Graduate Probation and Suspension
Students enrolled in a Master’s degree program are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in all courses taken for graduate credit. Good academic standing indicates that the graduate students has earned a GPA of 3.00 or above, and is meeting the minimum academic standards of the institution. No candidate may receive a master's degree with a graduate course grade of "F" that has not been successfully repeated as indicated in the Cumberland University Graduate Catalog. Each student must successfully complete the required 36 semester hours of graduate coursework for the master's degree within seven calendar years from the date of entry as a degree-seeking student.
A student who is not in good academic standing will be designated as being either 1) on academic probation, or 2) on academic suspension. A graduate student who is not in good academic standing, on probation, or on suspension shall not receive a degree from the institution until such time as the student is returned to good academic standing. See the table in the Probation, Suspension, Dismissal, and Good Standing section of the catalog for specific requirements.
A student is NOT in good standing if any of the following situations occur:
"C's"
No more than two grades of "C" in graduate course work are acceptable for degree completion. Upon earning a third grade of "C" a student will be placed on Academic Probation, regardless of cumulative GPA. No student will be allowed to continue in his or her respective program without permission of the Graduate Council if they have earned more than two "C" grades in any course.
The student must repeat one of the three courses in which they earned a grade of "C" in its entirety at its next immediate offering. Once one of the three courses with an earned "C" is repeated and the student earns a grade of "B" or better they will be returned to good academic standing. If the student earns a "C" or below in the repeated course, they will be placed on Academic Suspension.
"F's"
A grade of "F" in any course automatically places the student on Academic Probation, regardless of cumulative GPA. The student must appeal to the Graduate Council for approval prior to re-enrolling in the course. No other courses may be taken in the program until the course is repeated.
If approved to retake the course by the Graduate Council, the student must repeat the failed course in its entirety at its next immediate offering. The student must earn a grade of "C" or higher in the repeated course, the student shall be placed on Academic Probation. If the repeated grade earned is a third "C" on the student's transcript, they remain subject to the policy above.
"FC"
A graduate student who earns a grade of "FC", failure due to cheating, will be automatically placed on suspension, and may be dismissed from the University.
Appeal to the Graduate Council
Students have the right to appeal their probation or suspension to the Graduate Council. The student is required to submit a letter to the Registrar's Office by the deadline included in the probation or suspension letter. The Graduate Council will meet to consider the students' appeal. The student will be notified via email/U.S. Mail of the outcome.
The Graduate Council's decision about allowing students to repeat courses will be made on a case-by-case basis. The decision of the Graduate Council may be to allow or disallow a student to repeat a course. A student not allowed to repeat a course will result in dismissal from the program.
Students who wish to appeal a decision of the Graduate Council are required to submit a letter to the Office of Academic Affairs within five (5) business days of receiving notification of a decision made by the Graduate Council. The appeal will be reviewed on the basis of the letter provided by the student, the student transcript, and the response from the Graduate Council. If the student fails to submit an appeal by the deadline, the decision of the Graduate Council will go into effect immediately. The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs is final.