Graduate students are responsible for being fully acquainted and complying with all requirements for Graduate School and for the respective degree programs. When a particular situation is not covered in this Graduate School section of the catalog, graduate students should refer to the General University Regulations.
Graduate Dean
The Graduate Dean serves as the chief administrative officer for graduate programs in the university. The Graduate Dean makes final decisions on admissions, changes in degree status, admission to candidacy for the degree, certifying candidates for graduation, and all other aspects of graduate studies.
Grade Point Average
All references to grade point average (GPA) regarding admission to Graduate School and graduate credit in degree programs refer to the cumulative grade point average, defined as the grade point average computed on all hours attempted.
Graduate Credit
A student may receive graduate credit only for courses taught by members of the graduate faculty and only for work taken while enrolled as a graduate student or as a qualified senior undergraduate.
Graduate Credit for Southeastern Seniors
A Southeastern senior may register for graduate credit if he has at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA on all previous undergraduate work attempted and lacks no more than nine hours for a regular semester or six hours for a summer session to complete the Baccalaureate degree. In a regular semester he may register for no more than 15 hours, six of which may be graduate. In a summer session he may register for no more than 10 hours, four of which may be graduate. He must register to complete all requirements for the Baccalaureate degree and must be recommended by the appropriate Academic Dean. The student retains undergraduate status until rewarded the Baccalaureate degree. Credit for the graduate courses will be awarded when all undergraduate degree requirements are met.
Transfer Credit
After having earned a minimum of 12 hours of graduate credit at Southeastern, a student may appeal to the Graduate Coordinator or graduate Faculty Advisor for approval to apply for transfer credit from another university. That university must be an accredited institution that regularly grants the Master’s degree or an equivalent foreign institution. The student must be eligible for readmission to the institution from which credits are to be transferred and must have earned a minimum grade of “B” in each course to be transferred. No transfer credits may be used to remove a student from probation. No transfer credits may be earned for courses taken more than six years prior to the date of graduation. No more than one-third of the hours required for graduation may be transferred. The Graduate Coordinator or the graduate Faculty Advisor will recommend to the Graduate Dean the courses to be transferred, and the Dean will make the final determination as to whether any or all of the recommended courses will be accepted for transfer credit.
Off-Campus Credit
There is no limit to the number of graduate hours a student may earn in off-campus courses. The Graduate Coordinator or graduate Faculty Advisor will recommend to the Graduate Dean the number of graduate hours earned in off-campus courses that will count towards a graduate degree.
Correspondence Study
No graduate credit is allowed for courses completed by correspondence study with any college or university.
Standardized Test for Admission
The appropriate standardized tests should be taken no later than April for Fall semester admission, October for Spring semester admission, and February for Summer admission. Scores are to be submitted to the Office of Enrollment Services. Information about the Graduate Record Examination, the Graduate Management Admission Test, and the Test of English as a Foreign Language is available from the Southeastern Office of Testing or from Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540. Applications to take any of these tests should be completed and forwarded to Educational Testing Service along with the examination fee at least one month in advance of the testing date.
Time Limitations
A student must earn all the credit, including transfer credit, in the graduate degree program within6 years immediately preceding the date on which the degree requirements are completed.
Eligibility of Faculty and Staff for Graduate Degree
To be admitted to a degree program (any level) at Southeastern, an unclassified employee must secure the approval of his/her supervisor. All faculty members may become candidates for graduate degrees at Southeastern, provided the degrees are offered in a department other than the one in which the faculty member is employed. “Unclassified employees” includes all the full-time faculty members holding rank and all twelve-month, unclassified personnel serving on the administrative staff.
Full-Time Status
For graduate students not holding Assistantships or Fellowships, full-time status is defined as enrollment in at least nine hours of course work or the equivalent during the Fall and Spring semesters, and at least four hours during the Summer term.
Graduate Assistants and Graduate Teaching Fellows
Full-time status is defined as enrollment in at least six hours of course work during the Fall and Spring semesters, and at least three hours during the Summer term.
Course Loads
For graduate students not holding Assistantships or Fellowships,maximum course load registration is 16 hours of course work during the Fall and Spring semesters, and nine hours during the Summer term.
Graduate Assistants and Graduate Teaching Fellows
Maximum course load registration is 12 hours of course work during the Fall and Spring semesters, and six hours during the Summer term. Minimum course load registration is six hours of course work during the Fall and Spring semesters, and three hours during the Summer term.
All Graduate Students
Course load registration must be approved by the student’s Graduate Coordinator or graduate Faculty Advisor. Appeals for increasing or decreasing the course load requirements should be made to the Graduate Dean, whose decision is final.
Adding and Dropping Courses
A course may be added or dropped only in accordance with the dates indicated in the University Calendar. The student initiates the action by completing the appropriate form obtained from the Office of the Enrollment Services. After the drop/add and late registration period is over, a student may withdraw from a class or resign from the University by completing the proper form(s) and obtaining the required signatures.
Combined Courses
Courses combining instruction of undergraduate and graduate students clearly differentiate the course requirements for both groups and require the graduate student to perform work at a substantially higher level of complexity and maturity.
Cumulative Grade Point Average
All references to Grade Point Average (GPA) for Degree Status students shall mean the cumulative GPA, defined as the grade point average computed on all graduate hours attempted.
The Graduate Grading System
* A=4 quality points per semester hour * B=3 quality points per semester hour * C=2 quality points per semester hour * D=1 quality point per semester hour * F=No quality point value * P=Passing (See Pass-Fail Option) * I=Incomplete (See Incomplete Grades) * IP=In Progress (Thesis Courses Only) * W=Officially withdrawn as stipulated in catalog
“D” and “F” Grades
A grade of “D” means unacceptable work, and all courses to be counted towards a degree in which a “D” is earned must be repeated with a grade of at least a “C.” A grade of “F” means failure, and all courses in which an “F” is earned must be repeated.
Incomplete Grades
A grade of “I” means incomplete and is given only for courses in which, because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, cannot be completed during the semester in which the course is taken. AN “I” GRADE MUST BE REMOVED FROM A GRADUATE STUDENT’S TRANSCRIPT BY THE END OF THE NEXT SEMESTER, INCLUDING SUMMERS, UNLESS EXTENDED BY THE GRADUATE DEAN. IF THE “I” GRADE IS NOT REMOVED, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CHANGED TO AN “F.”
Pass-Fail Option
All courses
Graduate students have the option of registering for graduate courses with a P (Pass) – F (Fail) option. Except for thesis courses and certain internships, Pass grades may not be counted toward a graduate degree. Graduate students may change from regular letter grading to Pass-Fail, or vice versa, up to the last day for adding courses. Students must notify the instructor in writing of this decision. For graduate credit courses, only “C” quality or better work will earn the grade of “P.”
Thesis Courses
The grade of “P,” with a maximum credit of six hours, shall be assigned to all Thesis courses, upon final approval of the Thesis by the faculty and by the appropriate authorities, and upon receipt of the final approved copy of the thesis in the office of the Graduate Dean.
Good Standing Grade Requirement
Appeals of grades must first be made to the instructor. If the instructor’s decision is not satisfactory, the student may appeal, in writing, to the instructor’s Department Head and the instructor’s Academic Dean. The Department Head will render a decision within ten working days. If the decision of the Department Head is not satisfactory, the student may appeal, in writing, to the instructor’s Academic Dean, with copies to the instructor and Department Head. The Dean will render a decision within ten working days. The decision of the Dean is final.
Probation, Suspension, Readmission, and Dismissal
Probation
Graduate students whose semester or term GPA and/or cumulative GPA in graduate courses falls below 3.0 shall be placed on probation. During their next semester or term of enrollment in Graduate School, students on probation must achieve a minimum 3.0 GPA for that semester/term and may not register for any courses on a Pass-Fail basis. Students will remain in Probation status as long as their cumulative GPA remains below 3.0.
Suspension
Students whose semester or term GPA falls below 3.0 for two semesters of enrollment, including summers, will be suspended from Graduate School. Students suspended for the first time may not enroll in Graduate School for at least one semester following notification of Suspension status.
Readmission
After an absence of at least one semester, suspended students may apply for readmission by submitting a completed appeal for to the Graduate Coordinator or graduate Faculty Advisor. The Graduate Coordinator or graduate Faculty Advisor will submit the form, with a recommendation to readmit or not to readmit, to the Graduate Dean. The decision of the Dean is final. Upon a second suspension, students seeking readmission must follow the same procedure, except that the student will have been suspended from the Graduate School for a minimum of one calendar year.
Dismissal
Graduate students with two suspensions must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA each semester for the remainder of their graduate career, or be dismissed from Graduate School. This dismissal is final.
Effective Catalog
The degree plan shall be formulated according to the requirements published in the catalog in effect at the time of the student’s admission to Degree Status or at any subsequent time during the six-year limit for completing the degree. A student may adopt a subsequent catalog only with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator or graduate Faculty Advisor, and of the Graduate Dean.
Graduation Requirements
To be eligible to receive a master’s degree, students must:
Admission to Candidacy for the Master’s Degree
Applying for Graduation
Students shall apply for graduation in the semester proceeding the anticipated semester of graduation, according to the published deadlines. Students who do not graduate in the anticipated semester of graduation must reapply for graduation and pay an additional application fee for each succeeding semester of application.
Leave of Absence from Thesis
In certain circumstances, such as illness, pregnancy, or compelling economic pressures, a student may not be able to enroll in a thesis course on a continuous basis. The University will allow leaves of absence on an individual, nondiscriminatory basis, provided the student receives written permission from the appropriate Graduate Coordinator or graduate Faculty Advisor and the Graduate Dean.
The leave of absence policy does not affect in any manner the six year time limit for completion of the degree.
Comprehensive Examination
Each candidate for a Master’s degree must pass a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination may be written, oral, or both. The specific date, time and procedures are established by each department. A time frame for comprehensive examinations is suggested by the catalog.
Requirements for Second Master’s Degree
A student pursuing a second Master’s degree at Southeastern may, with the approval of the Degree Committee, use credit from a previous Master’s Degree for up to a maximum of one-third of the total credit hours specified in the new degree plan. Credit will be given only for grades of “B” or better and must be approved by the new Department Head and Academic Dean.
Check-list for Graduate Students
The following represent the minimum steps required of all graduate students. Additional steps may be required by individual departments.
All students must: