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Program Description Admission to the M.Ed. Academic Policies and Regulations Course Descriptions

Master of Education - Academic Policies and Regulations

Grading System

Final semester or term grades will be posted on PowerCampus Self-Service.

The faculty, according to the interpretations outlined below, will award the following grades:
           

• A grade of A indicates excellent performance at the graduate level.
• A grade of B indicates the expected level of performance at the graduate level.
• A grade of C indicates that the work was acceptable but that the level of performance was not that expected of graduate students.
• A grade of D indicates an unacceptable level of performance.
• A grade of F indicates an unacceptable level of performance.
• A grade of WP indicates the student withdrew from the course in good academic standing.
• A grade of WF indicates the student withdrew from the course in poor academic standing.
• A grade of I indicates that the work in the course was not completed at the end of the semester or term.  This grade must be changed to the actual grade by the last day of the next academic term or the grade for the course will become an F.  Incompletes given during the spring semester will be held over until the following fall.  The grade of I is awarded only under rare and extreme circumstances and according to the guidelines established by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Success.

In the event a grade lower than B is awarded in a graduate course, the student may elect to repeat the course. The course may be repeated only once and the second grade will be final. Repeating a course eliminates both the grade and the hours attempted for the first course in calculating the grade point average, but will remain on the permanent record. A maximum of two courses may be repeated.

The Academics Policies Council may grant a one-year extension under unusual circumstances.  However, the student must complete the degree in six years from the date of original admission to the graduate program (either regular or provisional status).  The Academic Policies extension request should be addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies.  If the student’s program is not completed after the year of extension, the student's program will be discontinued.

If more than six semester hours of credit are earned while on special student status admission are to be applied to a degree at Averett University, the time limit for completing the degree shall be retroactive to the semester in which the third course was begun and shall be calculated from that date.
           

A maximum academic load for students employed on a full-time basis is considered to be three semester hours each regular semester. Any part-time student who wishes to take two courses (six semester hours) must have permission from the Director of Graduate Studies and have demonstrated evidence of academic potential. Any student who is pursuing full-time studies will enroll in a minimum of nine semester hours of study and those full-time students who wish to take additional courses each semester must have the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

To be classified as a full-time student at the graduate level, the student must be registered for at least nine semester hours during a regular semester. A student who is registered for three semester hours during the summer sessions is considered to be full-time.

A student admitted on regular status or provisional status must complete a minimum of two courses each academic year (September 1 through August 31) to retain active status. If a student is admitted after the beginning of the spring semester of an academic year, this regulation will become applicable at the beginning of the following of the academic year. If this regulation is not met, the student must reapply for the program.

A student admitted on special status must complete one course in every two academic years to retain that status. This regulation becomes effective when the student is admitted to special status. If this regulation is not met, the student's admission will be discontinued.

If the student's status, whether regular, provisional or special, is discontinued because the student has failed to maintain an active status, the student must apply for readmission. All policies and degree requirements in effect at the time of readmission must be met.

Comprehensive Examinations

All graduate students must take a written comprehensive examination prior to receiving the Master of Education degree. This requirement includes students who are working toward teaching licensure in the M.Ed. and those who are fully licensed upon admission. Students must successfully complete 24 semester hours of graduate study, including all core courses, before applying to take the examination.

The comprehensive examinations for the candidates of the Master of Education degree will be given several times during each academic year. Specific dates will be set each semester by the Director of Graduate Studies. The student must make written application eight weeks prior to the intended examination date. Forms may be obtained from the Education Program Administrative Assistant and must be signed by the Director of Graduate Studies.

The examination will be evaluated by a panel of graduate faculty members. The Director of Graduate Studies will notify the student in writing of the results of the examination within approximately two weeks after the examination has taken place.

Students should coordinate this process with their academic advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.  

If the student should fail the comprehensive examination, additional study may be required before the student is allowed to retake the examination.  The reexamination must take place before the end of the next full semester.  Failure on the second examination will result in discontinuance from the program. The student has the right to appeal this decision to the Academic Policies Council.

A schedule of graduate course offerings is available in advance of the opening of each semester or term. Graduate course schedules are available on the Averett University website. Registration for each semester may be completed after meeting with their academic advisor or Director of Graduate Studies. It is the responsibility of each graduate student to have a registration conference with the Director of Graduate Studies, who serves as the academic advisor, before registering for classes. Registration not completed on or before the registration day specified on the graduate course schedule will be considered a late registration. The student who registers after the deadline will be subject to a late registration fee. Registration will not be permitted after the published last day to add a class. Tuition and fees are due and payable at the time of registration or upon receipt of the bill. Any arrangements for deferred payments must be made with the Business Office.  Students may not attend classes unless registered.

Independent study in the graduate program may be approved, but only under unusual circumstances. An application for such study must be obtained from the  Director of Graduate Studies  and the course instructor. The application must state the reasons for the request and the specific course to be undertaken and then returned to the Director for approval. The approval process must take place prior to registration for the independent study and handled through the Individually Designed Education for Adult Learners (IDEAL) program.

Upon admission, the student will be assigned to the area of concentration indicated by the application. If the student decides to change the area of concentration, he/she must make such a request with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Transfer of credit for graduate course work completed at another institution will be considered only after a student has earned a minimum of 12 semester hours at Averett University. All transfer credits must have been earned in an accredited graduate program, must parallel the curriculum at Averett and must carry a grade of B or higher. A maximum of six semester hours will be accepted toward the Master of Education degree. Responsibility for furnishing verification of information on transfer credits lies with the student. All work toward the degree must be completed within six years (including transfer credit).

The University reserves the right to adjust the schedule of graduate course offerings after the publication of the official schedule, but such changes will be undertaken only when absolutely necessary. Notification of such changes will be made to all affected students and, if a class is canceled after registration, a full refund of applicable tuition and fees will be made unless the student elects to register for another course. The student should contact the Director of Graduate Studies to effect any changes necessitated by an official schedule change.

A graduate course with an enrollment of fewer than six graduate students is subject to cancellation by the University. Students who may be auditing the course are not included in the calculation. In the event of the cancellation of any course for insufficient enrollment, the graduate student will be allowed to take another course with approval from his/her Director. In the event that the student does not enroll in another course, refund of all applicable tuition and fees will be made immediately. This regulation applies also to those auditing a canceled course.