Academic Regulations

The typical full-time graduate student load is nine credits per semester. It is recommended that students employed full time take no more than six credits per semester. Students who wish to take more than nine credits per semester, must obtain the permission of their program coordinator. Individual programs may have specific requirements, therefore students should refer to program handbooks and coordinators or academic advisers.

All course work and degree requirements must be completed within six years of taking the first course at McDaniel College. Appeals for extension of the six-year limit must be sent to the Academic Policy and Standards Committee.

Students may request a leave of absence for up to 12 months for personal circumstances, extending their time for completion of the degree.  Please contact the Registrar’s Office for processing a leave of absence so that your record may reflect the break in courses and extend the time limit. 

A person who has completed the admission requirements and who wishes to attend a course without satisfying the formal course requirements may do so by auditing the course.  An audit is entered on the record as “AU,” no credit hours attempted, and no grade or quality points awarded.  The instructor sets the amount of participation required in the course.  The charge is one-half the regular tuition.  While audited courses appear on student transcripts, they do not carry grades or credit.  If the student does not meet the instructor’s requirements, the instructor has the right to delete the course from the student’s record.  Although students must declare the Audit option prior to the end of the second week of class, they can request a change from Audit to letter grade up until then end of the semester.  Students who choose this option must complete course requirements as assigned, must have the instructor’s approval to change from audit to credit, and must pay the price differential.  Any request to change from Audit to letter grade after the end of the semester must be directed to the Academic Policy and Standards subcommittee of the Graduate Affairs Committee.

Graduate students may repeat only one graduate course. This course may be repeated once and must be retaken within one year of receiving the original grade (not including a grade of “I”). Both grades for that course will remain on the student’s transcript and are calculated into the GPA.

Grades are available on the Archway within two days of the completion of the class.  Grade reports are sent once a semester, at the end of the semester, regardless of when the course ends. Grade report requests will be honored up to four weeks after a semester ends, after such time, transcripts must be requested.

A student’s grade reflects the quality of the scholarly achievement. A total average of 3.00 (B) must be maintained in order to remain in good standing.

Letter grades are converted to numerical values on the following scale:

An Incomplete (I) grade may be given only for emergency reasons acceptable both to the instructor and the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies. The date of completion may not be longer than one year from the date when the Incomplete (I) grade was issued. Any Incomplete grade which extends beyond the one-year time limit becomes an “F”.  While carrying an Incomplete (I) grade, a student may not register for more than a total of six (6) credits of additional course work.

A grade of IP (In Progress) may be given for students who are continuing to complete requirements for courses that extend beyond one semester, such as internships, special projects, etc.

Grades submitted by the instructor are considered final and may be appealed only if:

1. a reporting or arithmetic error occurred which resulted in an incorrect grade. The instructor will submit a Change of Grade form to the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies for approval; or
2. the student believes the grade was prejudicial or capricious. In such cases, the student will first discuss the grade with the instructor. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of that discussion, then he or she will discuss the grade with the appropriate graduate program coordinator. If further discussion is necessary, the student may appeal the grade to the Academic Policy and Standards Committee. If a resolution cannot be reached, the student may then appeal the grade to the Dean of Graduate & Professional Studies.

The deadline for appealing a grade is the last day of classes of the semester following the term in which the course was taken.

A graduate student must maintain a 3.00 grade point average for all course work. If the average drops below 3.00 or a grade of “C+” or lower is received, a student is placed on academic probation. By action of the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies, a student will be academically dismissed if:

1. academic probation extends beyond the completion of nine additional credits; or
2. the student receives two grades of “C+” or lower or one “F” at any time during his or her graduate study at the College.

A student has the right to appeal an academic dismissal. A written appeal must be sent to the Academic Policy and Standards Committee within 30 days after the notice of dismissal. The Academic Policy and Standards Committee will review the appeal and act on it in a timely fashion.

Dismissals from the College or the academic program may also result from failure to observe McDaniel College’s Honor Code, from unethical or unprofessional conduct, from unsuitability for one’s field of study, or failure to meet individual program requirements.

The Academic Policy and Standards Committee may be asked by program coordinators to review students for dismissals other than Honor Code violations. A student has the right to appeal such a dismissal to the Graduate Affairs Committee within 30 days after the notice of dismissal. The committee will review the appeal in a timely fashion.