Graduate Catalog 2024-2025 > Academic Policies and Procedures/Academic Services > Academic Policies

Academic Policies

All academic credit is given in semester credit hours. Full- and half-time student status is determined by the number of credit hours in which a student is enrolled during a given term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer). The recommended load for students enrolled in 8-week courses is nine credit hours or less. Permission of the dean is required to enroll in more than nine credit hours per each 8-week course offering. In credit hours, the academic load designations for graduate students are as follows:

Full-time Enrollment

• Doctor of Education students - six or more credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Specialist students - six or more credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Graduate students - six or more credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Certificate seeking students - six or more credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)

Half-time Enrollment

• Doctor of Education students - three to five credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Specialist students - three to five credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Graduate students - three to five credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Certificate seeking students - three to five credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)

Less than Half-time Enrollment

• Doctor of Education students - two or fewer credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Specialist students - two or fewer credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Graduate students - two or fewer credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)
• Certificate seeking students - two or fewer credit hours per term (e.g. Fall, Spring, Summer)

Notes: (1) In order to remain in compliance with U.S. visa regulations, students on an F1 visa must maintain full-time enrollment status by enrolling in a minimum of six credit hours per term.

(2) Course extensions (including culminating project extensions, capstone extensions, and thesis extensions) are not counted among a student’s hours enrolled. For this reason, students who are only enrolled in the completion of a thesis or capstone experience are considered less than half-time students.

(3) Active duty military personnel pursuing certain online graduate programs in the semester format may qualify for full-time enrollment status at six credit hours. Such students should contact the VA certifying official for more information.

Students wishing to pursue a degree or emphasis in a program other than the one to which they were admitted need to consult with their current advisor/success coach who can connect them with the relevant academic administrator (department head, dean, etc.) in the new program to determine if the change represents a good fit. In some cases, the student will need to reapply and be admitted to the new program, especially if the new program is in a different college or involves certification. Admission to the new program is not guaranteed. In cases where it is not necessary for the student to reapply to be admitted to the new program, students may be able to effect the change by submitting a Change of Major/Advisor form to Academic Services. The Office of Graduate Admissions and the appropriate academic administrator will determine if the Change of Major/Advisor form will suffice or if the student needs to reapply.

Policy updated after publishing – April Addendum – 4/30/2024**

Second Master’s Degree

A student who has previously earned a master’s degree from Lindenwood and desires another master’s degree type may apply a maximum of nine hours of credit from the first degree into the second degree if the credit is applicable. All other requirements for the second degree, including the thesis, must be completed. If the student is seeking a major leading to a degree type not previously earned at Lindenwood University, the major will be added to the student’s transcript and a new diploma will be received listing the degree and major earned.

Second Master’s Major

If the student previously earned a degree at Lindenwood University and is seeking a major leading to the same degree type, the second major will be added to the student’s transcript with the notation “Second Master’s Major” but no new diploma will be issued as no new degree type has been earned.

Additional Master’s Degrees

A student who would like to pursue any additional master’s degree type beyond completing a second master’s degree will have to complete all degree requirements including the total earned hours for the degree program.

Pursuing a Master’s Degree after Completion of a Graduate-Level Credit-Bearing Certificate

A student who has previously earned a Graduate-Level Credit-Bearing Certificate from Lindenwood and desires to earn a Master’s degree in the same discipline may “stack” or apply all credits from the certificate into the degree if the credit is applicable.  All other requirements for the degree, including the thesis, must be completed. Any credits earned from another institution would be subject to the “Transferring Credit” procedures in the Graduate Catalog. If the student pursues additional Master’s degrees, the policies for “Second Master’s Degree”, “Second Master’s Major” and “Additional Master’s Degrees” will apply.

Lindenwood University offers an accelerated master’s program in selected majors that allows high achieving undergraduate students an opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in as few as five years. Traditional first-time college students will complete the majority of their undergraduate curriculum, as well as most general education requirements, during their first three years. Then, upon formal acceptance into the master’s degree program, the students will complete their graduate coursework during their fourth and fifth year. Current undergraduate students and transfer students are also eligible for participation in an accelerated master’s program, but graduation timelines vary and are dependent on an official review of their prior academic history. Students who elect not to complete the graduate portion of the program can still graduate with an undergraduate degree following the completion of all undergraduate degree requirements.

Enrollment Process and Eligibility
The accelerated master’s program is designed for traditional first-time college students, but current students and transfer students can declare their interest in an accelerated master’s program and follow the academic pathway at any time. Interested students should inform their academic advisor of their intent to complete an accelerated master’s program as early as possible to ensure they follow the necessary academic degree plan. Additionally, some accelerated master’s programs offer early assurance programs that require an initial application or screening process prior to the student’s first semester at the university.

Generally, traditional undergraduate students following an accelerated master’s program degree plan will formally apply to the graduate phase of the program during the fall semester of their third year. Accelerated master’s programs will have program-specific eligibility requirements, application procedures, selection criteria, and retention criteria. Typical program requirements include the following, but please refer to the specific accelerated master’s program for additional information:

• Completion of the accelerated master’s program application
• Completion of the university graduate program application
• Cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher
• Completion of at least 75 undergraduate credit hours at time of application submission (credit hours for courses enrolled in at time of application should be included)
• Completion of at least 90 undergraduate credit hours at time of entry into program
• Letters of recommendation

Earning Graduate Credit as an Undergraduate Student
Students participating in an accelerated master’s program may take up to 9 credit hours at the graduate level during their senior year at no additional charge. Enrollment in these graduate courses will require approval from the director of the accelerated master’s program. These credit hours can count toward the graduate degree. To earn graduate credit as an undergraduate student, the student must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours at the undergraduate level for each semester that the student is taking graduate credit and have a minimum undergraduate 3.0 GPA. A maximum of 6 graduate credits may be earned in a single semester. Please see the specific accelerated master’s program for additional information.

Grading Policy for Undergraduate Students Enrolled in Graduate Courses
Undergraduate students enrolled in graduate-level courses will be graded in accordance to the undergraduate grading policy. The undergraduate student may receive grades of A, B, C, F, W, AF, N, I and Audit (see appropriate definitions in the Grading System section of the graduate catalog).

Student Classification and Degree Conferment
Students participating in an accelerated master’s program will be classified as an undergraduate student until all undergraduate degree requirements have been met. Under normal circumstances, this should be accomplished by the end of the fourth year. Upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements, the bachelor’s degree will be conferred, and the student shall be considered a graduate student for all university purposes.

Tuition
Students participating in an accelerated master’s program will be subject to undergraduate tuition rates until the undergraduate degree is conferred. Therefore, graduate courses completed as an undergraduate student in an accelerated master’s program that provide credit for the undergraduate degree or graduate degree will be subject to undergraduate tuition and financial aid. Upon conferment of the undergraduate degree, the student will be considered a graduate student and will be subject to graduate tuition, graduate financial aid, and all other fees associated with graduate programs. Please see the specific accelerated master’s program for additional information regarding tuition, program expenses, and all other fees.
For additional information on financial aid, please see the Federal Financial Aid sections in the undergraduate and graduate catalogs.

Honors Academy
Undergraduate students participating in an accelerated master’s program can continue to participate in the Honors Academy. With prior approval of the course instructor and academic advisor, students participating in the Honors Academy can register for 500-level courses for undergraduate Honors credit. The student must earn a final grade of AH or BH to receive Honors credit in these courses.

General Honors
Students participating in an accelerated master’s program will have all graduate courses that count toward undergraduate credit included in their determination for general honors.

Academic Integrity
Undergraduate students enrolled in graduate level courses as part of an accelerated master’s program will continue to be subject to the undergraduate student policies for academic dishonesty. Upon the conferment of an undergraduate degree, the student will be formally recognized as a graduate student and will be subject to the graduate student policies for academic dishonesty. Please see the Academic Integrity section of the undergraduate or graduate catalog for additional details.
For students participating in an accelerated master’s program, any report of academic dishonesty as an undergraduate student will remain in the student’s record throughout the entire program. Thus, a single report of academic dishonesty by a graduate student with a previous offense at the university as an undergraduate or graduate student will result in expulsion from the university.

Transfer of Credit
A student wishing to transfer undergraduate credit to Lindenwood University from an accredited college or university should request official transcripts be sent directly to Lindenwood University’s Office of University Admissions by the school(s) previously attended. Evaluation of undergraduate transfer credit will be made by the registrar. For more information regarding the transfer of undergraduate credit, please refer to the Admission, Application, and Fees & Financial Assistance section of the undergraduate catalog.

A student wishing to transfer graduate credit to Lindenwood from an accredited college or university should request official transcripts be sent directly to Lindenwood University’s Office of University Admissions by the school(s) previously attended. Evaluation of graduate transfer credit for an accelerated master’s program will be made by the appropriate program coordinator. For more information regarding graduate credit transfer policies, please refer to the Transferring Credit section of the graduate catalog. Please also refer to the specific accelerated master’s program for more information, as additional program-specific policies may exist regarding transfer credit policies.

In the event of a student's untimely death, the university may grant a posthumous degree if the following criteria are met.

Graduate students

MA/MBA/MFA/MHA/MPA/MS/EdS

Eligibility:

• The student had successfully completed at least 70% of their degree requirements.
• For graduate certificates, the student must have successfully completed at least 75% of the coursework required.
• The student was in good standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.
• The student had no pending disciplinary sanctions.
• The academic college in which the student was enrolled recommends the awarding of a posthumous degree.

EdD

Eligibility:

• The student had successfully completed at least 75% of all program-associated coursework.
• For graduate certificates, the student must have successfully completed at least 75% of the coursework required.
• The student had completed the comprehensive exam or all program benchmark exams.
• The student had secured IRB approval to proceed with the implementation of the dissertation research.
• The student was in good standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.
• The student had no pending disciplinary sanctions.
• The College of Education and Human Services recommends the awarding of a posthumous degree.

Procedure:

• Anyone can request a deceased student be considered for a posthumous degree. It is recommended that this request be made within two years of the student’s passing.
• Once a request has been made, the student’s academic college dean and department faculty will review the student’s eligibility. If the college representatives determine that the student is eligible for a posthumous degree, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Provost.
• If approved, the Provost will direct the Registrar to award the degree and request a diploma to be sent to the next of kin.
• The statement “Awarded Posthumously” will be printed on both the student’s transcript and the diploma.

A graduate student is expected to complete a graduate program within five years of the date of entry.

All students at Lindenwood University are expected to attend all classes and all class activities for which they have enrolled. Students who miss class are expected to inform the instructor and to make up the work to the instructor’s satisfaction.

At times, absence from class may be unavoidable—as in instances of prolonged illness, hospitalization, mandatory religious practices, or participation in an approved student activity. (For information regarding absence due to university-sponsored activity, see the Excused Absence Policy for Students Engaged in LU Authorized Events.) A student who has been hospitalized should submit official doctor's or hospital documentation to the accessibility manager located in the Library and Academic Resource Center, suite 346. Written verification of religious observances may be required.

In the case of unsatisfactory work due to excessive absences from class, the instructor may give ample warning to the student that the work is unsatisfactory and may report a final grade of F or AF to the registrar.

Note: Persons receiving benefits from the Veterans Administration are governed by special regulations concerning class attendance See Veterans’ Benefits, appearing earlier in this catalog.

Rational

In the event that a student experiences the death of a loved one during the course of an academic term, the student may request to utilize the Bereavement Policy for Students. Lindenwood recognizes the impact that a loss may have on the emotional and academic well-being of a student and wishes to support the student during this stressful time. Lindenwood also understands that grief impacts every student differently and, therefore, this policy is not an attempt to quantify the impact of the death of a loved one or in any way address the nature of the grief process. Rather, the purpose of this policy is to provide a formal process to allow grieving students the time to attend the bereavement services, as well as the opportunity to be available for their families during times of death and grief.

Policy

Under this policy, a student will be excused from class for funeral leave, subsequent bereavement, and/or travel considerations. A student is entitled up to five (5) consecutive academic days of bereavement to mourn a death in the immediate family as defined below. For a death outside the immediate family as defined below, a student is entitled up to three (3) consecutive academic days of bereavement. While this policy excuses a student from class attendance, the student remains responsible for all material covered in class and must work with each individual professor upon return to complete any required work.

The immediate family includes:

• Parent(s) or legal guardian(s)
• Spouse
• Parent 
• Stepparent 
• Sibling 
• Child 
• Stepchild 
• Grandparents or grandparents-in-law
• Father-in-law
• Mother-in-law
• Brother-in-law
• Sister-in-law
• Son-in-law
• Daughter-in-law
• Grandchild

International Students

An international student will be granted up to ten (10) consecutive days if there is a death in their immediate family. The student must provide the SASS office with relevant and appropriate documentation to certify the death of a relative. Such documentation may include a copy of a death certificate, a letter from a recognized religious leader (such as an Imam), a police or consular report, official government certification or similar. All submitted documentation must be official copies in English (or be accompanied by an official translation). 

Exceptions

The University reserves the right to review specific situations to determine if exceptions to the established bereavement policy are warranted. Exceptions must be discussed and agreed upon prior to the start of the leave with the Director, Student Support Services in consultation with the Associate Provost, Academic Affairs and the AVP, Student Affairs.

Scope of Applicability

This policy is applicable to all full- and part-time graduate and undergraduate students.

Process and Notification

The student or a representative (family member, room/suitemate, on-campus faculty/staff) must notify the Student Academic Support Services (SASS) Office prior to the start of the bereavement leave. The student is required to provide appropriate documentation to the SASS Office. Upon receipt of the appropriate documentation, a representative from SASS will notify the necessary and appropriate on-campus offices (faculty, success coach/academic advisor, athletic coaches, Residence Life) of a student’s bereavement leave and anticipated return date. Upon return to the institution, it is the responsibility of the student to communicate with their instructors about any missed assignments and arrange to complete missed work. In keeping with this policy, instructors shall excuse the student from class according to this policy and provide an opportunity for the student to complete missed quizzes, exams, papers, other required work and/or alternative assignments. Students who have followed this policy should not incur academic penalties. Members of the faculty shall have the option to adjust course requirements at their discretion to assist the student in ways deemed appropriate including, but not limited to, the following:

• Extension of due dates
• Providing make-up exams
• Assigning alternative assignments and/or evaluations
• Assigning a grade of Incomplete
• Issuing the student a final grade for coursework earned to date without a requirement to complete remaining academic assignments (typically for situations occurring within the last two weeks of the semester)
• Other measures agreed upon by the instructor and the student

Documentation

Any student who wishes to utilize this policy is required to provide documentation to the Student Academic Support Services (SASS) Office. Acceptable documents may include: a funeral program, obituary, signed letter from funeral home, or death certificate. Failure to provide documentation will result in the absences being considered unexcused.

Appeal

If an instructor fails to follow this policy, the student may appeal the instructor’s decision in writing to the Associate Provost, Academic Affairs.

Counseling Services

Lindenwood University’s Student Counseling and Resource Center is available to assist students and provide counseling services if so desired by the student. Students may also access free crisis and scheduled teletherapy through Uwill while away from campus and upon their return.

Academic Support

Lindenwood University’s Student Academic Support Services (SASS) Office is available to assist students and provide academic support if so desired by the student.

 

Lindenwood University allows students engaged in official sports contests, arts events, approved field trips, approved conferences, etc., to be excused from class for university-sponsored events in which those students are officially representing the university. Students are required to communicate personally with their professors regarding their anticipated absences and to make arrangements for missed work in advance of their university-authorized absences. When make-up work is pertinent, students who have provided their professors with advance notice should be afforded the opportunity to complete that work or an educationally equivalent and substitutable activity at a time and place mutually agreed upon by the student and the instructor.

Note: Students enrolled in classes with extremely compressed meeting schedules will not be excused from class attendance, even for a university-authorized event if participation in the event would cause the student to miss a significant portion of the scheduled meeting time. Students who enroll in such a class and find that they must be absent will be advised to withdraw from the class.

Title 38 of the U.S. Code (Law) states that an educational institution may not take the following actions when a member receives orders for a period of service:

• Assigning the member a failing grade,
• Reducing the member’s grade point average,
• Characterizing any member’s absence(s) as unexcused, or
• Assessing a financial penalty on a member because of a withdraw or leave of absence due to receiving orders for service.

Lindenwood University allows students participating in required military duties to be excused from class. Military duties covered under this policy include, but are not limited to, military deployment, required annual military training, ROTC activities, and civilian deployments in support of federal operations. For service members holding Reserve and National Guard status, weekend duty (drill) requirements should not interfere with normal school schedules. However, if a situation arises that requires absence from class due to duty/drill requirements, this absence can also be excused if the required absence is verified by the commanding officer or other affiliated Guard leader.

If circumstances permit, students should notify instructors of all absences for military duty prior to the absence. Instructors may request documentation/verification of the military duty and require that the absence be verified by the Office of Veteran Affairs. If an exigent circumstance arises, where notification is not possible prior to the absence, the student should contact the instructor and/or university as soon as possible to present documentation of the reason for the absence as well as the reason for late notification. When make-up work is pertinent, students who have provided their professors with notice should be afforded the opportunity to complete assigned work. Alternatively, students can be assigned an educationally equivalent substitutable activity at a time and place mutually agreed upon by the student and the instructor.

No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student with excused absences for official university activities or military duties.

Note: Students enrolled in classes with extremely compressed meeting schedules will not be excused from class attendance if participation in the activity would cause the student to miss a significant portion of the scheduled meeting time. Students who enroll in such a class and find that they must be absent will be advised to withdraw from the class.

All members of the Lindenwood community have responsibilities to ensure that the Excused Absence Policy functions properly and efficiently for students, staff, and faculty. Below are the responsibilities of each party affected by or involved with the Excused Absence Policy:

Athletics Department

The Lindenwood Athletics Department will provide notice of any upcoming student-athlete absence for a sporting event or related, excused sports activity. The notice will be sent through LindenCircle. This notice is to inform faculty that the student-athlete is representing the university in an athletics event or function. It is the responsibility of the student-athletes to remind professors of their absence at least 48 hours in advance and to make arrangements for any missed work. Exceptions to the 48-hour rule should be noted in the LindenCircle excuse form and include last-minute travel roster substitutions, changes in schedule due to inclement weather, and/or qualifying competition.

Academic Departments

A faculty member or academic department sponsoring a special co-curricular event or outing should first complete a field trip form and submit it to the office of the associate provost for engaged learning for approval. This form should list the name of each student attending the outing, along with a sponsor signature, confirming that all students who will be traveling have signed a travel waiver. Once the outing is approved, the associate provost will send notice via LindenCircle of the excused absence. 

Professors

Professors affected by excused student absences should make reasonable accommodations for excused students who are missing class or other academic activities because of their participation in an event or other function related to their participation in a scheduled, university-authorized co-curricular event. Professors should, in advance of any such excused absences, stipulate in writing in the course syllabus their expectations of and procedures for students who must miss class for authorized reasons. Each professor’s expectations and procedures should meet the parameters outlined in this Excused Absence Policy and should be reviewed with all students during the first week of class.

Students

Students who must miss class for a Lindenwood sporting event or other Lindenwood-authorized activity must, in person or via email, provide advance notice to all professors whose classes they will miss with specific details of their upcoming absence. If possible, this notice should be provided at least 72 hours in advance of the affected class meetings. If 72 hours’ notice is not possible, the student should notify professors as soon as possible. This personal notice shall be given in addition to the general notice provided by the Lindenwood Athletics Department or academic department sponsoring the event. In each case, the student is also expected to prepare thoroughly for and promptly engage in any substitute or make-up assignment or activity.

At the instructor’s discretion, extra credit opportunities may be offered. Such opportunities must be equally accessible to all students enrolled in the course. Please direct any questions about this policy to the Office of the Provost.

Policy updated after publishing – April Addendum – 4/30/2024**

Student work is defined as assignments, homework, and other academic activities to be completed outside of instructional time, including reading, studying, writing, research etc. Students should expect to spend a minimum of two hours per week completing this work for each credit hour enrolled (thus six hours of work outside of class per week for a three-hour course), although the time spent outside of class may increase based on the topic and level of the course.

All courses are required to meet until the end of the scheduled academic periods as stated in the university calendar. Professors are required to hold a final exam or other significant evaluative activity at the scheduled final exam time as outlined in the final exam schedule. There are to be no exceptions to these requirements.

Faculty members are not to change the schedule of the final exam, either by changing the date of the exam or by changing the time of the exam. Students should plan to attend their final exams on the scheduled dates.

In the event that classes are officially cancelled during final exams, the students’ final course grades will be calculated based on the work in the course completed to that point if 75 percent of the graded work in the class has already been assigned. If 75 percent of the graded work in the class has not been assigned by the final exam, a makeup exam will be scheduled.

A student who is not seeking certification or any degree with Lindenwood University may be accepted as a non-degree, “Special Status” student. Students accepted under this status must meet university admissions standards and may not take more than 15 credit hours of regular, undergraduate, or graduate credit without being fully admitted. This policy does not apply to cooperative (workshop) credit. Students accepted with special status are not eligible for financial aid or student loans as they are not fully admitted to the university. Payment arrangements must be made with the Bursar's Office prior to attending class. Please direct any questions about this policy to the Office of the Registrar.

Policy updated after publishing – April Addendum – 4/30/2024**

Students are required to satisfy the degree requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of matriculation. A continuing student who desires to pursue a course of study added to the curriculum in a subsequent catalog year or who wishes to fulfill degree requirements that have changed since the student’s matriculation must submit a catalog change request to the Office of Academic Services. If the request is granted, the student will be bound by all policies and requirements in the new catalog. Students who discontinue study at Lindenwood University may be required to adopt the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of readmission depending upon the length of the absence.

Note: The university reserves the right to modify its policies (other than degree requirements) at any time. Students must adhere to all university policies that are in effect during each term of enrollment.