Graduate Studies and Policies

Graduate Studies

All programs and objectives in Graduate Studies at Union University derive from the statement of Mission of Union University. Accordingly, Graduate Studies seeks to provide students with a quality educational experience in a Christian university environment. Specifically, Union expects graduate students to:

Demonstrate within their disciplines advanced knowledge and skills.
Display competency in critical evaluation of issues, trends and methodologies.
Demonstrate the ability to apply research that extends the body of knowledge in the field.
Enhance their ethical decision-making ability through an academic environment integrated with a Christian faith.
Build intellectual and moral knowledge to cope with a pluralistic world and better serve their communities, businesses and schools.

Graduate Studies seeks to reflect the Core Values of Union University in academics, Christian values, development of the whole person, and personal attention to student needs. Its goals are to cultivate a Christian academic community which is excellence-driven, Christ-centered, people-focused, and future-directed.

Graduate Governance and Admissions

Fifteen graduate programs currently exist at Union University: the M.S. in Biology, M.S. in Conservation Biology, and M.M. in Music Technology administered by the College of Arts and Sciences; the M.B.A. and the M.Acc., administered by the McAfee School of Business; the M.A.Ed., the M.Ed., the Ed.S. and the Ed.D. degrees administered by the School of Education; the M.S.W., administered by the School of Social Work; the M.S.N. and D.N.P., and M.A.T., administered by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences; the M.C.S., administered by the School of Theology and Missions; and the Pharm.D. administered by the College of Pharmacy.

The Master of Business Administration and the Master of Accountancy degree programs are administered by the Graduate Program Director and the MAcc Program Coordinator respectively, and by the Dean, McAfee School of Business. The Master of Arts in Education, the Master of Education, the Education Specialist and the Education Doctorate degree programs are administered by Program Directors and the Dean, School of Education. The Master of Social Work is administered by the Program Director and Dean, School of Social Work. The Master of Science in Nursing and the DNP is administered by the various track chairs and the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. The Master of Christian Studies is governed by the M.C.S. Director and the Dean of the School of Theology and Missions.

The Greater Faculty is responsible for approval of curriculum and graduate program policies. The faculty considers recommendations from the University Curriculum Committee (UCC), which is responsible for examining graduate programs, course offerings, and policies relative to graduate studies at Union. Task teams may be created by the Deans of the Schools/ Colleges to consider and make recommendations to the UCC. Thus, significant curriculum and policy changes and additions proceed from the Directors (and/or task teams) to the UCC to the faculty. The graduate governance structure at Union University is completed by the Provost, the President, and the Board of Trustees.

The Program Directors are empowered to make admissions decisions based on the approved and published admission criteria. Admission decisions of the nursing graduate program are made by the Graduate Nursing Admissions Committee. The Graduate Nursing Admissions Committee is comprised of the Dean, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, and track chairs. The Graduate Business Admissions Committee, the Graduate Education Admissions Committee, the Graduate Social Work Admissions Committee, and the Graduate Theology and Missions Admissions Committee, comprised of business, education, social work, or Christian studies faculty and directors respectively, receive recommendations regarding candidates for admission who do not meet regular admission requirements. The respective Admissions Committees may recommend Conditional Admission for students who do not meet published criteria for admission.

Student Life

Graduate students are welcomed and are encouraged to participate in the many curricular and co-curricular activities that take place on the University campus. For more information on student life, graduate students may consult the latest edition of The Campus Life Handbook at www.uu.edu/studentlife/handbook.

Student Conduct

At Union University all members of the University community have a responsibility to the values of the University and to one another. The commitment to these values is expected at any time a student is enrolled, whether or not school is in session. When students are accepted for admission to Union University, the University believes they are capable of conducting themselves in a manner which involves restraint and self-control when such are necessary. Written rules and regulations cannot be provided for every act or condition that may occur in the lives of several thousand students. However, the general policy of conduct at Union University is that students conduct themselves as persons of faith who strive to exemplify the character of Jesus Christ throughout their daily lives.

Union University graduate students are bound by the policies and procedures listed in the Campus Life Handbook and the supplemental departmental and/or program handbooks. Where there may be conflicting policies, the policies listed in the Campus Life Handbook will take precedent. For more information about University community values or the judicial process at Union University, please refer to the latest version of the Campus Life Handbook at www.uu.edu/studentlife/handbook.

Chapel and Spiritual Life

Chapel is one of the distinctive features of the Christian college and is for the strengthening of faith in God, for instruction, and for the enrichment of the spiritual life of the total university family.

Chapel attendance is not compulsory for graduate students. However, graduate students are invited to attend as well as participate in other spiritual activities including activities sponsored by the Office of University Ministries.

Confidentiality of Student Records

The privacy and confidentiality of all student records shall be preserved in accordance to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. The objective of the Act is to provide students and parents greater access to and control over information contained in educational records. The law stipulates that each institution is responsible for making students aware of the law and its various ramifications. More information about FERPA can be obtained from the Registrar. Official student academic records, supporting documents, and other student files shall be maintained, only by members of the University staff employed for that purpose, in separate files:

Academic records, supporting documents and general education records—maintained by the Academic Center, academic departments and advisors
Records of discipline proceeding— maintained by the Student Life Office
Financial records—maintained by Business and Financial Services
Medical records—maintained by the Student Health Services Office (governed also by HIPAA)
Admissions records—maintained by the Enrollment Management Office
Financial aid records—maintained by the Student Financial Planning Office

Directory information (student’s name, address–including email address, telephone number, date and place of birth, photograph, academic major, class schedule, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and most recent previous educational institution attended) may be made public by the University unless a student requests to the Academic Center in writing that such information be released only upon his/her consent.

Motor Vehicle Registration and Parking

Every individual who maintains or operates a motor vehicle on Union University campuses must register each vehicle with the Safety & Security Office at the beginning of the semester or within 24 hours of bringing a vehicle to campus. The registration fee for one permit is included in your total tuition package. There is a $5 charge for each additional permit received within the academic year. The vehicle’s license plate number is required for registration of the vehicle.

The Safety & Security Office will issue a free Temporary Permit when an individual has the use of a vehicle for two weeks or less.

Academic Policies

Full-Time Students

A graduate student enrolled in 6 or more hours during Fall, Spring, or Summer will be considered full-time. A graduate student enrolled for 3 hours during Fall, Spring, or Summer will be considered half-time.

Class Attendance

Regular and successive attendance is expected of all students enrolled in all lecture, laboratory, and seminar classes. Each faculty member will determine how this policy will be administered in his/her classes. However, students must satisfy all testing, reporting, and required functions defined for the course.

Academic Integrity

Union University upholds the highest standards of honesty. Students are to refrain from the use of unauthorized aids during testing (including but not limited to technology devices such as digital cameras, cellphone cameras, pen-based scanners, translation programs, and text-messaging devices), to refuse to give or receive information on examinations, and to turn in only those assignments which are the result of their own efforts and research. Failure to provide correct documentation for material gleaned from any outside source, such as the Internet or any published/unpublished work, constitutes plagiarism, a form of cheating subject to strict disciplinary action. On the other hand, faculty are responsible for discouraging cheating and will make every effort to provide physical conditions which deter cheating and to be aware at all times of activity in the testing area.

Any student found guilty by the professor of cheating will be subject to disciplinary action by the professor. The professor will file a report of the incident and the intended disciplinary action with the Office of the Dean. If the student deems this action unfair, he or she may file an appeal with the administrator with whom the report was filed. The administrator will convey the results to the student and to the instructor by email (copied to the Office of the Dean of Students).

If either the student or the professor involved deems the administrator’s action unsatisfactory, within 10 working days of the sent date of the email conveying the results he or she may email the Dean of Instruction to request a hearing before the Graduate Appeals Committee. The committee will convey its decision to the student and to the professor by email. The decision of this committee will be final upon approval by the Provost in consultation with the President.

Credit Hour

The unit for counting credit is the semester hour. A semester hour is defined as an hour of class work a week, or its equivalent in laboratory, pursued for one semester.

Numbering of Courses

Unless otherwise noted in the course description, courses numbered in the 500's may be taken for graduate credit or by upper level undergraduates for undergraduate credit.

Expectations will be greater in these courses for students registered for graduate credit. Courses numbered 600 and above may only be taken for graduate credit.

Courses numbered 595 are workshops. No more than six hours of credit from courses numbered 595 may be used to satisfy the degree requirements. No more than six hours may be taken for pass/fail credit in the M.A.Ed. program.

Grading System

Grades for graduate courses at Union University shall be interpreted as follows:

A	Superior academic performance.
B	Strong academic performance.
C	Below average, but passing academic performance.
P	Pass.
F, FF	Failure. (P or FF apply to pass-fail courses.)
I	Incomplete. An Incomplete must be removed within the first five weeks of the term following issuance of the Incomplete; otherwise, the incomplete becomes an F
IP	In Progress, issued for a course which by design extends into the following term or semester.
PR	Progress as related to the doctoral dissertation
W	Withdrawal beyond the period officially allowed. See “Withdrawal from Classes.”
N	Audit.

Requirements for Grade Point Average

In order to graduate with a Masters or Ed.S. degree or a post masters certificate, students are required to have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for all courses taken for graduate credit at Union University. To graduate with the Ed.D., a 3.2 minimum graduate GPA is required. To graduate with the Doctor of Pharmacy, a 2.33 minimum graduate GPA is required. Quality points shall be awarded as follows:

A - 4 quality points for each semester hour of credit

B - 3 quality points for each semester hour of credit

C - 2 quality points for each semester hour of credit

P - 0 quality points (course hours are not applied in computation of the grade point average)

F - 0 quality points

FF- 0 quality points (course hours are not applied in computation of the grade point average)

W - 0 quality points

N - 0 quality points

Repeating of Courses

A student may repeat a graduate course one time. Although the credit for the course will be given only once, only the final attempt will be used in the computation of the grade point average unless program policy requires other action.

A 500-level course taken for undergraduate credit may not be repeated for graduate credit.

Credit From the American Council on Education Regarding National Board Certification

Graduate programs in education at Union University award credit as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) regarding National Board Certification up to 6 semester hours in a degree program. The Registrar will award transfer graduate credit upon recommendation of Program Directors for Masters, Education Specialist, and Doctor of Education (School Administration) programs. Application for the coursework to the student’s degree program is determined by the Dean or Program Director in the respective program after review of an official copy of the Registry of Credit Recommendations (transcript) from ACE.

Academic Probation and Suspension

After completion of 9 graduate hours at Union University, a graduate student whose cumulative GPA from courses taken at Union University for graduate credit is below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. A graduate student whose GPA from courses taken at Union is below 2.5 will be suspended from the graduate degree program. While suspended from the degree program, the student may, in an effort to improve the GPA, repeat courses in which a grade of C or F has been received. When the student's GPA has been raised to 2.5 or higher, the student may apply for readmission to the degree program. See also each program for program specific progression policies. (For pharmacy students, this component is monitored by the Academic and Progression Review Committee of the College of Pharmacy. Continued enrollment eligibility in the College of Pharmacy is deemed to be satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility since the School’s standards are more stringent than Federal requirements.)

A graduate student suspended from the graduate program is not eligible to file for Veterans Administration Benefits.

Academic Grievance and Appeal Procedures

Orderly procedures are provided by which a student may be heard concerning a just academic grievance. Procedures are outlined in the Campus Life Handbook for the student who wishes to register dissatisfaction with the quality of instruction or performance of a professor.

Both the Campus Life Handbook and the Faculty Handbook detail the procedure for a formal grade appeal. The student should first ask the instructor how the grade was determined. It is hoped that most problems can be resolved at this level.

A student who wishes to appeal for a variance from graduate policies or procedures such as admission to or dismissal from a graduate program should direct a written petition to the academic dean requesting the variance and carefully outlining the reasons for the request. If the student is dissatisfied with the dean’s response to the petition, the student may then appeal the dean’s decision to the Graduate Appeals Committee following the sequence of the appeal procedures outlined in the current Campus Life Handbook

Admission Information

General Admission Requirements

Completed application for the specific program, including any payment for an application fee charged by a particular program.
Official transcript(s) showing completed degrees or prerequisite requirements which inform program admission decisions or are subject to consideration for transfer credit must be sent from the awarding institution(s). International transcripts must be evaluated by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) certified transcript evaluation company.
International students must complete the international student application for admission (www.uu.edu/academics/graduate/). All documents must be in English.

Other program specific admission requirements are included in the program sections of this Catalogue.

Requirements for International Students Applying for Study in the United States

In addition to the general application forms referenced above, and any program-specific requirements, all international students studying on one of Union University’s campuses must submit the following:

Student insurance meeting visa requirements purchased through the UU group plan or individually. If an individual plan is purchased, a Declaration Page should be sent to the International Officer for proof of insurance.
A financial affidavit as required by the United States Student Exchange & Visitor Program (SEVP), a division of the United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement. Each international student shall prepay or show responsible evidence (such as a government scholarship) of having an adequate sum of money for one academic year. This money shall be enough to cover tuition and other expenses for the student while enrolled at Union University. Declaration of Finances will be sent out from the International Student Office.
Proof of English proficiency:
- From a country where the native language is English, students will be admitted on academic credentials without regard to language requirements. Academic requirements will be the same as for regular admission.
- From a country where the native language is not English, students must show proof of English proficiency with scores from TOEFL, IELTS, or iTEP test centers. Proficiency scores may vary by program.
- From another accredited institution of higher learning in the United States, international students will be required to meet the same requirements for admission as well as meeting the required TOEFL score.

In addition, SEVP requires full-time course enrollment in face-to-face classes for international students who have been issued an F-1 visa to attend school in the United States. The student may only enroll in 1 three-credit hour online course to complete the full-time load requirement per semester. If the full load requirement has been met with face-to-face classes to include one 3-hour class, then the international student may enroll in additional online classes to a maximum load allowed under the degree being pursued. Dropping any face-to-face classes within the semester could result in being out of compliance with visa requirement. Any online course enrollment that falls outside of these guidelines for international students in the U.S. will result in the student being out of compliance and cannot be registered in SEVIS (part of Homeland Security). Contact the university’s International Student Office for additional information concerning these guidelines.

An SEVP-approved I-20 form may be issued only after admission requirements and the above monetary requirements have been satisfied.

Requirements for International Students Not Studying in the United States

In addition to the general application information at the beginning of this section, international students applying for an online program with no study/residence in the United States must communicate directly with the coordinator of the intended program about additional application information, including finances and English language proficiency requirements.

For international students outside the U.S. who enroll in online programming, SEVP guidelines do not apply.

Special Categories of Admission

Provisional Students

With limited exceptions, provisional students are enrolled in eligible programs for the purpose of obtaining a degree from Union University. These students do not have immediate access to official documents in order to be fully admitted. Any credit taken while in this status will not be transferred as regular matriculated credit until the status has officially been changed. Students will be required to submit all outstanding items to complete the admissions file in order for the provisional status to be changed.

The student will be bound by all general academic requirements imposed upon regular matriculated students so far as prerequisites, amount of work, and quality of work are concerned. All work completed or attempted will be fully documented in the Academic Center.

The student will sign a contract at the time of admission defining the status of a provisional student accepting the limitation of that status. The student must also sign a waiver so that Union University will have the right to request those documents needed to complete the admission file. A student may remain on provisional status for only one semester and the subsequent short term unless special circumstances exist and permission for an extension is given in writing by the Program Director. A personal conference with the Program Director may be required before the student is accepted for admission on a provisional basis.

Non-Degree Seeking Students

Some students may be admitted in this category if they desire to take courses primarily for special interest or on a “visiting student” basis. Often these special students are enrolled in other institutions and are enrolled for only one or two terms at Union. Students must submit an application to the appropriate graduate school, pay the application fee (nonrefundable), and submit an official transcript as proof of at least the baccalaureate degree. Students must meet all requirements for admission to change from Non-Degree Seeking status to Degree Seeking status. A maximum of 6 hours may be taken as a Non-Degree student.

Registration Information

Registration dates for each term are given in the calendar of this catalogue. In order to accommodate the varied personal schedules of students, early registration is also allowed. The dates and times for early registration will be published for each term. Students can also obtain this information from the appropriate graduate program office.

Late Registration and Class Changes

Late registration and changes of classes are allowed in some courses and in accordance with published deadlines in the Academic Center. A late registration fee or a class change fee will be charged for these changes. Those considering late registration for a cohort program should contact the appropriate graduate program office.

A student making a change in his/her class schedule after completing registration will follow this procedure:

Obtain proper forms from the appropriate graduate office,
Secure the signature of his/her advisor,
Present the forms to the appropriate graduate office for the schedule change.

Withdrawal from Classes

Students seeking to withdraw from all classes should consult the academic calendar and/or their program director for withdrawal deadlines. In order to withdraw, students must submit the “Withdraw from All Classes” form via UU Mobile (mobile.uu.edu). Students discontinuing class attendance without permission will receive an “F” in those courses. In exceptional cases, such as extreme illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control, the Registrar may assign a grade of W for a withdrawal after the allowable period.

Readmission

Students who have not been enrolled for at least one semester will be required to readmit by completing a new application to the appropriate graduate program. Official transcripts from other schools attended during the interval will be required. No additional application fee will be required. Readmission is not guaranteed.

Graduation Policies and Requirements

Commencement is held in Jackson following spring semester, following fall semester, and following summer sessions. Students should participate in the appropriate ceremony according to degree completion deadlines.

An Application for Graduation must be completed online after the student is cleared by the appropriate graduate office.

Attendance at the activities related to graduation is expected. Students wishing to graduate in absentia must download and complete the In Absentia Letter found on the Graduation website (www.uu.edu/events/graduation/IAletter.pdf).

Students who successfully complete a graduate degree or post masters certificate program are granted a diploma/certificate.

A candidate for the graduate degree must:

Successfully complete all degree requirements which are in effect for his/her program.
Earn a cumulative Union University GPA of ≥ 2.33 (minimum) for Pharm.D.; 3.0 (minimum) for M.B.A., M.Acc., M.Ed., M.A.Ed, M.S.N., M.S.W., M.C.S., M.A.T., D.N.P, Ed.S.; and ≥ 3.2 (minimum) for Ed.D.
Complete online Application for Graduation according to deadlines provided by the program office.
Pay remaining balance on his/her account.
Settle all other obligations (fines, credentials, etc.) at the University.