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Thibodaux, Louisiana 70310
1 (877) NICHOLLS
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GRADUATE STUDIES
J.
B. Stroud, D.B.A., C.P.A. MISSIONGraduate Studies at Nicholls was established to provide opportunities for improving professional competency through advanced study and scholarly research, for promoting the welfare of society by developing a broader and deeper understanding of human knowledge, and for preparing for further graduate study. To implement such opportunities the University offers the student the use of its library and laboratories and an acquaintance with scholars ready to guide and inspire. The graduate student must assume far greater responsibility than the undergraduate in selecting a specialized program that will best meet individual needs. Classwork at the graduate level can be no more than a guide for extended research and reading. Students are expected to master subjects rather than meet minimum requirements leading toward various degrees.DEGREES OFFERED
ACCREDITATIONNicholls State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Specialist and Masters degrees. The College of Business Administration is accredited by the International Association for Management Education. The College of Education has earned full status accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The Specialist in School Psychology degree program has the full approval of the National Association of School Psychologists. * updated March 20, 2006 - Amended Accreditation Statement: Nicholls State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, master and specialist levels. Inquiries relating to the accreditation status of Nicholls State University can be mailed to Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia, 30033-4097, or may be directed to (404) 679-4501 via telephone. ADMINISTRATION
The Director of Graduate Studies and the Deans of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Education; the Coordinators of Graduate Studies for those colleges; and the Graduate Council supervise graduate study at Nicholls State University. Consortium for Graduate Training in PsychologyNicholls State University is a member of the Louisiana Consortium for Graduate Professional Training in Psychology, leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy conferred by Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Information on the consortium may be obtained from the Department of Psychology and Counselor Education. General Requirements for Master's DegreesTo fulfill the requirements for a Master's degree, the candidate must:
Specific requirements for graduate degrees are discussed later in this section. All candidates who are to receive degrees are required to be present at the commencement exercises for the conferring of the degrees, unless excused by their academic dean. General Requirements for the Specialist in School Psychology DegreeThe Specialist in School Psychology Degree provides for two years of graduate study beyond the Bachelor's degree plus one year of supervised internship experience, or one year of graduate study beyond the master's degree plus one year of supervised internship experience. This program is intended for (1) students whose vocational plans necessitate this level of education; (2) students interested in graduate study beyond that required for the master's degree who want a degree in recognition of this additional graduate work, but who do not plan to continue to the doctorate; and (3) students whose plans for continuing to the doctorate are indefinite, but who wish to complete additional graduate study. To
fulfill requirements for the Specialist in
School Psychology degree, the candidate
must:
Specific requirements for this degree are discussed later in this section. All candidates who are to receive degrees are required to be present at the commencement exercises for the conferring of the degrees, unless excused by their academic dean. ADMISSIONProcedure for AdmissionAn applicant for admission to Graduate Studies on a credit or audit basis must (1) satisfy all general admission requirements of the University; (2) hold a Bachelor's degree or Master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university; (3) submit to the Office of Admissions a formal application at least 30 days in advance of registration; (4) submit to the Office of Admissions complete transcript(s) showing all undergraduate and graduate work undertaken anywhere in residence or by extension, whether or not credit was earned; (5) submit the results of the General Test from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (for degrees in Education and Mathematics) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (for degree in Business Administration). A minimum score of 1,100 (GPA on last 60 undergraduate hours times 200 plus GRE General Test score) is required for Education and Psychological Counseling. For the Master of Science in Applied Mathematics all applicants must submit scores from the GRE general prior to completing twelve graduate hours. Applicants taking the GRE test after the new GRE is introduced in 1997, should take the package of the General Test measures containing the Mathematical Reasoning. GRE scores more than five years old will not be accepted. For the Master of Business Administration degree, a total score of at least 950 points on the formula: 200 times the undergraduate GPA plus the GMAT total score; or at least 1,000 points on the formula: 200 times the GPA over the last 60 undergraduate hours used toward the bachelor's degree plus the GMAT total score is required. A student who fails to earn the minimum score required for his or her program or does not meet other program requirements may be classified as a pre-program student until all criteria are met. No more than twelve semester hours of graduate credit earned while in a pre-program classification may be applied later to a degree; however, no such credit is allowed toward the M.B.A. degree. Admission to Graduate Studies does not imply admission to candidacy for a degreeProvisional AdmissionProvisional admission may be granted to students who are in the process of obtaining transcripts or copies of their teaching certificates (a requirement for most curricula in Education). Students admitted provisionally normally are dropped from the rolls of Graduate Studies if subsequently found ineligible for admission or if all admission requirements are not met within 30 days. In such cases, there is no refund of fees. The student's dean, at his or her discretion and with justifiable cause, may grant waivers to such students allowing completion of the current semester only. Enrollment for subsequent semesters will not be permitted at the graduate level until all admissions criteria have been met. Admission of Transfer StudentsTo be admitted to Graduate Studies at Nicholls State University, a student who has attended another graduate school must be eligible for readmission to the graduate school of the college or university from which the student transfers. A student thus admitted must meet all requirements listed under Procedure for Admission. Admission of International StudentsInternational graduate students must submit all college and university records at least 60 days prior to the semester of admission. Applicants from non-English speaking countries must submit the following minimum scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) before being considered for admission:
Admission as an Alternative Certification StudentIn order to be admitted to the alternative teacher education program the applicant must meet the following criteria:
Admission as a Non-Degree or Pre-Program StudentA non-degree or certification-only student is an applicant who has met all requirements for admission to Graduate Studies, but who does not desire to earn a graduate degree at Nicholls. While thus classified, the student may earn no more than twelve semester hours of graduate work to be later applied to a Master's degree from this University; however, no credits earned under this classification may later be applied to the Master of Business Administration degree. No credits earned with less than a B grade will be applied to any degree. A pre-program student is an applicant who has met all requirements for admission to Graduate Studies and who desires to earn a graduate degree, but does not meet every requirement for enrollment as a degree student (e.g., no GRE scores on file, insufficient score on GRE/GPA admissions formula, lack of teaching certificate when required, etc.). While thus classified, the student may earn no more than twelve semester hours of graduate work to be later applied to a Master's degree from this University; however, no credits earned under this classification may later be applied to the Master of Business Administration degree. No credits earned with less than a B grade will be applied to any degree.Admission on Visitor StatusVisitor status is designed for part‑time students who enroll without formal credentials and who seek to pursue non-traditional academic studies rather than a degree. While enrolled in visitor status, the student may earn college credits, and an official transcript of these credits will be available upon written request to the Office of Records and Registration. While a student is thus classified, a maximum of twelve semester hours of graduate work may be applied to a Master's degree. However, credits earned under this type of admission may not be used automatically toward any graduate degree. All requirements for regular admission must be met prior to petitioning for graduate degree credit. Petitions must be submitted in writing. An appointment for registration will be prepared for the next regular semester or session following initial enrollment in visitor status. If the student does not re-enroll as a visitor for that particular semester or session, he or she must file an application for readmission before being allowed to return to the University.Admission of Seniors to Part-Time Graduate StudyA
senior in the final semester or session may
petition to register as a pre-program
student for no more than twelve semester hours
of graduate course work. Approval may be granted if the
petitioner meets each of these requirements:
A student under this admission status is regarded just as a transient or non-degree student, and credits earned are subject to the same conditions as those stated elsewhere for the graduate transient or non-degree student. Courses taken under these circumstances may not be used for both undergraduate and graduate credit. Such a student retains his or her undergraduate status. Admission of Seniors to Part-Time Graduate Study - Department of MathematicsA senior in the final year (two semesters or sessions) may petition to register as a pre-program student for no more than twelve semester hours of graduate course work. Approval may be granted if the petitioner meets each of these requirements:
A student under this admission status is regarded just as a transient or non-degree student. Courses taken under these circumstances may not be used for both undergraduate and graduate credit. Such a student retains his or her undergraduate status. Admission to a Master's Degree ProgramRegular Status Admission on
Probation An applicant who does not meet the minimum GPA requirement may petition the academic dean for admission on probation. The petition may be approved by the dean provided the applicant presents appropriate Graduate Record Examination or Graduate management Admission Test scores and such other evidence as may be required by the dean to indicate the applicant's prospects for success at the graduate level. Approval will be granted only in cases of unusual and justifiable circumstances. Admission to the Specialist in School Psychology Degree ProgramAdmission to Graduate Studies does not imply admission to the Specialist in School Psychology program. Applicants for admission to the Specialist in School Psychology degree program must fulfill the following special requirements in addition to the general requirements stated under Procedure for Admission:
Admission to CandidacyAdmission to Graduate Studies does not admit a student to candidacy for a degree. Admission to candidacy indicates a judgment by the Graduate Council that the student has shown sufficient promise to be permitted to complete work toward a degree. For
admission to candidacy for a Master's degree, a student must submit a
formal application to his or her Graduate Studies Coordinator after
satisfying each of these requirements for candidacy: (1) have met
successfully all applicable admissions formulas, foundation courses, and
teaching certificate requirements; (2) be classified as a regular student;
(3) have completed 12 semester hours of graduate work at Nicholls; (4)
have earned at least a 3.00 average on all graduate work. Additionally,
a candidate for the Master of Arts in Psychological Counseling must have
been recommended for candidacy by the Psychological Counseling faculty.
Formal admission to candidacy will be granted by vote of the
Graduate Council upon recommendation of the student's dean. For
the Specialist in School Psychology degree, a student will be admitted to
candidacy upon having: (1) met all applicable admissions requirements; (2)
been classified as a regular student; (3) completed twelve hours of
graduate work in the School Psychology program with a minimum GPA of 3.0;
(4) been recommended for candidacy by the School Psychology faculty.
Formal admission to candidacy will be granted by vote of the
Graduate Council upon recommendation of the student's dean. AppealsAppeals
for readmission to Graduate Studies must be made to the Graduate Council.
Academic grievance appeals may be brought to the attention of the
coordinator of Graduate Studies or the dean of the academic college in
which the graduate student is enrolled. Class Scheduling PolicyThe
needs of graduate students and the limitations imposed by administrative
factors determine course offerings. During any given semester or session,
the University does not guarantee the offering of courses not justified by
sufficient enrollment. Depending upon availability, students may schedule
late afternoon, evening, or day classes. Evening classes are conducted
Mondays through Thursdays. Probation and SuspensionProbation. A student whose graduate cumulative GPA or semester GPA falls below 3.0 shall be placed on probation. Probationary status is removed at the end of a subsequent semester in which a cumulative and semester GPA of 3.0 is attained. Suspension. A student on probation who fails to earn a minimum graduate semester GPA of 3.0 shall be suspended from graduate studies for one semester, after which the student may re-enroll. A second suspension shall be for an indefinite period of time. A student who has served a time of suspension of at least one semester may appeal to the Graduate Council for readmission. To be readmitted, the student must petition the Council for a hearing through their graduate program coordinator. A third suspension will result in a permanent dismissal from graduate studies. For the purpose of determining graduate student eligibility to return to the University, a semester and summer session are considered to be the same. Suspensions may not be appealed. Expenses and FeesPlease refer to the section on expenses in the front of this Bulletin. Full-Time and Part-Time Course Loads During a regular semester a full-time graduate
student is one who schedules nine or more semester hours, or the
equivalent of scheduled work (thesis research or other work certified by
the student's academic dean or graduate coordinator to be a full load).
During a summer session a full-time student is one who schedules six or
more hours, or the equivalent. Any graduate student taking less than nine
semester hours, or the equivalent, of course work during a regular
semester or less than six hours, or its equivalent, in a summer session is
a part-time student. The course load of a student may be reduced at the
discretion of his or her academic dean. Full-time status for graduate
assistants is defined under Graduate Assistantships. Grading SystemGrades
for graduate students have these meanings: A
grade of
A indicates superior work and has a value of four quality points
per credit hour.
A grade of
B indicates satisfactory work and has a value of three quality
points per credit hour.
A grade of C indicates work of
borderline quality and has a value of two quality points per credit hours.
No more than six semester hours of
C grades may be counted toward a degree.
A grade of D
indicates work below the minimum standard expected of a graduate student
and has a value of one quality point per credit hour. Courses with D grades may not be
counted toward a degree.
A grade of
F indicates unsatisfactory work and has neither quality point nor
credit hour value. A
grade of
I indicates that the student has been doing satisfactory work, but
because of circumstances beyond his or her control the student has been
unable to complete all course requirements. A grade of
I is not given to a student doing unsatisfactory work and is not
counted in the grade-point average until it is resolved into a final
grade. The procedure used to change an
I grade is as stated under Change of Grade in the Bulletin section
devoted to University Academic Procedures and Requirements. A grade of I
must be resolved within one calendar year following the semester in which
the
I grade was received, or the I grade will automatically
be changed to F.
In the event the faculty member assigning the I is temporarily not
on campus that following calendar year, an appeal for a time extension may
be made to the Graduate Council. A graduate student is expected to
complete all requirements for each course within the semester during which
scheduled unless prevented from doing so by circumstances beyond the
student's control. If this occurs, it is the responsibility of the student
to make known to the instructor these circumstances as soon as possible.
An instructor who is not so notified proceeds under the assumption that
failure to complete course requirements is due to student negligence and
uses normal procedures for assigning a permanent semester grade. A
grade of
X is assigned to a graduate student only for thesis (BSAD 596 and
PSYC 596), internship Education (EDAS 594 and PSYC 532, 533) and field
study (PSYC 509, 530, and 531) work which could not be completed during
the semester for which enrolled because of circumstances beyond student
control. An X
grade carries a one calendar year time limit for completing all course
requirements, whether the student has re-enrolled in the University or
not. The
X converts automatically to F
unless the student re-registers for the appropriate thesis course during
the semester or session at the end of which the one year time limit would
expire. Only one such re-registration will be allowed. Re-registration
does not extend the normal time limitation of six years in effect for a
degree. No
candidate having an unresolved I
or
X will be cleared for graduation until the grade has been changed
to a permanent grade. Grades of
X resolved after the last day to drop a course or resign from the
University during a semester or session, but before expiration of the time
limit, will be considered to have been resolved during the next semester
or session. Grades
of
S and
U for graduate students are assigned only for designated courses
for which this grading procedure is specified.
These grades and grades of
I and
X are not used in the computation of the grade-point average
because the student does not receive quality points for these grades.
When the
I or X grade is resolved into a permanent grade, quality points are
earned and the student's scholastic standing is adjusted to reflect the
influence of the permanent grade. A
student may drop a course or courses or may resign from the institution
with a grade
W prior to a date specified in the official University calendar.
After that date a student may not drop a course or resign from the
institution. After
that date in extraordinary circumstances the academic dean having
jurisdiction may authorize resignation from the institution or dropping a
course with the grade
W. Extraordinary
cases do not include dissatisfaction with an anticipated grade or the
decision to change a major. Graduate AssistantshipsApplication
forms for graduate assistantships may be obtained from the offices of the
Coordinator of Graduate Studies of each college.
Students with full-time employment are ineligible for graduate
assistantships, except in cases of individuals on leave from full-time
employment. A
graduate assistant is defined as a graduate student who has been accepted
into a graduate program and who is receiving compensation in return for
the performance of assigned duties. A
graduate assistant is expected to earn not less than six hours of course
work each semester applicable to the degree (three hours during a summer
session) while scheduling not more than 12 hours during a semester (six in
a summer session). In the final semester of the degree program, a graduate
assistant must register for at least one hour.
For graduate assistants, six semester hours during a semester and
three semester hours during a summer session will constitute a full-time
load. The University graduates with Honors a student who attains an overall grade-point average of 4.0 on all course work for a graduate degree. For this purpose, repeated courses are considered as separate courses. Minimum Grade-Point AverageTo be awarded a graduate degree, a student must have an average of at least 3.0 on all work pursued for graduate credit at Nicholls State University as well as a minimum overall average of 3.0 on all work pertaining to the degree. A candidate who fails to meet either minimum average requirement shall take additional graduate courses as necessary to earn the required average or must repeat one or more courses in which credit has been earned. Residence RequirementsTo satisfy residence requirements, a student must earn at least two-thirds of the semester hours of degree program credit in residence at Nicholls State University. Second DegreeA
graduate student shall be awarded a second Master's degree whenever all
requirements for that degree have been fulfilled. The student will be
required to satisfy all demands of the second degree which are different
from those of the first degree. Credits from the first degree applicable
to the second degree shall not exceed one-half of the total credit
required for the second degree. Student's Advisory CommitteeWhen
a student is admitted to graduate study for the first time in the College
of Education, a temporary advisor is appointed by the Coordinator of
Graduate Studies for the student's curriculum. The temporary advisor will
assist the student in preparing a tentative program based on the
requirements of that curriculum. Upon earning twelve hours of graduate
credit, the student must request appointment of a major professor of the
student's choice to guide further study. Additional
graduate faculty members will be appointed as needed to complete the
student's committee. Substitution of CoursesAll course substitutions must be approved in writing by the student's academic dean, preferably before the course to be substituted is scheduled. Time LimitationIt
is expected that all requirements for the Master's degree (including
transfer credits, if any) will be completed within six consecutive years. Students
entering the Specialist in School Psychology program with either a
Bachelor's degree or a Master's degree must complete all requirements
within six years. A
student who enrolls for a program of studies leading to a graduate degree
normally is expected to complete requirements in effect at the time of
initial enrollment in that program and to maintain continuous enrollment
in Graduate Studies until the degree is earned. Students who fail to
enroll continuously may find themselves out of sequence with course
offerings and suffer delays in completion of degree requirements which
could invoke the six calendar year limitations. If
requirements for a degree cannot be completed within the normal time
period of six years, the student may petition for an extension of time.
The petition must explain why the degree cannot be completed within
the time schedule for completing the program.
Final authorization will be considered only in unusual and
justifiable circumstances. A
course taken more than six years before completion of degree requirements
may be used in a student’s degree program only if revalidated by the
professor of record for the course, or one who currently teaches the
course. In the event that
neither is available, a certifying professor may be designated by the
department head for that discipline.
Revalidation must be certified in writing after an examination or
other work required by the certifying professor.
Only courses currently contained in the University Bulletin
may be revalidated. Transfer CreditsA student may transfer from a regionally accredited college or university a maximum of one-third of the semester hours of degree program credit, with no grade lower than B, provided that such transfer credit shall be applicable to the degree program. Both resident and extension credits are thus acceptable. Transfer credits are subject to the six-year limitation. The student must formally petition his or her academic dean for acceptance of transfer graduate credit. Final authorization of transferred credit is made by the student's academic dean. Credit earned at another institution while under academic or non-academic suspension will not be accepted by Nicholls for transfer. In order to have transfer credits accepted by the University, the applicant must be eligible to re-enter the institution from which he or she wishes to transfer.
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