Below you will find policy information from the College’s general Graduate Academic Policies and Regulations manual. In some circumstances your program may have specific policies or procedures that differ slightly from these; if so, they are noted in this document. Academic Load The general maximum full-time load for graduate study is three classes during any fall or spring semester; two courses during each summer session; and one course in the January term. This does not include the special summer residency period for MFA candidates. Candidates wishing to attempt more than the maximum load must receive permission from their Program Director prior to registration. However, please note that different graduate degree programs may have different academic load maximums. Those limits supersede this regulation. It is advised that all students familiarize themselves with the maximums in their program. Academic Probation Graduate students must maintain a 3.00 grade point average. If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 the student will be placed on academic probation. If a grade of ‘C+’ / 2.3 or lower is received in any course, the student will be placed on academic probation. Students in the Nursing and Fine Arts graduate programs will be placed on academic probation for grades of B- / 2.7 or lower. Academic probation will last either one semester (for full-time students) or the completion of two more courses (for part-time students). At the end of this period the student must have a GPA above 3.0 and not received any grades of ‘C+’ / 2.3 or lower (or B- / 2.7 for the Nursing and Fine Arts programs) in order for the probation to be lifted. A student on academic probation cannot begin work on a graduate thesis sequence or project. All students in the graduate programs are subject to the Wilson College Honor Principle, the academic and administrative regulations, and the Wilson College Judicial Process. Academic Dismissal A student may be dismissed from their graduate program if the period of academic probation extends beyond the completion of one semester (for full-time students) or the completion of two more courses (for part-time students). A student may also be dismissed if the student receives two course grades of ‘C+’ / 2.3 or lower or one course grade of ‘F’ at any time during their graduate studies at Wilson. Students may also be dismissed for violations of the Wilson College Honor Principal and academic policies. Procedure for Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal A student in the Humanities or Leadership program who is placed on academic probation must have a signed academic contract in place before the student can complete any further coursework in the program. The academic contract will outline the terms of the academic probation and the conditions under which the probation can be lifted. The academic contract will also outline the penalties should academic probation not be lifted under the terms of the academic contract, including academic dismissal. Academic dismissal is usually enacted when the program does not believe that the student would be capable of lifting the academic probation. A student can appeal an academic dismissal to the Graduate Studies Council. Academic Credit Any graduate class where the student receives a grade of ‘C-’ / 1.7 or lower cannot be counted toward completion of the degree. For Nursing and Fine Arts students, any class of ‘B-’ / 2.7 or lower cannot be completed for the degree. Students may re-take the course the next time it is offered to replace the low grade. Deferred Admissions A student may defer her/his admission into a program for a period of two years. After that time, the student must re-apply to the program. Graduation Application and Forms A student must complete and submit a graduation application to the Registrar by Registration Check-in Day two semesters before the anticipated graduation date. A fee will be assessed for late applications. If a student fails to officially submit a graduation application, s/he will not be eligible for graduation. Housing On-campus housing may be available for qualified students in the program. For more information on housing, please contact the Wilson College Office of Residential Life and Student Development. Independent/Guided Studies Graduate-level independent or guided study work may be allowed under certain circumstances. Anyone wishing to consider independent study work must start by seeking the approval of the Program Director. To be eligible, the student must be in good academic standing (including not being on academic probation) and must demonstrate a need for the independent or guided study. Graduate independent and guided study courses are subject to the same approval processes as undergraduate independent and guided study courses. For more information, see the appropriate Graduate Program Director. Leave of Absence A graduate student may request an official leave of absence. This will halt official progress toward the student’s program of study. A leave of absence for a graduate student may not exceed one year. If a student is out of a program for more than one year, the student will need to re-apply to the program. See complete description regarding applying for a leave of absence and termination of a leave of absence in the current college catalog. Non-Degree Status Students may start any Wilson graduate degree program as a non-degree candidate (though the student may still need to produce some admissions materials; for specifics, please consult the appropriate Graduate Program Director). However, after the completion of two courses the student must matriculate into the program to ensure that all coursework will be counted toward the graduate degree. Partnership Coursework In certain programs, Wilson College offers coursework through partnership programs. Students register for these courses through the Wilson College Registrar’s Office, and they are noted on the transcripts as a Wilson College course, though they are offered through a partner institution. For most courses, students pay the same tuition; however, certain courses may have additional tuition costs and fees. It is important to check with your Graduate Program Director to see if a class has additional tuition costs and fees. Students on tuition remission (including graduate assistants and college employees) are eligible to take partnership courses and apply them toward their degree; however, in those instances, the student is responsible for paying the partnership costs. For more information, please consult your Graduate Program Director. Provisional Admission Status In certain circumstances, a student may be lacking one of the mandatory requirements for admission into a graduate program. Provisional admission status may allow a student to enroll in classes in order to qualify for admission to the degree program. A student may be granted provisional status after a written plan of action to assist the student in meeting the prerequisites or entrance requirements of the program has been approved by the Graduate Program Director. Provisional status is given at the discretion of the Graduate Program Director and/or Graduate Program Admissions Committee. If granted provisional status, the student must complete the approved plan of action with a GPA of 3.0 or higher before being officially admitted to the program. Generally speaking, full admission status is awarded after the successful completion of two courses with a qualifying grade of 3.0 or higher in each; however, provisional admission status cases are unique and may differ from this model. Split-Level Coursework Certain Wilson courses have both a graduate and undergraduate component. Generally, Wilson students cannot complete the graduate-level version of a course if they have already completed the undergraduate version unless the course has undergone significant alteration. Certain exceptions do exist; for more, please see the appropriate Graduate Program Director. Time Limit to Complete Degree All coursework and degree requirements must be completed within six years of taking the first class at Wilson College. Appeals for extension of the six-year limit must be submitted in writing to the appropriate Graduate Program Director. Transfer Credits At the discretion of the Program Director, no more than two courses may be transferred into any Wilson graduate program. For a course to transfer, the grade in the course must be 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale and the subject area, goals, and outcomes must be similar to that of courses designed for the graduate program. Students may be required to present supporting materials (such as a syllabus, assignments, etc.) beyond an official transcript when transferring in a class. Under special circumstances, students may request to transfer more coursework to the College; for more on this, please see the appropriate Graduate Program Director. Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Coursework Wilson undergraduate students may not enroll in a graduate-level course for any reason unless they are part of an accelerated Master’s program; then the student would begin taking graduate-level courses in the senior year. To learn if your program qualifies, or how to become part of an accelerated Master’s program, please see the appropriate Graduate Program Director. Post-baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program students may enroll in graduate-level coursework with permission of the appropriate Graduate Program Director. Special Graduation Circumstances December/January graduates: 1. A student who completes her/his degree requirements at the end of the fall semester will have her/his degree conferred on the first day of the January Term. This date will be noted on the official transcript. 2. December/January graduates will participate in and receive their diplomas at the following May’s Commencement and be considered part of May’s graduating class. Summer graduates: 1. A student who completed her/his degree requirements during the summer will have her/his degree conferred on the first day of the fall semester. 2. Summer graduates will participate in and receive their diploma covers at the preceding May’s Commencement and be considered part of May’s graduating class. 3. Diplomas will be released to the students in late September. 4. A student who has not completed all requirements for graduation must petition the Graduate Studies Council by the last day to withdraw from classes to participate in Spring Commencement if more than two course requirements remain to be met. 5. Regardless of the number of courses remaining to be completed, the student must submit a written plan to the Registrar outlining how the requirements will be met before the end of the Summer following Spring Commencement. This plan must be signed and approved by the student's academic advisor. The written plan must be submitted by the last day of classes for the Spring semester. 6. In the event that a student fails a degree requirement(s) during Spring semester of his/her graduation year, he or she must submit a written plan to the Registrar outlining how the requirement(s) will be met before the end of the Summer following Spring Commencement. This plan must be signed and approved by the student's advisor and must be submitted to the Registrar by June 1st. In other academic policy matters, graduate students are guided by the College catalogue for the year in which they entered the program. In cases where the specific graduate policies disagree with the College’s general policies, the policies for the graduate program shall govern the graduate student. Students may request waivers and exceptions to certain policies under special circumstances; for more on this, please see the appropriate Graduate Program Director.