Nicholls State University

Policies & Forms

FORMS

Administrative Forms:

Application for Membership on Graduate Faculty

 

Petition for Admission to Candidacy

Graduate Degree Audit

Petition for Extension of Time to Complete a Master’s Degree

Petition for Pursuit of Graduate Work as an Undergraduate Senior

Petition for Transfer of Graduate Credit or to Substitute Course

Application of Appeal for Readmission after Second Suspension

Nicholls Thesis Policy and Guidelines

Thesis Checklist

University Graduate Catalog Changes

 

Graduate Assistant Application

Graduate Assistant Handbook

POLICIES

Before a student can complete work on a graduate degree, he/she must be admitted to candidacy.  To be considered, the student must submit a petition the Graduate Council  Before the Council will approve candidacy, that student must have demonstrated promise of success in a graduate program.  Once the candidacy has been approved, the student may complete program requirements for the degree.

Master’s Degree

The student has:

  • Met all program admission requirements.
  • Classification as a Regular student.
  • Successfully completed 12 semester hours of graduate work toward the degree.
  • Earned at least a 3.00 grade point average on all graduate work.

When the above criteria have been met, the program coordinator will prepare a Petition for Admission to Candidacy for a Master’s Degree.  The student (and major professor as appropriate) will sign the petition and submit it to the Graduate Council for approval.

Specialist Degree

A Specialist student may submit a similar petition after having satisfied the following criteria:

  • Met all program admission requirements
  • Classification as a Regular student.
  • Successful completion of 12 semester hours of graduate work in the School Psychology program with at least a 3.00 grade point average.
  • Recommended for candidacy by the School Psychology faculty.

When the Specialist criteria have been met the School Psychology coordinator will bring the petition before the Graduate Council for consideration.

Admission to Candidacy Forms

Changes to the University Bulletin that concern graduate matters must be approved by the Graduate Council.  These matters are primarily found in the section entitled ?Graduate Studies.?    All changes should be submitted to the Council on the University Bulletin Changes form along with appropriate attachments as noted on the form.

  • 400-level courses offered for graduate credit must first be approved by Courses and Curricula as undergraduate courses.
  • A course can be offered for graduate credit only following approval by the Graduate Council.

University Graduate Bulletin Change Forms

The Graduate Council is an academic standing committee as per the Faculty Handbook section 1.14.2.5.  It reports to the Director of University Graduate Studies.

Purpose:  To study and review curriculum, program and policy proposals related to the graduate program; review applications for appointment to graduate faculty; act on graduate student appeals related to academic standards.

Duties and Procedures

  • Convened by the Director of University Graduate Studies or the chair once a semester and otherwise as needed.
  • Review curriculum, program, and policy changes submitted by college graduate curriculum committees before making recommendations for acceptance or rejection of each to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  • Serve as appeals board for graduate students.
  • Recommend students for candidacy and for graduation.
  • Coordinate with University staff responsible for preparation of the Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog.
  • Report to Faculty Senate concerning Council activities at least once a year, excepting confidential information related to appeals.
  • Review applications for appointment to graduate faculty and make recommendations to the President of the University.

The Faculty Appointment to the Graduate Faculty section of this Manual has specific information about faculty appointment to the Graduate Council.

To place an item on the Council agenda, contact the Director of University Graduate Studies, the Council Chair, or a graduate studies coordinator.  The agenda is generally developed by the Director.

Membership (15)

The Council consists of fifteen members as follows:

  • Two Regular Members of graduate faculty elected in the College of Business Administration, the College of Education & Behavioral Sciences and the College of Nursing. One Regular Member elected in the College of Sciences & Technology.
  • Graduate studies coordinators from the College Business Administration, Education & Behavioral Sciences, and Nursing, and from the Departments of Biological Sciences and Department of Mathematics. (ex officio)
  • Director of the Library (ex officio, nonvoting).
  • Representative of Records and Registration (ex officio, nonvoting).
  • Director of University Graduate Studies (ex officio, nonvoting).

Courses taught for graduate credit are to be taught by members of the Graduate Faculty.  Membership on the Graduate Faculty is approved by the Graduate Council after considering an individual’s duties and qualifications and recommendations of the appropriate department head and academic dean.

Graduate Faculty members must be productive, creative scholars.  Productive scholarship requires devotion to the discovery, development, and refinement of knowledge and techniques in one’s field of expertise.  Recommendations for appointment further are restricted to persons who are/will be actively providing graduate academic services and/or graduate instruction for the University.

Appointment to the Graduate Faculty is a recognition of achievement and not an honor bestowed simply because of position or service.

Levels of Membership

The four levels of membership are as follows:

 

Regular Member

A Regular Member of the Graduate Faculty is authorized to perform functions appropriate to graduate education.  Minimum qualifications for appointment are the highest terminal earned degree or the clear equivalent in the field, the rank of Assistant Professor or higher, avowed interest in graduate instruction, experience in teaching advanced subjects, and a minimum of two peer-reviewed research publications within the last five years along with evidence of continued scholarly activity during that time period.  Regular members of the faculty are evaluated for reappointment every five years.

Associate Member  

An Associate Member is appointed for two years to teach specifically designated courses, the content of which lies within the area of specialization of the faculty member.  Minimum qualifications for appointment are completion of a master’s degree and possession of unique qualifications for teaching the specialized courses to which the individual would be assigned.  An Associate Member is not authorized to serve as major professor for graduate students.  Associate Members whose services are required for longer than two years must be re-submitted for approval.

Senior Associate Member

A Senior Associate Member is appointed for three years to teach specifically designated courses, the content of which lies within the area of specialization of the faculty member. Minimum qualifications for appointment are completion of a terminal degree, the rank of Assistant Professor or higher, possession of unique qualifications for teaching specialized courses, avowed interest in graduate instruction, and evidence of scholarly activity within the three years prior to appointment. A Senior Associate Member is not authorized to serve as major professor for graduate students. Senior Associate Members whose services are required for longer than three years must be re-submitted for approval and should be exploring appropriate scholarly activity for appointment to Regular Member.

Professional Affiliate Membership

A Professional Affiliate (PA) may be appointed to a renewable two-year term based on evidence of expertise or knowledge that is directly relevant and applicable to the professional program in which the individual will be involved.  PAs may engage in instructional activities at the master’s level and may serve as a member of thesis committees but may not normally chair except by permission of the Director of Graduate Studies.  Expertise is defined in terms of recent activities recognized by the focal area as indicative of excellence.  Appropriate indicators may include but are not limited to:  terminal degrees in focal or relevant areas; professional certification; licensure, diplomas, or record of professional practice; and demonstrated professional excellence through performances, exhibitions, presentations, professional publications, or national awards.  Individuals whose professional activities are a function of their Nicholls employment are ineligible for professional affiliate status. 

Adjunct Member  

An Adjunct Member of the graduate faculty is a visiting member of the faculty who meets all criteria for appointment either as a Regular Member or as an Associate Member, but who is not a permanent employee of the University.  Appointment as an Adjunct Member is for two years to teach specifically designated courses, the content of which lies within the area of specialization of the faculty member. Adjunct Members whose services are required for longer than two years must be re-submitted for approval.

Procedures

To gain membership, the faculty member submits an Application for Membership on the Graduate Faculty.  The Application, with recommendations of the department head and dean along with attachments as noted, goes to the Graduate Council for review and approval.  The documents may be sent to the Director of Graduate Studies for placement on the Council agenda.

A Regular member must apply every five years, and an Associate member must apply every two.  An Adjunct member is appointed for a term of one semester.

In a situation where, because of time pressures, it is necessary that a qualified non-member teach a course for graduate credit, the academic dean may give approval for one-semester.

Application for Membership on the Graduate Faculty Forms

Forms are currently being revised.

Probation

A graduate student whose graduate cumulative grade-point average, or semester average, falls below 3.0 will be placed on probation.

Probationary status is removed at the end of a subsequent semester in which a cumulative and semester grade-point average of 3.0 is attained.

Suspension

A student on probation who fails to earn a minimum, graduate, semester grade-point average of 3.0 will be suspended for one semester, after which the student may re-enroll.

A second suspension will 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 following the procedure as outlined in the Application of Appeal for Readmission after Second Suspension –  Graduate Appeal Form

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 be the same.

Suspensions may not be appealed.

 

Undergraduate seniors may be allowed to take graduate courses, if certain criteria are met.  After getting proper approvals on the Petition for Pursuing Work as an Undergraduate Senior, the student will be allowed to register for graduate courses.  The petition must be filed prior to registration and approved by the dean of the college in which the graduate coursework is housed and the Director of University Graduate Studies. A course may not be used toward both graduate and undergraduate degree.  The student retains an undergraduate status.

 The student must  meet all of the following criteria:

  • have at least a 3.20 cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) on all undergraduate work pursued,
  • lack no more then 30 semester hours to complete baccalaureate degree requirements.

If permission is granted the following applies:

  • student may not earn no more than 12 graduate credit hours while completing baccalaureate requirements,
  • student may not carry more than 15 semester hours (both undergraduate and graduate) during a regular semester or ten semester hours during a summer session. This shall include all baccalaureate requirements and no more than six semester hours of graduate credit for a semester or four for a summer session.
  • courses taken for graduate credit CANNOT be used to satisfy undergraduate requirements,
  • undergraduate status is retained until the baccalaureate degree is earned,
  • student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on all graduate courses and must maintain a minimum of 3.2 cumulative undergraduate GPA. If either of these grade conditions are not met, the student will not be allowed to petition for enrollment in other graduate courses while pursuing their baccalaureate degree.
  • taking graduate courses as an undergraduate does not imply or guarantee that the student will be accepted into a specific graduate program at Nicholls State University. After receiving a baccalaureate degree, a student must apply for graduate school admission and meet all admission requirements as outlined for a specific program and be accepted into a program to apply previously taken graduate courses to the program.

In order to apply the graduate courses toward the Master of Business Administration degree, the student must meet all of the requirements for admission to the program, except for completion of a baccalaureate degree.

Petition for Pursuing Graduate Work as an Undergraduate Senior

The Thesis Policy and Guidelines contains the University’s requirements and forms for those writing a thesis in their Master’s degree program. For specific program requirements, see the program coordinator. A checklist is also provided for use as an aid in the thesis process.

Thesis Policy and Guidelines

Thesis Checklist

A graduate degree is to be completed within a six-year time period.  If requirements for a degree cannot be completed within six years, the student may submit a Petition for an Extension of Time to Complete a Master’s Degree.

  • The petition must explain why the degree cannot be completed within the prescribed time limit and must present a time schedule for completing the program.
  • Time extensions will be considered only in unusual and justifiable circumstances.
  • The petitioner will be required to appear before the Graduate Council to present a justification.
  • An extension of time shall be at the discretion of the Council.

Request Form to Petition for an Extension of Time to Complete a Master’s Degree

A student may transfer from a regionally institution a maximum of one-third of the semester hours of degree program credit.

No grade lower than B will be accepted and the course must be applicable to the degree.  Policies concerning transfer credits differ among programs. For specific questions, please contact the program coordinator.

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 former institution.

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