Academic Information
Advanced Standing Examinations
Advanced standing examinations will not be accepted for graduate credit.
Independent Study Courses
Independent study courses may be offered when special circumstances or scheduling conflicts indicate their need. An independent study is any type of study conducted under the direct supervision of a full-time NGU faculty member, ordinarily a graduate faculty member, and outside the regular term offerings. The course must not be concurrently scheduled. Credit hours are awarded for each independent study course as listed in the catalog for regularly scheduled classes. The student must initiate all independent study and submit a written request to the Program Dean for approval prior to the academic term for which credit is sought. The student should submit the request to the Program Dean during the advisement period. The Program Dean must grant approval prior to enrollment.
The student and faculty member will work out the format of each course and will adhere to the following standards:
1. No student may take more than one three-semester hour independent study course per academic term; no more than six hours of independent study may be applied to a graduate degree.
2. The student’s schedule must allow for an average of three hours of work per week per semester hour, including time spent in meeting with the professor (this is for a 15-week time frame). The professor will document all meetings and submit documentation to the Program Dean at the end of the academic term.
3. A clearly written understanding must be established between the student and professor concerning the objectives of the study, procedures, reading, written work, travel, and means of evaluation. A written summary of this agreement must be submitted to the Program Dean prior to enrollment in the course.
4. Additional requirements may be imposed by the academic division.
Leveling Courses
Every master’s degree program assumes that the participating student possesses a general university education through the baccalaureate level. Accordingly, the first prerequisite for the entering student is a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or, for international and special students, proof of equivalent training. In some instances, the Graduate Admissions Committee may require a student to strengthen undergraduate knowledge and abilities or meet specific program prerequisites by transcript evidence, course enrollment, or examination. The student must complete these requirements before enrolling in a course for which the requirements are a prerequisite. If a student without adequate preparation wishes to enter a particular graduate program, the Graduate Admissions Committee will impose undergraduate leveling courses as a degree requirement. These courses will be in addition to the 36 hours (or more) required for the master’s degree itself.
Leveling courses are not used in calculating graduate GPA. A student must earn a grade no lower than B in any leveling work required. Leveling work completed by a non- degree student must have a grade no lower than B to satisfy graduate degree requirements. In accordance with university undergraduate policy (see Credit by Examination in the undergraduate catalog) a student may satisfy leveling requirements by examination. A graduate course cannot serve as both a leveling requirement and a graduate elective. Leveling is a firm requirement of the graduate program. North Greenville University will not accept graduate transfer credit from other institutions unless leveling or prerequisite coursework has been satisfactorily completed.
Portfolio Experience
The University does not award graduate credit for portfolio-based experiential learning. Graduate field experiences that are a part of the official degree program must be completed under the direction of university faculty in the student’s field of study.
Capstone Course
All graduate students will complete the requirements for the capstone course as designated by the respective program.
Education Doctoral Certificates, Education Specialist (EdS), and Doctor of Education (EdD) Embedded Coursework Award Policy
Students who enroll in doctoral certificate programs may be able to apply the credits towards the completion of an EdS or EdD depending on course comparability and length of time since the courses were completed.
Students who enroll in the EdS degree program and successfully complete all program requirements will earn an EdS degree. No separate component doctoral certificates that would have been earned as stand-alone certificates will be disbursed because they are embedded in the coursework of the EdS degree.
Students who enroll in the EdD degree program and successfully complete all program requirements will earn an EdD degree. Students will not earn an EdS degree as it is a sub-component of the EdD coursework and an EdD assumes the coursework of the EdS and any doctoral certificates that could be earned as stand-alone certificates.
Students who enroll in the EdD program but cannot successfully complete the EdD program requirements, may be able to earn the EdS degree if all program requirements for the EdS degree are met. If later, the student wants to resume coursework to try to complete the EdD degree, the student will need to reapply to the EdD program as a new student and earned credits from the EdS degree may be applied to the EdD degree depending on course comparability and length of time since the earned EdS degree.