Prospective Students: Degree Requirements

College Student Personnel Administration is a special concentration in The Graduate School's Counseling Psychology program and will lead to a Master of Education degree. Students admitted to the program must complete 36 hours of credit (see course descriptions). Students are also required to take a comprehensive examination in the second year of the program. Students in the CSPA program are also required to successfully complete two practicum experiences during the two years.

CSPA Mentor Program

Mentoring is an important and integral part of JMU's College Student Personnel Administration program. All students are assigned an academic advisor who serves on the CSPA Program Advisory Committee. This advisor will assist students in a number of different ways: in becoming familiar with the University, in setting professional goals, and in selecting assistantship and practicum sites. In addition, JMU's college student personnel professionals will provide you with support and guidance throughout your assistantship and practicum experiences.

The Graduate School

Degree Completion Process

Once admitted, it is anticipated that you will enroll in classes each semester until a degree is awarded. All requirements must be completed within 6 years. Even if you were deactivated due to a two-year lapse in course work and later reactivated, the 6-year time limit is counted from the date your course work began. Academic work, including transfer credit, taken more than six years before the date at which the master's or doctoral degree is awarded may not be used to satisfy the degree requirements. You may submit a petition to extend the deadline if you have extenuating circumstances.

Course Load

The classification of graduate students who have been accepted into degree-seeking programs is often considered in determining eligibility for different programs and services. The following guidelines are used to determine enrollment status:

Full time	9 credits or more
Three-quarter time	6 credits
Half time	5 credits
Less than half time	4 credits or less

Grades

All graduate courses (including support courses) must be taken on a letter grade basis. The "audit" option may only be used for elective courses, which will not count as part of your Program of Study. University funds, including assistantships, will not cover courses taken under the "audit" option. If you feel that a grade has been awarded in error, please consult the section entitled "General Appeal Process" in the Graduate Catalog.

Incomplete Grades

An "Incomplete" grade (I) is awarded to indicate incomplete work in a given course. It is only awarded when a student presents a compelling personal reason, or when a course has been designed to require it. Courses in which you receive an "I" must normally be completed by the end of the next regular semester or the grade is recorded permanently as an "F." See the Graduate Calendar for the date by which grade changes must be reported to the Registrar.

Unsatisfactory Progress

You will be dismissed from the degree program (or provisional status will be revoked) upon receiving 1 "F", 1 "U", or 3 "C" final grades in any graduate courses. The student will be placed on probationary warning upon receiving 2 "C" grades or if the student's grade point average falls below 3.0.

Reinstatement

Graduate students dismissed for academic reasons are never automatically reinstated. A student may be reinstated by a decision of the Dean of The Graduate School on the recommendation of the department graduate appeals committee and the department head. Suspension appeals will be heard promptly.

Finishing Your Degree

Comprehensive Examinations

A comprehensive formal assessment of learning (written and/or oral) is required of all graduate students. The deadlines pertaining to comprehensive exams are listed in the Graduate Calendar. You cannot take your comprehensive exam until you have fulfilled (or are registered in courses that will fulfill) your degree requirements. If you are enrolled in a major/minor program, you must have completed a minimum of 6 credit hours in your minor. If you fail your comprehensive exam, you may request a reexamination within 6 months of the date of failure. Only one reexamination will be allowed. If you complete all degree requirements except your comprehensive examination, you must register for "comprehensive continuance" each semester (including summer) until you pass. Comprehensive continuance credit does not count toward graduate degree requirements. Consult with your adviser and the Graduate Catalog regarding selection of the committee that will administer your examination, and further information about the comprehensive examination process.

Graduation

Application for Graduation

You must be in "good standing" and have a grade point average of at least 3.0 to graduate. You can pick up a Graduation Packet from The Graduate School.  You must submit your Application for a Graduate Degree form by the dates indicated in the packet. No credit for University work may be given for a diploma, teacher's license, or transfer until all debts to JMU have been paid (excluding student loans).

Commencement

Students are expected to attend graduation exercises. If you are unable to attend, you must notify the Office of Registration and Records at least 21 days before commencement.