Graduate section under construction
Graduate Policies
Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Classes - Mixed Credit Policy
There may be circumstances in which undergraduate students are allowed to take graduate courses before the undergraduate degree (mixed credit) has been conferred. Circumstances include, but are not limited to:
• Mixed Credit (Accelerated Programs): Students may be accepted into a graduate program toward the end of their undergraduate program and may take graduate courses as part of both degree programs. These courses would be listed as graduate course but would count toward undergraduate and graduate credit.
• Mixed Credit (General): Undergraduate students may enroll in graduate courses that are cross-listed and / or would apply toward both an undergraduate and graduate degree without prior acceptance into a graduate program.
• Mixed Credit (Senior Permission): Undergraduate students may enroll in graduate courses as electives or credits that are not required for their degree.
Minimum requirements for mixed credit include:
• Undergraduate students enrolled in graduate level courses are expected to meet the demands of enhanced work load and/or grading standards required in graduate level courses.
• Completion of the online application through admissions to enroll in graduate courses at MSSU, and obtain approval from the department head(s) and dean(s) involved.
• Completion of 75 credit hours minimum.
• Earned minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• A maximum of 6 credit hours per semester may be taken as Mixed Credit
• A maximum of twelve credits may be taken for mixed credit, unless accepted to an accelerated program.
• Graduate credit taken as an undergraduate will expire after five years and will no longer count toward a graduate degree.
Although these minimum standards have been set for university-wide consideration exceptions to these standards must be approved by the department head, and dean of the school offering the course.
It is highly recommended that students who enroll in Mixed Credit courses contact the Financial Aid Office with any questions.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS/CERTIFICATES
REGULAR ADMISSION:
A student has a conferred bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university recognized by Missouri Southern State University, AND has an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; OR a combined score of 300 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Records Examination or minimum score on the GMAT (Business students only) of 450; AND meets specific departmental admission requirements for the program/certificate.
PROVISIONAL ADMISSION:
A student who holds a bachelor’s degree but does not meet course prerequisites for a specific departmental program/certificate or otherwise approximates but does not meet regular admissions requirements; OR is a senior seeking admission for a subsequent semester. Provisional admission will be granted for up to two consecutive semesters. Regular admission will be granted upon departmental approval.
GRADUATE ACADEMIC GOOD STANDING POLICY
1. Graduate students are expected to maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all courses completed in their graduate program. Students in graduate courses can earn grades of A, B, C or F.
2. If a graduate student does not maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all courses completed, the student:
a. Will be placed on academic probation for the semester following the one in which a student’s cumulative GPA drops below 3.0. Graduate students placed on academic probation are required to consult with their Program Graduate Coordinator, Academic Advisor or Designee.
b. Will be placed on academic suspension if they cannot raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 within one academic year from which they were placed on academic probation. Graduate students may appeal being placed on academic suspension by contacting their Program/Departmental Graduate Coordinator or Designee. The appeals process will be developed and maintained by academic programs/departments.
i. Graduate students are prohibited from enrolling in courses in their academic program for a semester following academic suspension.
c. Will be dismissed from their academic program if they are unable to maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA following academic suspension. Graduate students may appeal dismissal from their program by contacting their Program/Departmental Graduate Coordinator or Designee. The appeals process will be developed and maintained by academic programs/departments.
i. Academic suspension from a graduate program does not prohibit the graduate student from seeking admittance into another graduate program.
d. If a student’s GPA is below a 3.0 at the end of the penultimate semester, special permission must be granted to enroll in the capstone course (if applicable), including written student acknowledgement that he/she cannot graduate without a 3.0 GPA.
3. If a graduate student earns an F in a course, the graduate student will be dismissed from their program. This program dismissal may be appealed through their academic program/department. If the graduate student’s appeal is approved, the student may retake the course they earned an F in one-time.
Academic Load and Transfer Credit Policy
I. Student Load Status (aligns with Financial Aid Guidelines)
a. Spring, Fall and Summer Semesters
i. 9+ hrs Full-time
ii. 7 to 8 hrs ¾ time
iii. 6 hrs ½ time
iv. < 6 hrs less-than-half-time
II. To enroll in more than 12 hours a student requires Department chair and Dean approval.
III. Transfer Credit
a. The University maximum number of transfer hours (from a different university) at the graduate level is nine.
b. Individual programs may determine lower maximums.
c. Cross-listed courses are not considered transfer credits.
d. Credits from another institution in which an A or B was earned may be transferred at the discretion of the department.
Graduation Policy
I. General Degree Graduation Requirements
a. Minimum number of hours required to obtain a master’s degree
i. 30 hours
b. Minimum GPA
i. 3.0
c. Capstone Assessment
i. The capstone assessment, research project, comprehensive exam, etc. will be determined by the individual programs
d. Degree Completion
i. Students have a total of seven years to complete a masters’ degree from the starting semester through the semester of graduation
II. Applying for Graduation
a. Steps for applying to graduate will mirror those at the undergraduate level – see Registrar’s website for instructions.
https://www.mssu.edu/student-affairs/registrar/graduation.php
Incomplete and In Progress Graduate Course Policy:
Incomplete (IN): A grade of ‘IN’ may be reported if a student is unable to complete the work of the course within the semester for a valid reason such as illness, death in the family, an emergency, etc. It is not intended as a substitute for an ‘F’ and does not entitle a student to attend the class during a subsequent semester. An incomplete must be made up by the end of the next semester (excluding summers) or it will be converted to an ‘F’ automatically. Both credit and grade points for that course are suspended until the incomplete is converted to either a passing grade or an ‘F’. A student may not graduate with an incomplete grade.
In Progress (IP): A grade of ‘IP’ will be given in a situation in which a student is unable to complete the work of the course within the semester for a valid non-emergency reason, such as a research project or internship that overlaps two semesters. It is not intended as a substitute for an ‘F’ and does not entitle a student to attend the class during a subsequent semester. An ‘IP’ must be made up by the end of the next semester (excluding summers) or it will be converted to an ‘F’ automatically. Both credit and grade points for that course are suspended until the ‘IP’ is converted to either a passing grade or an ‘F’. A student may not graduate with an ‘IP’ grade.
Graduate Policy - Repetition of Courses
Students may only receive credit value for a repeated course once. A course may only be repeated one time. Students may repeat courses in which grades ‘F, D, C, or B’ have been earned. When a course is repeated the highest grade will be used when computing GPAs. Once a degree is earned, a student is no longer eligible to exclude the grade of the original course in their GPA. Exceptions to this policy may be considered by the department head and dean of the school offering the course.
Graduate Policy for Course and Total Withdrawal
Withdrawal from a Single Class With a Grade of ‘W’
A student may initiate the withdrawal from a course in the Office of the Registrar. Deadlines cited in the Schedule of Classes apply. Withdrawn students are no longer permitted to attend the class.
Withdrawal from All Classes
A student who wishes to completely withdraw will initiate withdrawal in the Financial Aid Office (Hearnes Hall). A student who completely withdraws from the University prior to the last week of classes in a regular or summer semester will receive a grade of “W” in all courses in which the student is enrolled. Withdrawn students are no longer permitted to attend classes. If the last date of attendance precedes the official withdrawal date, the earliest date will be used as the separation date. A student who leaves school without officially withdrawing will receive grades of ‘F’ in all courses.
Military Withdrawal Policy
Persons involuntarily called to active duty in any branch of the military services of the United States while enrolled as students at Missouri Southern State University will be released from their academic responsibilities without penalty. The following options are available:
1.Complete Withdrawal*
A student called to active duty may request to be withdrawn from all classes and receive a full refund of tuition paid for class enrollment. Students selecting this option will follow the normal process for a Complete Withdrawal from the University. A copy of their orders must be submitted along with the Total Withdrawal form to receive a refund.
2.Incomplete Grade
A student called to active duty may contact course instructors to explore the option of receiving an “IN” (incomplete) grade for the course. The normal procedures for an incomplete grade will apply. The approval of this option is left to the discretion of each individual instructor.
3.Single Course Withdrawal*
A student called to active duty may request to be withdrawn from a single course past the normal published deadlines so long as the active duty orders were not received prior to the published deadline. Students are to complete the Single Course Withdrawal form. The military orders must be submitted along with the Single Course Withdrawal form to receive a tuition refund.
Graduate Policy, Academic Integrity
Missouri Southern State University is committed to academic integrity and expects all members of the university community to accept shared responsibility for maintaining academic integrity. Academic work is evaluated on the assumption that the work presented is the student’s own, unless designated otherwise. Submitting work that is not one’s own is unacceptable and is considered a serious violation of University policy. Cheating is a serious offense that invalidates the purpose of a university education. Any student, who takes credit for the work of another person, offers or accepts assistance beyond that allowed by an instructor, or uses unauthorized sources for a test or assignment is cheating. Students must be conscious of their responsibilities as scholars, to learn to discern what is included in plagiarism as well as in other breaches of University polices, and must know and practice the specifications for citations in scholarly work. When dealing with cases of academic dishonesty, the course instructor may choose to use the campus judicial system; this includes filing an incident report with the Student Affairs Office, who may act on the report by issuing a written warning or by recommending disciplinary probation, suspension or expulsion. Penalties for academic dishonesty may include a failing grade on the assignment, a failing grade in the course, or any other course related sanction the instructor determines to be appropriate. Faculty should report, in writing, cases of academic dishonesty to the Department Chair, Dean and Graduate Council Chair.
Policy for Graduate Assistantship Appointment
Graduate students hired as graduate assistants must be admitted to a graduate degree program and have earned a bachelor’s degree. Graduate assistants must work in support of the graduate degree program to which they have been admitted, unless approval for work assignment has been obtained by the Graduate Council. For academic year appointments, students must be enrolled in at least six hours of graduate credit course work at the 500 or 600 level that are required for the degree (unless in the final semester and the student has fewer hours needed to graduate). Students with summer assistantship appointments must either be enrolled in at least three hours of required graduate course work during the summer or pre-enrolled for the required hours of enrollment for the fall semester.
Students appointed to an assistantship may be enrolled in no more than 12 hours of course work during the fall or spring semesters. Individual departments may have a policy that reduces the maximum number of hours the student can be enrolled in for a semester. Departments may submit a request to the Graduate Council to allow a student to exceed the maximum number of allowed credit hours of enrollment.
International students are required to be enrolled in a minimum of nine credit hours with at least six hours of graduate credit course work at the 500 or 600 level that are required for the degree. Students whose first language is not English or are classified as an International Student must meet the Missouri Southern State University policies on Spoken English Language Competency.
During the academic year, students hired as full-time graduate assistants cannot work additional hours or be employed in other campus positions. Appointments as a student worker can be allowed for one-time special events that do not go beyond a maximum of two-days and 12 hours with permission of the Graduate Council. Students on assistantships can work as student workers for up to 40 hours a week during the time between semesters or during the summer.
Full-time graduate assistants work 20 hours per week on and/or off campus.
Part-time graduate assistants work 10 hours (or fewer with program approval) per week on and/or off campus.
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