Announcements/News

Graduate Policies

Course Registration

Current graduate students may register the first day of pre-registration for any term. For evening, off-campus, and any special session class, students may register either online or at the first class meeting.

Class schedules and descriptions of the registration procedures for any semester may be found at www.mnstate.edu/records one week prior to pre-registration for that semester. Opportunities for advance registration for returning graduate students may be made available according to schedules and procedures specified by the Registrar.

Registration must be completed and all tuition and fees must be paid to the Business Office before published deadlines in order to prevent cancellation of course registrations.

Course Load

The normal course load for a graduate student is usually twelve (12) credits. Eight (8) graduate credits of enrollment are required for full-time status for students receiving financial aid, including the graduate assistant or work-study awards. The normal load in each summer session is six (6) graduate credits. Permission of the appropriate graduate program as well as the Dean of Graduate Studies is required for registration in excess of fifteen (15) graduate credits in any academic term.

Graduate Courses

Courses at the 600 and 700 level are offered for graduate credit only. Courses offered at the 600 level are open to graduate students or to undergraduate seniors who meet specific requirements. Courses at the 500 level may be counted toward a graduate degree; these courses are also offered as 400 level courses for undergraduates. Graduate students are expected to perform on a qualitatively higher level than the undergraduates in 500 level courses; normally, additional requirements are made in these courses for graduate students. At least one half of the credits meeting the degree requirement must be in 600 or 700 level courses (exclusive of Plan A Thesis or Plan B Project).

Auditing Courses

An entry of AU (audit) may be made upon a student's permanent record when a course is audited. As an auditor, a student may attend all class sessions, but need not complete assignments or projects, take part in class discussion, or take examinations. A student who wishes to audit a course must register and pay tuition and fees as though taking the course for credit. A student may change from regular credit to audit status with the written permission of the instructor through the tenth day of classes during the semester, or the fourth day of classes in a summer session. Credit may not be earned in courses taken as a visitor or auditor except by re-enrollment for credit and completion of the course with a satisfactory grade.

Time Limitation

All requirements for the degree must be completed within seven years (5 years in Counseling and Student Affairs) after taking the first graduate course that will be included in the program of study. In the exceptional case when students need to petition for an extension in order to complete the degree, they should contact the Director of Graduate Studies to initiate an appeal process.

Credit for Non-Academic Experience

It is the policy of Minnesota State University Moorhead that graduate credit will not be granted for work and other non-academic experiences.

Grading System

Grades and Grade Points
Grades given in graduate courses include A, B, C, D, F and P (Satisfactory). In a continuing research course, a student may be given a grade of IP until the course is completed. W signifies withdrawal without penalty from the course. Only those credits which were completed with a grade of A, B, C, or P may be applied toward a Master's degree. Graduate programs may designate core courses which must be completed with a grade of A or B in order to count toward the degree.

Failure to pass the comprehensive examination after two attempts results in termination of the degree program.

Students who fail the final oral examination cannot receive a passing grade on the project or thesis and will not receive the degree. Students may appeal through the appropriate department and the Dean of Graduate Studies to repeat the oral examination during a subsequent term.

A+	4.00 grade points per credit
A	4.00 grade points per credit
A-	3.67 grade points per credit
B+	3.33 grade points per credit
B	3.00 grade points per credit
B-	2.67 grade points per credit
C+	2.33 grade points per credit
C	2.00 grade points per credit
C-	1.67 grade points per credit
D+	1.33 grade points per credit
D	1.00 grade points per credit
D-	0.67 grade points per credit
F	0.00 grade points per credit
FN	0.00 grade points per credit
I	Incomplete
P	Pass
IP	In Progress
AU	Audit
W	Withdrawal
EX	Exchange -- used to document registration. This grade does not affect GPA or Satisfactory Progress.

Grade Point Average

The grade point average (GPA) is computed by dividing the number of grade points earned in a given course or courses by the number of credits attempted. The GPA is based on MSUM grades only. Transfer credits are not used in computing the GPA.

Credits with grades of "P", "I", "IP", "AU", "W", or "EX" are not included in computing the GPA.

Credits with grades of "F" and "FN" are included in computing the GPA.

Incomplete Credits
The mark of I (Incomplete) is granted when students are unable to complete source requirements for reasons beyond their control and when arrangements have been made with the instructor before the end of the semester.

It is the responsibility of students to develop a contract to meet the instructor's requirements for making up an Incomplete. If an Incomplete has been given, and if the Incomplete has not been made up by the end of the next semester, the "I" grade will be changed to an "F".

Continuing/Continuous Registration

Candidates for graduate degrees must be enrolled for academic credit at the time they sit for the final oral examination. In addition, some graduate programs have a Continuous Enrollment policy. Students should view the program deswcription pages in the bulletin for specifics.

Unless dictated differently by a program, students may register during the semester of the oral exam AND/OR for any semester in which the student must meet a program's Continuous Enrollment policy in one of four ways:

Concurrent enrollment in course work.

Enrollment for Plan A Thesis through 699.

Enrollment for Plan B Project through 696, 697, or 796.

Enrollment for one credit in 698 or 798: Continuing Registration.

Continuous registration is required by the programs listed below:

Counseling and Student Affairs programs.

Nursing

School Psychology

Change of Graduate Program

Occasionally students will decide to change their degree program after being admitted to or starting a graduate program. Students much meet the admission requirements of the new program including a review and acceptance by that program's admission committee. To initiate a change in graduate program, a student must:

Complete a Change of Program form and submit it to the Graduate Studies Office. This form is available at the Graduate Studies Office or online at: www.mnstate.edu/graduate/forms/

Submit any required application materials for the new program that are not on file in the Records Office.

DualGraduate Majors/Degrees

Any student wishing to pursue multiple graduate degrees from MSUM must meet all admission criteria and degree requirements for each program. A separate plan of study (Form 1) for each degree must be submitted and approved for each graduate program. Any duplicate coursework must follow current Transfer of Credit guidelines in the Graduate Bulletin.

Appeals

All appeals from graduate students are addressed on a Graduate Appeals Form available in the Graduate Studies Office or online. The Appeal process must be started within a year of the situation that generates the appeal with the exception of course grade appeals which must be initiated within 6 weeks of the close of the semester in which the student received the grade. Detailed procedures for filing appeals may also be obtained from the Graduate Studies Office or online. The graduate student is responsible for following the designated procedures and filing the forms with the appropriate university offices.

Course Grade Appeal

Only arbitrariness, prejudice, and/or error will be considered as legitimate bases for an appeal.

Arbitrariness: The grade awarded represents such a substantial departure from accepted academic norms as to demonstrate that the instructor did not actually exercise professional judgment.

Prejudice: The grade awarded was motivated by ill will, and is not indicative of the student’s academic performance.

Error: The instructor made a mistake in fact, or failed to give students adequate notice of grading policies.

If a student believes that discrimination or harassment was a factor in the determination of the grade awarded, a complaint should be filed with the Affirmative Action Officer under Minnesota State Colleges and Universities policy, 1B.1 Nondiscrimination in Employment and Education Opportunity.

A student may appeal a grade reduced for academic dishonesty through this policy.

Course grade appeals must be initiated by the student prior to the close of week six of the following semester. If the graduate student moves to the formal process that must be done before the end of the semester in which the appeal was initiated. In cases where an incomplete was originally assigned, an appeal must be made within six weeks of the date of the final grade is posted by the Registrar’s Office and available to the student on the web. In this latter situation, if the graduate student moves to the formal process, that must be done during the first ten weeks of the next academic year term.

Normally, the Graduate course grade appeal process will be completed during the semester in which the appeal is filed.

The informal steps:

The student will discuss the issue with the instructor, and may consult with the graduate program coordinator, in an attempt to resolve the matter

If the matter is not satisfactorily resolved, the student will discuss the issue with the dean in whose college the course was offered. If the matter cannot be resolved informally, the student may choose to file a formal appeal.

Appeal of University Regulations

Retroactive withdrawal from courses or other appeals of University regulations follow this sequence: Graduate Program Coordinator, Graduate Appeals Committee, and Vice President of Academic Affairs. The student may end the appeal process at any level by signing off on the Graduate Appeals Form and returning it to the Graduate Studies Office.

Programmatic Appeal

Admission, termination, degree requirements, course substitutions, course waivers, and other such matters follow this sequence: Graduate Program Coordinator, College Dean, Graduate Appeals Committee, and Vice President of Academic Affairs. The student may end the appeal process at any level by signing off on the Graduate Appeals Form and returning it to the Graduate Studies Office.

Appeal Timelines

The graduate student must begin the appeal process within a year of the occurrence for any type of appeal except for course grade appeals which must be initiated within 6 weeks of the close of the semester in which the student received the grade.

Respondents have 15 faculty duty days to respond from date of notification.

If respondent does not respond within the 15 duty day period, the graduate student may proceed to the next level.

Graduate student must proceed to next level (if warranted) within 15 days of response.

If graduate student does not submit request for next level within the 15 day limit, the appeal will be closed.

Certification/Licensure

Programs of study at Minnesota State University Moorhead are designed to help graduates meet certification or licensure requirements in Minnesota and North Dakota, but actual certification or licensure is the function of the states, not of any college or university. Earning an academic degree does not lead automatically to state certification or licensure. Students should consult with a faculty member for advice about current state requirements for licensure or certification and design a program of study accordingly.

Background Checks

Minnesota law requires that any person who provides services that involve direct contact (as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.04, subd. 3) with patients and residents at a health care facility licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health have a background study conducted by the state. Any individual who is disqualified from having direct patient contact as a result of the background study, and whose disqualification is not set aside by the Commissioner of Health, will not be permitted to participate in a clinical placement in a Minnesota licensed health care facility. Failure to participate in a clinical placement required by the academic program could result in ineligibility to qualify for a degree in this program.

Students whose programs may involve health care facilities should contact the coordinator of their graduate program. Forms may be obtained from the faculty member responsible for their clinical placement or from the program coordinator.