General Information
Credits
Graduate credit will be given only for courses at 5000 and/or 6000 levels.
Transfer Credit
If students are enrolled in a degree program, graduate credit from approved institutions may be accepted, provided the courses transferred are appropriate to the student's curriculum, grades earned on such course(s) average "B", and the student's advisor approves the course(s) to be transferred. Graduate credit will not be granted for any course when the grade earned is below "C" or when the course has been graded on a credit/no credit basis. If the student wishes to transfer credit already earned before he/she enters the program at Henderson State University, the student must submit an official transcript at the time application is made. It will be evaluated, and the student will be notified concerning the acceptability of such credits.
If a student wishes to earn credits at another institution for transfer after he/she has been admitted, the student must secure a letter from the HSU Dean of the Graduate School to the dean of the institution which he/she selects, authorizing that student to enroll in courses for transfer to HSU. The student should obtain specific course approval from his/her advisor and the Dean of the Graduate School prior to enrollment. A student who fails to secure this authorization takes courses at other institutions at his/her own risk. The total number of credits which may be transferred to apply toward a degree is six (6) semester hours for a 36 hour degree and nine (9) semester hours for a 48 hour degree.
Correspondence Credit
Credit earned in correspondence courses will not apply toward the Master's degree.
Seminar / Workshop Credit
The university reserves the right to limit the number of credits which may be earned. Consideration will be given to the quality of the seminar and to the student's need for such work. Henderson workshops graded on a credit/no credit basis will not be counted toward degree credit. Seminar credit may be counted, but six (6) semester hours will be the maximum.
Off Campus Classes
Graduate courses may be offered at an off campus site during the fall and spring semesters and in the summer sessions. Distance learning courses count as on-campus classes, if originating at HSU.
SCHOLASTIC REQUIREMENTS
A grade point average of 3.0 must be attained before a student can be admitted to candidacy for the degree and before the final awarding of the degree. Failing to earn this average on the minimum number of semester hours required for completion of the degree, the student may (re)take as many as six (6) additional hours in an effort to accumulate a GPA of 3.0. A student may not continue in a program with more than two (2) grades of “C” on his or her transcript; nor may a student continue with a grade of “D” or “F.” Courses in which a grade of “C” is earned may be repeated with permission of the course instructor and academic advisor; courses in which a “D” or “F” is earned may be repeated only with permission of the course instructor, advisor, and departmental chair. A student will be dismissed from the Graduate School if the student is denied permission to repeat a “D” or “F.”
DISMISSAL FROM GRADUATE SCHOOL
A student may be dismissed from Graduate School for any of the following infractions:
- the grade point average falls below the required program minimum (with the permission of the Graduate Dean, a student may be allowed a one semester extension to improve his or her GPA);
- more than six (6) hours of a grade of “C” are recorded on the transcript;
- a grade of “D” or “F” is recorded on the transcript;
- a student is officially reported to the Graduate Dean for plagiarism or cheating.
A student who is admitted on CONDITION may be dismissed from the Graduate Schoolif a 3.0 GPA is not maintained throughout all graduate work.
A student who is not in good standing in one graduate program is not eligible to switch to another program.
MBA STUDENTS admitted on condition may be dismissed from graduate school if a "B" is not earned in each graduate course in the first twelve (12) hours.
NON-DEGREE STUDENTS who do not meet the requirements for full or conditional admission to graduate school may be admitted in a non-degree status, but will be dismissed after completion of six (6) hours. The hours will not be counted for degree credit toward a Master's degree. This policy does not apply to senior citizens.
Incomplete Grades
Each spring, a list of incomplete grades will be sent by the Dean of the Graduate School to all Deans and Department Chairs. Chairs and respective faculty member/s will evaluate progress of the incompletes and will request from the Dean of the Graduate School extensions, with reason, or request a grade change to an "F." Incompletes must be completed before a student's transcript can be officially issued.
Time Limit for Completion of Program
All requirements for Master's degrees, except those in Counseling, must be met within six (6) calendar years after the beginning of the student's program, exclusive of any time spent in the armed forces of the United States. The Master's degrees in Counseling must be completed within eight (8) calendar years. Transfer credit presented to meet the requirements for the Master's degree at Henderson State University must have been earned within seven (7) years, nine (9) in the case of Counseling, prior to graduation. If for reasons beyond the student's control, he/she is unable to complete all requirements within the time limit allowed, he/she may apply to the Dean of the Graduate School for an extension of one year.
Graduate Student Advisors
When a student is notified of his/her eligibility for admission to graduate study, he/she will be assigned an advisor by the Dean of the Graduate School. The chairperson may reassign the student to a member of the staff who is especially qualified to direct that student's graduate work. A Graduate Advisor's Handbook is provided to each advisor who is responsible for the following duties:
- Helping the student plan a unified and balanced program of graduate work which is adapted to the student's particular interests, needs, abilities, and is directed toward the student's field of specialization.
- Recommending the student for admission to candidacy for the degree after nine (9) and before twelve (12) hours of work.
- Approving the application for graduation.
- Discussing with the Dean of the Graduate School such matters as will contribute to the success of the student's program.
Teacher Licensure
The university does not grant or issue teaching, counseling, or administrative licenses. Application must be made directly to the Division of Teacher Education and Licensure, Arkansas Department of Education. Application forms may be secured from the HSU Licensure Officer. Assistance is also available as to the logistics of planning for and applying for initial and additional license areas. No standard licenses are issued by the State Department without appropriate test scores, grade point averages, and official transcripts documenting requisite coursework.
Graduate Study Load
The maximum load for a summer term is six (6) semester hours, or a total of twelve (12) hours for the entire summer session. The maximum load for a graduate student is twelve (12) semester hours each semester during the regular academic year. This twelve (12) hour maximum also applies to a student who is enrolled in graduate and undergraduate courses concurrently.
Note: Six (6) hours is considered full-time status for a graduate student during the fall and spring semesters; 3 hours is considered full-time status during summer terms. This does not apply to international students who are required to be enrolled in nine (9) hours during the fall and/or spring semesters.
A student may withdraw during the first two (2) weeks of the regular summer term or during the first six (6) weeks of a semester without penalty. If the course is taught in a compressed format, withdrawal dates may be adjusted. Failure to withdraw officially will result in the assignment of a grade of "F."
Thesis Requirement
A thesis is optional for the MSE in all secondary education specialization fields. A student who elects to write a thesis must confer with the department chairperson concerning the nature of the topic, the selection of an appropriate major professor to direct the thesis, and the appointment of a thesis committee. The student should initiate such a conference as early in his/her program as possible. In the case of an MLA student, a Liberal Arts Project, or Thesis, must be successfully completed and may involve substantive research in the form of a thesis or other creative project, as decided by the student and his/her academic advisor.
Following admission to candidacy and completion of an appropriate introductory research course, the student should submit a thesis proposal to the Graduate School. The proposal must be filed at least three (3) months before the date set for the oral defense of the thesis. After the proposal and a version of the thesis have been accepted by the student's major professor, the thesis must be submitted for approval to the rest of the committee composed of two other graduate faculty members, one of whom may be from a department outside the student's major area of study. The committee members and the Graduate Dean must receive copies of the thesis at least three (3) weeks prior to the date of the oral defense. The defense, which is conducted by the committee chaired by the major professor, will occur no later than two (2) weeks before the date of graduation.
In preparing the thesis, the student should follow the instructions contained in Preparation of the Master's Thesis, available through the Office of the Graduate School.
The total number of thesis hours for which a student may enroll is six (6). A grade of "R" will be recorded on the student's transcript for the thesis hours at the end of the semester. The grade of "R" is not an evaluative measure but rather denotes continuing work on thesis hours. At the conclusion of the thesis process, the thesis committee chair will notify the Graduate Dean of the appropriate letter grade in order for the "R" to be changed.
The student should obtain approval of the advisor and the Dean of Graduate School prior to final printing of the thesis. A student who fails to obtain this approval does so at his/her own risk. Upon completion, one copy is required for the library, one copy for the student's major department, and one copy to the Graduate School.
More detailed guidelines concerning the thesis proposal, the preparation of the thesis, and the thesis approval process are available in the Graduate School or from graduate student advisors.
FEES
The university reserves the right to change the amount of fees and the charge for on campus meals and housing or to add new charges at any time such action is deemed necessary. Current fee information is available from the Graduate School.
HOUSING INFORMATION
During the regular academic year, fall and spring semesters, all residence halls are open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate students wanting to stay on campus during the summer sessions should contact Whispering Oaks.
The Residence Life Office also provides listings of available facilities upon request. The Residence Life staff welcomes the opportunity to serve and encourages the student to apply early to be assured of reservations.
For more information write to the Director of Residence Life, 1100 Henderson Street, Arkadelphia, Arkansas 71999 0001, or email reslife@hsu.edu.
Alpha Epsilon Lambda
Alpha Epsilon Lambda is the national honor society for graduate students. The purpose is to promote academic excellence, leadership, and service among graduate students. The Alpha Delta Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Lambda was chartered at Henderson State University on April 15, 1998. Nominees are required to meet outstanding academic scholarship, community leadership and service learning standards and must be nominated by the graduate student's advisor. Two initiation ceremonies are held annually. The dean of the graduate school is the AEL Sponsor with officers elected annually.