Interim is the three-week term between Fall and Spring semesters. During Interim, faculty members offer projects and courses on topics typically not included in the regular curriculum or those using unique approaches and experiences. Each student engages full-time for the three weeks on a single project/course offered by a faculty member or one proposed by the student and approved by the Interim Committee. Regulations for Interim and the submission/approval of student proposed projects may be obtained from the Interim Coordinator. The list of project topics, which changes yearly, is available through myWofford (https://my.wofford.edu/) early in the fall semester.

Each student must complete and pass four projects/courses, one for every two semesters completed at Wofford.  The definition of two semesters is any combination of Fall/Spring or Spring/Fall.  Summer terms are not semesters.  Only one interim project may be undertaken at a time. A student that fails an interim course is required to complete and pass an interim course in a subsequent Interim or Summer term. Credit hours earned in interim courses may be applied ONLY toward the interim requirement, with a few exceptions which are outlined below.

Exceptions to the Four Interim Rule

• Students who complete all degree requirements, including earning 120 credit hours, in three academic years are eligible to have one interim waived. Students are required to complete an interim for every two semesters of enrollment (defined as the combination of fall/spring or spring/fall).   Students who complete one additional semester (one fall or one spring semester) would not be required to complete a fourth interim course.  This caveat is associated with students who graduate a year or semester early and those that initiate their enrollment with Wofford during the Spring semester.
• ​Students who transfer to Wofford after beginning their academic careers elsewhere will need to complete one interim for every two semesters (the combination of fall/spring or spring/fall) of enrollment at Wofford. For example, transfer students who complete two years (four semesters) at a previous institution and subsequently complete four semesters (two combinations of fall/spring or spring/fall) will need to complete two interims.  Students that complete a fifth semester only need to complete two interim courses.
• Students pursuing the education minor are required to take EDUC 430 during interim and can apply that course to both the interim requirement and the education minor.
• Satisfactory completion of a Wofford affiliated off-campus study program will stand in lieu of an interim project when the calendar of that study abroad program precludes the student’s ability to participate in Interim. However, actual interim credit hours are not awarded. Satisfactory completion is defined as earning a minimum of 12 credit hours with a term GPA of 2.00 in the off-campus study program.
• Students unable to complete an interim due to a medical condition should consult the Medical Withdrawal Policy described in the College Catalog.  Medical Withdrawals are managed by the Wellness Center.

Pilot General Education Courses Offered During Interim

Interim 2020, 2021, and 2022:  Wofford faculty experimented with offering general education courses. Students who completed an approved general education course during January 2020, 2022 or April Interim 2021 were permitted to apply that course to the appropriate general education requirement and one interim. A student that registered for and failed a pilot general education course taught during those terms had one interim course waived, but was required to complete the general education requirement in a subsequent semester/term. Students who either officially or unofficially withdrew from a pilot general education course (i.e. did not complete the course) were NOT eligible for the interim course waiver and did NOT earn credit for the pilot general education course. This particular exception to the interim requirement applied only to approved pilot general education courses offered during the interim terms in years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Interim 2024:  Wofford faculty experimented with offering departmental subject coded special topics courses (those with the course number of 280 or 480) that could fulfill a general education requirement and/or a major, minor, or program elective requirement.  The courses were approved to apply both to the interim requirement and additional degree requirement(s).  Students that registered for and failed a special topics course (numbered 280 or 480) taught during Interim 2024 are required to successfully complete an additional interim course during a subsequent interim or summer term.   Students who either officially or unofficially withdrew from a special topics course  (numbered 280 or 480) are required to successfully complete an additional interim course during a subsequent interim or summer term.  In short, special topics courses taken during Interim 2024 where the student did not earn credit, did not fulfill any requirement – interim or otherwise.  

Interim Requirement Appeal Process

Students meeting one of the exceptions noted above who need to have their interim requirement adjusted, need to contact the Office of the Registrar.  If the circumstances meet one of the exception criteria, the official adjustment will be entered in DegreeWorks and noted on the student’s degree audit.
Students experiencing circumstances not covered by one of the exceptions above but which may still preclude their ability to complete an interim, need to submit an Appeal Request to the Academic Standards Committee.  To initiate an Appeal Request, students should contact the Office of the Registrar.  Once the appeal is submitted, it will be forwarded to the Academic Standards Committee for review and action.

Any formally approved exception (including medical withdrawals approved by the Wellness Center, appeal requests approved by the Academic Standards Committee, etc.) will be noted in DegreeWorks with an exception adjusting the number of courses/credit hours necessary to fulfill the interim requirement. An approved request does not reduce the total credit hours necessary to graduate.  Students still need to meet the 120 total credit hour requirement.  Student requests which are not approved will need to complete the missed interim course/project during a subsequent Interim or Summer term.