Apr 19, 2024  
2016-2017 Theological School Catalog 
    
2016-2017 Theological School Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Academic Standards



Master of Divinity Program

Qualitative Progress: M.Div. degree students must maintain a minimum 2.0 G.P.A. each semester and a cumulative minimum 2.0 G.P.A., based upon completion of a minimum of nine credit hours per academic term. A student who fails to achieve this G.P.A. minimum is placed on academic warning or probation for one semester. Students who remain on warning or academic probation for a second semester may lose their scholarship eligibility.

Quantitative Progress: Students who wish to complete the degree in six semesters must earn at least 28 credits per year. Full-time students who will complete the degree in eight semesters must earn 21 semester hours per year. Full-time students who have completed fewer than 42 credits at the end of their fourth semester may be required to file a plan of studies approved by the Academic Standing Committee showing how they plan to complete the degree within eight semesters. All academic requirements for the degree must be completed within seven years from the date of initial matriculation.

Extended track students are expected to earn at least 15-18 credits per year. Students who have completed fewer than 42 credits at the end of their third year in the program may be required to file a plan of studies with the Academic Standing Committee. All academic requirements for the degree must be completed within seven years from the date of initial matriculation. Financial aid awards for extended track students are limited to a total of twelve semesters.

Master of Arts Program

Qualitative Progress: M.A. degree students must maintain a minimum 3.0 G.P.A. each semester and a cumulative minimum 3.00 G.P.A., based upon completion of at least nine credit hours per academic term. A student who fails to achieve this G.P.A. minimum is placed on warning or academic probation for one semester. If the student is placed on warning or academic probation for the following semester, she/he may be ineligible for financial assistance.

Quantitative Progress: Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in four semesters. Full-time students must register for a minimum of nine hours per academic term and a maximum of fifteen. Drew’s financial aid awards are limited to a total of six semesters. All academic requirements for the degree must be completed within five years from the date of initial matriculation.

Master of Arts in Ministry Program

Qualitative Progress: M.A. in Mininstry degree students must maintain a minimum 2.0 G.P.A. each semester and a cumulative minimum 2.00 G.P.A. A student who fails to achieve this G.P.A. minimum is placed on warning or academic probation for one semester. If the student is placed on warning or academic probation for the following semester, she/he may be ineligible for financial assistance.

Quantitative Progress: Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in four semesters. Full-time students must register for a minimum of nine hours per academic term and a maximum of fifteen. Drew’s financial aid awards are limited to a total of six semesters. All academic requirements for the degree must be completed within five years from the date of initial matriculation.

Master of Sacred Theology Program

Qualitative Progress: S.T.M. degree students must maintain a minimum 3.00 G.P.A. each semester and a cumulative minimum 3.00 G.P.A. A student who fails to achieve this G.P.A. minimum is placed on warning or academic probation for one semester. If the student is placed on warning or academic probation for the following semester, she/he may be ineligible for financial assistance.

Quantitative Progress: Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in no more than two semesters. Full-time students must register for a minimum of nine hours per academic term. Exceptions to this policy require the written permission of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Drew’s financial awards are limited to a total of three semesters. All academic requirements for the degree must be completed within four years from the date of initial matriculation.

Doctor of Ministry Program

Qualitative Progress: D.Min. degree students must maintain a cumulative minimum 3.2 G.P.A. in the first three units and in the summer intensive courses. Students who fail to achieve this minimum may be withdrawn from the program or, in extenuating circumstances, be permitted by the Academic Standing Committee to repeat course(s) in an attempt to achieve the minimum G.P.A. Students granted such permission who still fail to achieve the minimum G.P.A. will be withdrawn from the program.

Quantitative Progress: The normal time for completion of this less than full-time in-ministry advanced professional degree program is six semesters and a total of 30 credits distributed as follows: nine credits in the first year, nine credits in the first summer and third semester, and 12 credits for the satisfactory completion of the professional project. All requirements for the degree must be completed within five years from the date of initial matriculation. D.Min. students are normally not eligible for full-time student status.

Ph.D. Program

Students must be making qualitative and quantative academic progress to maintain financial assistance eligibility.

Qualitative Progress

Students must maintain at least a 3.1 GPA (3.4 for students beginning Fall 2009 and later) in doctoral programs to remain in good academic standing. Failure to maintain this average will result in a letter of warning in the first semester after the average fails to meet the standard. Continued failure to attain the minimum GPA can result in academic probation or termination from the program.  Students who are subject to academic review are also subject to financial assistance review. 

Quantative progress

Students who are receiving merit schoalrships of full tuition and stipend must be enrolled full time. Students receiving 80 percent of tuition or a full tuition waiver must carry a minimum of six credit hours per semester.

Appeals

Appeals of decisions made by the committee on Academic Standing must be made in writing by the student to the committee or to the Director of the Graduate Division of Religion.

 

Minimum Degree Requirements

M.Div.:

84 credit hours with a grade average no less than a C (2.00).

M.A. in Min.:

45 credit hours with a grade average no less than a C (2.00).

M.A.:

44 credit hours with a grade average no less than a B (3.00).

M.T.S.:

48 credit hours with a grade average no less than a C (2.00).

S.T.M.:

18 credit hours with a grade average no less than a B (3.00).

D.Min.:

18 credit hours with a grade average no less than a B (3.20) and the satisfactory completion of a professional project for 12 credit hours.

Academic Standing

Students are expected to maintain satisfactory progress, as determined by the Theological School and the Academic Standing Committee. At the end of each term, the Academic Standing Committee conducts a review of all student progress. Students whose records do not meet qualitative or quantitative degree standards are placed in the following academic standing categories:

Warning

Full-time students previously in Good Standing will be placed on Warning for any of the following reasons:

  1. M.Div. , M.A.M. and M.T.S. students with a semester or cumulative GPA between 1.99 and 1.40. M.A. and S.T.M. students with a semester or cumulative GPA between 2.99 and 2.75;
  2. A failure to satisfactorily complete credits according to minimum progress standards for the degree;
  3. A withdrawal from all classes in a fall or spring semester.

A student on Warning who at the end of a fall or spring semester has satisfactorily met the minimum credit and grade point levels described above will be returned to Good Standing. A student on Warning who at the end of fall or spring semester has not made satisfactory academic progress and returned to Good Standing will be placed on Probation or may be dismissed.

Probation

Full-time students will be placed on Probation for any of the following reasons:

  1. M.Div. M.A.M. and M.T.S. students with a semester or cumulative GPA between 1.39 and 0.00. M.A. and S.T.M. students with a semester or cumulative GPA between 2.74 and 2.00.
  2. A student who has already been on a semester of Warning for either unsatisfactory GPA or progress.

Students on probation are restricted to 10 credit hours during the probationary semester and must complete at least 6 credit hours. Students who do not attain the GPA and progress minimums may be recommended for leave of absence or required withdrawal.

Required Withdrawal

Full-time students can be placed on required withdrawl for any of the following reasons:

  1. Any student who receives all “F” in any one semester;
  2. Any student who has been on probation and has not returned to Good Standing at the end of the probationary semester;
  3. Students with two or more non-consecutive semesters on Warning or Probation.

Under exceptional circumstances only, a student on Required Withdrawal may appeal to the Academic Standing Committee to be re-admitted in the next term. If the appeal is approved, the student will be reinstated and placed on Probation. Such re-admissions are granted only in unusual cases, and in no cases may a student be readmitted twice.