Graduate Academic Policies
Basic Requirements
In addition to the following general graduate programs requirements, individual programs may have additional standards in their Graduate Program Publications. Additionally, students are expected to abide by the behavioral guidelines outlined in the Student Handbook (the Compass).
Once a student graduates from a master’s program and the graduation GPA is locked in, a grade change cannot be made.
Courses from one master’s earned at Christian Brothers University cannot satisfy the requirements for another master’s at Christian Brothers University unless the course requirements or courses overlap.
Graduating students only have three business days after the official graduation date to remove an incomplete grade. If this is not done, the student’s graduation date is postponed, and the student must refile for graduation. If a student fails to do this, his/her graduation date will be delayed. It will be the graduation date after the form is completed and all course work is completed.
Credit Hours for Graduation
A minimum of 30 semester hours at or above the 600 level is required for a master's degree. Students may earn up to six of these credit hours by completing a thesis.
Time Limits for Degree Eligibility
A student normally completes all requirements for the master's degree within three years of initial enrollment. The degree must be completed within five years of initial enrollment.
Advisor
Each graduate student will be assigned an academic advisor to coordinate the student’s studies toward the completion of the degree. The advisor is usually the Director of the program. The Director may, however, assign students to other faculty members.
Continuation in Program, Academic Probation, & Academic Suspension
All participants are expected to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0-point grade scale. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on Academic Probation for the subsequent semester or part-of-term (as applicable for accelerated programs with 8-week courses). A student on Academic Probation is required to work with their Program Director or Academic Advisor on development and implementation of an individualized Academic Success Plan. If the student does not attain a 3.0 cumulative GPA during the probationary semester/part-of-term but does attain a semester/part-of-term GPA of at least 3.0 and has upheld their Academic Success Plan, the student will remain on Academic Probation for an additional semester/part-of-term. A student on Academic Probation may not take more than a full-time course load (9 credit hours) without written permission from the Graduate Program Director. Failure to remove the probationary condition within two semesters will cause the participant to be academically suspended from the program. A student on Academic Suspension may not enroll in any courses at CBU for at least one major semester. A student academically suspended from the program may reapply after being out of the program for one semester or more, up to five years from initial enrollment (See also section on "Time Limits for Degree Eligibility."); however, readmission to the program is not guaranteed. A student who is Academically Suspended does not meet the requirements for an F-1 Student Visa.
Classification of Students
An applicant may seek admission to a degree program or to the status as a special student. Degree students are those working for a master’s degree at Christian Brothers University. An applicant for special status may be admitted as a conditional student or as a visiting student.
Degree Student: A degree student is one who has been admitted to a graduate program.
Full-Time Student: One who registers for nine or more credit hours of course work in any semester.
Part-Time Student: One who does not qualify as a full-time student.
For International Students on F-1 Visas: Per USCIS regulations, graduate students holding F-1 visas must enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester to maintain their visa status. Graduate students matriculating in October, March, or June must take a minimum of 6 hours in their first semester, and then 9 hours thereafter (except when the student needs a lesser course load to complete the course of study during the final semester).
Special Student: A special student is one who is admitted as a visiting student and is not eligible for financial aid. No more than 15 hours (Special students in the Reading Specialist Program may take up to 18 hours) may be accumulated as a Special Student. Credit earned under the special graduate status - but none that has been earned at another institution (transfer credit) - will be officially recorded. This credit may be applied toward degree requirements if a student later is admitted to a degree program, and if the credit is appropriate to the degree objective. However, admission as a special graduate student in no way assures subsequent admission to a degree program.
Visiting: One who is normally a degree student at another college or university who enrolls for credit in selected courses at Christian Brothers University. A letter from the visitor’s college or university certifying official that the student is in good standing is required along with an official copy of a transcript. A visiting student is not eligible for financial aid.
Comprehensive Examination
A written and/or oral comprehensive examination may be required by individual degree programs.