Academic Catalog

Betty A. Kleen, Ed. D.

Director of Graduate Studies

Distinguished Service Professor of Information Systems

Office:

101 White

Phone:

449‑7014

Graduate 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.

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 the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia, 30033-4097, or may be directed to (404) 6974501 via telephone.

The College of Business Administration is accredited by the AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. 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.

DEGREES AWARDED AT A GLANCE
        Concentrations

Specialist

        School Psychology

Master of Arts

        Psychological Counseling

Master of Education

        Educational Leadership

                Administration and Supervision

                Higher Education Administration

        Counselor Education

        Curriculum and Instruction

                Early Childhood

                Elementary Education

                Learning Disabilities

                Reading Specialist

                Secondary Education

Master of Business Administration

Master of Science

        Community/Technical College Mathematics

        Marine and Environmental Biology

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.

Nicholls 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.

To 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.

The 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:

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.

To 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.

It 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.

The non continuous student shall satisfy all changes in requirements which have been placed in effect between the initial enrollment and the beginning of the last period of uninterrupted enrollment. Additionally, changes mandated to the university by an accrediting agency or a state management board will be required of the student whether or not this results in a delay of degree attainment and without consideration of whether the student's enrollment has been continuous.

An applicant for admission to Graduate Studies on a credit or audit basis must:

Provisional 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.

To 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.

International 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:

In order to be admitted to the alternative teacher certification program the applicant must meet the following criteria:

A non-degree, or certification-only, student is one who has been admitted to Graduate Studies, but does not wish to pursue a graduate degree at Nicholls. A pre-program student is one who has been admitted to Graduate Studies, and who wishes to pursue a degree, but has not met all of the requirements for admission to a graduate program (e.g., no GRE score, insufficient GMAT score, or no teaching certificate).

No more than twelve semester hours of graduate credit (and no grade less than B) earned while in a non-degree, certification-only, or pre-program classification may later be applied toward a degree at Nicholls. In Business Administration, however, no graduate credit earned as a non-degree or pre program student may later be applied toward the M.B.A. degree at Nicholls.

Visitor 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.

A senior in the final semester or session may petition to register as a pre program student for no more than six 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.

An applicant may be admitted to regular status as a graduate student if the applicant (1) holds a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum grade point average of 2.50 on all undergraduate work attempted or 2.75 on the final 60 hours of undergraduate work pursued, (2) has attained the minimum combined GPA/GRE or GPA/GMAT score required for his or her degree program, (3) holds a valid non temporary teacher's certificate (if applying in Education) issued by the State Department of Education of Louisiana or by another state (not required for curriculum preparing psychological counselors) and (4) is not applying as a Transient or undergraduate senior student.

An applicant may be admitted on academic probation if the applicant meets all criteria for admission to regular status except grade-point average requirements. An applicant whose GPA is at least 2.0 on all undergraduate work attempted, or 2.50 on the final 60 hours, may be admitted 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 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 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.

Appeals 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.

The 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.

Please refer to the section on expenses in the front of this Bulletin.

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.

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.

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.

To 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.

Probation. 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 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 the same. Suspensions may not be appealed.

Application 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.

Nicholls assures equal opportunity for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and similar considerations. (Please refer to the section on Student Rights and Responsibilities in the front of this Bulletin.)

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.

Second Degree A 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. A Comprehensive Examination and/or a thesis required for the first degree shall not be acceptable as meeting requirements of the second degree.

When 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.

All course substitutions must be approved in writing by the student's academic dean, preferably before the course to be substituted is scheduled.

A 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.

Electronic mail (e-mail) is an official method of contact between the university and students. This e-mail contact applies to all forms of communication including but not limited to matters concerning admissions, registration, financial aid, and academic affairs. Students are given e-mail addresses after their initial registration. Students should check e-mail at least once a week. The university provides computer access for all students by way of open computer labs. For information concerning the use of e-mail and the availability of computers, please contact Academic Computing, (985) 448-4649.

        Graduate Programs in Arts and Sciences
        Graduate Program in Business Administration
        Graduate Programs in Education