/Institutions/Catholic-University-of-America/json/2023-2024/Graduate-Announcements-local.json

/Institutions/Catholic-University-of-America/json/2023-2024/Graduate-Announcements.json

Graduate Announcements > Campus Overview > Academic Regulations for Graduate Students

Academic Regulations for Graduate Students

General Requirements for Graduate Study

 

Graduate programs at The Catholic University of America have as their objectives the discovery, understanding and dissemination of knowledge. These programs are designed to prepare students as research scholars, teachers and professional practitioners of an applied discipline. All graduate curricula are organized to lead students to an in-depth understanding of the principles, problems, and historical development of the specialized disciplines with which they are concerned.

 

The President and the Academic Senate share the immediate responsibility for the academic governing of The University. Under the supervision of the President, the Provost and the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, jurisdiction in the graduate programs of The University is exercised by the respective deans and faculties. Reviews of the various graduate programs begin at the level of the department or, in the schools that do not have a departmental structure, of the school. Policies developed by departments in the School of Arts and Sciences are reviewed by its Academic Council, in the School of Engineering by its Executive Committee, and in the School of Theology and Religious Studies by its Executive Council. All school policies are in turn reviewed by the Graduate Board, established by the Academic Senate "to exercise general supervision over matters relating to graduate study." The chair of the Graduate Board is the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, and the members are appointed by the Academic Senate.

 

In addition to these general requirements, each school and department may, with the permission of the Graduate Board, define specific requirements applicable to its programs. Students are advised to consult pertinent sections of these Announcements and the school dean or department chair (where applicable).

 

The University offers a wide range of master’s, licentiate, and doctoral degree programs. These programs are listed at the Graduate Admissions site. This policy provides the general requirements for these programs.

 

Definition

Courses carrying graduate credit will normally be scheduled for three (3) credit hours per semester. The semester is considered to be comprised of fifteen (15) weeks which includes one (1) week for examinations.

 

The Catholic University of America follows the definition of the credit hour as found in The Code of Federal Regulations 34 CFR §

600.2, which states the following:

 

“A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than either:

 

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester … ; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”

 

Admission

A student who intends to work toward the master’s degree is expected to have earned the bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning or have achieved its equivalent in satisfactory course work. The master’s degree is conferred upon students who have satisfactorily completed at least one (1) year of graduate study and have met the other conditions prescribed for the degree as described by the program.

 

A student who intends to work toward the doctoral degree is expected to have earned the master's degree or have achieved its equivalent in satisfactory course work. The doctoral degree is conferred upon students who have satisfactorily completed at least three (3) years of graduate study and have met the other conditions prescribed for the degree.

 

Admission to a master's program or the awarding of the master's degree does not constitute admission to the corresponding doctoral program. Admission to the doctoral degree is granted only to students who give evidence of superior academic ability and of high attainment in the special field in which the major work will be done.

 

Coursework

The program of studies to be pursued by the candidate for the master's degree shall include a minimum of thirty (30) credit hours of graduate work, of which six (6) hours may be in thesis guidance. The credit hours earned in satisfying the master’s degree requirement may be applied to the doctoral degree if admission to the higher degree is approved.

 

The program of studies to be pursued by the candidate for the doctoral degree must include a minimum of fifty-three (53) credit hours of graduate course work, of which at least thirty-five (35) credit hours must be in the major subject. The remainder must be completed in a program that has been approved by the school dean and the department chair (where applicable).

 

Individual schools or departments may prescribe additional requirements, and the student should consult the appropriate school for information on coursework and requirements specific to the degree program of interest.

 

Continuing education courses are not acceptable in meeting the requirements for master’s, licentiate, or doctoral degree programs.

 

Transfer of Credit

Up to six (6) credit hours of graduate work earned at another accredited institution, in which a student received grades of B or above, may be applied toward course requirements for the master's degree, upon recommendation of the appropriate school or department (where applicable) and with the approval of the school dean. For programs requiring forty (40) semester hours of more, up to 9 credits may be transferred with the approval of the school dean. In order to qualify for transfer, the credits must have been earned within five (5) years of the request for transfer. This policy conforms to the guidelines as articulated by the Council of Graduate Schools.

 

Up to twenty-four (24) credit hours of graduate work earned at another accredited institution in which the student received a grade of B or above may be applied toward course requirements for the doctoral degree, upon recommendation of the appropriate school or department (where applicable) and with the approval of the school dean. Credits must have been earned within ten (10) years of the request for transfer and approved before permission is given to take the doctoral comprehensive examination.

 

To address the unique nature of its academic programs, each school within the University may establish, with written approval of the Provost, a different set of limits on the number of transferable credits. Consequently, prospective and current students should refer to the individual school's policy for specific guidance relating to transfer credits.

 

Language Requirement

Language requirements are determined by the various schools and departments (where applicable). Students should consult the school or the chair of the department (where applicable) for information on the language requirements applicable to their degree program. All language requirements must be satisfied before a student will be permitted to take the Comprehensive Examination.

 

Although additional requirements may be specified by individual departments or schools, the generally accepted methods of satisfying modern language requirements are the following:

 

1. Present a minimum score of 450 on the Graduate School Foreign Language Test. Information is also available at the Counseling Center, 127 O'Boyle Hall.

    

2. Pass the noncredit intensive language course offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

    

3. A student whose native language is not English, but a language recognized as a medium for scholarly work relevant to the student's career, shall be considered to have fulfilled the language requirement without examination. Satisfying the language requirement through this method is permissible provided the student's adviser states, in writing, to the school dean that the language is a language of scholarship for the student's discipline.

 

Any registered student is eligible for language examinations.

 

In some cases, it may be possible to substitute a research skill or computer proficiency for the language requirement. The student should consult the individual program for information. Research skill or computer courses will not be counted as part of the 30 credits required for the M.A. degree.