Graduate Policies
It is the responsibility of each graduate student at Bloomsburg University to:
- Take the initiative to be aware of all university policies as described in this catalog and in class schedules.
- Take responsibility for satisfying requirements for graduation in his or her field.
- Make decisions on courses and other matters with the advice and assistance of advisers and staff.
- Identify any undergraduate weakness or deficiency and discuss them with graduate advisers. (Such weaknesses might include, but are not limited to, not having proper undergraduate prerequisites for the desired graduate program.)
- Attend all classes and take all examinations. Absences from graduate classes are granted only for urgent and verifiable reasons; students granted an absence from class can expect assistance from professors in making up work or examinations.
Advisers
Students who are provisional, regular or candidates for a degree, along with students enrolled in the supervisory certificate programs, are assigned graduate advisers. The duties of the adviser are:
- to serve as a consultant in planning the student's program;
- to help students choose courses to certify the courses students do choose are part of their degree program;
- to endorse the student's application for degree candidacy and graduation (if appropriate to your program);
- and to arrange for a comprehensive examination (if required by the graduate program selected).
Upon acceptance into a program of study, the program coordinator is usually assigned as a temporary adviser. A permanent adviser is selected by the student and temporary adviser, taking into account the student's research and career interests. If this individual accepts the student as advisee, she/he is formally appointed permanent adviser by the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research upon recommendation of the department involved.
Non-degree students are not assigned advisers. They may regard the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research as their adviser for choosing courses and interpreting academic regulations.
Scheduling, Drop/Add
Students schedule graduate courses through their program adviser, except for students in non-degree status who submit their registration materials directly to the Office of Graduate Studies.
Any graduate student who does not attend class for which he or she has been properly scheduled and does not submit a request for add/drop/withdraw courses by the appropriate dates is liable for billing and will not be eligible for a refund.
Course Withdrawal
During the Fall and Spring semesters, after the schedule change period and continuing until three weeks past mid-term, if a student withdraws from a course, a grade of "W" will be recorded. For summer sessions and courses not taught on a regular semester basis, the Registrar will prorate the date appropriately.
Prior to the last week of classes, in exceptional circumstances, for compelling, justified and documented reasons, the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research may waive these restrictions. Poor academic performance will not constitute grounds for late withdrawal. If withdrawal is granted after the deadline, the grade is W providing the student is passing the course, and E otherwise.
A limit of two (2) withdrawals during the degree program shall be permitted. Re-registration for withdrawn courses requires the approval of the program coordinator. Students withdrawing from the university may exceed the two-course withdrawal limit.
Refund of tuition for withdrawn courses are prorated based on week of withdrawal. The refund policy is published annually by The State System of Higher Education.
Course Information
The course load each semester for a full-time student is 12 semester hours (for financial aid purposes, full time is 9 credits and over). For students employed full time, however, the maximum course load each semester is 6 semester hours. For half-time graduate assistants, the course load is 6 to 12 semester hours; for quarter-time graduate assistants, 9 to 12 semester hours.
For summer sessions, the maximum course load is 1 semester hour per week of full-time course work. (For example, if the summer session is six full weeks, the maximum course load during that session is 6 semester hours).
Credit is measured in terms of semester hours, at the rate of 1 semester hour for 15 hours of lecture/discussion work plus final examinations.
Courses numbered 500 or higher in this catalog (the last three digits of the course number) are graduate courses. Courses numbered lower than 500 that are listed in this catalog are open to both graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Graduate students may apply only 12 semester hours of courses numbered 400 to 500 that are listed in this catalog toward a master's degree.
Swing Courses / Dual Listed Courses
Swing Course - A 400-level course designated by BUCC as satisfying both graduate and undergraduate level degree requirements. No distinction is made in the syllabus for effort expected of graduate or undergraduate students. Students must be admitted and scheduled through to the graduate school in order to receive graduate credit.
Dual Listed - A single instructional setting in which undergraduate students take a course that is parallel to a graduate course. Generally, the courses are numbered separate with the tens and units digit being the same and the hundreds digit being "4" for undergraduate and "5" for graduate (e.g. 490 and 590). Distinct syllabi guide the work of graduate and undergraduate students in the dual listed course. The graduate version requires more and higher-level work than the undergraduate. Many elements of the course may be common to the 400- and 500-version, such as lectures, readings and lab work.
Transfer of Credits
No more than 12 credits earned, with a grade of B or higher, outside of a degree program may be applied to the program in which the student is matriculating. Students may transfer up to nine hours of graduate course work, in which a grade of B or higher is earned, from another college or university, with the approval of their graduate program coordinator and the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research. Credits applied to an undergraduate degree cannot be applied to a graduate degree. Credits not applying to an earned degree such as credits earned in non-degree status or credits earned in a program from which the student has withdrawn, may apply to a degree program. Internal transfers are limited to 12 credits of courses, which must be relevant to the degree program the student is pursuing, and must be approved by the graduate program coordinator and the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research. Transferred courses taken at Bloomsburg University will contribute to the student's QPA when determining academic standing. Graduate courses taken at Bloomsburg University but not transferred into a degree program do not contribute to the student's QPA when determining academic standing. A request for credits must be submitted on an application form available in the Office of Graduate Studies.
After formal admission to the School of Graduate Studies, all requests to take and transfer graduate credits must be pre-approved by the program coordinator. Students must have taken the course(s) in residence and the content of the course(s) must match the required areas of study in the student's master's program at Bloomsburg. Transfer credit must have been earned with a grade of at least B, must be capable of counting toward a graduate degree at the sponsoring institution, be appropriate to the Bloomsburg University program, and be completed no more than six years from the expected date of graduation. Pass/fail grades are not acceptable. In general, workshop format courses are not acceptable in transfer; however, if the workshop fulfills the following requirements, it may be considered for transfer to Bloomsburg University:
- The workshop should consist of 45 contact hours (15 contact hours per semester hour) for a 3-semester hour course;
- The workshop must include exposure to the disciplinary research literature appropriate to the course;
- The workshop must include the opportunity for outside work such as term or research papers or other major assignments appropriate to a graduate course; and
- The workshop must be taught as part of a master's degree curriculum of the university at which the course was taken. Professional development workshops are not acceptable.
- The course duration should be over one week for each credit (e.g., 3 weeks for a 3 credit course).
Under certain conditions, credits applying to an earned degree may apply to a subsequent degree. Courses transferred must be relevant to the program in which the student is matriculating. The transfer must be approved by the graduate program coordinator and assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research. Transferred credits must not reduce the number of credits earned in the program below 24. Credits transferred in this manner do not contribute to the QPA when determining academic standing.
Repeat of Courses
A maximum of one course in which a grade of less than C has been recorded or a maximum of two courses in which a grade less than B and greater than C- has been recorded (totalling not more than 6 semester hours) may be repeated upon application to the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research. The application shall be approved upon written request by the student's graduate program coordinator and department chairperson.
The initial grade remains on the transcript as part of the student's permanent record. The grade of the repeated course is part of the permanent record and is used to calculate the student's quality point average. A course may be repeated only once. A course taken at Bloomsburg University in which a grade of D or E has been earned must be repeated at Bloomsburg University. Although this is a general graduate school policy, individual departments or graduate programs may implement more stringent requirements.
Academic Grievance Procedure
Alleged academic injustices relating to grades or professional conduct should be resolved informally, if possible. The student should first discuss the matter with the concerned faculty member, appropriate chairperson, and college dean or the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research. In order for the matter to be resolved expeditiously, the consultation(s) should take place as soon as possible after the alleged incident has occurred. If informal attempts to resolve the matter are unsuccessful, the student should consult with the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research who will inform the student of procedures for initiating a formal grievance with the academic grievance coordinator for a hearing before the Academic Grievance Board.
Academic Probation
A graduate student not maintaining satisfactory academic progress may be placed in academic probationary status. Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 9 semester hours for the grading period in probationary status. A student on academic probation is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship. To be removed from academic probation, a graduate student with a quality point average deficiency must attain the minimum overall quality point average of 3.0 as required by the School of Graduate Studies for regular graduate students and degree candidates. A student who attains a 3.0 Q.P.A. or higher for the first grading period in academic probationary status, but does not attain the required overall Q.P.A., may be recommended by his or her academic adviser, the graduate program coordinator, and the department chairperson to the assistant vice president and dean of Graduate Studies and Research for continuation on probation for one additional grading period.
Graduate students who fail to meet the minimal standards for satisfactory progress will be notified by the assistant vice president and dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Failure to request academic probation will result in academic dismissal. Such students may submit a request in writing to their academic advisers to be granted academic probation. Upon recommendation of the academic adviser, graduate program coordinator, and department chairperson, and approval by the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research, probationary status will be granted. Exceptions to these procedures under extraordinary circumstances will be by written request to the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research.
Academic Dismissal
A graduate student not maintaining satisfactory progress, who is not permitted to enroll in probationary status, is excluded from registration, and the student's academic record is marked "academic dismissal."
Dismissal is automatic if the overall Q.P.A. is below the minimum after two grading periods in probationary status or after failing to pass the comprehensive examination two times while in probationary status. Dismissal is also automatic upon receipt of grades below a C in two graduate courses. A graduate student under academic dismissal is not eligible to attend courses offered in the School of Graduate Studies for a period of at least one calendar year.
A dismissed graduate student may, after a period of one year, reapply to the School of Graduate Studies in order to undertake studies in a new degree program or to further their studies in non-degree status. A graduate student is not permitted to register for any courses in a program from which he or she was dismissed.
Under exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research, a program may readmit a dismissed student. In the latter instance, the normal six-year limitation for expired courses shall be applied. Graduate students dismissed for academic reasons may appeal their dismissal within one year, in writing, to the Graduate Council. The decision of the council is final.
Examinations
As part of the master's degree requirement, a comprehensive examination is likely to be required. Also, an examination in defense of a master's thesis is required of students who choose to write a thesis.
Master's Thesis or Departmental Paper
Normally, the master's thesis consists of an independent scholarly investigation which includes the experience of collecting, assembling, interpreting, and presenting a body of information to solve a formal research problem in the student's academic or professional field. Alternatively, it can include the preparation and exhibition or presentation of creative works in certain programs. The School of Graduate Studies requires that a thesis be a minimum of 6 semester hours. If the thesis is greater than 6 hours, only 6 semester hours may be counted toward degree requirements.
If a master's thesis is included in the student's program, a committee is appointed by the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research from individuals nominated by the student's adviser. A form for the "Appointment of a Thesis Committee" is available for this purpose from the Office of Graduate Studies. The committee guides the study, approves the thesis in both form and content, arranges for the defense, certifies satisfactory completion of the thesis, and determines the grade. Final copies of every thesis must utilize the format as presented in "Master's Thesis: Procedures," and must be printed on 100 percent cotton paper suitable for archiving such as that available at the University Store.
Some master's degree requirements include a departmental paper. Such a paper is interpreted as one that grows out of a course and therefore does not require special registration or carry its own credit. Completion of a departmental paper must be certified by your faculty adviser as part of the application for graduation.
Information about master's thesis procedures and departmental paper procedures is available from the Office of Graduate Studies and should be read by all graduate students prior to beginning a thesis or departmental paper project.
Human or Animal Research
In cases where a student research requires the use of any human or animal subjects, the student must seek appropriate approvals through the Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects and/or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Students should discuss the application process with their faculty adviser and obtain the appropriate approval application forms from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Admission to Candidacy
Candidacy requirements, when relevant, are described under each program. Not all programs have candidacy requirements.
Time Limitation
Each student is expected to complete the requirements for a master's degree within six calendar years. This includes courses accepted by transfer. Bloomsburg University will grant extensions for sufficient reason, upon application to the assistant vice president and dean of Graduate Studies and Research and with the approval of the student's adviser. This extension must be requested before the six-year period ends.
Graduation Requirements
Students who are completing degree programs must apply for graduation at the Office of the Registrar, Warren Student Services Center, telephone (570) 389-4263, prior to the deadline listed in the university calendar. Get details. Each program that leads to a master's degree at Bloomsburg University requires at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit. Courses with grades below C earn no credit toward a master's degree and any course with a grade below C must be repeated.
Students must have a cumulative Q.P.A. of 3.0 or higher to graduate with a master's degree from Bloomsburg University. The graduate calendar gives deadlines for applying for graduation, completion of thesis and departmental papers, comprehensive examinations, etc. These are deadlines, but students should plan to complete each segment before the due date, whenever possible.
Graduate Transcripts
Students may request a graduate transcript through the Registrar's Office. This may be done by letter, or by filling out a form available from the Registrar's Office.
Grades
See Policy 3522
Off-Campus Courses
Bloomsburg often offers graduate courses at other locations in the Commonwealth. These graduate courses are open to students who are not enrolled in a master's program at Bloomsburg University; however, these students must obtain approval from the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research to enroll in these classes and must complete an application for admission to Graduate Studies prior to the completion of the semester in which they are enrolled.
Refunds
Graduate student withdrawals are governed by Policy 3463. Depending on the time of withdrawal, a partial refund of fees is possible. See information about tuition and fees for details.