Trinity University

Trinity University offers four graduate degrees: the Master of Arts (Education: School Psychology); the Master of Arts in Teaching; the Master of Education (Education: School Administration); and the Master of Science (Accounting and Health Care Administration).

Graduate work was instituted at Trinity University in 1950. The objective of the Graduate Program is to provide students with opportunities to achieve productive scholarship and professional competence in the area of their specialization, with emphasis upon the development of analytical thinking, independent and original research, and effective communication.

The University's Coates Library offers exemplary collections, ample study space, group interaction rooms, and contemporary electronic resources in support of graduate work. Librarians team with faculty in the graduate programs to provide instruction on organizing optimal access to Internet-based tools, including databases specific to each graduate program. Collections of print resources provide research-level support for every graduate program.

The Commission on Graduate Studies serves as the academic policy committee for graduate students on all matters related to graduate degrees and programs. The Commission consists of one faculty member from each graduate department, two students appointed by the Graduate Student Association, the Registrar, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs or his or her representative.

As a liberal arts university with selected professional degree programs, Trinity does not maintain a separate graduate faculty. Faculty members selected to teach graduate-level courses will have an earned doctorate (or other terminal degree) in their teaching field and demonstrated research capability, or will be practitioners with at least a master's degree and appropriate training and experience in the professional field they are teaching. The Department Chair is responsible for determining whether a faculty member's qualifications meet the requirements for graduate-level teaching. Eligibility to teach at the graduate level is periodically reviewed in order to maintain viable programs and specialized and regional accreditation.

BACHELOR'S DEGREE REQUIREMENT 

Graduates holding the bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting organization and fulfilling all other requirements listed below may be admitted to graduate study in full standing. Graduates of colleges that are not accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting body may be admitted as provisional students at the discretion of the director of graduate studies and the Department Chair. Students who are close to completing the requirements for a bachelor's degree at an accredited university are occasionally permitted to enroll for a limited number of graduate courses at Trinity University. For further information, contact the specific department.

PREREQUISITE COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The requirement for background work varies with each graduate program at Trinity. The department chair or director of graduate study in a department may recommend that prerequisites be waived for superior students or, in certain cases, that prerequisites be taken on the graduate level. Consult individual department listings for specific requirements.

ADMISSION CATEGORIES

FULL ADMISSION - Requirements for full admission normally include:

1)     A grade point average of 3.00 or better on the last 60 hours of undergraduate level work and an average of 3.00 or better on all work taken in the undergraduate major field.

2)     Acceptable scores not over six years old on the Graduate Record Examination or Graduate Management Admissions Test, if required.

3)     Letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with student's ability to pursue graduate study.

4)     Departmental acceptance into the Graduate Program.

* Students who have earned at least 18 hours of graduate level credit must have a GPA of 3.00 or better on all graduate course work attempted. Graduate credit may be considered in lieu of undergraduate course work.

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION - Students who are not eligible for full admission may normally be granted provisional admission in cases where:

1)     The grade point average is between 2.60 and 3.00 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate level work and/or between 2.60 and 3.00 on all work taken in the undergraduate major.

2)     Test scores, if required, are below acceptable levels.

3)     Prerequisite work is required.

Note: Students admitted provisionally are reviewed after completion of their first 9 hours of graduate study. Those who have maintained a 3.00 average are eligible to apply for candidacy; those with an average below 3.00 are dropped from the graduate program.

NON-DEGREE ADMISSION - Upon the approval of the appropriate academic department, students not pursuing a degree may be admitted on a non-degree basis to enroll in graduate courses. Non-degree students include:

1)     Those interested in enrolling in only one graduate course or specialized workshop offered by the University.

2)     Those interested in taking graduate courses but who do not wish to work toward a master's degree. (This category includes those who already hold a graduate degree and wish to take further work on a non-degree basis.)

3)     Those currently working on graduate degrees at other colleges or universities who wish to take work at Trinity for transfer purposes. Students in this category are advised to check in advance with these other universities to be sure the Trinity work will be accepted.

Students admitted to a program on a non-degree basis who later decide that they would like to become degree candidates must apply for admission to degree status and provide all required information including test results. There is no guarantee that courses taken on a non-degree basis will later apply for credit toward a graduate degree.

FORMAL APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION

Students interested in doing graduate work at Trinity University should make application to the appropriate academic department and must submit to the Graduate Admissions Office the following items:

1)     Application form and fee.

2)     An official transcript or transcripts of all previous college and university work. These transcripts must be current (not over one year old). All transcripts become a part of the University's files and will not be returned.

3)     Test scores not over six years old on the Graduate Record Examination, Graduate Management Admission Council exam, or any other similar examinations. Consult departmental listings for specific requirements.

4)     One or more letters of recommendation if specified by the department in which the student plans to major.

The application for admission to graduate study and all supporting papers should be sent well in advance of the opening of the session that the student plans to attend. Because of the number of applications for some fields and the necessity of handling each case with care, the admissions procedure requires considerable time after the application and supporting materials have been received. The application deadline is one month prior to the beginning of the semester or as established by the program. Students outside the United States should submit their applications at least three months prior to the semester they plan to enter the University. Registration is not permitted until application for admission is approved.

The final decision on admission is made by the Office of Academic Affairs after receiving the recommendation of the academic department involved.

After admission has been approved, degree students should confer with the graduate program director of the major department or with an adviser appointed by the program director to arrange a complete program of graduate studies. This approved program will be deemed tentative until the applicant has been admitted officially to candidacy for the degree. (See requirements for admission to candidacy.) Students admitted to graduate study will follow the regular university procedures for registration.

A graduate student who has not attended Trinity University within twelve months prior to the term for which the student plans to re-enroll must submit an application for readmission no later than one month prior to the beginning of the term. Official transcripts from any colleges or universities attended during the time since the student last attended Trinity University must be submitted as part of the application for readmission. No new application fee is required. The decision to readmit a student is made by the department.

A graduate student returning to Trinity University after an absence of less than twelve months and without a change in his or her program of study, need only complete the Returning Graduate Student Information Form and submit official transcripts from any colleges or universities attended during the time since the student last attended Trinity University. The Returning Graduate Student Information Form should be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office at least one month prior to the beginning of the term the student plans to attend. The student should also consult his or her graduate program director well in advance of registration.

Admission to candidacy for a master's degree is a separate step from admission to graduate study. As soon as a student has completed 9 semester hours of graduate work at Trinity with an overall GPA of 3.0, he or she must apply for admission to candidacy for a master's degree in the office of the specific department. This application must be approved by the director of graduate study of the student's major department.

At the time of admission to candidacy the program of study of the student becomes official and may not be changed without the consent of the adviser and Department Chair.

APPLICATION FOR CANDIDACY MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE SEMESTER IN WHICH THE STUDENT INTENDS TO GRADUATE.

A minimum of thirty semester hours is required for the master's degree. In addition to thirty semester hours of course work, the candidate must complete one or more of the following:

1)     A thesis.

2)     A minimum of 6 additional hours of course work.

3)     An applied research project.

4)     A comprehensive examination.

5)     Completion of an internship or residency.

A minimum grade point average of 3.00 is required for the master's degree. No more than 6 hours of courses graded C can apply toward a master's degree.

Departments may require a demonstration of proficiency in the use of research tools, such as foreign languages, mathematics, statistics, or computer languages relevant to the area of graduate study. Such proficiency shall be determined by the department and certified to the Office of Academic Affairs by the chair of the department or director of graduate study in the department, before the student is admitted to candidacy for the degree.

Students have the option of completing degree requirements as specified in the Trinity University Courses of Study Bulletin in effect at the time of matriculation provided all requirements are completed within six years (see Time Limit) or following requirements of any later bulletin that satisfies the six-year time limit.

Departments may require completion of a master's thesis. Consult departmental listings for specific requirements. Six semester hours of credit are allowed for the thesis.

After admission to candidacy, the student shall request of his or her adviser the formation of a thesis committee. After consultation with the student, this committee will be recommended to the Department Chair by the director of graduate studies of the department in which the student is doing his or her major work. The committee will be composed of two faculty members from the candidate's major field of study and one faculty member from a related department or field of study.

The form of the thesis will be in accordance with instructions specified by the department. A copy should be submitted to the chair of the thesis committee on the date specified by him or her which is well in advance of the due date in the Graduate Bulletin. All members of the committee shall read and approve this draft before the final copies are prepared.

Final approval of the thesis requires acceptance by all members of the committee and approval by the chair of the major department (or director of graduate study) and the Office of Academic Affairs. The student must have four copies of the thesis prepared early enough so that the readers may have time to check the copies carefully before signing the approval pages.

After the thesis has been approved, the four copies will be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs on or before the date listed in the calendar at the front of this bulletin. Four copies of the thesis will be bound by the University at the student's expense. After binding, two copies will be filed in the library and one copy given to the major department. The student receives the fourth copy.

Candidates for master's degrees with a thesis must be registered for credit or for the thesis in the semester or summer term in which they expect to receive the degree. When a student has previously registered for the six hours of thesis credit, he or she will be expected to register for 6098, for which he or she will receive no credit hours but which will fulfill this requirement. There will be a nominal fee of $10 for registration for 6098.

Some departments require completion of a project as part of the degree requirements. Consult department listings for specific requirements. Procedures for submitting the project for approval may vary, and students should consult the department chair or director of graduate study for departmental and divisional procedures. Candidates for master's degrees with a project must be registered for credit or for 6099 in the semester or summer term in which the degree is expected. There will be a nominal fee of $10 for registration for 6099.

A number of graduate programs require internships, residencies, or other practicum experience. See departmental listing for specific requirements.

A comprehensive examination, written or oral or both, may be required of candidates for the master's degree. The results of the comprehensive examination must be reported to the Department Chair one week before the student expects to receive the degree. Consult departmental listings for specific requirements.

A student is allowed six years in which to complete the master's degree. Under certain circumstances, the student may revalidate by examination courses that are outdated by the time limit. This can be done only with permission of the Department Chair, the graduate program director of the department, and the Commission on Graduate Studies. It is not possible to revalidate courses that have been transferred from another institution and that are out of date.

Each student must secure from the Office of the Registrar an application for graduation. The student is responsible for returning the graduation application on or before the date listed in the calendar.

A degree candidate must be present for commencement exercises unless he or she has submitted to the Registrar at least ten days prior to commencement a written request for permission to graduate in absentia.

A degree candidate must be registered in the semester or summer term in which the degree will be awarded. If the student is not registered for credit or thesis extension, the student will register for 6099. There will be a fee of $200 for registration for 6099.

A graduate student taking at least 9 semester hours of graduate work per semester is considered a full-time student. The maximum load during the summer session is 9 semester hours. A graduate student registered for thesis credit or required internship is also considered a full-time student without regard to the number of credit hours. The first semester of thesis extension will be considered full-time enrollment, but subsequent semesters of thesis extension will be considered as less than one-quarter time.

Ordinarily, all work for the master's degree must be done at Trinity University. Under some circumstances acceptance of graduate credit for work done in other regionally accredited institutions may be approved by the chair of the department concerned. No course completed with a grade lower than a B will be approved. Up to 10 semester hours but no more than twenty percent of the total degree requirement can be transferred to apply toward a graduate degree. No hours earned toward a completed or previously awarded graduate/professional degree may be transferred. However, students with a previously awarded graduate/professional degree may have up to 10 semester hours but no more than twenty percent of the total degree requirement waived by the chair of the department. Students granted such a waiver may not transfer any credit to apply toward a graduate degree, except on petition to the Commission on Graduate Studies. Furthermore, the GPA of transferred credit will not be applied to meet the GPA requirement for a graduate degree at Trinity. No transfer credit will be accepted or waiver approved until the student has earned 12 semester hours of graduate credit at Trinity University. The six-year limit applies to transfer work as well as to courses taken in residence.

Courses offered by accredited universities at extension centers or other off-campus locations, or in online formats, will be evaluated individually by the Department Chair. Such courses will be accepted only when course requirements and quality standards comparable to regular on-campus offerings can be demonstrated. Credit for work done by correspondence will not be accepted for the graduate degree.

In some graduate programs, students may obtain academic credit for from 3 to 12 hours of graduate work on the basis of previous academic preparation and/or successful experiences. In order to obtain this credit, the student must demonstrate the attainment of objectives identified for the particular course or courses in the program. Candidates may demonstrate the attainment of these objectives by satisfactorily completing a written and/or oral examination administered by the department. The academic credit will be placed on the student's permanent record.

No more than 6 semester hours of credit in independent study/problems courses may be applied to the student's degree program.

The grading system for all graduate courses is as follows:

A                      Excellent - Superior Performance

B                      Good - Solid Performance

C                     Fair - Marginal Performance

F                      Failure - Not meeting course requirements

I                       Incomplete

PR                   In Progress - for thesis or special study/research courses

PP                   Pass in a Pass/Fail Course

FF                   Failure in a Pass/Fail Course

NC                   Non-credit

Pass/Fail        Departments desiring to offer selected courses only on a Pass/Fail basis may do so with prior approval of the Office of Academic Affairs.

W                    Withdrawn - Graduate students may withdraw from a graduate course with a grade of W any time up to the time that mid-semester grades are due for that semester or during the first two weeks of summer session. Such withdrawal must be filed at the Office of the Registrar. Non-attendance does not constitute withdrawal from a class. Students may withdraw with a grade of W up to final examination week. However, such withdrawal must be approved by the Department Chair or Graduate Program Director in consultation with the instructor.

Unless the instructor specifies an earlier completion date, grades of "Incomplete" will be changed automatically to "F" in the Registrar's Office after one year. Under unusual circumstances, an extension of time may be granted by the Office of Academic Affairs upon request of the instructor.

No credit course may be changed to "non-credit" after the last day of registration.

Probation and Dismissal:

Probation:   

A graduate student will be placed on academic probation following any term in which the student fails to achieve a grade point average of at least 3.00 or receives a grade of "F" in any course, regardless of the level of courses taken and the cumulative grade point average. A student on probation may not hold a graduate assistantship. Academic probation is removed when the student completes a subsequent term and achieves a term grade point average of at least 3.00 with no grade of "F" in any course and a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 in all graduate level courses completed at Trinity University.

Dismissal:

1.     A graduate student will be dismissed from the graduate program following any term in which the student earns a grade point average of less than 2.00, regardless of the level of courses taken and the cumulative grade point average.

2.     A graduate student placed on academic probation will be dismissed from the graduate program if the student fails to meet the requirements to be removed from probation after attempting nine semester hours.

3.     Students dismissed from the graduate program have the option to appeal to the faculty members of the Commission on Graduate Studies. The appeal must be made in writing by the student within 10 days of notification of the decision. When making a decision on an appeal, the Commission will consider the recommendation of the student's academic department.

Credit will not be allowed for a graduate course unless the work of that course shall have been completed and so reported to the Office of the Registrar within one year after official ending of the course.

After a student has been duly enrolled in a class, he or she is considered a member until he or she has been dropped from the class or has withdrawn from the school. Merely discontinuing class attendance does not constitute a drop or withdrawal. Withdrawal from the University or from a course must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before final examinations begin.

After mid-semester or the first two weeks of a summer session, a student may withdraw with grades of W only with the approval of the Graduate Program Director. Withdrawal without approval will result in grades of F and dismissal from the graduate program.

A student will receive a grade of PR for 6388 and 6389 if the thesis is not completed at the end of the semester or summer term for which the student registered for thesis credit. Subsequent registrations for 6098 will automatically receive a grade of NC.  When the thesis is completed, the thesis director will process a Change of Grade to change the PR to the appropriate grade.