Undergraduate

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree requires a minimum of 120 credits and a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, which is the letter grade equivalent of C.  Student records are evaluated after the end of each term and may be subject to academic actions as follows; Any student whose record is deemed unsatisfactory will be informed of their academic standing by letter.

Academic Warning

Students with cumulative GPA of 2.0 to 2.25 will receive an academic warning letter with recommendations for achieving an appropriate standard for academic performance. Students who are on academic warning are invited and encouraged to participate in the Academic Support Program to support them in improving their academic standing.

Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal

• Students whose overall cumulative GPA or semester GPA is less than 2.00 but higher than 0.99 may be placed on academic probation;
• Students on academic probation who fail to earn a semester 2.00 GPA in the consecutive semester of attendance may be be academically dismissed;
• Students having less than 30 credits remaining to complete their degree and who earn a semester grade point average less than 2.00 may be placed on academic probation.

Students on academic probation are also required to have a special probation interview with their advisor to receive registration clearance for the next semester. More specific requirements may be imposed. They are also invited to participate in the Academic Support Program to support them in improving their academic standing.

 

Students on academic probation should be aware that they may be ineligible for financial aid and should contact their Financial Aid Counselor for more information and guidance.

---

Graduate

Graduate students are either a) in good academic standing, b) on probation, or c) subject to dismissal.

Students are normally in good standing if they:

• Are making adequate progress toward the completion of degree requirements;
• Earn passing grades in all coursework accounting for at least 80% of the total required credits within a given semester and successfully pass all sequenced requirements (including major seminar courses);
• Have not been placed on formal probation.

Graduate student transcripts are reviewed at the end of every semester.

Graduate Academic Probation

For MA and MFA graduate programs that operate on a pass/fail system, if a student receives a grade of "F" in combination of course accounting for 6 of their total required credits in a given semester, they will be placed on academic probation and will complete a learning contract in consultation with the Graduate Director or appropriate faculty. This contract, outlining criteria to regain good academic standing, will be issued by the Office of Graduate Studies. Students who fail to satisfy the conditions in the contract within the designated time may be subject to academic dismissal. Academic probation may also be issued to students who earn grades of Incomplete (I) until the grade is reviewed and changed by completion of required work by the published deadline.

Academic probation will not be noted on the academic transcript.

For MPS and MA/MBA programs, if a student’s cumulative GPA falls to 2.69 or below, that student is placed on academic probation and will be notified of their standing by the Director of Graduate Student Success. Once on academic probation, the student must earn a grade(s) in the subsequent 8-week term that raises their cumulative GPA to a 2.7 or higher to return to good academic standing and remain enrolled in the program; if the student does not raise their cumulative GPA to a 2.7 or higher this will constitute dismissal from the program. During the probationary period, students are strongly encouraged to schedule sessions with their Student Success Coach for support, particularly regarding time management and study skills. A student may only be on academic probation twice and still remain enrolled in the program. If the student’s cumulative GPA dips to 2.69 or below a third time, they would be dismissed and the dismissal policy would apply.

Graduate Academic Dismissal

For MA and MFA graduate programs that operate on pass/fail system, if a student receives a grade of "F" in a major seminar or combination of required courses accounting for more than 60% of their total required credits, they will not be in good academic standing according to their degree plan and may be academically dismissed from their graduate program. In programs with sequenced requirements, a grade of "F" in any one course could result in academic dismissal from the graduate program. Notice of academic dismissal will be issued by the Office of Graduate Studies in combination with the Graduate Director and appropriate faculty. Students who have been academically dismissed will be instructed on steps for reapplication through the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The MAT program is letter-graded and students must earn a "B" or better to pass a course. Students not meeting this standard may be academically dismissed.

For MPS and MA/MBA programs, if a student earns a grade of D+ or below, they will be dismissed from the MPS or MA/MBA program. If a student on academic probation fails to return to a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher within their next 8-week term, they will be dismissed from the program. Upon completing Capstone (MPS) or The Competitive Advantage (MA/MBA), if a student’s cumulative GPA drops to 2.69 or below, Open Studies will convene a faculty review panel to determine if the student has satisfactorily met the program learning outcomes. The faculty review panel will determine an outcome of graduation or dismissal.