Academic and Progress Renewal Policy

Academic Renewal is a process intended to facilitate degree and certificate completion and/or removal from academic probation by disregarding up to 30 semester units of the student’s previous coursework.  Final approval of petition for renewal rests with the Admissions Office.

If you qualify for academic renewal based on college coursework completed at another college, you must first request official transcripts to be sent directly to the Santa Monica College Admissions Office. Once those transcripts are on file in the Admissions Office you can then schedule a counseling appointment to petition for academic renewal.

Progress Renewal is a process intended to facilitate degree and certificate completion and/or removal from progress probation by disregarding up to 30 semester units of the student’s previous coursework. Final approval of petition for renewal rests with the Admissions Office.

If you qualify for progress renewal based on college coursework completed at another college, you must first request official transcripts to be sent directly to the Santa Monica College Admissions Office. Once those transcripts are on file in the Admissions Office you can then schedule a counseling appointment to petition for progress renewal.

Coursework from another regionally accredited college/university to meet academic and/or progress renewal requirements is permitted. Official transcripts must be sent electronically or mailed directly from that college/university to SMC. Hand carried transcripts will not be accepted even if they are sealed.

Electronic transcripts may be sent to transcripts@smc.edu.

Mailed transcripts may be sent to:

Admissions & Records Office
Santa Monica College
1900 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405

To qualify for academic renewal, the student must meet the following criteria:

1. Petitioned coursework has not been previously used in the awarding of an SMC degree, certificate, or CSUGE certification.

2. Coursework to be disregarded is limited to ‘D’ and ‘F’ grades in courses not subsequently completed with a ‘C’ or higher at SMC.

3. The student’s previous performance is not reflective of their recent demonstrated ability. Subsequent to the coursework to be disregarded, the student must have completed a minimum of 12 semester units with at least a 2.0 GPA at a regionally accredited college or university. Units must be consecutive and must have begun any time after the coursework to be disregarded.

4. There must be a lapse of at least six months since completion of the most recent coursework to be disregarded. All coursework will remain legible on the student's permanent record ensuring a true and complete record. The student’s permanent record shall be annotated so that it is readily evident to all users of the record that any course disregarded may not satisfy certificate, degree, or general education course requirements.

To qualify for progress renewal, the student must meet the following criteria:

1. Coursework to be disregarded is limited to Withdrawal ("W"), No Credit (“NC”), and No Pass (“NP”) notations/grades. 
   
   

2. The student’s previous performance is not reflective of their recent demonstrated ability. Subsequent to the coursework to be disregarded, the student must have completed a minimum of 12 semester units with at least a 2.0 GPA at a regionally accredited college or university. Units must be consecutive and must have begun any time after the coursework to be disregarded. Any Withdrawal ("W"), Incomplete (“I”), No Credit (“NC”), or No Pass (“NP”) notation/grades received during this time-frame will make the student ineligible for progress renewal.

3. There must be a lapse of at least six months since completion of the most recent coursework to be disregarded. All coursework will remain legible on the student's permanent record ensuring a true and complete record. The student’s permanent record shall be annotated so that it is readily evident to all users of the record that any course disregarded may not satisfy certificate, degree, or general education course requirements.