The University Senate of Michigan Technological University

 

Proposal 1-12
(Voting Units:  Academic)

 

Proposal to Modify Senate Policy 413.1:

ACCELERATED MASTER'S PROGRAMS

  

This Proposal:

·         Extends the existing policy on accelerated Master’s programs to include Master’s programs that require a thesis or a report (research-based Master’s degrees).

·         Allows outstanding undergraduate students to pursue an accelerated research-based master’s degree and take up to three of their graduate-level research credits under senior rule.

Goals of the Proposed Policy Change:

·         Allow a select group of high-ability undergraduate students to be identified early in their academic careers so that they can be encouraged to enter and remain in research degree programs (those that require a thesis or a report). These students may complete a portion of their research credits (up to three credits) under Senior rule (which allows a maximum of 10 graduate credits to be completed while a senior) and apply a limited number of credits (up to six credits) towards both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

 Proposed Revisions to the Policy Guidelines (These are changes to the Current Policy):

For Programs:

·          Students may take up to three research credits while a senior-level student and apply these credits toward a graduate degree.

For Students

·         Students can apply for admission to an accelerated master’s program at any time after they attain sophomore-level class standing and up until they are awarded their bachelor’s degree.

·         A student must meet the admission requirements set by the program.

·         Students who are accepted from the program will not be allowed to continue if their cumulative undergraduate or graduate GPA falls below 3.0. 

 

For University Administration

·         The Dean of the Graduate school will report to the Senate on the number of accelerated master’s programs and enrollment in these programs.


 

PROPOSED REVISED POLICY:  (amendments are in red and additions are highlighted)

 

The University Senate of Michigan Technological University

ACCELERATED MASTER'S PROGRAMS
(Proposal 13-11) (Proposal 1-12)

Senate Policy 413.1

  

Goals of the Proposed Policy:

·         Develop a flexible policy framework that will allow individual departments/programs to offer integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree programs that meet the needs of their students, faculty, and academic discipline.

·         Allow students in coursework degree programs (those that require neither a thesis nor a report) to apply a limited number of credits towards both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

·         Allow outstanding undergraduate students to pursue an accelerated research-based master’s degree and apply up to three undergraduate-level research credits earned as a senior-level student toward the research requirement for a master’s degree (thesis or report option).

·         Attract outstanding Michigan Tech bachelor’s students into our master’s programs.

 

Policy Guidelines:

 

For Programs:

·         The recommended curriculum for an accelerated master’s program must be established in advance by each department or program that wishes to offer an accelerated master’s program to their students.

·         Recommended curricula for accelerated master's programs can allow students to apply up to a maximum of six of the credits earned while an undergraduate to both their bachelor’s and master’s degree. A maximum of three of the double-counted credits may be research credits. Programs may choose to not allow or limit the double-counting of either coursework or research credits or both.

·         Any research credits earned by an undergraduate and applied toward a master’s degree must be earned after the student has attained senior-level standing.

·         Undergraduate students may not enroll in graduate research courses. Undergraduates who participate in research should enroll in undergraduate research courses.

·            Up to a maximum of three credits of undergraduate research earned during the senior year may be substituted for graduate-level research credits if allowed by the graduate program. 

·            Only students in a research-based (thesis or report option) master’s program may apply any undergraduate research credits toward a graduate degree.

·         Accelerated master’s programs must require students to complete a minimum of 150 total credits for the bachelor’s and master’s combined.

·         The maximum time to degree for students in an accelerated master’s program is 5 years from the time the student is accepted into the program.

·         Proposed accelerated master’s programs that will result in students earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees that are both currently offered by Michigan Tech do not have to be reviewed or approved by the University Senate as they do not involve development of new degree programs.

·         This policy cannot be used to develop stand-alone accelerated master’s programs.

·         Each plan for an accelerated master’s programs must be reviewed by the Graduate School prior to the time it is made available to students. The Graduate School will ensure that the plan conforms to this policy and will make information about programs available to the Graduate Faculty Council and the University Senate and will advertise the programs on the Graduate School website.

 

For Students

·         Only students who intend to complete both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Michigan Tech can enroll in an accelerated master’s program.

·         Students already enrolled in a graduate program may not retroactively use this policy.

·         In order to be formally accepted into an accelerated master’s program students must apply to and be accepted into the Graduate School at Michigan Tech. Applications will be reviewed by departments and programs according to their normal procedure.

·         Students can apply for admission to an accelerated master’s program at any time after they attain junior sophomore-level class standing and up until they are awarded their bachelor’s degree.

·         Only students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above are eligible to enter an accelerated master’s program. Programs may set higher admission requirements. For example, programs may require a cumulative GPA of 3.5 for admission to a research-based (thesis or report option) master’s program.

·         Students who are accepted from to the program will not be allowed to continue if their cumulative undergraduate or graduate GPA falls below 3.0. A or higher GPA if so defined may be required by the program. 

 

For University Administration

·         Students will be considered undergraduates for the purposes of financial aid, tuition, and class standing until their undergraduate degree has been awarded.

·         Once students are awarded their undergraduate degree, they will be considered graduate students for the purposes of financial aid, and tuition.

·         Prior to completion of the master’s degree, students must indicate on their master’s degree schedule which undergraduate-level courses (if any are allowed by the program) and credits (up to a maximum of six, if allowed by the program for an accelerated master's degree) should be applied to both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

·         The Dean of the Graduate school will report to the Senate on the number of accelerated master’s programs, and enrollment in these programs, the number of enrolled master’s students who received their undergraduate degree from Michigan Tech and the number of these that are in accelerated master’s programs.  In addition, this report will include a comparison with the data from previous years.

 


Clean Copy of Amended Proposal

 

The University Senate of Michigan Technological University

ACCELERATED MASTER'S PROGRAMS
(Proposal 13-11) (Proposal 1-12)

Senate Policy 413.1

  

Goals of the Proposed Policy:

·         Develop a flexible policy framework that will allow individual departments/programs to offer integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree programs that meet the needs of their students, faculty, and academic discipline.

·         Allow students in coursework degree programs (those that require neither a thesis nor a report) to apply a limited number of credits towards both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

·         Allow outstanding undergraduate students to pursue an accelerated research-based master’s degree and apply up to three undergraduate-level research credits earned as a senior-level student toward the research requirement for a master’s degree (thesis or report option).

·         Attract outstanding Michigan Tech bachelor’s students into our master’s programs.

 

Policy Guidelines:

 

For Programs:

·         The recommended curriculum for an accelerated master’s program must be established in advance by each department or program that wishes to offer an accelerated master’s program to their students.

·         Recommended curricula for accelerated master's programs can allow students to apply up to a maximum of six of the credits earned while an undergraduate to both their bachelor’s and master’s degree. A maximum of three of the double-counted credits may be research credits. Programs may choose to not allow or limit the double-counting of either coursework or research credits or both.

·         Any research credits earned by an undergraduate and applied toward a master’s degree must be earned after the student has attained senior-level standing.

·         Undergraduate students may not enroll in graduate research courses. Undergraduates who participate in research should enroll in undergraduate research courses.

·            Up to a maximum of three credits of undergraduate research earned during the senior year may be substituted for graduate-level research credits if allowed by the graduate program. 

·            Only students in a research-based (thesis or report option) master’s program may apply any undergraduate research credits toward a graduate degree.

·         Accelerated master’s programs must require students to complete a minimum of 150 total credits for the bachelor’s and master’s combined.

·         The maximum time to degree for students in an accelerated master’s program is 5 years from the time the student is accepted into the program.

·         Proposed accelerated master’s programs that will result in students earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees that are both currently offered by Michigan Tech do not have to be reviewed or approved by the University Senate as they do not involve development of new degree programs.

·         This policy cannot be used to develop stand-alone accelerated master’s programs.

·         Each plan for an accelerated master’s programs must be reviewed by the Graduate School prior to the time it is made available to students. The Graduate School will ensure that the plan conforms to this policy and will make information about programs available to the Graduate Faculty Council and the University Senate and will advertise the programs on the Graduate School website.

 

For Students

·         Only students who intend to complete both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Michigan Tech can enroll in an accelerated master’s program.

·         Students already enrolled in a graduate program may not retroactively use this policy.

·         In order to be formally accepted into an accelerated master’s program students must apply to and be accepted into the Graduate School at Michigan Tech. Applications will be reviewed by departments and programs according to their normal procedure.

·         Students can apply for admission to an accelerated master’s program at any time after they attain sophomore-level class standing and up until they are awarded their bachelor’s degree.

·         Only students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above are eligible to enter an accelerated master’s program. Programs may set higher admission requirements. For example, programs may require a cumulative GPA of 3.5 for admission to a research-based (thesis or report option) master’s program.

·         Students who are accepted to the program will not be allowed to continue if their cumulative undergraduate GPA falls below 3.0. A higher GPA may be required by the program. 

 

 

For University Administration

·         Students will be considered undergraduates for the purposes of financial aid, tuition, and class standing until their undergraduate degree has been awarded.

·         Once students are awarded their undergraduate degree, they will be considered graduate students for the purposes of financial aid, and tuition.

·         Prior to completion of the master’s degree, students must indicate on their master’s degree schedule which undergraduate-level courses (if any are allowed by the program) and credits (up to a maximum of six, if allowed by the program for an accelerated master's degree) should be applied to both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

·         The Dean of the Graduate school will report to the Senate on the number of accelerated master’s programs, enrollment in these programs, the number of enrolled master’s students who received their undergraduate degree from Michigan Tech and the number of these that are in accelerated master’s programs.  In addition, this report will include a comparison with the data from previous years.

 

 

 

Introduced to Senate:  21 September 2011
Approved by Senate w/friendly and clarifying amendments in green:  05 October 2011
Approved by Administration w/grammatical clarifications in blue: 21 October 2011
Senate approved clarifications: 02 November 2011