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2012-2013 Seminary Programs Academic Catalog
academic catalog and degree change
Students’ programs are governed by the catalog
under which they were admitted. Students desir-
ing to change degrees or concentrations within a
degree must request approval through a Degree
Change Application form (available outside the
CIU SSM dean’s office in Schuster 140). Should a
student break matriculation for two consecutive
regular terms, the catalog in effect at the time of
re-admission to CIU SSM must be used to satisfy
the requirements for the degree.
academic Load
The SSM faculty has defined “full-time study” as
a minimum of 24 semester hours during an aca-
demic year. Students may divide those hours over
the four terms of the academic year as they wish.
Most students take at least nine hours during the
fall semester and at least nine hours during the
spring semester. They complete the remaining
hours during the winter and/or summer terms.
See the Student Financial Services pages for the
way in which eligibility for financial aid and on-
campus housing relates to academic load. The
full-time load for Doctor of Ministry students is
three semester hours per term.
academic Petitions
CIU SSM provides a petitioning procedure
through which students may be granted excep-
tions to the general rules included in the catalog.
It is the responsibility of the student who seeks
consideration to complete the petitioning process.
Instructions for filing an academic petition are
available outside the CIU SSM dean’s office
(Schuster 140). In cases where an exception
might affect the student’s eligibility to enroll in a
particular course, the student should begin the
petitioning process during the previous term and
gain final approval of the petition no later than the
“add” deadline of the term involved.
academic Probation
A student whose grade-point average (GPA) for a
semester falls below 2.3 (3.0 for Ministry Care) is
placed on academic probation for the following
semester, during which the student is allowed to
register for no more than 9.0 semester hours. At
his discretion, the dean may limit enrollment to
fewer than 9.0 hours. If the student’s cumulative
GPA by the end of the subsequent semester does
not improve so that graduation is assured, enroll-
ment normally is terminated. Students must reap-
ply through the University Admissions Office and
must provide evidence to the dean that they can
expect to be academically successful. Students
on academic probation may not participate in
musical groups (except as part of MUS 5503,
5513). Employment also may be limited.
advanced standing
Although CIU SSM does not accept transfer cred-
it from unaccredited institutions, a student may
request advanced standing for courses complet-
ed at an unaccredited institution. Advanced
standing may be awarded either “with credit” or
“without credit.” Advanced standing without credit
entitles the student to replace a curricular require-
ment in a field previously studied at an unaccred-
ited school and with an advanced course at CIU
SSM in the same field. Advanced standing with
credit satisfies the graduation requirement for
which advanced standing is awarded. Advanced
standing with credit is awarded only on the basis
of written or oral examination administered at CIU
SSM. Advanced standing with credit may not be
applied toward graduation requirements in the
Program 2 M.A. (Theological Studies) degree.
Advanced Standing is available under the follow-
ing conditions:
•
With the exception of internship courses,
advanced standing with credit may be granted
for any course offered at CIU SSM appropriate
to the student’s degree program, including free
electives.
•
Application for advanced standing must be
made within one year of matriculation into CIU
SSM.
•
No more than one-sixth of the requirements of
any degree program may be credited through
advanced standing.
An approved Proficiency Exam Authorization form
must be submitted to the Office of the University
Registrar with evidence that the student has paid
the non-refundable examination fee. Competency
must be demonstrated by scoring at least 77 per-
cent on a one-time-only written and/or oral
assessment to be administered by the professor
of record of the given course, with final approval
granted by the dean.