Policies
The mission of John Brown University is to provide a Christ-centered education that prepares people to honor God and serve others by developing their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives. With this in mind, JBU requests from all students enrolled in The Graduate School a willingness to exhibit a lifestyle in harmony with the mission along with a sympathetic appreciation for its standards. Specific lifestyle expectations are found in The Graduate Student Guide, Some of the academic policies are found below. For additional policies refer to the Graduate Student Guide and the 2011-2013 Graduate Catalog.
- Incomplete Admissions File
- GPA and Program Continuance Requirements
- Course Load
- Transfer Coursework
- Independent Study
- Second Master's Degree
- Auditing Graduate Courses
Incomplete Admissions File
Graduate students who are allowed to register with an incomplete file must complete the admission process no later than the end of their first semester or summer session of classes. Failing to do so will result in becoming ineligible to register for the following semester.
GPA and Program Continuance Requirements
To maintain satisfactory academic standing, graduate students must make satisfactory progress toward their degrees and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0, who is not making satisfactory progress toward the degree or who is failing to demonstrate an ability to succeed in their plan of studies, may be denied permission to register, required to withdraw, or dismissed from the program.
The grade of 'C' is the minimum passing grade for graduate credit; however, no more than nine semester hours of 'C' or 'C+' may be applied toward a master's degree. A graduate-level course in which the student earned a grade of 'C-minus' or lower cannot be applied toward a graduate degree. Counseling students must earn a grade higher than 'C+' in every course required for state licensure.
A student admitted under regular status whose cumulative GPA is below 3.0 is automatically placed on probationary status. The Program Director and the student will be notified in writing by the Graduate School. Probation becomes effective at the time that a student's grade point average falls below 3.0, not at the time of notification. Students will continue on probationary status until the end of the semester in which the next nine hours of graduate course work is completed. At the end of that period, one of the following actions will be taken:
a. a student whose cumulative grade point average is 3.0 or higher will be taken off probation, or
b. a student whose cumulative grade point average is still below 3.0 will be dismissed. Students who are dismissed will be informed of this action by the Graduate School. Dismissed students may be readmitted only upon approval of petition for reinstatement.
A student admitted under provisional status who upon completion of 12 hours of graduate course work has achieved a 3.0 GPA will be recommended for regular status in the graduate program.
A student admitted under provisional status who upon completion of 12 hours of graduate course work has earned a GPA below 3.0 will be subject to dismissal.
A student on academic probation when last enrolled in the Graduate School who wishes to be readmitted or change degree program must petition the graduate program and the Graduate School. The petition should provide reasons for the poor academic record, explain how conditions that produced this poor performance have changed, and present specific plans for improvement. The respective Program Director and the Dean must approve the petition before a student can enroll in the program.
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Course Load
Graduate students are considered full-time at six or more hours and part-time at fewer than six hours.
Transfer Coursework
Graduate students may transfer up to 9 hours of graduate transfer credit or 25% of the degree program, whichever is greater. No grade below a "B-" may be transferred into a graduate degree program at JBU. Grades from transfer credits are not included in the calculation of the JBU GPA.
Independent Study
Registration for independent study courses requires approval of the student's advisor.
Second Master's Degree
Student who desire to earn a second master's degree from JBU must reapply.
Auditing Graduate Courses
Because of the participatory nature of most graduate classes, students wishing to audit a graduate class must secure the instructor's permission and fulfill all requirements specified by the instructor for auditing students. The student must register as an auditing student through the Graduate Studies office. The name of the student will be entered on the class roll and the course will appear on the student's academic record, but without credit and with a final grade of "S" or "U". The fee for auditing a graduate class will be one-half of the regular tuition.
