Schedule of Courses Book

Academic Regulations – Spring 2012

Attendance	Grades and Standards	Prerequisite Courses
Auditing Courses	Graduate Thesis/Thesis Extension	Repeated Courses
Cancellation of Course & Staffing	Graduate Credit Course-Undergraduates	Standards for Academic Progress
Course Overlap	Independent Study	Student Course Load
Final Examinations	Pass-Fail Grading	Student Responsibility
		Withholding of Student Records

Attendance
Students are expected to fulfill all course requirements and although attendance is not always mandatory, it is desirable. Absence from laboratory or studio sessions shall be by agreement with the instructor. Instructors should notify the students in writing of the attendance requirements for each course. Professors may penalize the students for failure to meet the specific attendance requirements. Students who register are considered enrolled in their course(s) regardless of attendance. Refunds will only be processed, according to the deadlines published in each semester's Schedule of Courses book. Students not following this procedure will be charged for all course(s) in which they are registered.
Lack of attendance does not constitute a basis for a refund or withdrawal from a course(s).

Auditing Courses
To "audit" a course is to attend class regularly, without the obligation of participating in class discussions, laboratory work, examinations, performances, or any class activity other than listening. Students that audit a class will be billed the required tuition and fees. They are not eligible for any type of Financial Aid. Any student electing the audit option must complete an Audit Application and return it to the Office of the Registrar prior to the end of the third week of the semester for regularly scheduled courses or its equivalent for short term courses and other courses that meet less than full term. Audit Applications are available in the Office of the Registrar - College Hall, Room 204 or online at: www.montclair.edu/registrar.
Deadline for filing an Audit Application for a Full-Term Spring 2012 semester is February 3, 2012.

Cancellation of Course & Staffing
The University reserves the right to cancel any course for which the enrollment is insufficient. Students may register without penalty for another course of equal credit or receive a full refund of tuition and fees. The University also reserves the right to change faculty assignments, and therefore cannot guarantee students the faculty of their choice.

Course Overlap
Course registration overlaps may be permitted with written approval of the instructors of both courses as well as the approval of the Dean(s) and Chairperson(s) responsible for the instructional areas. Students must submit written approval to the Office of the Registrar in order to register for overlapping courses; the student or his/her representative must do this in person. Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar, College Hall Room 204 or online at: www.montclair.edu/registrar.

Final Examinations
All final examinations must be given during the regularly scheduled examination periods. The days and times of final examinations may be found at:http://www.montclair.edu/registrar/schedulebook/spring/finalexamschedule.pdf
No final examination may be given during the last week of classes before the examination period. If no formal examination is scheduled, the class must meet for one hour during the scheduled final examination time for a class evaluation session. Thus, all classes are required to meet during the examination period.

Grades and Standards
There are eighteen grades used at Montclair State (effective with the Fall 1989 semester):

	A	4.0	Excellent		C	2.0	Fair		P	Pass
	A-	3.7			C-	1.7			IN	Incomplete
	B+	3.3			D+	1.3			IP	In Progress
	B	3.0	Good		D	1.0	Poor		AU	Audit
	B-	2.7			D-	0.7			NC	No Credit
	C+	2.3			F	0.0			WD	Withdrew

Grades of D+, D, and D- are not an option for graduate students in any course. Graduate students may present only 2 grades of "C" in their program at final audit. However, D+, D, D- may be awarded to an undergraduate student enrolled in a graduate level course for undergraduate credit. The grade "IN" is intended to indicate that the student has not completed the course and that a grade is being withheld until the work is performed and approved. Students must enter into a formal contract with the faculty prior to the end of the semester. Deadlines for Incompletes are: February 15th for Fall IN's, June 30th for Spring IN's and October 15th for Summer IN's. For purposes of determining the Grade Point Average (GPA) for graduation, academic honors, dean's list, academic probation, academic furlough, suspension and dismissal and all other situations that require a specific GPA, Montclair State University maintains GPA's to three decimal places. No additional rounding will occur. Students can obtain their grades for any semester through WESS at wfs.montclair.edu.

Graduate - Thesis/Thesis Extension
Graduate students interested in writing a thesis must obtain the MSU Thesis Procedures and Guidelines available at www.montclair.edu/graduate/pdf/thesesProcedures.pdf or their major department, and consult their graduate program coordinator before beginning any part of the process. The student is responsible for following these guidelines in order to select an advisor, choose a topic, register, complete and type the thesis, defend it and apply for graduation. (see Application for Final Audit). The Approval for Writing a Master's Thesis form must be signed by all parties concerned and the appropriate section submitted when registering for the thesis. Students who are unable to complete their thesis during the semester in which they register for the thesis course must register for the Master's Thesis Extension course (1 credit) each semester until the thesis is completed.

Graduate Credit Course - Undergraduates
MSU seniors who have completed 105 semester hours of the bachelor's degree requirements, who possess at least a 3.00 grade point average and have taken all required prerequisites, may apply to take up to 6 hours of 500 level courses for either undergraduate or graduate credit. A graduate course taken for undergraduate credit cannot later be included in a graduate degree program. If courses are taken for graduate credit, graduate tuition and fees will be charged. Appropriate forms are available online at: www.montclair.edu/graduate/index.php and must be submitted in person in the Office of the Registrar by the student or his/her representative. Admission of an undergraduate to a course that yields graduate credit does not imply future acceptance into any graduate program. That can only be done by a separate admissions process. Those planning to matriculate in graduate programs at the University should refer to the Graduate School web site for specific admission requirements.

Independent Study
Montclair State University offers opportunities for students to undertake academic credit on an independent study basis. Independent study courses will require an Independent Study form. This form may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar, College Hall-Room 204 or online at www.montclair.edu/registrar. The student must process registration for these courses in person in the Office of the Registrar. This form must be completed in full and approved by the instructor and the Department Chairperson prior to registering.
THE FULL COURSE NAME, SUBJECT CODE AND COURSE NUMBER ARE REQUIRED on the form.

Pass- Fail Grading
AVAILABLE TO MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES ONLY.
Any student electing the pass-fail option must complete the Pass/Fail Application form which is available in the Office of the Registrar, College Hall-Room 204 or online at www.montclair.edu/registrar. This form must be returned to the Office of the Registrar prior to the end of the third week of the semester for regularly scheduled courses or its equivalent for short term courses and other courses that meet less than full term. Deadline for filing a Pass/Fail Application for the Spring 2012 semester is February 3, 2012. Students electing to rescind this application must present their copy of the form to the Office of the Registrar prior to the ninth week of the Spring or Fall semester or the midpoint for short term courses and courses that meet less than full term. Upon submission and verification, the pass/fail request will become void and a letter grade condition will be in effect.
Deadline for rescinding a Pass/Fail application for the Spring 2012 semester is March 27, 2012.
NO CHANGES MAY OCCUR AFTER THIS POINT.

Prerequisite Courses
IT IS THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY to satisfactorily complete a prerequisite course before scheduling a dependent course. Students will not be permitted to register for a course for which the prerequisite has not been met.

Repeated Courses
Undergraduate Students
The policy of Montclair State University does not allow undergraduates to repeat, more than twice, a course in which a grade of "F" was earned. The Dean of each College and School will have the discretion to make exceptions to this policy in special cases and extenuating circumstances. Courses in which the student received grades of "C-" or higher cannot be repeated. If a course in which the student previously earned a "C-" or higher at MSU is repeated at MSU (other than on an official Audit basis - see section on Auditing Courses) the second grade will be posted as "NC" (No Credit). It is the student's responsibility to ensure that his/her registration does not include ineligible courses. To repeat a course, an undergraduate student must register and make payment for that course. Courses must be repeated prior to graduation. There is no special approval required to repeat a course in which a grade of "D-", "D", or "D+" was received. Where a course is no longer offered, the Dean of the College or School, in consultation with the Department Chairperson, shall designate an appropriate replacement course. A COURSE REPEATED AT ANOTHER INSTITUTION DOES NOT REMOVE AN "F", "D-", "D" or "D+" AT MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY. When a course has been repeated, both the original and subsequent courses are included on the permanent record, but the credit is counted only once. The grade received in the repeated course becomes the official final grade.

Graduate Students
Graduate students who receive a grade of "F" are not permitted to repeat the course. The Graduate School will have the discretion to make exceptions to this policy in special cases and extenuating circumstances. This policy became effective as of September 1, 1997, and applies to all students regardless of their date of entry to MSU.

Standards for Academic Progress/Retention Undergraduate
All undergraduate students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA. If a student's cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, regardless of the number of hours attempted, she/he will be placed on academic probation. A student placed on academic probation is required to meet immediately with an academic advisor to discuss plans for improving her/his academic record. While under academic probation, a student has one semester to bring her/his cumulative GPA to 2.0 or better. If a student does not obtain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better after one semester on probation he/she will be placed on academic suspension.

Academic Suspension - Undergraduate
An undergraduate student who fails to attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 after the above probationary period is automatically placed on academic suspension. A student who is academically suspended cannot enroll in courses at Montclair State University under any circumstances until after two semesters. A student who has been academically suspended and who has not been enrolled at Montclair State University for the length of time prescribed above is eligible to apply for readmission through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Readmission is not automatic and will be based upon the review of documents submitted in support of the readmission application. Additionally, readmission is based on the probability of success in the chosen major and upon the space available at the time of readmission. Students readmitted from academic suspension must earn at least a 2.0 semester GPA in their first semester back or they will be placed on academic dismissal. Additionally, students readmitted from academic action must earn at least a 2.0 semester GPA, as well as a 2.0 cumulative GPA their second semester after readmission. Failure to meet these requirements i.e. required GPA will result in academic dismissal.

Academic Dismissal - Undergraduate
Undergraduate students readmitted from academic action (suspension or dismissal) must earn at least a 2.0 semester GPA their first semester back or they will be placed on academic dismissal. Additionally, students readmitted from academic action must earn at least a 2.0 semester GPA, as well as a 2.0 cumulative GPA their second semester after readmission. Failure to meet these requirements, i.e. required GPA, will result in academic dismissal. Students placed on academic dismissal are ineligible to apply for readmission and cannot enroll in courses at Montclair State University under any circumstances. For further information, log on at: http://www.montclair.edu/AcademicAdvising/

Transcript Notation
Academic related:

1. Students suspended from the University, as a result of academic standings, will have a notation placed on their transcript. If the student reenrolls, remains in good academic standing and completes the requirements for graduation, the student may request removal of the notation at the time he/she files for graduation. Requests must be submitted to the Office of the Provost. The Provost, in consultation with other University officials, will make the final decision regarding removal of the notation.
2. Students dismissed from the University, as a result of academic standings, will have a notation placed on their transcript. The notation is permanent.
3. Notation will read as "Academic Suspension" and "Academic Dismissal" respectively.

Graduate Students Probation / Dismissal
Graduate students taking courses under any matriculation status in degree or post-masters programs must maintain a GPA of 3.0. Failure to maintain a GPA of 3.0 will result in being placed on academic probation. Graduate students taking courses under any matriculation status other than in a degree program status must maintain a GPA of 2.5. Failure to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 will result in being placed on academic probation. The degree or post-masters student who is placed on probation must raise their GPA to at least a 3.0 (non-degree student to a 2.5) within the next six credits of course work taken within the next two semesters from the date of notification of probation. This may include summer sessions. Failure to achieve the required GPA within the prescribed period of time will lead to final review which may result in removal of matriculated status and dismissal. A degree student who receives three "C" grades (i.e., C+, C, or C-) will be dismissed from the program. Dismissal actions will be made on a case by case basis by The Graduate School in consultation with a student's Graduate Program Coordinator. If a student who has been dismissed from one program applies to another program, the only matriculation status available is conditional matriculation. The Grades of D+, D and D- are not available for any courses taken by a graduate student. For further information, log on at: http://www.montclair.edu/graduate/current/procedures.php

Student Course Load
Full-time Undergraduate Students
Full-time undergraduate students should earn 15-16 credit hours per semester. Special permission is required to take a Course Overload of more than 19 credit hours. To be considered a full-time student one must register for and continue active enrollment in at least 12 semester hours for the entire semester.
Full-time undergraduate students who have at least sophomore standing (30 credit hours earned) and a 3.0 or above cumulative grade point average for the semester most recently completed may, upon the approval of the Dean of the College/School in which the student is majoring, register for a Course Overload. A College/School Dean may make exceptions to the above eligibility criteria for a Course Overload. Requests for Course Overloads of 23 or more credits must additionally be approved by the Director of the Center for Advising and Student Transitions, which is located in Morehead Hall, Room 101. All registrations for Course Overloads are on a space available basis and must be processed in person in the Office of the Registrar. The University reserves the right to reduce the course load of any student who registers for more than 19 credit hours without Course Overload approval. Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar, College Hall - Room 204 or online at: www.montclair.edu/registrar.

Part-time Undergraduate Students
Part-time undergraduate students are students who are registered for less than 12 semester hours. Students must register for and complete a minimum of three semester hours of course work within three semesters of the date of admission; otherwise it will be necessary to reapply for admission.

Full-time Graduate Students
Full-time graduate students must be registered for 9-16 credit hours each semester. Graduate students registering for more than 16 credits in a semester must first obtain approval from their Graduate Program Coordinator and The Graduate School by completing a "Graduate Course Overload Application" form, available online at: www.montclair.edu/graduate/pdf/overloadApp.pdf. Graduate Assistants may not register for more than 12 credits hours without approval from The Graduate School. Graduate assistants are full-time students and must enroll in 9 credits per semester.

Part-time Graduate Students
Part-time graduate students must be registered for 8 or less credits a semester. Graduate students must register for at least 3 credits during an academic year to remain active.

Continuous Matriculation
Students in a master's degree program must complete at least six credits in each academic year (Fall/Spring/Summer), and must be continuously enrolled in the Fall and Spring semesters until completion of all requirements for graduation. In order to be considered continuously enrolled, students who do not register for a course in either the Fall or Spring semesters must register for a 0 credit Continuous Enrollment course GRADMC1) in that semester and pay a continue enrollment fee. This course is not part of the degree program and is not assigned a grade. Under very specific and limited conditions, beyond the control of the student, the Graduate Dean may waive the Continuous Enrollment fee.
Students must register for this course at least one week prior to the start of classes. Students who remain unregistered in any given semester will be assessed the fee, and a hold will be placed on their registration. This hold will be removed after the fee is paid, and upon the recommendation of the Graduate Program Coordinator to the Graduate School.
Students can register for this course for up to four consecutive semesters, after which they will be withdrawn from the program and must reapply.

Student Responsibility
Withholding of Student Records
The release of diplomas and transcripts will be withheld for students who have a financial obligation to the University
(e.g. library, parking, loans, etc.).

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