Academic Standards

A graduate student who is a candidate for a degree must earn a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher in all courses applicable to his/her degree. Only courses with grades of "A," "B," "C," "S," or "P" may be applied to semester-hour requirements for the degree.

Students may receive no more than 2 "C's" in courses taken at the graduate level. Courses with "C" grades in excess of this number will not count toward the degree but will be figured in the total cumulative average. A prerequisite undergraduate course taken in conjunction with a graduate program must be completed with a grade of "B" or better.

Graduate students in non-degree programs are expected to meet and maintain the same academic standards as students in degree programs.

Because Virginia State University encourages a maximum of student responsibility, with a minimum of administrative regulation, it expects each student to maintain appropriate standards in his/her academic program. The University reserves the right to terminate the registration of any student who does not meet acceptable standards. Academically, a student whose record falls below standard or otherwise indicates a lack of ability or effort needed to succeed in graduate study will be denied permission for further study.

Probation/Dismissal

Graduate students are expected to maintain high academic standards. Graduate students will be placed on academic probation under the following conditions:

• their cumulative or term GPA is below 3.00 for 1 semester
• they receive 2 grades of C
• they receive 1 grade of D, F, or U.

Graduate students will be suspended from their program for a minimum of 1 year, under the following conditions:

• their cumulative or term GPA is below 3.00 for 2 semesters (these semesters do not have to be consecutive)
• they receive 3 grades of C
• they receive 2 grades of D, F, or U.

Graduate students will receive written notification of their probation or suspension from the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Grading Systems

The approved grade symbols and grade symbol definitions are as follows:

The following symbols are also used and have no quality point value, thereby being neutral in grade point average determination.

Grade Symbol Definition

All grades earned are included in the determination of the cumulative average.

Reinstatement

Graduate students suspended for academic reasons are never automatically reinstated. After suspension for one year, a student may appeal to the Policies and Petitions Committee to be given a chance to gain reinstatement, provided it is mathematically possible to bring their cumulative GPA above 3.0 in one semester. If the Committee approves, the student is allowed to enroll for one semester only to repeat the course or courses that pulled the average below 3.00 or in which a grade of less than a B was received.

No new coursework may be taken while the student is seeking to be reinstated. If the student succeeds that semester in raising the average to 3.00 and/or receives grades of B or above in all courses they previously had grades of C or below, the student must then appeal to the committee for full reinstatement. If, after reinstatement, the grade-point average falls below 3.00 again or another grade of C or below is received, the student will not be permitted to continue graduate study at Virginia State University.

Time Limit for the Completion of Master’s and Doctoral Degree Requirements and Transfer of Credits

All requirements for master’s degree programs must be completed within six (6) years from the date of initial enrollment in the graduate program; excluding periods of military service. All requirements for doctoral degree programs must be completed within eight (8) years from the date of initial enrollment in the graduate program; excluding periods of military service.  Students who encounter unique problems which prevent compliance with this regulation may address an appeal to the Chairperson, Policies and Petitions Committee, in care of the College of Graduate Studies.

Under compelling circumstances, master’s students may be awarded extensions, totaling not more than two years, to the present limit of six years. This provision restricts the period for completion of the degree to a maximum of eight years.  Under compelling circumstances, doctoral students may be awarded extensions, totaling not more than two years, to the present limit of eight years. This provision restricts the period for completion of the degree to a maximum of ten years.

Transfer of credits applies to course credits transferred from other institutions. The University is not obligated to accept any course(s) for transfer credit. However, for a course to be transferred, it must have been earned at a regionally accredited, or otherwise approved, university with a grade of “B” or higher. Courses that have been graded on a Pass, Fail, Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory basis will not be accepted for transfer. Grades for course work taken at VSU, either as a nondegree-seeking student or in a previous graduate matriculation for which a degree was never awarded, are included in the calculation of the VSU graduate grade-point average and all other graduate statistics.

Recommendations regarding transfer credit are initiated at the academic program, department and college levels and reviewed and approved by the Graduate School. Individual programs, departments and colleges may have more stringent requirements. Requests for transfer of course work must include an official copy of the transcript from the college or university where the course work was taken and a VSU Graduate School transfer equivalency form. Transferred courses must be graduate-level courses relevant to the graduate degree being sought. Each graduate program will recommend transfer credits based on an evaluation of the course description.

VSU will not accept credits that do not apply to a graduate degree at the offering institution for transfer, nor will it accept credits from unaccredited institutions for transfer. These conditions apply to all domestic and international institutions.

Duplicate Credit

Any course used as credit toward another degree (a bachelor's degree or earlier master's degree at VSU or elsewhere) will not be used again as credit in a master's degree program at Virginia State University. A course may be used only once; no duplicate credit is allowed. This also applies to master's degrees being pursued simultaneously at VSU and another institution.

Transfer Credit from Another Institution

In a 30-hour program, nine semester hours earned at another accredited graduate school may be accepted toward the master's degree at Virginia State University. In a 36-semester hour program, 12 semester hours may be accepted. In any case, transfer credit from another institution must be approved by the department and must be of "B" quality or higher. Transfer of credit in the core courses is not permitted. The core courses are Foundations of Education, Statistical Procedures in Education and Psychology, and Educational Research.

All transfer credit will be applied after the student's application for advancement to candidacy. Transfer credit cannot be over six years old by the date of graduation; this limit cannot be extended.

Concurrent Enrollment

When the need exists, a student enrolled as a degree student may take graduate courses at another accredited institution. Prior approval of the advisor, Chair, Program Dean, and the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies is necessary. It is the student's responsibility to request credit for such courses and upon completion and have an official transcript submitted to the Registrar and Graduate Office. Permission is not ordinarily given for a student to take a course elsewhere for transfer credit during the semester in which the degree is to be awarded.