General Information
All regulations governing the Graduate School are designed to equal or exceed the minimum standards recommended by the Commission on Colleges and Universities of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Alabama State Board of Education. All regulations regarding admission, retention and completion are described for each graduate program. Applicants are advised to check with the dean in the academic area in which the degree is sought or the Graduate Admissions office about degree and admission requirements.
Each applicant to the Graduate School must provide one official transcript from each undergraduate and graduate school previously attended. The transcripts should be sent directly to the TROY-Dothan Campus Graduate Admissions Office.
Other documents, including but not limited to certificate copies and experience letter required by certification programs, may be required for admission to specific degree programs (see specific program or specific school / college requirements).
Transmission of the completed application, fee, official test scores, and official transcripts normally completes an application for admission. When the application for admission has been processed, the Graduate Admissions Office will inform the applicant of the action taken.
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The Graduate School recognizes the following types of admission whereby students may take graduate courses for credit or toward a graduate degree, these including the following:
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Unconditional Admission for students who meet all admission requirements. Please see the appropriate section of the Bulletin for specific requirements for each degree or program.
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Conditional Admission for students who meet the minimum requirements for Conditional Admission. Please see the appropriate section of the Bulletin for specific requirements for each degree or program.
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Special Student Admission - a "Temporary" for qualified students holding bachelor's degrees from accredited colleges or universities or to graduate students in good standing at another graduate school. These students may be interested in earning graduate credit but are not applicants for a graduate degree at the TROY-Dothan Campus or may be students who have not completed all necessary documentation for consideration of unconditional or conditional admission. In all cases, students must have the approval of a faculty advisor and must meet all academic prerequisites for course taken. Any exceptions must be approved by the appropriate Dean. A maximum of six semester hours may by taken. Students admitted under this status and who are seeking admission to a degree program must have the status cleared by the sixth week in the term for which the admission is granted. If a student fails to clear the special admission within the specified time, the student will be withdrawn from classes with no credit and without refund. In unusual cases, the Dean of the School College of a student's major may extend the deadline for documented, extenuating circumstances, but this extension can be no longer than the end of the first term in which the student is admitted as a special student.
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Graduating Senior Status - a TROY-Dothan Campus senior lacking six semester hours or less for graduation may, during the semester in which he / she is completing undergraduate requirements, be enrolled in one or more courses for graduate credit with presentation of a satisfactory GRE Aptitude Test (850), MAT 36 or GMAT (see admissions requirements for MBA program) score, an overall grade point average of 2.5 (4.0) with a 3.0 average in the major field and a completed, filed application for Graduate School. The admission status will be conditional for that term and will be reviewed for unconditional status after completing the undergraduate degree.
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Transient Admission to a Graduate School Program - Admission of transient students within the TSU System or from other recognized graduate schools requires the approval of an application as a transient student at both TROY-Dothan and the school in which the student is enrolled. TROY-Dothan approval requires the authorization of a faculty advisor or appropriate dean. In all cases, such a student must meet all prerequisites and provide the documentation prior to being admitted to a particular course. School Graduate Admissions Committees may establish rules governing approval of transient students.
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Application forms for admission to the Graduate School may be obtained by contacting one of the following offices, or you can print out the online application form. The application and all documents should be submitted at least one month before the first day of the term of intended matriculation. Please note the application deadline.
| Dothan Campus Graduate Admissions TROY-Dothan Campus P.O. Box 8368 Dothan, Alabama 36304 Phone: (334) 983-6556 |
Fort Rucker Location Graduate Admissions TROY-Dothan Campus P.O. Box 620457 Fort Rucker, Alabama 36362-0457 Phone: (334) 598-2443 |
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Admission of Transfer Students to a Graduate School Program
The admission requirements for a transfer student are the same as those set forth in the preceding sections. Students on temporary or permanent academic or disciplinary suspension from any other college or university are not eligible for admission to any TROY-Dothan Campus program.
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Readmission to a Graduate School Program
A. Returning TROY-Dothan Campus Students in Good Standing
A former TROY-Dothan Campus student in good standing who:
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has been out of school less than three years and has not attended another institution of higher education since he last attended the TROY-Dothan Campus may by readmitted to the University without additional paperwork.
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has been out of school for 3 years or more and has not attended another institution of higher education since he last attended TROY-Dothan Campus may be readmitted to the TROY-Dothan Campus after completing a new application.
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has attended another institution of higher learning since he last attended TROY-Dothan Campus must submit a new application and provide an official transcript from that institution before re-enrolling at the TROY-Dothan Campus.
B. Graduate School Re-Admission Policy
Students who have been suspended and / or dropped from a graduate program for any reason may apply after a period of one year for re-admission. Such an application must be filed in writing one term prior to the proposed date of reentry with the Executive Vice President. The student must demonstrate a change of circumstances and give evidence of probable success before being considered. Such a student may be approved for re-admission as a conditional admission with an approved Plan for Proving Graduate Status (PPGS). This will require the approval of the appropriate School Graduate Admissions Committee. the Dean, and the Graduate Council. Once the conditions stated in the PPGS are met, the students may be granted an unconditional admission. (NOTE: TROY-Dothan Campus councils and committees meet regularly, but not frequently. Students are advised to file their applications at the beginning of the term preceding that for which re-admission is requested to help insure that the request can be scheduled on agendas for all involved committees and councils. Filing applications later in the term may result in a delay in admission.)
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Credit Hours Required
The minimum number of hours required for graduate programs varies and is listed in each program description in this Bulletin. Prerequisites, additional coursework, or other conditions may be required for a student who is not unconditionally admitted as specified in the Plan for Proving Graduate Status or by the Program description. Credit hours earned under the Plan may be in excess of the minimum number of term hours required for the degree.
Specialized Studies
Graduate students may take only one (1) specialized study (1-6 hours) for any degree earned. No specialized study may be taken during an interim session.
Resident Credit
The master's degree requires a minimum of twenty seven to forty-five semester hours of resident credit, depending upon the specific program; the Class AA Program and Education Specialist Degree programs require a minimum of thirty to thirty-three semester hours of resident credit, depending upon the specific program. The M.B.A. degree program requires thirty semester hours of resident credit. Master of Science degree in human resource management requires thirty semester hours of resident credit.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of six semester hours of transfer credit may be approved. The hours must be from accredited graduate school; the course-work must have been taken for graduate credit and be applicable to the degree program in which the student is enrolled; and a grade of "B" or above must have been earned. No credit may be allowed whenever the grade point average on all graduate work taken elsewhere is less than 3.0 (4.0 scale), nor may transfer credit be used to improve the grade point average of courses taken at TROY-Dothan. Transfer credit must have been earned within eight (8) years of the date of the anticipated completion of the graduate program at TROY-Dothan, and this credit cannot be applied to the degree program until the student has completed six semester hours at TROY-Dothan and has been admitted to a degree program. Credit petitioned for transfer toward a degree cannot have been applied toward another degree.
For the sixth year or Education Specialist programs, graduate level work earned after completion of the master's degree program up to maximum of six semester hours may be accepted with approval of the student's advisory committee.
Correspondence Credit
Credit earned through correspondence will not be acceptable for graduate work.
Transient Credit
Students who have been granted unconditional admission to the Graduate School and who are in good standing, may receive up to six semester hours of credit by earning a grade of "B" or higher in approved graduate level courses offered by a regionally accredited graduate school. Approval to enroll in such courses must be obtained from the Dean of the school / college prior to enrollment in the course. Approval forms may be obtained from the Graduate Office. The combined total of transfer and transient credits may not exceed six semester hours. Some military senior service schools credits may be accepted as transfer credit based on the recommendations of the American Council on Education and if appropriate for the degree sought. Students must have had all prerequisites prior to taking a course for transient credit.
Hour Loads
A student admitted conditionally may take a maximum of six semester hours per term until the "conditions" are removed. Graduate assistants are limited to six semester hours per term. Others may take no more than ten credit hours per semester. A graduate student in his last term may take ten credit hours with permission from the Dean of the school or college.
NOTE: Students employed in the Public School System of Alabama are reminded that the students who wish to take more than one course per term during the regular school year must have the written permission of their employing superintendent.
Graduate Courses
Courses numbered "950" to "999" are for workshops or continuing education credit.
Courses numbered "700" to "799" are open only to students who have received the master's degree.
Courses numbered "600" to "699" are open only to qualified graduate students or to students who have already received the master's degree.
Courses numbered "500" to "599" are open only to Graduate School students and seniors. Seniors must have the approval of the instructor of the course. Courses numbered "500" to "599" in business, English, history, and mathematics are open only to Graduate School or post-master's students. A student may not enroll in a course numbered "500" to "599" if it duplicates the same course listed on an undergraduate transcript.
For the master's degree and the sixth-year program, at least twenty-five hours of credit, or 50% of the total graduate program, whichever is greater, must be earned in "600" or higher level courses, except with the special permission of the student's advisor and the Dean of the school or college.
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If a graduate student accumulates a quality point deficit of more than ten quality points below a 3.0 (4.0 scale) grade point average, he will be automatically dropped from graduate school. Graduate credit is not given for grades of less than "C". A graduate student may earn no more than six hours of "C" or "F" grades in a degree program. A student who earns more than six hours of "C" or "F" grades in automatically dropped from graduate school.
The following grades are given in the Graduate School: A, B, C, F, Pass / Fail, and AU for audit credit. Graduate students cannot retake a course for degree credit in which they have made a "C" or higher grade.
An "incomplete" may be reported for a student whose progress in a course has been satisfactory, but who is unable to receive a final grade because of circumstances beyond his control. An "incomplete" must be removed within the first six weeks of the next semester. The exact time for completion of work within this specified time limit will be determined by the instructor assigning the grade. Students who receive "incompletes" should immediately contact the Graduate Admissions Office regarding other regulations related to "incomplete" which is not removed during the specified time limit automatically becomes an "F". (This limit does not apply to theses, field projects, practicums or internships. A thesis, field project, practicum or internship must be completed at the end of one year or the student will be automatically withdrawn and must re-register for the course to earn credit).
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There is no appeal of students' grades as assigned by the instructor of the course; however, the student reserves the right in certain instances to ask for re-classification of a particular grade assignment for a class if he feels as though he has sufficient evidence upon which to differ. In such a case where a student feels as though a grade has been incorrectly assigned, he has three weeks at the beginning of the next semester following the posting of the disputed grade in which to handle this. In order to question a posted grade, the student must first try to resolve this through the faculty member and department head prior to consulting with the dean.
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Change of Program and Withdrawal
The program of course for which a student registers must bear the approval of his advisor and the Dean of the school or college. No changes of program are permitted after the close of the registration period. Registration for a course makes the student responsible for completing the course unless withdrawal from the course or from school is authorized. Specific withdrawal policies may be obtained from the Dean. Unauthorized withdrawal results in a grade of "F".
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Master's Degree Program
Students in degree programs requiring a comprehensive examination must pass a comprehensive examination, written and / or oral, covering the work taken in the major field. Secondary education majors will be evaluated in the content area. This examination is usually taken during the last semester.
Those students who prepare a thesis or field project shall pass a final examination covering the thesis or field project. All field projects or theses must be proposed well in advance and must be approved by the advisory committee assigned to the student. The student's major professor (a member of the student's major department and the chairman of the student's advisory committee), assisted by the committee, will be responsible for directing all aspects of the thesis or the student's field project. The completed, final thesis or field project will submitted in appropriate form and in sufficient copies to the advisory committee for approval and then to the Executive Vice President.
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A master's degree student may earn three to six semester hours of credit by writing a thesis appropriate to his degree. A student pursuing the Education Specialist degree must earn three semester hours of credit by writing a thesis or field project. A student may enroll for credit in a thesis or field project only after completion of twenty semester hours of course work.
Information regarding the thesis or field project requirement may be obtained from the Dean of the School of Education or from the student's advisor.
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(for holders of Alabama Class B certificate only)
Class A Certification Requirements
Graduates may not receive a Class A certificate unless they are eligible for the appropriate Class B certificate in a teaching field or its equivalent in the same teaching area. Exceptions to this policy are the instructional support areas in educational leadership, school psychometry and school counseling, which may by built upon any valid Class B certificate and the Alternative Class A programs which do not require prior certification. The Educational Leadership endorsement option requires the master's degree in a teaching field, school psychometry, school counseling, or library / media prior to admission to the Class A program. To be eligible for admission to the master's degree program in educational leadership, an individual must hold an earned bachelor's degree in a teaching field from a regionally accredited institution. She/he must also have completed three years of teaching experience or instructional support experience which shall include at least one year of classroom teaching.
All teacher education majors who complete a Class A program will be qualified to receive the Alabama Class A Professional Certificate. Applications for these certificates should be made through the office of the Certification Officer in the School of Education.
Completion of the Master of Science in Education degree with a major in school counseling or school psychometry will qualify the student to receive the Alabama Class A Professional Certificate. Issuance of the certificate is contingent upon two years of appropriate professional experience, at least one of which must be in teaching. Completion of the Master of Science degree in foundations of education does not meet Alabama teacher certification requirements.
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Requirements for each of the graduate degrees must be satisfied within eight years of the initial enrollment for that degree. A student not enrolled with the TROY-Dothan Campus for three years or more must meet all degree requirements current at the time of readmission.
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An "Intent to Graduate" form should be filed with the Records Office a full semester prior to the semester of graduation. See University calendar for exact dates, deadlines, and fees.
Attendance at commencement is not required; however, all candidates are urged to attend.
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