor through the courses below. All students are required to take a Bible course each semester until BI 105, 205, 321, and 322 have been completed.

Any course with insufficient enrollment may be canceled.

In general, 100-level courses should be taken in the student’s first year, 200-level the second year, 300-level the third year, and 400-level the fourth year. A two-letter prefix indicates academic department.

To qualify for academic honors, students must have earned at least a 3.50 grade point average at Pensacola Christian College, have completed at least 60 hours at PCC, and have completed all graduation requirements for a four-year degree. The scholastic honors are as follows:

The liberal arts requirements provide a core curriculum rooted in the humanities, natural sciences, and performing arts. This curriculum provides students the facts and skills necessary to think critically and to communicate effectively. Courses prepare students with the ability to recognize the historical events and literary works that have influenced Western civilization; recognize how society is influenced by worldview; communicate clearly and effectively in speaking and writing; develop an ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize ideas; and apply fundamental principles of mathematics and science to analyze and solve problems.

The Rebekah Horton Library is housed in a 6-story complex with more than 105,000 square feet, designed to hold a collection of up to a half-million volumes. With seating space for more than 900, this facility provides open stacks, study carrels, a makerspace, audio/visual materials, computer lab, music library, student study rooms, conference rooms, wireless internet access, and spacious study areas.

The library’s website allows students and faculty to locate research materials easily. Present library collections include more than 500,000 physical and electronic books as well as nearly 150,000 journals, periodicals, and newspapers and a wealth of other academic resources in the library and through online databases. Interlibrary loan service also enables patrons to request items from other libraries nationwide.

The library also exhibits historical and educational materials in an old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse classroom setting. The Bible manuscript collection contains rare Bibles and other materials that give evidence of Bible preservation through the centuries. The collection holds early editions of the English Bible, Old Testament scrolls, and famous Bible reference works.

Although PCC does not accept state or federal financial aid, the institution voluntarily abides by the general guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) as they apply to the release of educational records. This privacy policy is extended to all enrolled students, whether taking courses on-site or through online learning.

Under this policy, educational records may be provided to the following without a student’s consent:

• PCC officials with a legitimate educational interest
• Accrediting agencies
• Parties to legal actions through subpoenas and/or court orders
• Federal or state agencies, or organizations performing audits or official studies
• Financial aid officers
• Appropriate authorities in an emergency situation

In addition, student recruiting information may be given to military recruiters and the following directory information may be disclosed to the public without a student’s consent unless a student has requested through the Records Office that the information be kept confidential: name, student ID number, hometown, photograph, major, minor, dates of attendance, classification, participation in officially recognized sports and activities, statistics of Eagle’s athletes, honors, awards, scholarships, anticipated graduation date, degrees earned, and date degrees were conferred.

Requests for any other personally identifiable information contained in students’ educational records will only be granted with a signed release from the student.

A student may repeat courses he previously failed or courses in which he did not earn the minimum grade required for graduation or his major. All grades earned by a student become a part of his permanent record and will show on any transcript issued by the College; however, the highest earned grade of repeated courses is used in computing the grade point average, and the credit hours are counted only once. A student’s grade point average will improve providing the repeated grade is higher than the previous grade. Students cannot repeat a course taken at PCC at another college.

No student may repeat a course more than twice. Courses dropped after the ninth week of classes count toward this policy. A student must secure the permission of the Registrar anytime he repeats a course more than one time.

Registrar’s Office will publish the President’s List of students achieving a grade point average of 3.90 or higher for the semester and will publish a Dean’s List of those achieving a grade point average of 3.00 or higher for the semester. To qualify, students must be carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours and must not have any “ Incompletes”, “Ds”, “Fs”, or “WFs” for that semester.

A normal full-time undergraduate academic course load is 15–17 credit hours; a maximum load is 20 credit hours that includes any online learning work in which the student is currently enrolled. Student academic load limits are determined on the following basis:

Students are not permitted to exceed their academic load limit without the Registrar’s approval. See cost for tuition amount for additional hours above 17 credits.

Students register for courses each semester according to the required course sequence for their chosen program of study. They should also consider their own ability to maintain a 2.00 grade point average while completing their program.

To remain in good academic standing as they pursue their degree, students are expected to maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average on a 4-point scale based solely on coursework taken at Pensacola Christian College. Those who fall below this level are subject to the guidelines below. A student’s academic progress will be reviewed by the Registrar following each term. Appeal of Academic Suspension or Dismissal may be made in writing to the Academic Vice President.

Academic Warning

A student who falls below a 2.00 cumulative grade point average may be placed on Academic Warning. This status is not recorded on the student’s permanent record. Students on Academic Warning will be required to meet weekly with an academic success coach to help develop an ability to benefit from instruction at PCC. The student may register for a maximum load of 14 credit hours and will have two semesters to return to good academic standing.

Academic Probation

A student with a semester grade point average of less than 1.00 may be placed on Academic Probation, even if the student’s cumulative GPA remains above 2.00. In addition, a transfer student with less than a 2.00 grade point average from the previous institution or a student who remains on Academic Warning after two consecutive semesters may be placed on Academic Probation, which will be noted on the student’s permanent record. The student will be permitted to register for a maximum load of 12 credit hours and will have two semesters to return to good academic standing. If the student returns to good academic standing, Academic Probation is removed, and this is recorded on the student’s permanent record.

Academic Suspension

A student with a semester grade point average of less than 1.00 for two consecutive semesters may be subject to Academic Suspension for one semester. In addition, a student who remains on Academic Probation after two consecutive semesters may be subject to Academic Suspension for one semester, and this will be noted on the student’s permanent record. After serving the suspension, a student who desires to return to PCC must submit a written request to the Re-enrollment Committee. If accepted, the Registrar will determine a plan to prepare the student for re-enrolling.

Academic Dismissal

A student who returns from Academic Suspension may remain on Academic Probation and must achieve good academic standing by the end of the first semester after returning. The student who does not achieve a 2.00 cumulative grade point average at the end of the first semester back from Academic Suspension may be subject to Academic Dismissal, and this will be noted on the student’s permanent record.

Students wanting a copy of their transcript must submit an official request. There is a $10 fee for each transcript request. The Records Office will not issue any transcripts of a student’s record for any student whose account is not paid in full.

Credits earned from an approved or accredited college or university will be considered for transfer. Courses acceptable for transfer must be similar in content to those replaced in the chosen major at Pensacola Christian College. Courses which are not similar may be transferred as general electives, providing they meet all the college transfer-of-credit policies. To see how courses from other institutions have transferred to PCC, check here.

Nursing and education courses will not be transferred toward a nursing or education program but may be transferred as general electives, providing they meet the college transfer-of-credit policies.

Courses previously taken at PCC may not be repeated at another college. Only those credits which carry a grade of at least “C-” or its equivalent may be transferred.

Grade points earned at other colleges and universities are not counted toward the minimum final grade point average of 2.00 required for graduation.

If students transfer a number of hours in their major, they still must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours in that field as prescribed by the Registrar. At least 25 percent of the total credit hours required for the degree must be completed at PCC.

Transfer students in any classification may apply for admission, though rarely is a student able to transfer and complete degree requirements in one year.

Students who transfer credits from non-English-speaking countries are responsible to provide a certified translation of course descriptions. This certification may be made by (1) a commercial certifying organization or (2) an individual with appropriate credentials in the country where the student attended college.

Pensacola Christian College reserves the right to withhold recognition of credits received at any college or university that does not, in the opinion of the administration, meet reasonable academic standards.

Credits from Bible Colleges

Credits from a Bible college are accepted on the same basis as credits earned from any other college or university. Credits from a Bible school or Bible institute which does not have recognized collegiate standing are accepted only after individual evaluation and/or validation under the direction of the College’s Academic Committee.

Current students may not take courses from other institutions without advance approval from the Registrar. When taken to meet graduation requirements, these courses must meet current transfer requirements and must not be a core course required for the student’s major. Students should submit a Transient Form and course/institution information for approval. Students who fail to follow procedures for work completed elsewhere may forfeit recognition of credit for this work. Students may take a maximum of three courses from another institution each summer. Courses taken at other colleges and universities do not apply toward the minimum final grade point average of 2.00 required for graduation.

After students have enrolled, any action, voluntary or involuntary, that would cause them to leave before the end of the semester will be considered a withdrawal.

Students whose circumstances force them to withdraw from the College must have a withdrawal form properly executed by the Student Life Office. Course grades recorded for withdrawals, whether voluntary or involuntary, will follow the same policy as dropping a course, with the exception that withdrawing from all courses during week 1 will result in grades being recorded as W—Withdrawn.

Whenever a student’s status is changed to ‟withdrawn” and the student owes money to the College, the money is due upon withdrawal. Interest of one percent per month (12% APR) will be charged on the unpaid balance beginning 30 days after the withdrawal until the debt is paid in full.

For students to withdraw from a class or change their major, they must obtain permission from the Registrar. Students owe tuition and fees based on the number of hours registered for and the declared major as stated in the Records Office at the end of the drop/add period.

On Campus
To withdraw with official approval, students must have a withdrawal form properly executed by the Student Life Office.

Students are entitled to a full refund of tuition prior to commencement of instruction. A student whose withdrawal is officially approved and whose departure is before the end of the first three weeks of the semester owes the semester’s tuition according to the following schedule:

Students also owe fees and room and board (if a residence hall student) at a prorated amount based on the length of their stay.

Should a student leave the College for any reason after having paid more than the amounts outlined above, a refund is made for any overpayment; but no refund is made to a student for any other reason. No refunds are issued on a student’s account until after the third week of the college semester.

When students are accepted for the fall semester, they are expected to remain a student at the College for both the fall and spring semesters of that academic year. The student’s reservation is automatically carried over from the fall semester to the spring semester within a given school year. Therefore, if students withdraw at the end of the fall semester, they must notify the administration in writing.

Online
To withdraw with official approval, students must have a withdrawal form properly executed by the Registrar’s office.

Students are entitled to a full refund of tuition prior to the end of registration. After registration concludes, students are obligated to pay all tuition and fees whether or not they complete course requirements.