academic-catalog-2014-15

Dismissal

See “Academic Probation” in the Student Life section and Plagiarism in this section of this catalog.

Degree Changes

Students desiring to add a degree(s) or change concentrations within a degree must request approval through a Record

Change form, which is available at

https://online.ciu.edu/ICS/Registrar/Forms.jnz

Dual Graduate-level Degrees

Students may apply a maximum of 50 percent of one graduate degree to another graduate degree at CIU as long as

requirements for both degrees are met. The required number of credits for completing both degrees may be less than if the

two degrees were completed separately; however, students must satisfy all requirements for both degrees, including program

admission and completion requirements. Students may pursue multiple degrees sequentially or simultaneously.

Enrollment in Courses Outside of Undergraduate Division

Graduate-level courses numbered 5000-6999 are open to undergraduate upperclassmen for undergraduate degree

requirements. Junior or senior undergraduate students may enroll for up to 15 semester hours of graduate credit. See “RAMP”

in this section of the catalog for more information.

Juniors

: A student classified as a junior having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 may register for graduate-level courses

numbered 5000-5999.

Seniors

: A student classified as a senior may register for graduate-level courses numbered 5000-5999. A student classified as a

senior having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 may also register for graduate-level courses numbered 6000-6999.

Extracurricular Activities

Any student desiring to participate in a university-sponsored extracurricular activity (e.g. sports, music group, performing

arts) or representing the university must be a student in good standing. Good standing means that the student meets 1)

minimum GPA requirements, 2) is not on any form of character probation, 3) has status as a full-time student, and 4) if

admitted provisionally, has successfully demonstrated academic success for one semester at CIU with the minimum GPA

requirement.

Faculty-directed Study

A Faculty-directed Study (FDS) provides the student an opportunity to pursue topics of in-depth research beyond the stated

curriculum under the direction of a faculty member.

Undergraduate-level

: Juniors and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0 are eligible to request an FDS. Students wishing to

register for an FDS must obtain an FDS request form from their academic dean’s office and discuss the proposed study with

their advisor and the faculty member who would direct the study. A maximum of 12 semester hours of an undergraduate

student’s program may be taken by FDS.

Graduate-level

: Students must discuss the proposed research with their academic dean before approaching a possible

instructor. Students may not elect to take a regularly scheduled course through FDS unless the course has been changed and

has created the need for program completion through this alternative.

Grading Policies

Grade Point Average Computation

Formula: The Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated by the accepted formula of quality points earned divided by

credit hours attempted. CIU has adopted a 4.0 grading system for the computation of quality points.

Inclusion in Cumulative GPA: The cumulative GPA is calculated only on the basis of courses taken at Columbia

International University (including courses taken through the Korntal, Kirkland, and Atlanta branch campuses) and

institutions with which the university has a joint course registration agreement.

Transfer Credit Exclusion: Transfer credits may be applied toward the degree program when the grade is “C” or above,

but accepted credits are not computed into the GPA.

Grade Replacements: Courses in which a grade lower than “C-” is earned may be retaken. Courses in which a grade of

“C” or above is earned may be retaken only by permission of the course instructor, the student’s faculty advisor, and

the dean of the respective college. In both cases, the new grade replaces the former grade in the calculation of the

cumulative GPA, regardless of whether it is better or worse than the grade earned in the first attempt; however, the

record of the previous grade remains on the student’s transcript. (Contact the Financial Aid office for aid eligibility for

replacement courses.) A repeated course counts only once toward degree requirements; students may not receive

double credit for a course. A course may be repeated for credit only twice.

192 │Columbia International University

Academic Policy