Course Substitution Requests

Students should complete the curriculum outlined in the College Catalog for the program in which they are placed. However, sometimes it is appropriate to substitute a course taken at NOVA or a transferred course in for a required course. Course substitutions should be made only if the resulting substitution maintains the integrity of the program.

Check the student’s Degree Progress Report before initiating a Substitution Request. You may discover that no substitution is needed. If a substitution is needed, submit the Substitution Request as soon as possible; DO NOT wait until the student applies for graduation.

Read the directions below carefully before clicking the button on the bottom of this page to complete the online Course Substitution Form.

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Directions to Complete the Course Substitution Form

Who can initiate a substitution request?

Only an advisor can submit the substitution form. Students begin the process by asking their advisor to approve a substitution.

How do I, as the advisor, initiate a substitution request?

• The form is password protected. When prompted,When the form appears, enter the student’s information.

  • Type nvcc\ (be sure you use a backslash \ and not a forward slash /) before your Username
  • Then type your Username (eg. nvcc\jdoe)
  • Next, enter your password in the space provided. Your NOVA Username and Password are what you use to sign on to your office computer (It is not your NOVAConnect/SIS/AIS username and password.)
    
    
• Enter the course information.
• Enter the reason for the substitution.
• Select the deans who must approve the substitution from the drop-down menus.
• Click the Submit button to submit the form.

What happens to the form after I submit it?

The form is sent to the deans who either approve or disapprove the substitution.

Advisor:

• You will receive a confirmation email with the subject, Online Course Substitution Confirmation.

• Use this email to track the approval of this form by clicking the URL in the email.

• Once the dean(s) have checked Approve or Disapprove, you will see this on the form.

Deans

• You will receive an email with the Subject: Approving Course Substitutions Email Notification.

• The body of the email contains a link allowing you to Approve or Disapprove the course.

• Once you click the link to approve the form, a prompt window will ask you to log in. Use the following format:Click on either Approve or Disapprove. If you select Disapprove you must provide an explanation.

  • username : nvcc\your nvcc username
  • password: your nvcc password
• Click the Submit button. 

• If you receive two emails, you must approve or disapprove both.

When both deans have responded, the form goes to the Central Records Office (CRO) and if the substitution is approved, it is posted to the student’s record.

• CRO staff can view, edit and delete the forms.

Click Here for the FAQ

Click Here to Complete the Course Substitution Form