Graduate Student Information

GPA and Grading System
Academic Warning, Probation, and Suspension

Degree Requirements

Graduate Cohort and Traditional Program Descriptions

Graduate Cohort Programs

Students in lockstep cohort programs are automatically registered for all required courses in their programs. Students need to merely attend classes as scheduled.

Lockstep graduate programs include the following:

Master of Arts in Leadership
Master of Public Administration
Master of Healthcare Administration
Master of Science in Security Management
Master of Science in Instructional Design and Development
Master of Science in Organizational Performance
Master of Science in Justice Administration and Crime Management

Graduate Traditional Programs

Students in traditional programs must register for courses in each traditional term. Students are strongly encouraged to stay in close communication with their Graduate Academic Advisors in order to schedule courses for the terms in which they are offered and to meet all required pre-requisites.

Examples:

All MBA core courses are offered in every term in both classroom and online formats, but courses in the MBA concentrations may be offered in only one term per academic year. All foundation courses must be complete prior to concentration courses.
Master of Science in Clinical Counseling courses should be taken as follows: all Foundation courses should be completed prior to taking any Framework courses; all Framework courses should be completed prior to taking any Professional Practice courses, etc.
Master of Science in Computer Information Systems students may not take CIS 603 XML Programming until they have completed CIS 525 Business System Programming with C++.

Graduate Academic Advisors will assist you in knowing when specific courses are offered and what pre-requisites must be met prior to registering for the courses.

Traditional graduate programs include the following :

Master of Arts in Managerial Communication
Master of Arts in Human Services
Master of Science in Clinical Counseling
Master of Science in Management
Master of Business Administration
Master of Science in Acquisition and Contract Management
Master of Science in Finance
Master of Science in Management Information Systems
Master of Science in Computer Information Systems
Master of Science in Cybersecurity
Master of Science in International Security and Intelligence Studies
Master of Project Management

GPA and Grading System

Grade Point Average (GPA)
Student academic performance is measured by computation of the Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA is determined by multiplying the grade point value earned in each course by the number of credits assigned to each course, summing the products of the courses attempted, and dividing by the total number of credits attempted. The average is computed only on academic work completed at Bellevue University. Graduate students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above. In addition, no course in which a grade is less than a 2.0 (grades of C- or lower) may be used to graduate.
Note: Transfer credit courses are not computed into the Bellevue University grade point average.

Grading System
The instructor using the grading system below reports a student's final grade in each course. The faculty report final grades to the Registrar at the end of each course. They become part of the student's permanent record and are included in the computations of grade points earned and the grade point average.

Letter grades for courses with their respective grade point equivalence, are:

A	4.00	Work of exceptional character. Academic credit awarded.
A-	3.67
B+	3.33	Superior work and distinctly above average. Academic credit awarded.
B	3.00
B-	2.67
C+	2.33	Work of average quality. Academic credit awarded.
C	2.0
C-	1.67	Work fails to meet minimum requirements. No academic credit awarded.
D+	1.33
D	1.00
D-	0.67
F	0.00
P	Pass	Used on a limited basis for specified courses. It is not calculated in the students GPA.
N	No Pass	Work fails to meet minimum requirements. No academic credit awarded.
W	Official Withdrawal	Indicates official withdrawal from the course. It is not calculated in the students GPA.
I	Incomplete	This is not calculated in the students GPA The grade of "I" or Incomplete is neither a final grade, nor a grade that reflects issues of attendance. It is a temporary grade; given only once at the end of the course to reflect that the student justifiably has not completed the required course work. It also reflects that it is possible to complete the required work within a reasonable period of time – up to 12 weeks maximum. The student must complete the course by 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) on the Friday of the 12th week after the end of the class in which the "I" was given, or a grade of "F" will be officially recorded.

Academic Warning, Probation, and Suspension

The completion of a master's degree program requires that you maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in the graduate program, and no individual course below a 2.0 (grades of C- or lower) will counted toward graduation. Guidelines may be obtained from your specific graduate college. Information on academic warning, probation, and suspension can also be referenced in the 2010-2012 Catalog.

Graduate Academic Performance Standards – Probation

A graduate student who completes an academic term in which either the cumulative GPA or the GPA for the term falls below a 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Graduate students on academic probation must raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 in order to qualify for graduation.

A graduate student who receives a grade of C- or below will be required to repeat the course to raise their grade to an acceptable level. Only courses in which a student earns a 2.0 or better will be used to meet the graduate degree requirements.

Graduate Academic Performance Standards – Suspension

Students placed on academic probation who fail to raise their GPA to 3.0 or higher during the probation period will be placed on Academic Suspension. Students placed on Academic Suspension may not enroll in any graduate courses for 12 months.

Appeals for Academic Standing

A student may appeal any decisions made regarding their academic status as defined by the Catalog. Students who wish to appeal their academic standing must submit a written appeal within 15 days from the date of written notification from the Dean of the college or Dean of Students. A detailed statement explaining the basis for the appeal must be submitted to the appropriate Dean. The Dean will inform the student of a decision within 15 days from receipt of the appeal. A final appeal may be made to the Chief Academic Officer-the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) within 15 days of the Dean's response. The VPAA's decision is final.