Acceleration by Use of Acceleration Credits
For the definition of acceleration credits and the criteria for their award, see chapter II, "Freshman Placement and Acceleration." For the sake of equity and fairness, no exceptions can be made to the regulations governing the use of acceleration credits. Inquiries about acceleration may be addressed to the residential college dean or to Chair of the Committee on Advanced Placement and Acceleration, Registrar's Office, 246 Church Street, 432-2331.
1. Eligibility. The following charts list the number of total credits needed to accelerate by one or two terms during a given term of enrollment:
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Acceleration by One Term
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Minimum Total Credits
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Minimum Yale Course Credits
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Activated Acceleration Credits
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In the third term
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12
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8
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4
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In the fourth term
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16
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12
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4
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In the fifth term
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21
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17
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4
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In the sixth term
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26
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22
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4
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Acceleration by Two Terms
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Minimum Total Credits
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Minimum Yale Course Credits
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Activated Acceleration Credits
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In the third term
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17
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8
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9
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In the fourth term
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21
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12
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9
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In the fifth term
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26
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17
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9
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2. Application deadline. Application to accelerate is made by submission of the required form to the office of the residential college dean. The deadline for applying for acceleration is the last day of classes in the respective term of enrollment given in the eligibility charts above. Note that a student accelerating by one or two terms who wishes to complete a term of study abroad as early as during the third term of enrollment would, as a special exception, have to petition to accelerate before the third term of enrollment. Such a student should consult with the residential college dean. The absolute and final deadline for applying for acceleration by one term is the last day of classes in the sixth term of enrollment. The absolute and final deadline for applying for acceleration by two terms is the last day of classes in the fifth term of enrollment.
3. Course credit requirement for graduation. A student accelerating by two terms must earn at least twenty-seven course credits at Yale, and a student accelerating by one term must earn at least thirty-two course credits at Yale. Therefore, with the exception of credit earned through enrollment in the Year or Term Abroad program, a student accelerating by use of acceleration credits may not apply any credit earned at another university toward the 36-course-credit requirement for the bachelor's degree.
4. Enrollment requirements, including required patterns of attendance. A student intending to accelerate by two terms must complete six terms of full-time enrollment in Yale College. Those six terms may be in any pattern of enrollment as long as the student's sixth and final term of enrollment is a spring term.
A student intending to accelerate by one term must complete seven terms of full-time enrollment in Yale College. Those seven terms may be in any pattern of enrollment as long as the student's seventh and final term of enrollment is a spring term.
A student accelerating by two terms may not combine acceleration credits and course credits to graduate in fewer than six terms; six terms of enrollment is the minimum as well as the maximum requirement for acceleration by two terms. Likewise, a student accelerating by one term may not combine acceleration credits and course credits to graduate in fewer than seven terms; seven terms of enrollment is the minimum as well as the maximum requirement for acceleration by one term.
5. Deceleration. A student accelerating by two terms or one term may subsequently apply to decelerate by submitting the required form to the office of the residential college dean. A student who is considering whether to decelerate should consult with the residential college dean as soon as possible. A student accelerating by two terms who subsequently decides to accelerate by only one term must meet the requirements for acceleration by one term. A student accelerating by two terms or one term may subsequently decide to decelerate completely and take an eight-term degree. Since by definition an eight-term degree is not an accelerated degree, such a student will lose the use of acceleration credits. A reversion to an eight-term degree will not adversely affect a student's academic good standing or eligibility for eight terms of financial aid.
6. Reacceleration. A student who has declared an intention to decelerate and to relinquish the use of acceleration credits is permitted to accelerate again through the use of acceleration credits as long as the student meets the eligibility requirements and application deadline for one or two terms of acceleration given in points 1 and 2 above.
