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Academic Policies Graduate

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Graduate students must complete 9 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.00, with no semester falling below 2.50. Completion of credit hours is prorated for part-time students.

Independent/Directed Study

Enrollment in either Independent or Directed Study courses is limited to nine or less credit hours per student. See individual graduate program.

Academic Good Standing

Candidates for masters degrees are required to maintain a "B" (3.00) average in all work completed at Alaska Pacific University, with no more than two "C" (C+, C, and C-) grades. Grades of "D" are unacceptable. A graduate student who's cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 in graduate courses, will be placed on academic probation by the Registrar. To be removed from academic probation, the student must bring his or her cumulative GPA up to 3.00 within one semester, or he or she will be removed from graduate degree-seeking status.

Academic Recognition Semester Honors

Full time graduate students with a 4.00 average for the semester are included on the honors list. To be eligible, a minimum of 9 semester hours must be completed with letter grades. (Students with incomplete or in progress grades are not considered).

Reinstatement to Graduate Degree Seeking Status

Graduate students may apply for reinstatement to graduate degree-seeking status after one calendar year from the semester in which they are removed from a graduate program. Upon reapplying to graduate study, it is the student's responsibility to demonstrate his or her ability to succeed in the graduate program.

Reinstated students must reapply for candidacy and must meet the program requirements that are in effect at the time of reinstatement.

Transfer Credit

Transfer courses must be graduate degree level with a grade of "B" (3.00) or better. Please refer to Limitation of Time section of this catalog up to (including) one-third of the credits required for a Master's degree at Alaska Pacific University will be allowed to come from other accredited institutions. The program director will implement this policy based upon which credits are appropriate for the program.

Second Masters Degree

Students who have completed one masters degree at an accredited institution may, with the approval of the program director, obtain a second masters degree at Alaska Pacific University with a minimum of 24 credit hours over and above those applied toward the first masters degree. Individual Graduate Program Directors may approve a minimum of 18 semester hours for those applicants who already hold a masters degree in the same or closely related field.

Comprehensive Examinations

Examination dates are available in the individual graduate program offices.

Limitation of Time

All coursework must be completed within a seven-year period. The date of entry into the first course of a student's graduate program, including work for which transfer credit is allowed, is viewed as the starting point of the seven-year period. If a course taken to complete the requirements for the master's degree does not fall within the sevenyear period allowed for the degree, the course, with departmental approval, may be retaken for credit. Otherwise, another course of equivalent credit hours must be substituted in the program.

Grade Change Policy

Once an instructor submits a final grade to the Registrar, it may not be changed except under the following circumstances

:

1. Clerical Error Policy. An instructor may certify on a Request for Grade Change form that the original grade was incorrect due to a clerical error (e.g., points added incorrectly or term paper turned in on time but overlooked). The error must be explained, and the change justified on the request form. The request must be approved and signed by the instructor's department chair or program director and by the Academic Dean.
2. Academic Appeal Policy. Alaska Pacific University academic standards presume that the instructor of a course is the best qualified person to evaluate the academic work of students in that instructor's courses and is the best person to assign grades to those students. For this reason grades submitted by instructors are not normally subject to review by the University's administration. However, when a student believes that a particular grade was assigned in a manner that was arbitrary or capricious, or that crucial evidence was not taken into account, the student may appeal the grade. In the case of such an appeal by a student, the burden of proof shall be on the student. (See grade change policy form on APU website.)

Registration Requirements

Students are officially registered if registering through Web Advisor or the Registrar's Office. Graduate students are considered full-time if they are enrolled in 9 or more credits per semester (spring, summer, fall)

Semester Information

For specific dates, please see the academic calendar.

F = Full Semester = 15 weeks Summer = 14 or 15 weeks
B = Block = 4 weeks		S = Session = 11 Weeks (Summer = 10 weeks) S1 & S2 = Sessions I & II in Summer only = 5 weeks
	M1 = Module I = 7 weeks		M2 = Module II = 7 weeks

Maximum Credits Per Term

Term	Require Academic Dean's Approval	Max/Ceiling
Block	>4	6
Session	>12	15
Semester	>15	18

Off-Campus Enrollment

Once enrolled at Alaska Pacific University, students may not take courses elsewhere and transfer them to Alaska Pacific University, unless the arrangement is approved in advance.

Leave of Absence

Students with continuous enrollment may elect to meet the graduation requirements of any catalog in existence during the period of their enrollment. If enrollment is interrupted for a period greater than twelve consecutive months (three consecutive semesters), the student must reapply for admission and meet admission and degree requirements in existence at the time of his or her readmission, unless a request for a Leave of Absence has been filed with, and approved by, the Registrar prior to departure. Requests for a Leave of Absence are made by completing a Request for Special Consideration form available from the Registrar's Office or online through the Moose page.

If, during the leave of absence, the student plans to take course work elsewhere and transfer the credits to Alaska Pacific University, the request for leave must include specific information regarding the planned program. To ensure that these credits are transferred to Alaska Pacific University, the student's Alaska Pacific advisor must approve the program and the courses must be completed with a grade of "B" (3.00) or better.

Students whose absence from the university is less than 12 consecutive months are not required to reapply for admission; however, credits taken at any other institution during the absence from Alaska Pacific University will not be accepted for transfer unless permission to take such courses was granted in advance.

Requests for a Leave of Absence are made by completing a Request for Special Consideration form available from the Registrar's Office or on the APU Moose Page.

Academic Advising

Each student is assigned an academic advisor by the graduate program director. The academic advisor provides the student with the intellectual framework in which to make informed decisions regarding academic pursuits at Alaska Pacific University.

Honor Policy

Alaska Pacific University is a community of learners and teachers in which all enjoy freedoms and privileges based upon mutual trust and respect as well as a clear sense of responsibility. This philosophy forms the foundation of the academic and social environment at this university. In the academic arena, students are responsible for their own learning while faculty members enhance these learning experiences. Students are expected to do all work assigned, to do it honestly and with integrity, and to ensure that the instructor has actually received the work.

As noted in the Student Handbook, cheating on examinations, plagiarism, or submitting the work of others as one's own are specific examples of prohibited conduct. Students who engage in such activities will be subject to disciplinary measures, which may include failure in the course or expulsion from the university. (See Student Handbook for further information.)

Special Consideration

A student whose circumstances may be exceptional may file a request for Special Consideration form to seek a waiver of an academic policy. The form is available in the Registrar's Office or online through the Moose page. The specific request must be stated, along with supporting facts and circumstances. All requests involving waivers of graduation requirements are first considered by the Registrar. The Registrar's Advisory Committee or the Graduate Studies Committee considers appeals to the Registrar's decision. Automatic approval of such requests should not be assumed. (See Appendix "C" for appeals process.)

Application for Graduation

Students must apply for graduation as follows:

November 1 for May graduation
March 1 for August graduation
July 1 for December graduation

This application is valid only for the graduation date specified. A new application and application fee must be filed if the student does not graduate as planned.

All candidates for degrees must be approved first by the faculty of Alaska Pacific University and secondly by the Board of Trustees.

Transfer of Credit

Transfer of credit from one institution to another is at the discretion of the receiving school and depends on the comparability of curricula and accreditation. For this reason, no school, nor specific program, can guarantee that credits are transferable to another institution.

Course Numbering System

500 - 599 Post-Baccalaureate credit (does NOT apply toward a Masters Degree)

600 - 699 Graduate Level

Prerequisites

Prerequisites are listed with the course descriptions and in the schedule. Prerequisites are designed to alert the student to the background expected for the course. This ensures that the student can more fully benefit from the course material. Instructor permission is required for any student not having the prerequisites to enroll in a course. (See individual program prerequisites.)

Jury Duty

Students will be excused from class attendance for jury duty upon presenting evidence of their summons. Students are expected to make up missed class work expeditiously upon completion of their duty.

Student Records

The university maintains confidentiality of all student records. A student may, however, obtain specific information contained in these records as specified by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-380. (See Student Handbook for further information.) Both official and unofficial transcripts are available from the Registrar's Office.