Graduate Catalog 2023-2024 > Academic Policies and Procedures/Academic Services > Academic Procedures

Academic Procedures

A student wishing to transfer graduate credit to Lindenwood from an accredited college or university should request that official transcripts be sent directly to Lindenwood University’s Office of University Admissions by the school(s) previously attended. An evaluation of transfer credit will be made by the appropriate college dean. Credit may be transferred from regionally accredited institutions only. A maximum of nine semester credit hours of transfer credit is allowed for graduate students. Any credit hours awarded for experiential learning will be counted toward the maximum number of credits allowed as transfer credit.** Appeals of transfer credit evaluations should be submitted in writing to the registrar. Experiential learning note added per addendum 08/30/2022**

If transfer credit is requested from an international institution, students must submit their transcripts and their English translations to Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Evaluation Services (WES) for evaluation. For more information regarding obtaining an ECE or WES transcript evaluation, please refer to the International Application Procedures section of this catalog or contact the Office of Admissions & Services for International Students (OASIS) at internationaladmissions@lindenwood.edu.

For policies regarding transfer credit into a specific graduate program or college, please refer to the section of this catalog which describes that program.

A student at Lindenwood who wishes to take courses at another college or university while pursuing a degree at Lindenwood must first obtain permission for the transfer of these courses from the academic advisor and the registrar. A Prior Approval form may be requested at academicservices@lindenwood.edu. Credits accepted in transfer do not affect the student’s grade point average at Lindenwood University.

For some students, professional experience or life experience may be accepted as university credit and be recorded as such onto the student’s Lindenwood transcript. Credit earned in this fashion is referred to as credit for experiential learning.

The following skills or experiences may be considered equivalent to university credit for purposes of receiving experiential learning credit:

• Professional skills acquired on the job.
• Participation in business seminars.
• Experience in community affairs.
• Professional training in particular fields.
• Non-credit-bearing coursework that contain academic content.

Notes: (1) Credit is awarded only for university-level knowledge and the learning gained from the experience. Experiential learning credit is not granted for non-university level learning, having completed routine professional tasks, having acquired outdated or forgotten knowledge, or for private experiences.

(2) Limits for experiential credits earned may be imposed on the acquisition of such credit for certain technical skills and specialties.

(3) Credit is not given for learning that duplicates a university course the student has already taken.

Students may request to receive up to 6 hours of credit for experiential learning, depending on the requirements of their degree programs. The total number of credit hours awarded for experiential learning may vary according to the time spent on particular activities and the nature of the learning experience. The total number of credit hours awarded for experiential learning will be counted toward the maximum number of credits allowed as transfer credit. The current transfer credit limit is 9 credit hours.

 Note: Lindenwood cannot guarantee how any other university might interpret transfer credit earned from the Experiential Learning Credit program.

Students who wish to have experiential learning credit posted to their Lindenwood transcript must pay a fee of $100 per credit hour. Credit will not be applied to the transcript until the fees are paid.

If the student does not have one of the professional credentials listed on these pages or does not have credit from a course that is specifically listed as being accepted for experiential learning credit, that student may be required to create a portfolio in order to earn university credit for the experience before that credit is posted to the student’s Lindenwood transcript.

The portfolio must validate the student’s experience by providing proof (by certificate, diploma, syllabi, letters of testimony, and/or samples of work accomplished) that such experience led to university-level knowledge. An essay describing the knowledge gained in the learning experience must accompany all other documentation provided.

The manager of alternative credentials will help the student develop a portfolio. The manager will identify potential experiences that may be posted to the student’s transcript as university credit and discuss the organization of the portfolio with the student.

Students wishing to receive experiential learning credit in their majors must apply for this credit before taking courses in their majors. Once the portfolio has been approved, the student will be charged a portfolio fee of $310 plus $100 per credit hour. Credit will not be applied to the transcript until payment is received. Financial aid may be applied to experiential learning, but the student must be enrolled in classes at the time the request for funding is made.

Academic Renewal allows returning students to remove previous course work from calculation of their GPA after an extended absence. A returning student seeking to resume a program of study or begin a new program of study after a prolonged absence is eligible for Academic Renewal under the following conditions:

• The student must have been absent from the Lindenwood University system for at least three consecutive academic years.

• The student must not have obtained a degree at Lindenwood or any other institution of higher education in the years between taking leave from Lindenwood and applying for academic renewal.

• The student must declare a major or program of study.

• The student must be enrolled in and complete at least one academic term at full-time status, earning a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or graduate GPA of 3.5 before applying for Academic Renewal.

In addition to the conditions outlined above regarding student eligibility, Academic Renewal is subject to the following conditions:

• Academic Renewal can only be applied once.

• Academic Renewal can only be applied to academic terms completed prior to the student’s leave of absence.

• Academic Renewal can only be applied to courses taken at Lindenwood University.

• For undergraduate students, up to three terms can be selected for Academic Renewal; for graduate students, up to two terms can be selected.

• Once implemented, the Academic Renewal cannot be removed.

• Students approved for Academic Renewal are subject to the degree requirements listed in the catalog that is active at the time they are reinstated.

• No course from a term selected to be removed from GPA calculation can be used to satisfy an academic requirement (e.g., toward graduation, prerequisites, or certifications).

• All courses from terms will be removed from calculation of the student’s GPA regardless of the grades earned. However, these courses will not be entirely erased. All courses taken by the student will still appear on their transcript. A note will appear on the student’s transcript for each redacted term.

• A student may not apply for Academic Renewal in their final semester.

Students considering applying for Academic Renewal must inform an academic advisor of their intent to do so. The advisor will consult with the student regarding which academic terms to remove from calculation of the student’s GPA. The student should submit a petition for Academic Renewal to the Office of Academic Services signed by the student’s academic advisor and college dean. The student will be notified of a decision within 30 days of submission of the petition.

Notes: (1) Applying for Academic Renewal can affect a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Financial Services (financialaid@lindenwood.edu) before applying for Academic Renewal.

(2) Students on the GI Bill® should contact the VA certifying official before applying for Academic Renewal.

Lindenwood University operates under the 4.0 grading system. An A carries four quality points; a B carries three quality points; and a C carries two quality points. A grade of F carries zero quality points and no credit. Thus, a course worth three credit hours in which a student earned an A would merit 12 quality points. The grade point average is computed by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted. Only grades earned at Lindenwood are used in computing the GPA unless the student is seeking teacher certification.

Graduate students may receive grades of A, B, C, F, W, AF, N, I, and Audit (AU) (see appropriate definitions.) A grade of A represents work outstanding in quality; it indicates that the student has shown initiative, skill, and thoroughness and has displayed originality in thinking. A grade of B is awarded for work of high quality, well above average. The grade of C indicates below average work but completion of course requirements. An F grade indicates coursework so unsatisfactory that no credit is given. No grade of D is awarded at the graduate level.

A student is given this grade if they stop attending a particular class prior to the published deadline to receive a grade of W but does not withdraw from the course. The grade of AF is treated as a grade of F in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.

A student may register to audit lecture courses, not to include studio or laboratory courses. Auditors will be expected to attend all classes. No credit may be earned or later claimed by a student who audits a course. A student has one week into a 16-week term and two class meetings into an 8-week term or summer session to make a change in registration to either audit a class or take it for credit. The audit fee is 50 percent of the posted tuition for a course.

A grade of I (incomplete) is given at the end of a term only for incomplete coursework due to exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as an extended illness, hospitalization, or death of a close relative requiring absence from class for a significant period. When assigning an incomplete grade, the professor should consider whether the student is capable of successfully completing the course. Incompletes should be offered only toward the end of the term for students who were progressing satisfactorily in the class before the exceptional circumstances arose.

A grade of I (incomplete) must be resolved prior to the end of the subsequent term; otherwise, the incomplete will be converted to an F. Any request to extend the time needed to resolve the grade of incomplete must be submitted to the Office of Academic Services no later than two weeks before the date the grade is due. Requests will then be sent to the appropriate college dean and the assistant provost to be considered for approval.

If a student receives military orders that impact their ability to resolve an incomplete, they may submit a Petition for Policy Exemption form to Academic Services to extend the incomplete deadline. Such requests will be reviewed by Academic Services and the appropriate college dean.*

Added after publishing - November Addendum 11/20/2023*

An administrative grade of N is assigned by the registrar when final course grades have not been submitted prior to making grades accessible to students. Under normal circumstances, the N grade will be cleared within two weeks after the end of the term. Faculty members are not authorized to submit a grade of N.

Some academic activities such as practicum placements, internships, residencies, and thesis projects are graded on the basis of pass/fail. In these cases, the grade of P denotes successful completion of the assigned requirements for the aforementioned academic activity courses.

A grade of S indicates that a student completed satisfactory work in an academic activity. This grade does not have points associated with the course and will not be included in computation of the grade point average. A grade of U indicates that a student completed unsatisfactory work in an academic activity. This grade does not have points associated with the course and will not be included in computation of the grade point average.

A grade of W indicates that the student withdrew from a class with no effect to the student’s GPA. To withdraw from a course with a grade of W, students must complete, sign, and submit a withdrawal form before the last day to withdraw with a W, with the signature of the academic advisor.** The deadline to withdraw is set at the two-thirds mark of the term.

The only circumstance in which the student will not be charged for a course is if the student never attends a class session. If the student attends one class session or more, the student will be charged a determined percentage of the course’s tuition cost. The percentage applied to the student’s account depends on how many classes the student attends and the withdrawal date. For further information, please contact either the Student Financial Services Office or the Office of Academic Services.

Note: A student who is a first responder may elect to withdraw from a course with a grade of W at any time during the term if documentation is provided verifying that the student’s first responder duties were the cause of absences exceeding the number of allowable excused absences. This policy applies to academic withdrawal only.

Updated after publishing – January Addendum – 1/24/2024**

When it is in the best interest of a student or of Lindenwood University for a student to withdraw, a student may be given a W and put on administrative hold. This action of administrative withdrawal results in removal of all credits associated with the affected classes and places the student on administrative suspension. Before re-enrolling at the university, the student on administrative suspension must write a letter of appeal to the Associate Vice President, Student Affairs at studentaffairs@lindenwood.edu. An administrative withdrawal does not affect the student’s grade point average.

Within the first week of a term, a student may add or drop classes via the student portal without having to obtain the signature of a faculty member. Students may not add a course via the student portal after 5 p.m. on Friday of the first week of the term. Students may add a class during the second week of class only under extenuating circumstances and with signatures of the course professor, dean of the appropriate college, and the registrar. A Petition for Policy Exemption is required in addition to a drop/add/enrollment form to add a course after the deadline.

Within the first week of a term, a student may drop classes via the student portal without having to obtain the signature of a faculty member. No grade of W will appear on the student’s transcript as a result of dropping classes during this week, and the classes will be dropped as a “never attended”.

To withdraw from a course with a grade of W, students must complete, sign, and submit a withdrawal form before the last day to withdraw with a W, with the signature of the academic advisor.** The deadline to withdraw is set at the two-thirds mark of the term.

Updated after publishing – January Addendum – 1/24/2024**

Late withdrawals will be approved only under extreme, documented circumstances. A late withdrawal requested due to a low grade in the class, lack of interest in the subject matter, a different learning style from that of the classroom professor, or a change of major/requirements will not be granted.

If a student believes that extraordinary circumstances require withdrawing from a class after the deadline, the student must complete the following steps:

• Write a letter fully specifying the reasons for the withdrawal.
• Gather supporting documentation (physical report, court documents, hospital documents, etc.).
• Meet with the academic advisor for a signature on a Petition for Late Withdrawal.
• Meet with the dean of the college for a signature on the petition.
• Submit the signed petition, along with the letter and documentation, to the associate provost or registrar.
• If approved for a late withdrawal, the student will receive a W.

Notes: (1) Students are not permitted to withdraw from a course to attend another course if the second course has already had two class meetings.

(2) A student who is a first responder may elect to withdraw from a course with a grade of W at any time during the semester if documentation is provided verifying that the student’s first responder duties were the cause of absences exceeding the number of allowable excused absences. This policy applies to academic withdrawal only.

(3) Calculation of the return of Title IV aid will be based on the last date of attendance for the term. This may result in a balance due to the university for which the student will be responsible.

(4) Petition for Late Withdrawal may be denied based on implications of the financial aid cycle.

Students who wish to appeal a final grade must first contact the course instructor. If the matter cannot be resolved through the instructor, the student may appeal in writing to the appropriate college dean. If resolution is not reached at that time, the student may appeal in writing to the provost. An Academic Grievance Committee may be convened to review a grade appeal before a recommendation is made to the provost for review.

Information concerning these procedures is available through the Provost’s Office. Notice of intent to file a grade appeal must be made in writing to the appropriate college dean or assistant provost within six weeks of receipt of the grade. Changes under this procedure will be made only during the term immediately following the term in which the disputed grade was given.

Lindenwood University shares information from students’ formal written complaints with the Higher Learning Commission as part of its normal accrediting process. This information is shared in such a manner as to shield all individual identities of complainants. No letters or documents revealing the identities of individual complainants will be shared without the express written permission of the complainants.

A student may repeat any course in which they earn a grade of C or lower. Only the highest grade earned will be used in the calculation of the grade point average. Repeating a course does not remove the previous grade from the transcript. Additional credit hours are not earned when a student repeats a course. A student's eligibility for federal financial aid may be affected if they choose to repeat a course. The university is under no obligation to offer a course aside from its usual schedule to accommodate a student repeating the course.

Registration for extensions on graduate thesis or capstone experience must be completed by the student each succeeding term after the student’s initial enrollment for the thesis, Capstone III, or Problem of Practice III. The fee charged for extension is listed on the fee page of this catalog. If the student fails to register for a term during in which the student plans to complete the thesis, capstone experience, the student will no longer be considered a degree candidate. Should the student wish to resume the thesis or capstone experience the student must pay the full tuition rate for the thesis, capstone experience, at the time of re-enrollment.

Students are responsible for tracking their own academic progress and eligibility for graduation. Specifically, in order to track the progress through a degree, each student must maintain a checklist of all requirements. The academic advisor will confirm that all degree requirements have been met; however, ultimate responsibility for tracking the student's progress through a program and assuring that all degree requirements for graduation are met lies with the student. Only the provost and the registrar have the authority to certify that all requirements for graduation have been fulfilled and post a notification of degree completion on a student’s transcript.

In addition to tracking their own progress through academic programs, students must submit an Application for Degree. This form is available in the student portal to submit online to the advisor. The application must be signed by the student and the student’s academic advisor and be submitted to the Office of Academic Services at academicservices@lindenwood.edu. Failure to submit an application by the recommended deadline may postpone the posting of the student’s degree.

The recommended application deadlines are as follows:  

Lindenwood University allows students with extenuating circumstances to apply for a Leave of Absence for no more than 180 days. The Leave of Absence involves an approval process that requires submission of the Leave of Absence form to the SASS office along with attached supporting documentation from qualified/appropriate sources. Individuals in a Leave of Absence status do not intend to make academic progress toward the completion of their degree. Students must be enrolled at least half-time for one term (6 credit hours for undergraduate and 3 credit hours for graduate) and complete at least one term successfully prior to applying for a Leave of Absence. Students must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress within the parameters set in the university catalog. Taking a leave of absence means you agree not to take classes at any other higher education institution during your leave. Reasons for a leave of absence include (but are not limited to):

• Medical issues (physical or mental)

• Family circumstances such as death, pregnancy or parental leave

• Circumstances regarding someone you aren’t related to but are close to

• Financial concerns

• Military service

When returning from an approved Leave of Absence, students can begin the reentry process with their advisor. Students returning without an approved Leave of Absence who wish to resume coursework must be readmitted to the university by submitting a new application to the Office of University Admissions. Upon review of the new application, the admissions office will update the student’s profile in preparation for their return to Lindenwood. Students not enrolled for one year and eligible to return to Lindenwood will do so under the current catalog of re-entry and will be directed to contact their advisors to enroll once the readmit process has been approved.