Academic Policies and Procedures

Office of the Registrar
Bayley Hall - First Floor
Monday-Friday: 8:45 a.m.- 4:45 p.m.
Phone: (973) 761-9374
Fax: (973) 761-9373
Transcript Fax: (973) 275-2050

Degree Requirements

To qualify for a graduate degree, prospective students must fulfill all course, examination and other requirements prescribed by the department to which they have applied, or intend to apply, for admission. Only graduate coursework may be applied to a graduate degree. In rare instances, an upper-level undergraduate course may be counted toward a graduate degree on the recommendation of the department chair and dean. Degree candidacy must be established in keeping with departmental and school standards.

Advanced degrees are not awarded automatically upon completion of a required number of courses or credit. Such degrees are awarded for demonstrated achievement in scholarship. A GPA of 3.0 is required for graduate degree eligibility.

The University reserves the right to close, cancel or modify any academic program and to suspend admission to any program.

Student Educational Records: Access and Privacy

The University provides all present and former students with the right of access to inspect and review by appointment any and all educational records, files and data that relates directly to them. Students also are afforded the opportunity to challenge these records.

All educational records are considered confidential. Their release is regulated by University policy in keeping with the provisions of Public Law 93-380, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended. The University FERPA policy is fully detailed online.

Students who wish to inspect information or records may do so by requesting a Right of Access form from the office or department in which a specific record is kept and filing it with that office. Right of Access forms also are available from the Office of the Registrar. Within 10 days of receipt of the Right of Access form, the office or department will notify the student about the date, time and location the record will be available for inspection.

The Office of the Registrar answers all questions relating to right of access.

Academic Integrity

Faculty, students, administrators and staff of Seton Hall University both recognize and cherish academic integrity as the cornerstone of our shared academic enterprise. As a Catholic institution, we are particularly bound to personal values and self-discipline and seek to combine that reality within the context of a trusting and caring academic community. All individuals in the University community have an obligation to attend to the highest degree of personal integrity while in the pursuit of knowledge and the service of one another.

In particular, the pursuit of knowledge requires honesty. Students must do their own work. A student who hands in work that is not his or her own, or who cheats on a test, or who plagiarizes an academic assignment is doing harm to himself or herself and taking advantage of others. Any dishonesty threatens the individual standards of the person committing the act and the other members of the Seton Hall community as well.

As we continue to seek for what is best and authentically human, each member of this University community must commit himself or herself to service of the truth. A student should refer to the Policy on Academic Integrity Policy of his/her major department/school/college. This University Policy of Academic Integrity shall apply to all students. The Procedures for Handling Violations of Standards of Academic and Professional Integrity are contained in the Student Handbook.

Class Attendance

Attendance at each class meeting is expected of each student. Instructors may take class attendance into account when determining grades as long as a clear statement on attendance policy and its impact on grading is given to students at the start of the semester within the syllabus. Students who are recipients of federal funds, including student loans, for a given term may compromise their eligibility to retain that aid if they fail to attend class and/or do not earn academic credit for their courses.

Recording of Class Sessions

Class sessions may be recorded, which includes any student participation. These recordings may be made available, but only to students enrolled in the particular class section. Under such circumstances, if a student continues to participate in the class after being notified that the class is being recorded, the student’s consent to being recorded will be implied. All recordings will become unavailable one (1) year after the last class session. Students with questions or concerns should contact the Dean’s Office of their primary major. Students with questions or concerns regarding the recording of class sessions as an accommodation should contact the Office of Disability Support Services.

Change of Program

After admission to a graduate program in one department, students who wish to change to another program in the same department must request this change online within PirateNet after consulting with program personnel. Students who complete one graduate degree may not use the Curriculum Adjustment Form or the online Change of Program form to enter another degree program; in this case, the student must file a new Application for Admission and forward all required documentation to the Office of Graduate Affairs. Students accepted into a degree program in one college or department must file a new application for graduate study to qualify for admission to a different college and/or program. In all cases, applicants must satisfy all admission requirements before they qualify for admission.

Course Requirements

Students are expected to present themselves for examinations as scheduled and meet all other course obligations by the end of the semester in which the course is offered. All course requirements (examinations, papers, projects, etc.) must be completed by the dates specified in the academic calendar for the term.

If students are unable to complete the requirements for one or more courses during the regular term, the course load for subsequent terms may be reduced.

Comprehensive Examination

In addition to department certification that comprehensive command of the field has been established, the successful completion of a final comprehensive examination is a degree requirement in some programs. Examinations are scheduled during Fall and Spring semesters, and some programs also schedule examinations during Summer Session. Applications for the examination are obtained from the department and must be signed by the adviser and submitted by the dates specified by the department.

The candidate is entitled to one reexamination for which a new application must be submitted (see General Fees). A candidate also must maintain continuous registration at the University until the requirement has been fulfilled.

Specific school regulations concerning the examination are included in the appropriate sections of this catalogue.

Transfer Credit Policy for Active Graduate Students

Graduate students may not take graduate courses at any other institution without the prior written permission of their chair and dean and, in cases where the course involved is outside of the student’s department, the chair of the course- equivalent department. Transfer policies may vary as to department/school. Some departments do not allow students to take courses at other institutions for transfer, while others impose restrictions. Students should contact their adviser about prevailing policies.

Authorization to study elsewhere is granted upon completion of an Application to Study at Another Institution, which is available in the Office of the Registrar. No credit for work completed at another school is granted unless the grade is “B” or higher and the course is at the graduate level. Grades for transferred courses are not used in computing the student’s GPA. Students should consult their department for any additional transfer regulations that may apply.

In general, a maximum of 6 credits may be transferred into master’s and educational specialist programs. Students may not transfer to their Seton Hall graduate degree any course which has been applied to a degree at another institution.

Transfer credit is granted only for courses taken at an accredited college or university. In all cases, the student is responsible for submitting an official transcript to the University.

Students may not transfer graduate courses which have applied to a prior degree earned at another institution.

Thesis

In those programs in which a thesis is required, degree candidates must submit an approved thesis prepared under the direction of a mentor at least three weeks before the end of the semester in which all requirements will be completed. Before conferral of the degree, a minimum of three copies (four for the College of Education and Human Services) suitable for binding must be submitted to the appropriate department.

Continuity

Students enrolled in a degree program are required to register each Fall and Spring semester until all requirements for the degree are satisfied. Failure to register without being granted a leave of absence is interpreted as a resignation from the program. Students in cohort programs that include a summer component in the curriculum sequence are expected to register for required summer courses.

Master’s degree students who have completed all degree requirements except the thesis will register for THCN 7999 Thesis Continuation - Masters as their first thesis continuation registration. Only fees are assessed for the first semester of thesis continuation. Thereafter, students will register for THCN 8000 Thesis Continuation - Masters. Thesis continuation and fees are assessed for THCN 8000 Thesis Continuation - Masters.

Doctoral students must register for dissertation advisement and research courses in keeping with departmental curriculum requirements until they have successfully completed their research. Doctoral students who have scheduled their dissertation defense and do not need to register for any other courses to fulfill their degree requirements will register for THCN 8999 Thesis Cont - Doctorate for the first term of Thesis Continuation, and for THCN 9000 Thesis Cont - Doctorate for any subsequent terms. Only fees are charged for the first semester of thesis continuation; thereafter, thesis continuation and fees are assessed.

Students who have completed all degree requirements except the comprehensive examination or other required examination or who must complete supervised clinical or internship hours must register each Fall and Spring semester in ‘Registration Continuation’ (RGCN 8000 Registration Continuation) status until the necessary examinations are passed.

Students who have successfully defended their dissertation but are not eligible for their degree until the subsequent semester must register for RGCN 8000 Registration Continuation for that semester. Similarly, students who are resolving incomplete grade requirements in order to qualify for their degree must register for RGCN 8000 Registration Continuation.

Dissertation, Thesis, & Final Project Submission Process

The University Libraries have put in place a process with the Registrar to insure that theses and dissertations are deposited in acceptable, final form in both our Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Repository, and with ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (the international Dissertation registry) before the degree goes on the transcript or the diploma is released.

All graduate dissertations, theses, and final projects must now be submitted electronically in PDF format to the university institutional repository.

Dissertation and Theses Submission Deadlines:

• Summer 2023: August 3
• Fall 2023: December 4
• Spring 2024: May 4

Complete information and details about the University Libraries’ Dissertations and Theses Services may be found at library.shu.edu/dissertations-services

Dissertation/Thesis Research – International Students

International graduate students who have completed all credit hour and curricular requirements except completion of the thesis or dissertation may register for Thesis Continuation or Dissertation Advisement to maintain matriculation status according to the academic policies of the individual school or college. In each case, a school official would make an individual determination through consultation with the student’s academic adviser as to whether or not the international graduate student is pursuing a full course of study as defined in the federal regulations (8 CFR 214.2 [f] Graduate students who have completed formal coursework).

Leave of Absence

A student who is unable to attend the University during a regular semester because of illness, family emergency, extraordinary job requirements, military service or other factors may be granted a leave of absence without penalty. When a student has been officially granted a leave of absence, that period of authorized leave shall not be counted toward the degree time limit.

The student must submit a written request for a leave to their program director and to the Office of the Registrar. Except in the case of military service, a leave of absence will be limited to one year. In exceptional circumstances, a student may request, and the department may extend, the leave of absence to an additional semester. Students must submit accompanying documentation, as appropriate.

Students who are granted a leave of absence must apply for reactivation by the following dates:

• July 1 for the Fall Semester
• December1 for the Spring Semester
• May 1 for the Summer Session

Students whose leave exceeds one year must reapply to the University through the Office of Graduate Affairs. Students whose leave of absence is less than one year will be required to provide their most current demographic information (e.g. home address, phone number, etc.) to the Office of the Registrar and may have their prior application reactivated.

For additional information and details regarding the Leave of Absence policy, students are advised to contact the college or school to which they are returning. For additional assistance, students may also contact the Office of Graduate Affairs at shugrad@shu.edu or (973) 275-2892.

Time Limit for Master’s Degree Students

Generally, candidates for all master’s and the Educational Specialist degrees are expected to fulfill all requirements for the degree within six years (five years in the School of Business) after they have been formally accepted. Time extensions may be granted in unusual cases upon written application to a candidate’s adviser. Students given an extension may have to repeat courses or enroll in new courses as stipulated by program directors. Any time a course is repeated, associated charges (tuition and fees) will be applied.

Doctoral degree time limits vary by program.

Application for Degree

Students must file an online Application for Graduate Degree with the Office of the Registrar in Bayley Hall by the deadline. Students who do not meet the application deadline will have their degree date advanced to the next term. See the following section on Summary of Procedures for Graduate Programs for specific deadlines.

Eligibility for Degree

Students must be formally accepted as candidates for a specific degree with a declared major in order to be eligible for that degree. Only when the department chair/program director officially advises the Office of the Registrar that all requirements have been satisfied will the student’s record be updated to reflect the award of the graduate degree. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for degree eligibility. Degrees for students in joint graduate programs must be awarded in the same semester. If a student completes one program before the second, the first degree will not be awarded until the student has established eligibility for both degrees. Doctoral degree candidates must successfully complete the online dissertation submission process with University Libraries by the semester deadline in order to be eligible for their degree as of that semester.

Student Policy and Procedure

The Student Handbook delineating policy and procedures for students is available online.