Mild/Moderate Disabilities (K-12)
Specialist Credential Level 1, Track A

Helpful Info for Current Students

Grading

Grades are based on the daily work of classroom projects and examinations. Scholarship is ranked as follows:

A, exceptional; B, good; C, passing; D, unsatisfactory, no credit awarded; F, failure; I, incomplete; and W, withdrawal. Please refer to individual sections within the catalog for specific program information. Some departments and/or schools require a higher minimum grade standard in order for course work to meet program requirements. For each credit, points are awarded according to the grade earned as follows:

*Does not affect grade-point average.

The grade I (incomplete) is to be given only if special circumstances exist. An incomplete grade may be given upon recommendation of the professor, with the permission of the dean and/or chair of the respective school and/or department. To obtain an incomplete, the student must fill out the Incomplete form available from the Office of the Graduate Registrar in the Graduate Center and obtain all necessary signatures. An extension may be granted for up to 12 weeks from the last day of the term.

Petitions for extension beyond the 12 weeks are subject to review by the faculty member and the dean of the school. An incomplete not made up within the 12-week period will be automatically changed to the grade agreed upon in the "Instructor and Student Agreement" section of the Incomplete form. An incomplete submitted without the proper form will automatically become an F.

Grade-Point Average Requirement

All students must earn a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 in all university work attempted. Some exceptions to this policy apply to students in C.P. Haggard Graduate School of Theology. Please refer to individual sections within the Graduate Catalog for specific information. Some departments and/or schools also require a minimum cumulative GPA in certain courses.

Thesis

The student selecting the thesis option, where available, must meet the following requirements:

1. The student must have maintained an appropriate grade-point average in all graduate courses at the time the thesis option is requested.
2. A thesis proposal must be submitted as evidence of writing ability. The student's effort will be judged by the appropriate academic department.
3. The appropriate academic department must grant approval for the writing of the thesis using the prescribed form.
4. The student must work with an Azusa Pacific University faculty member who has been approved by the department chair and dean to serve as a thesis advisor.
5. Details on the development of a thesis proposal and matters of style and format are available from the Hugh and Hazel Darling Library.
6. The student has two consecutive semesters to complete the thesis.
7. The final thesis must have the approval of the faculty advisor, department chair, and dean of the appropriate school or college.

Academic Probation and Disqualification

Satisfactory progress toward the graduate certificate, credential, or degree program is required. A student may be disqualified from further graduate work if a 3.0 grade-point average is not maintained. In the event that the grade-point average drops below the minimum level, the student may be given one enrollment period to raise it to the satisfactory level. Exceptions to this policy may be noted in department brochures.

Residency Requirement

To be considered in residence, a student must be enrolled in at least one Azusa Pacific University course. This includes any course taken online or at an APU regional center.

Change of Program

Admission to graduate programs at Azusa Pacific University is program-specific. If a graduate student changes plans and wishes to enroll in a program other than that to which he or she was accepted, then the student must submit a Change of Program* form to the Office of Graduate Admissions in the Graduate Center and international students must contact the Office of International Student Services. An enrollment counselor will contact the student if further documentation or materials are required. No credit toward the new program will be granted before written program acceptance has been secured.

*The downloadable version of this document is provided in Portable Document Format (PDF). To learn more about PDFs or to install Adobe Acrobat Reader, follow this link.

Petition Process

A petition process exists for students who seek an exception to stated academic policies, procedures, and regulations. Academic General Petition forms are available from the Graduate Center and the Regional Centers, and must be returned to the Office of the Graduate Registrar in the Graduate Center. All petitions and exceptions granted are considered on a case-by-case basis. Any exception granted by petition does not establish guaranteed subsequent exceptions or appeals.

Course Replacement and Substitution

Changes to degree requirements for a particular student must be approved through the academic petition process by the department chair and dean or program director and dean, and may not exceed 20 percent of the total units required for the degree. Such changes must be substantiated with academic reasons that become part of the student's academic records file.

Leaves of Absence

Enrolled graduate students may apply for university approval for a one-time leave of absence from their graduate program for a minimum of two consecutive semesters and a maximum of two years.

An exception exists for students enrolled in the EENAP nursing program. These students may apply for university approval for a one-time leave of absence for a maximum of three years following the BSN portion of the program.

Forms are available in the Office of the Graduate Registrar in the Graduate Center and must be submitted prior to the student’s absence from the university. Failure to complete the required form will result in the student having to comply with updated requirements or changes if applicable. Expired leaves of absences are not renewable.

Normal Progress toward a Degree and Time Limit for Degree

In most APU programs, a student has a maximum of eight years to complete a master’s or doctoral degree, beginning from the date of initial enrollment in the degree program. However, students have a maximum of five years to complete a graduate degree in the School of Business and Management, and students seeking the Master of Divinity have a maximum of 10 years to complete the degree, beginning from the first date of enrollment for course work in the degree program, as determined by ATS accreditation. In rare instances, extensions may be requested by petition. Granting of such a petition may entail additional degree requirements.