Courses and Programs

Course Numbering

Courses at Lindenwood are numbered sequentially.

• 01000-09999: Preparatory coursework, with credit hours not counting toward the cumulative total number of credit hours required to earn a bachelor’s degree
• 10000-19999: Introductory courses open to all students, normally not having prerequisites
• 20000-29999: Specialized courses open to all students, which may or may not have prerequisites
• 30000-39999: Advanced courses which may or may not have prerequisites
• 40000-49999: Senior level courses normally having prerequisites
• 50000-59999: Graduate level courses; occasional senior level courses. Certain 3+2 or 4+1 programs may allow graduate level courses to satisfy undergraduate level degree requirements. See the individual programs for details.
• 60000-79999: Master’s, Thesis, EdS, EdD, and graduate workshops
• 80000-99999: Doctoral level courses and graduate workshops

Course Offering Frequency

The schedule of course offerings is dependent on student enrollment and availability of qualified instructors. The university reserves the right to cancel any course when enrollment is below minimum requirements or a qualified instructor is not available. It is up to the discretion of the individual college of the timeline of when/how a course is to be offered. Students should contact their advisor if they have questions about when a specific course will be offered.

The enrollment limit and prerequisite(s) of a course may be overridden by a dean (or others who are designated signatories) of the college the course is within. The student will need to complete a paper enrollment form including the authorized signature of the dean allowing the override and the student’s advisor. The form can be emailed to AcademicServices@lindenwood.edu for processing.

Course Instructional Method

Lindenwood at all times reserves the right at its sole discretion and determination to adjust, alter and/or otherwise change the methods and modes of course and/or instructional delivery and/or completion of students’ education, in part or in whole, based on any number of factors, and students acknowledge and agree to this possibility.

Asynchronous Learning

An instructional approach that refers to learning that occurs when the instructor and the students all engage with the course content at different times (and from different locations). Asynchronous online learning is commonly facilitated by media such as e-mail and discussion boards, and is facilitated in a way that ensures regular and substantive interactions between learners and instructors, even when participants are not online at the same time.

Hyflex Learning

An instructional approach that combines on-ground (face-to-face) and online learning (on-ground, hybrid, and semi-hybrid courses) to provide regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors. Each class session and learning activity is offered in-person, synchronously online, and asynchronously online. Students can change their mode of attendance weekly or by topic, according to need or preference.

Synchronous Learning

An instructional approach that refers to all types of learning in which learners and instructors are in the same place (physical or virtual), at the same time, in order for instruction and learning to take place. This includes face-to-face classes and live online meetings when the whole class or smaller groups get together. Synchronous learning that occurs in online courses is often facilitated by media such as videoconferencing, shared documents, and live chat, and is facilitated in a way that ensures regular and substantive interactions between learners and instructors.

Student Requirements for Asynchronous, Hyflex, and Synchronous Learning

Hardware

• Computer with 3.0 GHZ or higher processor speed and at least 8 GB RAM.
• Webcam or built-in camera on a mobile device.
• Microphone (built-in or external).
• Headphones or speakers (recommended for clear audio).

Operating Systems

• Windows 11.
• macOS13 (Ventura) or newer.
• ChromeOS (latest stable version).
• High-speed Internet connection (minimum 25 Mbps for video conferencing and online coursework).

Software

• Microsoft Office 365 (provided free of charge to all Lindenwood University faculty, staff, and students). Information on download and installation is available through IT Help Desk.
• Latest version of Java (if required for coursework).
• Up-to-date web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari).
• Mobile Operating Systems (Optional).
• iOS 16 or newer.
• Android 12 or newer.

Attendance

Attendance in an online course is based on submission of one or more academic activities, such as discussion board participation, quiz, exam, paper, or other graded assignment. Logging into a course, submitting the institutional ethics agreement, or submitting an introductory video does not constitute academic attendance.

Student Authentication and Video Content

Lindenwood takes academic integrity very seriously; therefore, compliance with student authentication requirements is a condition of enrollment in all online and hybrid courses. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law 110-315), student authentication is defined as “processes to establish that the student who registers for a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the program and receives the academic credit.”

The methods of student authentication incorporated into a particular course can be found in its syllabus. Examples include but are not limited to live or video proctoring, authentication technology, video assignments, video conferences, and extensive writing assignments.

To facilitate authentication measures, all students in any online or hybrid course must have ready access to a webcam or camera on a mobile device. Students who enroll in online or hybrid courses must also have a current photo, confirmed by a valid form of identification, within Lindenwood’s student information system. Students who refuse to complete initial authentication requirements by the end of the add period or who reject or refuse to complete the Ethics Agreement will be dropped from the course.

Students who refuse to complete subsequent authentication requirements will be withdrawn from and charged for the course and subject to other financial consequences if the change moves them from full-time to part-time status. Authentication costs are disclosed prior to enrollment via fees included in course schedules.

Course Delivery Method

Distance-delivered Course

Courses in which at least 75% of the instruction and interaction occurs via electronic communication, correspondence, or equivalent mechanisms, with the faculty and students physically separated from each other. Requirements for coming to campus for orientation, testing, or academic support services do not exclude a course from being classified as distance education.

Distance Learning

Course in which 100% of the instruction and interaction is provided through video conferencing. Class meets at a regularly scheduled day and time each week with the professor and classmates through a video conference classroom.

Hybrid Course

A hybrid course combines scheduled synchronous and asynchronous learning activities to provide regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors. A hybrid course usually has fewer than 75% of its activities occurring in a face-to-face format.

Note: For VA: *Hybrid training must have at least one session that meets the definition of a standard class session (i.e. one 50-minute class,) but does not have to meet weekly.

Independent Study

An independent study is an innovative, nonstandard class involving independent research/study on the part of the student under the guidance of an instructor. The contact time requirement for an independent study is one documented contact hour every two weeks. It is strongly recommended that undergraduate students who are granted independent studies have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Graduate students should have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA to qualify for an independent study course. Independent study courses cannot be used to meet an undergraduate general education requirement.

To enroll in an independent study course, the Independent Study Proposal form must be completed, signed, and returned to the Office of the Registrar no later than the third week of the term in which the work is to be done. An Add/Drop/Enrollment form and a one- to two- page course outline prepared by the student after consultation with the instructor must be attached.

Internships

Internships are available in many areas of study and provide the opportunity for students to obtain academic credit through an out-of-classroom work experience. Academic colleges’ standards vary by program. Students interested in applying for internships should contact their advisor for additional information. Internships are billed at the current tuition rate per credit hour. Internships may earn between zero and 12 credit hours depending on the program. Credit hours for internships are listed in course descriptions. Some degree programs may necessitate additional fieldwork and written documentation. Students, however, must meet the minimum standards set forth in this policy to be awarded credit for the internship.

On-Ground Course

(Also called Face-to-Face or In-Person) An instructional method where 100% of the course content and learning materials are delivered and is taught in person to a group of students, or in some cases to an individual student. This allows for synchronous interaction between a learner and an instructor who are physically located in the same physical environment.

Online Course

A type of ‘distance delivered course’ in which 100 percent of the instruction and interaction for a particular course occurs via electronic communication, correspondence or equivalent mechanisms, where there is regular and substantive interaction between the students and instructor, and where the faculty and students are physically separated from each other. In an online course, there are no required face-to-face sessions and no requirements for on-campus activity.

Note: For VA, when a course is taken solely online, the course must be certified to VA as distance training.

Online courses might be assigned a lab fee (determined by each individual college) if they utilize a proctoring service for testing.

There is no limit on the number of online courses a semester undergraduate student can take per semester, except students with F-1 visas. For F-1 students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than the equivalent of one class or three credit hours per term, may be counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken online or through distance education and does not require the student’s physical attendance for classes, examination, or other purposes integral to completion of the class. An online or distance education course is a course that is offered principally through the use of television, audio, or computer transmission including open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, satellite, audio conferencing, or computer conferencing.

Semi-Hybrid Course

A semi-hybrid course combines scheduled synchronous and asynchronous learning activities to provide regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors. A semi-hybrid course usually has fewer than 50% of its activities occurring in a face-to-face format.

Special Topics Course

Special topics courses, listed alphabetically according to department prefix (indicated here by “XXX”), are followed by a course number, as follows: XXX 09000-09999, XXX 19000-19999, XXX 29000-29999, XXX 39000-39999, XXX 49000-49999, XXX 59000-59999, XXX 69000-69999, XXX 79000-79999. These courses are offered to cover special topics within a college or department. Special topics courses may be worth one to six credit hours and may be repeated, in some cases. Departments may designate specific course numbers for special topics courses if the courses meet general education or major requirements. Lab fees may be required.

Tutorial

A tutorial is a class listed in the catalog taught to a student on an individual basis. The content of the course is the same as the material taught in the regularly scheduled class. The contact time requirement for a tutorial is one documented contact hour per week during which the subject matter will be discussed and student progress evaluated. Only instructors who have previously taught the class in the regular session will be approved to teach a tutorial unless permission is granted by the dean. Only students with a true need will be considered for a tutorial, and it is up to the academic college and the instructor whether to grant a tutorial. It is strongly recommended that undergraduate students who are granted tutorials have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Graduate students should have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA to qualify for a tutorial course.

To enroll in a tutorial course, the tutorial proposal form must be completed, signed, and submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the third week of the term in which the work is to be done. An add/drop/enrollment form and a syllabus must be attached.

Cross-Listing Policy

As is the practice in many colleges and universities, Lindenwood University cross-lists a selected set of courses as available for either undergraduate or graduate credit. Selected programs at the university have been doing this for a number of years, and it seems incumbent upon the university to have a clear academic policy for this.

Courses may be cross-listed when combining sections of courses into a single course is desirable or required to facilitate a single rich educational experience. Due to the tight communication between the student information system (Anthology) and the learning management system (Canvas), cross-listing also ensures a single course shell for ease of management; Canvas shells cannot be merged unless cross-listed first in Anthology.

This policy applies to courses cross-listed within the same academic level, either undergraduate-to-undergraduate or graduate-to-graduate. For information about cross-listing undergraduate courses with graduate courses, please refer to the Cross-Listing of Graduate and Undergraduate Courses policy.

A typical example of cases where the cross-listing may apply across undergraduate departments includes the following. Cross-listed courses:

• Must function as one cohesive course,
• Be cross-listed with like courses. They:
  • May have different prefixes (two-to-five-letter department abbreviation) based on the offering department,
  • Must have the same course title, course number, course section number, course credit hour, course description, course grading method, GE designation (if applicable), modality (online, on-ground, hybrid, or Hyflex), term including term length, and primary instructor.
• Course content - educational resources, learning activities, and assessments - must be the same between the cross-listed courses as identified in the course syllabus. The courses are considered academically equivalent, and students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses.
  • Example of a typically cross-listed course with differing prefixes:
    • CCJ 32200 - Social Deviance
    • SOC 32200 - Social Deviance

The following example illustrates typical cases where the cross-listing may apply across undergraduate levels for registration control. In general, only like courses may have sections cross-listed. Cross listed courses/sections:

• Must function as one cohesive course.
• Must have the same department prefix (two-to-five-letter department abbreviation), may have different course titles, may have different undergraduate level course numbers, must have the same modality (online, on-ground, hybrid, or Hyflex), term including term length, and primary instructor. and primary instructor.
• May have differing course content: Educational resources, learning activities, and assessments may be different depending on the undergraduate level between the cross-listed courses as identified in the course syllabus. The courses are not considered academically equivalent, and students may receive credit for one or all of the cross-listed courses.
  • Example:​
    • DAN 10010 - Ballet I: Beginning Level
    • DAN 10011 - Ballet I: Intermediate Level
    • DAN 10012 - Ballet I: Advanced Level

To comply with FERPA regulations and best practices, Office of the Registrar will evaluate cross-listing requests on a case-by-case basis and may deny the request to ensure academic integrity. Courses like independent study, thesis, internships, practica, and directed study are often excluded from cross-listing due to their individualized nature.

• The total registration capacity of the cross-listed sections must not exceed the registration capacity of a single section. In cases where the courses differ, the higher maximum will be honored.
• The cross-listed courses will function as one course community; students within the cross-listed courses are expected to interact with one another in the same course. If the student meets synchronously, all students will meet at the same time and in the same place (digital or physical). Consistent with FERPA best practices, students in an online course must consent to collaborate or interact with individuals enrolled in other online sections housed within the same Canvas shell.
• Courses that are cross-listed will have the Canvas shells for each course section merged into one single Canvas shell.
• New/Proposed cross-listed courses must be approved within Curriculum (curriculum management system) following established approval workflows. Syllabus and Course Rigor Form must clearly follow cross-listed course guidelines as stated in this document. These records will be shared with the Office of the Provost for final approval and archiving.
• Removal of cross-listing should be rare and will need approval from the college’s designated point of contact. The Office of the Registrar will coordinate with the Learning Design Team to complete the request.
• When approved, The Office of the Registrar will complete the cross-listing steps in Anthology or request a cross-listing reversal if needed. These steps should only be completed when the relevant courses are not in session to mitigate the risk of data loss.
• A sampling of existing cross-listed courses, specifically those designated as cross-listed for purposes of managing registration control, will be reviewed annually by The Office the Registrar and the academic colleges.
• A thorough review of all cross-listed courses in a program will be conducted during that program’s (quinquennial) cyclical review. These records will be shared with the Office of the Provost for final approval and archiving.

Curriculum Practical Training (CPT)

CPT is special work authorization for international students. It allows international students to participate in internships or work off campus as long as they are enrolled in an internship course for that term. Lindenwood does not offer any Day-1 CPT programs. CPT is approved based on the number of credits completed and with the advisor’s request.

• CPT is term based, meaning that it is only authorized for the term that the student is taking the internship course.
• Students must have CPT added to their I-20 if they are receiving compensation or participating in a paid internship opportunity. If they are non-paid / volunteer internships, then CPT does not need to be authorized on their I-20.
• CPT will only be authorized for part-time while the term is in session.
  • Undergraduate/Graduate students:
    • During the fall and spring semesters students can only work part-time.
    • Semester students can work full-time during the summer session.
  • See Co-Curricular Employment for International Students for more information.

CPT Procedures

• Students are required to fill out all four sections of the CPT form.
• If the student has an internship procedure/packet, it will need to be included with the CPT form.
• The student can include a copy of the employer hire letter in lieu of the employer filling out the requested section of the CPT form.

Program Types

Blended Program

A type of ‘distance-delivered program’ in which the required courses are offered as a combination of courses in different modalities, such as courses that are online, hybrid, hyflex, on-ground, etc. Blended programs (also known as hybrid programs in other institutions) require the same level of regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor as required for all courses.

Consortium Program

Lindenwood University belongs to a consortium of colleges and universities in the Greater St. Louis area. The consortium includes Maryville University, Missouri Baptist University, and Webster University. Full-time traditional undergraduate Lindenwood students may enroll in courses offered at colleges and universities in the consortium and count those hours as part of their Lindenwood degree programs.

Students must be enrolled full-time at Lindenwood University during the same term of enrollment at colleges and universities in the consortium. No additional tuition cost is involved for combined enrollments between 12 and 18 hours. Lab fees will be charged at the host university.

Online Program

A type of ‘distance-delivered program’ in which 100% of the instruction and interaction for a particular program occurs via electronic communication, correspondence or equivalent mechanisms, where there is regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor, and where the faculty and students are physically separated from each other. There are no required face-to-face sessions within the courses and no requirements for on-campus activity.

Study Abroad Program

Lindenwood University recognizes the value that studying abroad brings to a student’s education and encourages students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities. The student has the following study abroad options:

• Faculty-led courses for short-term study abroad, such as courses offered throughout the year.
• Lindenwood semester abroad programs through our partner universities or study abroad providers.
• Summer opportunities to take classes abroad, complete an internship or conduct field research.
• An established program supervised by another American college or university, with academic credits being transferred back to Lindenwood.
• Independent study (either under the direction of a member of the Lindenwood faculty or by a host institution) that has been recognized by the sponsoring member of the Lindenwood faculty. A student who embarks on such study must send an official transcript through ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators) for evaluation before the credits can be accepted by Lindenwood.

The student must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a study abroad program:

• Be in good academic, social, and financial standing with Lindenwood University.
• Either have facility in the spoken language of the host country or be planning to study the language as a part of the approved study abroad coursework if this is required for the program.
• Meet course- or program-specific prerequisites.

All responsibility for travel, finances, application for admission to a foreign institution (where applicable), and the making of any other necessary arrangements rests with the student. For some programs, a student’s enrollment in a program of study abroad is considered enrollment at the home institution for the purposes of applying for assistance under the Title IV programs. Students should consult the Office of Student Financial Services for additional information. Any student planning to take a course from any institution other than Lindenwood should complete a Prior Approval form before leaving. This will guarantee that the credit will be accepted by Lindenwood.

Any study abroad coursework must be approved by the department at Lindenwood that will recommend credit. The academic advisor will help the student make appropriate course choices. Final approval of the program and the credit to be granted after completion of the study abroad period rests with the manager of the study abroad program after consulting the Office of the Provost. Questions about student study abroad opportunities may be directed to the assistant director of study abroad at StudyAbroad@lindenwood.edu.

Note: In order to participate in study abroad programs, students must be degree-seeking students at Lindenwood University. Specific programs may have additional requirements. Deadlines for application vary according to the program, and it is the responsibility of the student to be informed as to those deadlines.

Student Modality

Modality refers to the way that students receive instruction. Lindenwood University is proud to offer two modalities for our degree programs: online and on-ground. Students are admitted as either online or on-ground students and are expected to complete the majority of their coursework via modality under which they were admitted. If an undergraduate student is considering shifting their mode of study from on-ground, classroom instruction to online learning (or from online to on-ground), they should be aware of a few potential ramifications.

Students who transition from on ground to online will lose eligibility of certain Lindenwood University grants and scholarships.

Tuition costs will change from a flat rate to a per-credit-hour-rate.

Student athletes should contact their coach before changing from on-ground to online.

Veterans who are interested in changing to online education should contact the university’s Veteran Affairs office.

For international students, switching to all online classes could jeopardize your visa status; international students should contact the Office of Admissions and Services for International Students with any concerns about taking on-ground classes.

Once a student has conferred with the necessary offices, they can download and complete the Petition for Change of Modality form with their advisor and email it to: AcademicServices@lindenwood.edu.