Adding and Dropping Courses (Drop and Add Period)

Dhofar University follows the credit system where students register for a certain number of credits per semester.  A student is given the opportunity to choose his/her courses with the academic advisor during the registration period.  However, after selecting a schedule, a student has the opportunity to make changes during the Drop and Add period, which is usually the first week of the semester, after which no changes are possible without the permission of the academic advisor and the approval of the Administrative Committee of the college.  A student should take care not to change all the courses he/she has previously chosen, but only one or two courses, if change is a must.

Although a student is not allowed to add courses after the Drop and Add period, s/he with the approval of his/her academic advisor, may withdraw from courses until the tenth week of the regular semester or the fifth week of the summer session subject to the condition that the number of credits does not go below 12 in the regular semester unless approved by the administrative committee of the college.  After this deadline, a student is not allowed to drop or be dropped from a course without the approval of the College Administrative Committee.

Academic Probation

Placement on Academic Probation

A bachelor student is placed on academic probation if:

• His/her cumulative average is less than 63 at the end of the second regular semester; and his/her standing is represented as (1,1), meaning that the student has received first probation with a total number of 1 probation in his/her academic history or record.

• His/her semester average is less than 64 at the end of the third regular semester; and his/her standing may be represented as (2,2) or (1,1), meaning that the student has received second probation with a total number of 2 probations in his/her academic history or record.

• The semester average is less than 65 at the end of the fourth regular semester or any subsequent semester, excluding the summer semester; his/her standing may be represented as (3,3) or (1,1) or (2,2), meaning that the student has received third or strict probation with a total number of 3 probations in his/her academic history or record .

A diploma student is placed on academic probation if:

• His/her cumulative average is less than 63 at the end of the second regular semester; and his/her standing is represented as (1,1), meaning that the student has received first probation with a total number of 1 probation in his/her academic history or record.

• His/her cumulative average is less than 64 at the end of the third regular semester; and his/her standing may be represented as (2,2) or (1,1), meaning that the student has received second probation with a total number of 2 probations in his/her academic history or record.

• The cumulative average is less than 65 at the end of the fourth regular semester or any subsequent semester, excluding the summer semester; his/her standing may be represented as (3,3) or (1,1) or (2,2), meaning that the student has received third or strict probation with a total number of 3 probations in his/her academic history or record .

However, if a diploma student wants to continue studying for a bachelor program, the rules of the bachelor program on academic probation apply, even retroactively. 

For evaluation purposes, the minimum number of credits at the end of the second regular semester should be 24, and 12 in each subsequent fall or spring semester. 

Courses/credits taken during a summer semester are counted towards the semester average of the next regular semester.  If the number of credits taken in any one regular semester is less than 12 (for approved reasons), courses/credits taken during that semester are counted towards the semester average of the next regular semester. 

Credit for incomplete courses will be included in the semester in which the incomplete courses were taken.  The evaluation for that semester will be carried out as soon as the grades for the incomplete courses have been finalized.

Removal of Academic Probation

For a bachelor student, probation is removed when the student attains a semester average of 64 or more in the third, or a semester average of 65 or more in the fourth regular semester or any subsequent regular semester. 

Probation should be removed within two regular semesters, excluding summer, after placing a student on probation, or when the student completes his/her graduation requirements; otherwise the student shall be on strict probation for one final semester.

The probation of a diploma student is removed when s/he attains a cumulative average of 65 or more in the third regular semester.  Probation should be removed within one regular semester after being placed on academic probation; otherwise the student shall be on strict probation for one final semester.

Dropping the Semester

A student may apply to drop a semester, but the period of absence from the University cannot exceed four semesters consecutively or in total.  Application for dropping the semester after the deadline announced in the University Calendar for withdrawal from courses without a grade "F" requires the approval of the Dean of the College.  The student must fill an application form for this purpose, which can be secured from the University’s website or the Office of Admission and Registration.  When a student returns to the University after dropping one semester or more, s/he should fill a form for this purpose.  The absence from the University cannot exceed the total of six semesters, after which a student must reapply to be admitted to the University as a new student and s/he would lose his grade record, unless decided otherwise by the College Administrative Committee.