Haigazian University

ACADEMICS

Graduate Academic Information

Time Limitation

All requirements for the Master’s degree in Education and Psychology are to be completed within five years of the first semester of registration as a graduate student at HU. Appeals for extension of time limitation must be made in writing to the Graduate Program Committee.

All requirements for the Master’s degree in the Faculty of Business Administration are to be completed within seven years of the first semester of registration as a graduate student at HU. Appeals for extension of time limitations must be made in writing to the Graduate Program Committee.

Normal Academic Progress

Graduate students are considered to be making normal academic progress when a cumulative average of 80 or higher is maintained. Full-time students making normal academic progress are allowed to register for a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 credits per semester and must complete their degrees within the above specified time.

Any interruption in a graduate student’s academic study will require a request for leave of absence. Graduate students who are in the process of thesis writing are required to complete their thesis without interruption by registering every semester. Exceptions may be allowed only after petitioning to the Graduate Studies Committee. Those who are in the process of thesis writing and withdraw from the University or fail to register without petitioning for a leave of absence, are required to register for 399A in case they decide to continue their studies.

Students who defend and pass their thesis defense conditionally, and are not able to revise and submit their thesis on time, are required to register for thesis extension of 0.5 credits in the following semester and graduate.

Examinations and Grading

The grading policy for graduate students is based on the assumption that the minimum grade for acceptable and satisfactory performance in graduate studies is 80.

Haigazian University operates on a semester basis. First semester examinations are given in December, and second semester examinations are given in May. Class attendance is mandatory in order to receive academic credit. Grades are calculated numerically. The minimum grade is 55, and the passing grade is 70. The following letter grades are also given:

I – Incomplete: Given in case of illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control which have prevented the student from completing the requirements for the course. The student should present valid reason to the instructor before the grades for the semester are reported or not more than ten days after the date of the final examination. In such cases, the remaining work in the course must be completed within six weeks of the beginning of the next semester. Students may petition the Academic Standing Committee for an extension of the time limit.

Note: students may not enroll in a course with a prerequisite course in which they have the grade of I unless they achieve a passing grade during the change of schedule period.

IP – In Progress: Given to students who are not able to complete their MBA or MA thesis.

F – Fail: Given to students who fail non-numerically graded courses.

IF – Incomplete Fail: Given to students who have an I grade and fail to complete work within the time limit.

P – Pass: Given to students who fulfill the requirements of non-numerically graded courses.

W – Withdrawal: Given to students withdrawing from a course.

XF – Not complete: Given to a student who stops attending a course without properly withdrawing from it; whose absences exceed the number specified by the instructor of the course; who misses the final exam without notification, and by the Administration for reasons other than absence. A student who has an excessive number of absences in a particular course must be sure to withdraw from that course before the withdrawal deadline or he/she will receive an XF.

Courses and Other Requirements

A – Graduate level courses. These are courses numbered 300 and above. Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative average of 80.

B – Undergraduate prerequisite courses. These are courses numbered 200 to 299, taken to make up for deficiencies in a student’s academic background in the intended field of study. These courses do not carry graduate credit. The minimum passing grade in these courses is 75, unless otherwise specified by the department.

Repeating Courses

The following rules apply for MA/MBA students:

  1. A student is allowed to repeat only one course in which he/she has obtained a failing grade or has withdrawn from.
  2. A student is allowed to repeat a course only once.
  3. A Student may be allowed to repeat a course in which he/she has a grade between 70 and 79 only by the approval of the department. This is allowed if the student completes course requirements with an average below 80.
  4. A Student is allowed to repeat a course only once including “W”.

A special towards MA/MBA student is allowed to repeat only one undergraduate course with a grade between 60 and 69.

Withdrawal from Courses

A special towards MA/MBA student is allowed to withdraw from a course while a graduate student is allowed to withdraw from a course only by petition.

Change of Major

A student is allowed to change his/her major only once by the approval of the Chair or the Dean of the Faculty.

Application for Graduation

Graduate students should fill the Diploma Application Form during their last semester. This application provides the Registrar with the information needed to prepare the diploma and to include the student’s name on the list of graduates. A diploma fee is required of all students, whether or not they participate in the commencement ceremony.

Commencement Ceremony

Haigazian University holds a commencement ceremony each year. A candidate for graduation qualifies to participate in the commencement ceremony upon successful completion of all degree and program requirements.

Academic Rules & Regulations: Master of Arts in Education and Psychology

A minimum of 33 graduate credit hours is required to earn a Master’s degree.

The graduation requirements include the following:

A- Comprehensive Examination. After a student has completed at least 21 credits of graduate course requirements including a research methodology course, he/she must sit for an evaluation of knowledge in the field, its methodology, and its relation to other areas. The comprehensive examination will also test the student’s skill in organizing and presenting material irrespective of the field of study. The grade for the comprehensive exam is given as Pass (P) or Fail (F). It is not included in the general average. If a student fails the exam, he/she will be given one chance to retake the exam within a period of two to four months of the first examination. If a student fails a second time, he/she will be dropped from the graduate program.

B- Thesis. The thesis must reflect the student’s skills and efficacy in conducting independent research, reporting it, and defending the research and findings to a thesis committee and the public. The thesis must be a contribution to the field. The thesis is to be written in English. It should follow the scientific research report format of the latest edition of the APA. For details, refer to Graduate Handbook.

Academic Probation

Academic probation carries a serious warning to the graduate student that his/her scholastic record is unsatisfactory, and continued failure to improve this record will result in academic disqualification. The Dean may also impose restrictions on a student’s program of study:

A student is placed on academic probation for one or a combination of the following:

  1. The student was admitted to the graduate program on probation.
  2. The student fails a graduate course.
  3. The student fails to maintain a cumulative average of a minimum of 80 after completing 6 credits.

Removal of Probation

Removal of probation is determined by the Graduate Program Committee once the student has completed 6 credits of graduate work within two semesters and obtained a cumulative average of 80 or more. After reaching the cumulative average of 80, the graduate student must maintain that average as a minimum until he/she completes the degree program.

Academic Disqualification

Academic disqualification is determined by the Graduate Program Committee. A student may be dropped from graduate work (M.A. program) for any one of the following:

  1. The student fails to remove probation as specified above.
  2. The student receives a grade in the 70’s in more than one course or fails more than one course.
  3. The student fails the comprehensive exam twice.
  4. The student fails the thesis defense twice.
  5. The department considers the student’s work inadequate, irrespective of grades obtained.

The effective date of the academic disqualification will be recorded on the transcript. If this status is removed, the date of reinstatement will also be recorded. Extenuating circumstances may be reviewed by the Dean or by the Graduate Program Committee.

Academic Rules & Regulations: Master of Business Administration

Degree Requirements

The curriculum consists of two parts, prerequisite/core courses and professional/core courses. The prerequisite/core courses are defined by the course requirements listed below, and their completion is a prerequisite to enter the professional/core courses. Note that all or part of the prerequisite/core courses may be satisfied by a student’s prior work at the undergraduate level. The professional/core courses consist of 39 credit hours of advanced course work that substantially extends and applies knowledge developed in the prerequisite/core courses.

Prerequisites/Core Courses (24 cr.)

Finance 3 cr.
Financial Accounting 3 cr.
Management 3 cr.
Managerial Accounting 3 cr.
Marketing 3 cr.
Microeconomic Theory 3 cr.
Operations Research 3 cr.
Quantitaive Methods 3 cr.

General Requirements

Thesis. The thesis must reflect the student’s skills and efficacy in conducting independent research, reporting it, and defending the research and findings to a thesis committee and the public. The thesis must be a contribution to the field. The thesis is to be written in English. It should follow the scientific research report format of the latest edition of the APA. For details, refer to Graduate Handbook.

Academic Probation

A student is placed on probation for one or a combination of the following:

  1. The student was admitted to the graduate program on probation.
  2. The student fails to maintain a cumulative average of 80.
  3. The student fails a course with a grade below 70.

Removal of Probation

  1. Students admitted on probation will have their probation removed if they score a minimum grade of 80 or above in their first two masters courses.
  2. Students placed on probation will have their probation removed if they score a cumulative average of 80 or above in the following semester (excluding the Summer Session).

Academic Disqualification

A student may be dropped from the MBA program for any one of the following:

  1. The student does not score an average of 80 on his/her first four MBA courses.
  2. The student does not remove probation within a period of two semesters after being placed an probation.
  3. The student fails the thesis defense twice.
  4. The student fails two courses.