Academic Policies Committee
A student has the right to appeal to the Academic Policies Committee for an exception to stated policy and to appeal decisions on matters pertaining to admission and retention. The decision to deny admission cannot be appealed.
Transfer between Graduate Programs
Please see Enrollment and Registration Policies for more information.
Hours Prior to Admission
A maximum of nine semester hours of NCE credit taken prior to formal admission may apply toward a degree or certificate. Acceptance of more than nine semester hours must be obtained through petition to the Academic Policies Committee and the director of the program.
Program Substitutions
Program substitutions may be made with the approval of the student’s advisor when they are consistent with accreditation and degree requirements. These should be reflected on the
Student Adjustment Form and become part of the student’s official plan of study.
Core Course Waiver
Students who have taken graduate work at other institutions may have taken courses equivalent to required NCE core courses. Students must petition the Academic Policies Committee and present an official transcript and a course or catalog description for a waiver for a specific core course. If the course cannot be transferred, the student must substitute an approved course in the program to replace the waived course. If the petition is approved by the Academic Policies Committee, the core course waiver request is completed by the advisor on a Student Adjustment Form.
Course Load Limitations
Students pursue graduate studies on either a full- or part-time basis. Full-time students take between six and 10 semester hours of graduate study in a regular term. Those seeking to take more than 10 semester hours in a term must receive prior approval from the NCE Dean’s Office pending recommendation of the student’s advisor.
Transfer of Credit
In addition to the university-wide requirements, the following criteria apply to graduate transfer credit in the National College of Education:
- Transferred credits are included in the number of maximum credits allowed for off-campus work
- Transferred credit may not be substituted for core courses
- Courses can be transferred at any time after admission until finalization of the degree
- For graduate degrees, there is a six-year limit between the first course and the last course used for the degree, including any transfer credit. Graduate degrees include the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), Master of Education (M.Ed.), Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.).
- Transfer credit is limited to six semester hours of graduate credit for those pursuing the M.Ed., or M.A.T degrees
- Those who are pursuing an Ed.S. degree may transfer a maximum of six semester hours of post-master’s degree coursework
- Up to a third of the C.A.S. degree candidate’s required hours can be post-master's degree transfer credit
- Doctoral students (Ed.D.) can bring up to 12 hours of post-master’s degree courses taken before admission into the program, including courses taken at NLU
- Students must work with their academic advisor to petition the Academic Policies Committee for approval of transfer credit beyond the number of hours allowed by their program
Course by Arrangement/Independent Study
With the approval of his or her advisor, appropriate program coordinator and the Dean’s office, an admitted student may take a course by arrangement or an independent study. Only a full-time faculty member may work with a student on a course by arrangement or an independent study.
Special Workshops
A maximum of six hours of workshops will be allowed in fulfilling degree requirements. Workshop credit will not be accepted for licensure.
Time Limitation for Fulfilling Degree Requirements
Candidates must fulfill degree requirements within a six-year period. The time period is calculated from the date of the first course that is to count toward the degree, including transfer credit. Requests for a time extension must be made through petition to the Academic Policies Committee.