Policies
Faculty advisers work one-on-one with students to tailor a course of study that best suits individual goals.
To ease the often-stressful days in graduate school, students should visit their assigned adviser and keep frequent contact. The adviser can help students arrange courses, recommend internships, suggest research experience, offer advice on Master's paper, and counsel the student regarding career or doctoral program decisions.
IMPORTANT: Also, see your adviser before you activate your intent to graduate, to make certain you have met all the program requirements for graduation.
Deferred Grades
In cases of personal hardship, serious illness
or injury, or some other extenuating circumstance, the instructor may grant
a student an extension of time beyond the regular semester.
Grades
Students must maintain a minimum of a B (3.00
GPA) average to remain in the Program. A grade of "B-" is considered unacceptable
in graduate programs. The Department uses the following grading system,
established by the University.
Points Awarded |
Description |
Grade |
96-100 |
Exceptional achievement | A |
91-95 |
A- |
|
88-90 |
Extensive achievement | B+ |
85-87 |
B |
|
81-84 |
B- |
|
76-80 |
Acceptable achievement (undergraduate only) | C+ |
71-75 |
C |
|
61-70 |
Minimal achievement (The student may be seriously compromised in carrying a more advanced course for which this course is a specific prerequisite.) | D |
0-60 |
Inadequate achievement (Requires student to repeat the course) | F |
Grade Mediation and Adjudication
A student may wish to dispute a grade received
in a course. First, the student should discuss the situation with the
professor. If the grade is to be changed, the professor must complete a grade
change authorization form and obtain the signature of the department coordinator.
Should there be question on the professor's decision, the decision may
be appealed by filing a petition with the College Good Offices Committee. (See
Senate Policy 47-20 in the Policies and Rules Handbook for details or
access the policy website at www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/47-00.html#47-20).
Transfer Credits
Subject to the limitations given, a maximum
of 10 credits of high-quality graduate work done at an accredited institution
may be applied toward the requirements for the master's degree. However, credits
earned to complete a previous master's degree may not be applied to a
second master's degree program at Penn State.
The student should distinguish carefully between the transferability of credit and its applicability in a particular degree program. Approval to apply any transferred credits toward a degree program must be granted by the student's academic adviser and the Graduate School. Transferred academic work must have been completed within five years prior to the date of first degree registration at the Graduate School, must be of at least B quality (grades of B- are not transferable), and must appear on an official graduate transcript. Credits earned toward a previously completed Postbaccalaureate professional degree program (law, medicine, etc.) are not transferable. However, up to 10 credits can be transferred from a professional degree program if the degree has not been conferred.
All transfer credit must be substantiated by the former institution as having at least B quality whatever grading system is in place. Pass-fail grades are not transferable to an advanced degree program unless the "Pass" can be substantiated by the former institution as having at least B quality.
Up to 15 credits may be transferred from nondegree work, upon approval of and application by the program.
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First Semester Students should consult with an adviser by email, fax, phone, or office appointment as early as possible in their first semester in the program. It is recommended that the first courses students should register for are TRDEV418 and TRDEV460. Visit with your adviser to complete a Plan of Study. You will complete your registration through Enrollment Services.
Telephone and Computer Registration
Students who have attended their first
semester may register either by telephone, following the telephone registration
instructions provided in the course schedule catalog, or by computer
online at elion.psu.edu following the instructions on the website.
Dropping and Adding Courses
Deadline information concerning the satisfactory
/ unsatisfactory grading procedure, deferred grades, dropping and adding
courses, and change of program appears in each semester's Schedule
of Classes booklet. Detailed information on academic policies is found
in the Policies and Rules for Students, available in the Office
of Student Affairs and the Student Assistance Center or on-line at
www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/.
Course Load
Nine (9) credits per semester is considered
to be a full-time course load. Students interested in taking more than nine
credits should consult with their adviser first. If you have
a full-time job, it is recommended that you enroll for no more than six (6)
credits per semester.
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All requirements for a master's degree (including the acceptance of a master's paper), whether satisfied on the University Park campus or elsewhere, must be met within eight years of admission to degree status. Individual programs may set shorter time limits. Extensions may be granted by the Director of Graduate Enrollment Services in appropriate circumstances. Again, it is best to complete the Master's paper immediately after completing your course requirements for the program. You cannot receive your degree until all the requirements for graduation are satisfied, including your paper and internship requirements.
Residency Requirement
Students must meet a residency requirement
for enrollment in the final ten (10) credits of coursework
before graduation.
Resuming Study
A student must complete a Resume Study
Application form after not enrolling in courses for at least
two semesters. Forms are available from Enrollment Services.
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The University's policies and sanctioned disciplinary actions regarding violations of academic integrity can be found in Penn State's Guide to University Policies and Rules handbook, a Student Affairs Office publication. Students should become familiar with the University's policy on academic integrity, acts of intolerance, and acts of sexual harassment. Brief summaries of each are provided on the next page.
If you wish to obtain a Penn State system-wide "Policies and Rules" manual for additional reference on conduct, desk copies are available at major Penn State offices and library centers. Also, the regularly revised text of the Policies and Rules manual is available through the Penn State website at Policies, Rules, and Disciplinary Procedures.
Code of Conduct
Penn State University abides by and
enforces the Code of Conduct. This code protects the basic rights of individuals.
Violations of the Code shall be adjudicated by appropriate University
mechanisms.
Academic Integrity; AD 49-20
Definition and expectations: Academic
integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest
and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle
for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and
all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance
with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University's
Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal
integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create
and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the
fruits of their efforts.
Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others.
To protect the rights and maintain the trust of honest students and support appropriate behavior, faculty and administrators should regularly communicate high standards of integrity and reinforce them by taking reasonable steps to anticipate and deter acts of dishonesty in all assignments (Senate Policy 44-40: Proctoring of Examinations). At the beginning of each course, it is the responsibility of the instructor to provide students with a statement clarifying the application of University and College academic integrity policies to that course.
Committee on Academic Integrity: Each College Dean (or Campus Executive Officer as determined by College policy) shall appoint a Committee on Academic Integrity made up of faculty, students, and academic administrators with faculty being the majority. This committee shall:
- Promote expectations for academic integrity consistent with the definition in this policy.
- Ensure fairness and consistency in processes and outcomes. To ensure University-wide consistency, College Committees will work with the Office of Judicial Affairs and the Office of the Provost of the University to develop procedures for handling and sanctioning dishonesty infractions.
- Review and settle all contested cases in which academic sanctions are applied. If necessary, further disciplinary action will be taken by Judicial Affairs. 4.
- Record all cases of academic dishonesty within a college and report them to Judicial Affairs.
Acts of Intolerance; AD-29, AD-41, and AD-42
The University is
committed to creating an environment that fosters respect for others, free
from any intolerance (attitude, feeling or belief where in an individual
shows contempt for others based on race, color, national origin, gender,
sexual orientation, political or religious belief) directed
at individuals or groups.
Sexual Harassment; AD-41
Sexual harassment
(unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or
physical conduct of a sexual nature) of faculty, staff or
students will not be tolerated.
Student life pamphlets are available directly from specific offices, which have information about special topics like student parking, medical excuses, student aid, university libraries lending code, student organizations, and student health insurance.
For more information on policies regarding student conduct, see the PSU Policies and Rules web page.
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