Administrative Withdrawal (Face-to-face courses)
Students who initially participate in the face-to-face course and then do not officially withdraw from the course by submitting an add/drop form to their academic advisor/graduate program specialist will be considered unofficially withdrawn. When students earn a grade of F (Failure) or W (Withdrawal) the professor will submit the last date of participation based on CUC’s Attendance policy. Students will be considered to have earned all of their federal financial aid after the completion of sixty percent of the payment period. Questions regarding the implications on financial aid can be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at Financial.Aid@CUChicago.edu or at 708-209-3113.
Administrative Withdrawal (Distance Education courses)
Students who initially participate in the online synchronous, hyflex, online asynchronous, and/or hybrid course and then stop participating in the course for at least fourteen consecutive days without officially withdrawing from the course by submitting an add/drop form to their academic advisor/graduate program specialist will be considered unofficially withdrawn and as a result, will be administratively withdrawn from the course by the university. Course participation is defined in CUC’s Attendance policy.
Students who are administratively withdrawn will be assigned a grade of AW for the course on their permanent academic record, will not receive a refund of any kind, and shall not be readmitted into that course for the remainder of the term. If a student receiving an AW reenrolls in the course in a later term all attempts will appear on the student’s permanent academic record and will be counted toward the maximum timeframe for financial aid purposes. A grade of AW will be considered as coursework attempted, but not completed. In addition, repeated courses are counted in the hours attempted calculation for financial aid purposes. Students will be considered to have earned all of their federal financial aid after the completion of sixty percent of the payment period. Administrative withdrawals will be processed during the term before final grades are posted. Students who have had their degree/credential conferred are not eligible for an administrative withdrawal.
Students that have faced the following circumstances within the term are not eligible for an administrative withdrawal which may include, but are not limited to:
- Job/internship-related conflicts or challenges
- Travel issues/delays
- Incarceration.
CUC Attendance Policy
Federal regulations require the university to document whether students actively participate in each course. Attendance at Concordia University Chicago is therefore defined as evidence of engagement in an academically related activity to the students’ course of study.
Definition of Attendance
- Face-to-Face, Hyflex, and Online Synchronous Courses, and university assigned study groups (e.g., recitations): Attendance is the student’s documented physical presence at scheduled class meetings.
- Online Asynchronous and Hybrid Courses: Attendance is the student’s documented participation in class in the learning management system and requires students to complete an academically related activity, such as:
- Submitting an assignment, assessment, and/or exam.
- Participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, study group, group project, online discussion, and/or other interactive computer-assisted instruction.
- Documented, student‑initiated communication with the instructor about course content by CUC email.
Please note the following actions do not count as attendance:
- Living in campus housing.
- Participating in the campus’s meal plan.
- Logging into an online class without any further participation in the learning management system.
- Meeting with an academic advisor.
Instructor Responsibilities
Faculty are expected to:
- Include a clear attendance policy in each course syllabus and/or the learning management system aligned with this policy.
- Maintain documentation of student attendance.
- Use appropriate academically related activities to determine whether students have attended.
Student Responsibilities
Students must review and follow the attendance expectations for each course. Failure to meet attendance requirements may result in:
- Loss of credit for assignments or assessments
- Reduced or failing course grades
- Administrative removal from the course
Students should consult the Academic Catalog for policies on incompletes, administrative drops, and administrative withdrawals. Requests submitted after deadlines on the Academic Calendar must be filed using the Dean of Students Appeal Form.
Authorized Absences from Class
A student representing the university at university-sponsored events is granted authorized absences from class provided that the student is in good academic standing and has complied with approved procedures. See the Student-Athlete Class Attendance Policy for absences due to participation in athletics. Faculty members will receive email notifications regarding authorized student absences via Navigate.
When leading/hosting a university-sponsored event where students will be absent, faculty members should notify the Office of the Dean of Students so that it can send out notifications to the CUC community.
In compliance with Title IX, absences due to pregnancy, recovery, or related conditions must be authorized if the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary. Regarding all absences tied to pregnancy, recovery or related conditions, students should email TitleIX@CUChicago.edu with documentation included for any such absence. The Office of the Dean of Students will review request and documentation and notify faculty members if absences are authorized. Faculty members are expected to assist pregnant and parenting students (female and male) by providing them with options, such as extended deadlines, make-up assignments or alternate learning activities.
At the discretion of a faculty member, at times in consultation with the Office of the Dean of Students and in line with a program’s requirements, absences due to medical and mental health issues, personal crises, military orders, or contractual obligations may be authorized. Students should complete the following form to notify the Office of the Dean of Students with documentation included for any such absence.
An authorized absence does not excuse a student from course material, assignments or exams. It is ultimately up to each faculty member to decide what, if any, accommodation can be provided for an authorized absence. It is the student's responsibility to initiate a request for an accommodation with the faculty member. It is also a student’s primary responsibility to schedule courses to minimize potential class absences.
General Education Objectives
The general education curriculum is at the heart of Concordia’s mission as a Christian liberal arts University. Through this curriculum, students will discover the central teachings of the Christian faith, articulate the triune God’s redemption of the world through Christ, competently apply the methods of multiple disciplines to discern truth from falsehood, and cultivate habits of discipline essential for free, self-governed lives.
- Theology: Articulate the foundational teachings of the Christian faith as illuminated by Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, which recognize Christ at the center of God’s saving work.
- Vocation: Apply the concept of vocation as God’s calling to serve others in faith-filled freedom, discerning one’s responsibility in family, church, work, and community.
- Communication: Communicate truth clearly and ethically to diverse audiences using written, oral, and digital forms to inform, persuade, and serve.
- Humanities: Interpret cultural and linguistic traditions to discern ways that humans seek truth, virtue, and beauty in light of the biblical account of creation, fall, and redemption.
- Fine and Performing Arts: Analyze works of art by exploring the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions of artistic creation in order to appreciate God’s gift of human creativity.
- Social and Behavioral Sciences: Synthesize data and evidence to understand social institutions and human behavior, exercising judgment shaped by Truth, compassion, and justice.
- Natural Sciences: Investigate the created world ethically to understand the scientific method and its application.
- Mathematics: Demonstrate quantitative reasoning and logical clarity by engaging mathematical models that characterize the order of God’s creation.
4+1 Bachelor's to Master's Programs
BA in Exercise Science to MS Applied Exercise Science
The 4+1 bachelor’s is in Exercise Science to a master’s in Applied Exercise Science (any concentration), enabling qualified undergraduate students in the BA Exercise Science program to complete the MS in Applied Exercise Science in just one (1) year or three (3) semesters (Summer, Fall, & Spring)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Complete 75 credit hours and the following courses:
- PES 3400 Applied Anatomy and Physiology or BIO 2111 Anatomy and Physiology
- PES 3660 Kinesiology
- PES 4101 General Nutrition
- PES 4420 Physiology of Exercise
- PES 4740 Measurement and Evaluation or PSY [Course] Statistics of Behavioral Science
- Maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) in the major or minor related to the course being requested.
- Maintan a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Students participating in a 4+1 program may apply approved graduate-level courses toward undergraduate elective requirements. However, the total credits counted toward the undergraduate degree may not exceed the total hours required to graduate from the program based on the academic catalog. Credits earned beyond the number required for the bachelor’s degree apply only to the graduate program and will not be included in undergraduate degree or financial aid calculations. Students enrolled in graduate-level coursework that exceeds the undergraduate bachelor’s degree elective limit may not be eligible for federal, state, institutional, or other financial aid for those additional courses. Financial aid eligibility will be determined based on remaining undergraduate degree requirements and applicable federal, state, and institutional regulations.
Approval Process:
Students must receive approval from their academic advisor and submit an official change of program application for the 4+1 Exercise Science pathway to enroll in the 6000-level courses.
Program Details:
Once approval is obtained, students may take up to 15 graduate credit hours, selected from approved Applied Exercise Science (AES) graduate courses (see below for the approved courses), to satisfy specific course requirements in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Students must earn a grade of B or higher in any graduate course taken for AES requirements.
Successful completion of fifteen (15) graduate credit hours as an undergraduate reduces the total MS program requirement to 18–21 credit hours (depending on the AES concentration), instead of the standard 30–36 credit hours.
Approved Courses as part of the 4+1:
- AES 6020 Kinesiology I or AES 6040 Biomechanics I
- AES 6030 Kinesiology II or AES 6045 Biomechanics II
- Strength & Conditioning students take AES-6020
- Exercise Physiology Track 2 students take AES-6040)
- AES 6050 Research Design and Methods in Exercise Science
- AES 6250 Advanced Exercise Physiology
- AES 6300: Exercise & Sports Nutrition
Important Note:
Admission to the 4+1 program does not guarantee automatic admission to the MS in Applied Exercise Science. A student will still need to apply and be accepted to the AES graduate program provisionally, contingent on completing the baccalaureate degree.
BS Kinesiology to MS Applied Exercise Science
The 4+1 Bachelor's is in Kinesiology to a Master’s in Applied Exercise Science (any concentration), enabling qualified undergraduate students in the BS Kinesiology program to complete the MS in Applied Exercise Science in just one (1) year or three (3) semesters (Summer, Fall, & Spring)
Eligibility Requirements:
To be eligible, students must:
- Complete 75 credit hours and the following courses:
- KIN 4100: Applied Biomechanics
- Maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) in the major or minor related to the course being requested.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Students participating in a 4+1 program may apply approved graduate-level courses toward undergraduate elective requirements. However, the total credits counted toward the undergraduate degree may not exceed the total hours required to graduate from the program based on the academic catalog. Credits earned beyond the number required for the bachelor’s degree apply only to the graduate program and will not be included in undergraduate degree or financial aid calculations. Students enrolled in graduate-level coursework that exceeds the undergraduate bachelor’s degree elective limit may not be eligible for federal, state, institutional, or other financial aid for those additional courses. Financial aid eligibility will be determined based on remaining undergraduate degree requirements and applicable federal, state, and institutional regulations.
Approval Process:
Students must receive approval from their academic advisor and submit an official change of program application for the 4+1 Exercise Science pathway to enroll in the 6000-level courses.
Program Details
Once approval is obtained, students may take up to 15 graduate credit hours, selected from approved Applied Exercise Science (AES) graduate courses (see below for the approved courses), to satisfy specific course requirements in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Students must earn a grade of B or higher in any graduate course taken for AES requirements.
Successful completion of fifteen (15) graduate credit hours as an undergraduate reduces the total MS program requirement to 15–21 credit hours (depending on the AES concentration), instead of the standard 30–36 credit hours.
Approved Courses as part of the 4+1:
-AES 6040: Biomechanics I
-AES 6045: Biomechanics II
-AES 6050: Research Design & Methods in Exercise Science
-AES 6250: Advanced Exercise Physiology
-AES 6300: Exercise & Sports Nutrition
Important Note:
Admission to the 4+1 program does not guarantee automatic admission to the MS in Applied Exercise Science. A student will still need to apply and be accepted to the AES graduate program provisionally, contingent on completing the baccalaureate degree.