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