Academic Residency Policy

This policy defines academic residency for the purpose of obtaining a degree or certificate (hereafter may be referred to as degree) from the University of Cincinnati. It does not define legal residency for purposes such as, but not limited to, determining applicable in-state or out-of-state tuition, taxation purposes, employment eligibility or voting privileges. It also does not define residency as used with respect to the period of training related to MD, PharmD or degrees in other medically related areas.

Academic Residency is defined as the amount of time a student must spend and/or number of credit hours a student must take while enrolled at the University of Cincinnati to be eligible for a degree or certificate.

A student must complete the University of Cincinnati residency requirement to be eligible for a degree or certificate, even if all other requirements for that degree or certificate are satisfied. Minimum academic residency is defined as:

• 20 semester credit hours for associate's degrees.
• 30 semester credit hours for baccalaureate degrees.
• Not less than 50% of the program’s semester credit hour requirements for certificates.
• Not less than 50% of the program’s semester credit hour requirements for master's degrees.
• Not less than 66% of the program’s semester credit hour requirements for the Juris Doctor degree.
• The final 30 semester credit hours and the final year of study for doctoral degrees.
• Students enrolled in MD or PharmD programs must complete the entire program at UC.

Academic residency is applied to a student’s time or credit hours earned at the University of Cincinnati and is not tied to a specific college or program. Prior Learning Assessment credit awarded by the University of Cincinnati will count toward residency hours. Credits graded as “pass” will count toward residency hours. Students approved for an Academic Fresh Start must have a minimum of 30 credit hours remaining to complete the degree program before graduation.

Colleges and/or programs may set their own transfer requirements. These transfer requirements may necessitate that a student meet more than the minimum University of Cincinnati academic residency requirement. Accreditation requirements for an individual program or degree may also require a student to complete more than the minimum academic residency requirement above. Minimum University of Cincinnati academic residency is one of many requirements for a degree. All degree requirements must be met for a student to be certified for the degree.

When the foundational requirements of a UC baccalaureate degree (usually the first two years) are identical to the requirements for a UC associate’s degree, a student completing those requirements may be granted the associate’s degree upon request. If the associate’s degree and the baccalaureate degree are not housed in the same college, the following will apply:

• A cross–college committee shall exist to assure the overlapping parts of the programs are equivalent and that any accreditation requirements of either degree are met.
• The diploma for the associate’s degree will not bear the name of a college; it will state “Awarded by the University of Cincinnati”.
• The University will direct incoming students interested in the associate’s degree to the college offering that degree. Students expressing an interest in earning both the associate’s and the baccalaureate degree will be directed to the college offering the associate’s degree program. They will also be provided with a path to transition to the baccalaureate degree program upon completion of the associate’s degree.

Nothing in this policy shall prohibit a college from restricting certain courses within any curriculum to students registered within that college, students registered in a particular program (degree, major, minor or certificate) or requiring permission of the college, a department or the instructor to register.

This policy was updated March, 2016.