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Academic Standards

Transfer Credit

A maximum of six credits for graduate courses completed at another institution prior to matriculation at Manhattan College may be granted if the courses are equivalent to those required at Manhattan College. The courses must have been taken within the five-year period prior to acceptance as a matriculated student and have been awarded a grade of B or better. Request for such transfer credit must be made at the time of filing the application for admission. In general, credits that have been used to earn one degree may not be applied to the degree requirements of another degree. The request for transfer credit must be submitted to the Office of Admissions. Courses accepted for transfer credit will be noted on the Manhattan College academic record. However, the grades will not be counted in the Manhattan College grade point average.

Off-Campus Credit

It is understood that all courses for the degree must be taken at Manhattan College. For compelling reasons and in rare instances, however, a student may secure permission to earn a maximum of six transfer graduate credits at another institution transferable to the Manhattan College record. Written permission to take such work must be obtained by the student in advance from the chair or director and the dean of the school. When such a course is completed, the student must arrange for an official transcript to be mailed directly by the institution where the course was taken to the office of the program director or the dean of the school in which the student is enrolled and must pay the "Off-Campus Courses" fee per course before the course is entered on the student's academic record by the Office of the Registrar. Only courses which have earned a B grade or better are transferable. A student who was granted six transfer credits on admission is not eligible for any further transfer of credits during their matriculation.

Registration

Students are required to officially register for each session in which they will be in attendance. Before the actual registration, students must submit a registration form approved by their program director. Payment must be provided in advance of the time of registration.

Online registration is available through the Self-Service system by logging onto the self-service.manhattan.edu site. Students may also register in person or by mail. Dates and instructions for registration will be included with the graduate schedule of courses published online and available in advance by the Office of the Registrar or by the program director.

Late registration will not be accepted. Enrollment in a course is considered final after the first scheduled class in the fall or spring term and after the first two class meetings in the summer session.

Maintenance of Matriculations

Students not in attendance during a semester must register for "Maintenance of Matriculation" in the spring and the fall semesters.

Course Changes

Adding or dropping a course must be approved by the graduate program director and processed in the Registrar's Office before the second scheduled class. Refunds are subject to the policy stated in the catalog.

Grades

The grades used to indicate the quality of the student's performance in every course are as follows: A means excellent, B means good, C means satisfactory, D means poor but passing, F means failing. For the purpose of computing grade point averages, the corresponding numerical equivalents for letter grades will be used:

Grade Quality Points
A 4.0
A- 3.67
B+ 3.33
B 3.0
B- 2.67
C+ 2.33
C 2.0
C- 1.67
D+ 1.33
D 1.0
F 0

I  Incomplete. This indicates that some requirement of a course has not been satisfied by the end of the term. A student's request for an Incomplete must be submitted to the instructor before the end of the term or session. The instructor determines whether to grant the request. In all cases, the incomplete work must be completed and submitted to the instructor no later than 45 days from the last day of the term's final examination period. The faculty member must submit the final grade not later than 50 days from the last day of the term's final examination period. An incomplete will be converted to a grade of F if the work is not completed on schedule. Extensions for the completion of the work or the submission of the final grade will be granted by the dean only in highly unusual circumstances.

W  Withdrawal. Indicates withdrawal from a course in which the student is regularly enrolled. The student is required to have the withdrawal notification form signed by the instructor of the course and the director of the student's school. The deadline for withdrawal from a course will be the end of the twelfth week of the semester. In “W” courses, neither quality hours nor quality points are assigned.

AW Academic Withdrawal - Indicates a student who has never attended a course that they were officially registered for.
An AW grade will function the same as a Drop.

UW Unofficial Withdrawal - Indicates a student has stopped attending a course that they were officially registered for.
A UW grade will function the same as an F grade.

P Passing. No quality points assigned.

NC No Credit.

P/F Pass/Fail. In Pass/Fail courses, neither grade influences the grade point average. Credit is awarded for a P grade; no credit for an F.

Quality points and quality hours are assigned for every credit attempted at Manhattan except those taken on a Pass/Fail basis, and those for which designations of a W or an I have been assigned. The scholarship index is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of quality hours.

For all students, the cumulative scholarship index is computed at the end of each semester; for those who attend the summer or winter sessions, it is also computed at the end of each session.

T  Thesis. Indicates a Master's Project or Thesis or Internship/Practicum/Field Experience that is not completed by the end of the semester for which the student has registered for.

GPA Calculation

Computing the Grade Point Index (GPA)

The following is the method by which a student’s GPA is calculated: 

1. Multiply the quality points equal to the grade by the number of credits for which the grade was earned

       A=4.00 quality points x 3 credits = 12.00 points

2. Add the total quality points earned in a semester

3. Divide by the total number of credits for a semester

The total quality points, divided by the total credits equals the GPA for the semester. To compute a cumulative grade point average, including all MC courses taken to date and divide by the total number of credits for which grades other than W, P, NC, AUD, have been earned or given.

Withdrawal from the College

Regular Withdrawal

Students currently enrolled in Manhattan College who wish to withdraw from the College, effectively ending their status as matriculated students, must complete the required Manhattan College Withdrawal Form. An appointment should be made with the appropriate Academic Advisor to have an exit interview and to complete the required form. This form must be completely filled out or students will not be eligible for tuition adjustments and may be responsible for paying back any financial aid received from the College. Students will be considered withdrawn on the date that they officially notify the College. Students who withdraw from the College after the last day for course withdrawal will receive a grade of “F” for all courses during the session unless a waiver is granted by the Provost for medical, psychological or emergency reasons. In this case, the student will receive a grade of “W” for all courses during that session.

Administrative Withdrawal

A student may be administratively withdrawn from the College:

  1. If he or she fails to register for classes by the end of the add/drop period.
  2. If he or she fails to attend classes by the end of the add/drop period.
  3. If he or she has not returned to the College or fails to qualify to return to the College when the approved period of leave of absence has expired.
  4. If he or she has not returned after academic or disciplinary suspension at the time specified and the period of suspension has not been extended.
  5. If in extraordinary circumstances a student is unable or unwilling to request a voluntary leave of absence or a voluntary medical leave of absence and there is a clear need to protect the safety of the student and/or others or to protect the integrity of the College’s learning environment.

Reinstatement Following Withdrawal

A student who withdraws or is withdrawn from the College may apply for reinstatement. In order to return to the College from a withdrawn status, a student must make a request in writing to his or her Dean at least eight weeks before the beginning of the semester to which the student seeks to return. The College reserves the right to require, review and approve documentation that the student is qualified and ready to return to academic work.

In the case of a voluntary withdrawal for medical/psychological reasons or any administrative withdrawal under this policy related to a physical or mental health condition, the student must submit a written progress assessment from a treating health professional as part of the request for reinstatement. The Director of Counseling and Health Services may require a release from the student to discuss current treatment and follow-up needs with the treating health professional, in order to assess whether the student is qualified and ready to return to the College and whether the College can provide the follow-up care needed to maintain the student’s enrollment. The Director of Counseling and Health Services approves the return of all students who have withdrawn or been withdrawn for medical or psychological reasons.

Students who are reinstated following a withdrawal from College will comply with the degree requirements of the catalog in effect when they are reinstated.

Graduate Course Repeat Policy (effective starting the 2014-2015 academic year)

If a matriculated graduate student fails a course or receives a grade below the minimum requirement of the program, the student may choose to apply for grade replacement.  Permission for a replacement course must be approved by the dean or executive director of the student’s school.  When a student repeats the same course (which can only be repeated at Manhattan College), the higher of the two grades is used in calculating the student’s GPA. The lower grade will remain on the student’s record but will not be used in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. If the course is repeated three or more times, the second and subsequent grades are factored into the cumulative GPA.  No additional credits are earned.

Explanation

  • Graduate grade replacement is not automatic and must be approved by the graduate program director and the dean/executive director of the student’s school.
  • It is expected that this policy will apply primarily to failing grades, although this policy may be used for programs that have higher grade requirements to progress.
  • The lower grade will stay on the transcript with an annotation that the course was repeated.
  • For a repeated course with a first grade other than F: the credits for the course will count only once; the higher (as opposed to the most recent) grade will count in the GPA.

Conditions
The policy applies to:

  1. all graduate-level courses.
  2. only the first time a course is repeated.
  3. no more than 6 credits of the student’s academic record.
  4. only those courses where the grade was not lowered because of violations of the Academic Integrity policy.
  5. every currently enrolled degree-seeking graduate student at Manhattan College.

Contested Grades

If a student believes that their final grade in a course is not consistent with the grading criteria designated by the course instructor, the student should first discuss the matter with the course instructor. If the student and the instructor cannot resolve the matter in this discussion, the student may discuss the matter with the program director. Copies of all graded tests, quizzes, and other assignments will be needed.

In the event that the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the discussions with the course instructor and the chair, the student may make a written request to the program director for a formal consideration of the problem. This request must be submitted within three weeks after the beginning of the semester immediately following the regular fall or spring semester. Included in the request will be an outline of the student's specific complaints. The program director shall make a detailed investigation and shall notify the student and course instructor of their findings.

The student may appeal the findings of the chair to the dean of the school in which the course was offered. The dean will respond to the student in writing and will preserve the documentation of the process. When the department chair is the course instructor, the student may appeal to the dean of the school in which the course was taught who will investigate the matter and notify the student and the department chair and/or program director of their findings.

Students should be aware that only the course instructor may change a grade.

Grade Changes

All course grades (except "I" grades) are intended to be final and permanent. It is expected that course instructors will determine and report final grades as accurately and precisely as the nature of the evaluation of student achievement and the grading system will permit. It is considered the instructor's direct and personal responsibility to ensure that grades are fair and reported correctly.

Notwithstanding all precautions, faculty members can make errors. When this occurs, the errors should be corrected so that students are not unfairly penalized. If a course instructor decides to request a grade correction, the appropriate forms must be completed and sent to the dean of the school in which the course was taught. Except in the case of contested grades, all requests for correcting grades must be submitted by the last day of the fourth week of the semester of the following fall or spring semester. Only the course instructor can submit a grade change request. The dean of the school may disapprove of the request, indicating in writing the reasons why.

Academic Standing

Graduate students must remain in good academic standing and make continued progress towards their degree or program requirements. Graduate students will be considered in good academic standing if they maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 (B) in their course work. Graduate students must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 in the courses that apply to their degree or program in order to graduate. If a graduate student receives a grade less than a B in any graduate course, the student is required to meet with the director of the program to discuss continued enrollment in the program. Additionally, a student who has completed nine (9) or more credit hours towards the degree or program requirements and has a cumulative GPA of less than 3.00 will be required to meet with the program director to discuss continued enrollment in the program. Failure to meet with the program director will result in the student being subject to dismissal from the program.

Any graduate student who receives a failing grade in a graduate course will be placed on academic warning until the course is repeated or an approved substitute course is taken with a grade of B or better. If a graduate student receives a failing grade in the repeated or substituted course, or in a different course, the student will be subject to dismissal from the degree or other program.

  • If repeating a course, federal aid can only be applied for the first time the course is repeated. 
  • Each School at Manhattan College may implement and publish additional guidelines for satisfactory academic progress in their graduate degree programs.

Dean of Students

The Dean of Students is the principal student advocate and provides guidance and direction to all students at Manhattan College. The Dean coordinates student life assessments, provides leadership and supervision of student activities, facilitates interdepartmental interaction, and serves as a central student crisis intervention resource by supporting and coordinating student referrals both within and outside of the division. The Dean upholds the Manhattan College Community Standards and Student Code of Conduct by coordinating all judicial affairs for the college community. The Dean of Students also directly supervises Residence Life, the Counseling Center, and Health Services. The Dean also works closely with Student Government to further incorporate student wishes and needs into College life.

The Office of the Dean of Students is located in Thomas Hall, room 514; telephone (718) 862-7438.

Student Conduct

At Manhattan College, community is based on the mutual respect of many persons engaged in different aspects of the academic venture. In this cooperative educational experience, the Manhattan community has found that certain kinds of behavior defeat the respect we bear for one another. These behaviors are outlined in the Manhattan College Community Standards and Student Code of Conduct. The implementation of the Community Standards and Student Code of Conduct is directly influenced by the thought and writings of St. John Baptist de La Salle. All enrolled students at Manhattan College are subject to the policies outlined in the Community Standards and Student Code of Conduct.

Inappropriate behavior observed by campus officials, as well as information provided by the police and other local authorities, will be addressed. The College will sanction such behavior in accordance with the policies and procedures as outlined in the Manhattan College Community Standards and Student Code of Conduct. For further information on judicial procedures, including College jurisdiction, residence hall guidelines, and procedures for hearings, please refer to the Manhattan College Community Standards and Student Code of Conduct.

Disciplinary authority is vested in the Dean of Students. This authority may also be exercised by referral to one of the following hearing boards: the Student Court, the College Judiciary Council, or the Dean of Students' Board. For detailed information on each board, refer to the Manhattan College Community Standards and Student Code of Conduct or contact the office of the Dean of Students, Thomas Hall, room 514; telephone (718) 862-7438.

Pursuant to Article 129-B §6444.6 of the New York State Education Law, if a student is found responsible through the College’s judicial process for crime(s) of violence, including, but not limited to sexual violence, as set forth at 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f)(1)(F)(i)(I)-(VIII) (“Clery Act crimes of violence”), the Dean of Students will direct that a notation be placed on the student’s transcript.
 
Where the sanction is a suspension, the following notation will be listed: -“SUSPENDED AFTER A FINDING OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CODE OF CONDUCT VIOLATION.”

Where the sanction is expulsion, the following notation will be listed:
- “EXPELLED AFTER A FINDING OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CODE OF CONDUCT VIOLATION.” 

Should a student withdraw from the College, while such conduct charges are pending for allegation(s) related to Clery Act crimes of violence and the student declines to complete the student judicial process, the Dean of Students will direct that the following notation be placed on the student’s transcript: “WITHDREW WITH CONDUCT CHARGES PENDING.”

If a student is found responsible for a Code of Conduct violation that is not classified as a Clery Act crime of violence, and the sanction is expulsion It is recorded in the student’s file in the Office of the Dean of Students, on the academic record and the College transcript.  A letter is sent to the Dean of the student’s school and to the parent or guardian. An expelled student may not enroll in the College at any future date. Expelled students must also seek authorization from the Office of Public Safety to fulfill any appointments on campus. 

Students who engage in behavior that is so detrimental to the campus community that they must lose their right to housing, be suspended from the College, or be expelled from the College, are not subject to reimbursement for money paid for the semester in accordance with Title IV federal guidelines.

Drug and Alcohol Violation Disclosure

Section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232 g) is amended by adding at the end the following: (i) Drug and Alcohol Violation Disclosures.

1.     In General – Nothing in this Act or the Higher Education Act of 1965 shall be construed to prohibit an institution of higher education from disclosing, to a parent or legal guardian of a student, information regarding any violation of any Federal, State, or local law, of any rule or policy of the institution, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance, regardless of whether that information is contained in the student’s education records, if -

1.     the student is under the age of 21

2.     the institution determines that the student has committed a disciplinary violation with respect to such use or possession.

2.     State Law Regarding Disclosure – Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to supersede any provision of State law that prohibits an institution of higher education from making the disclosure described in subsection (a).

Disciplinary Hearings Committee

Disciplinary authority is vested in the Dean of Students. This authority may be exercised by referral to the College Judiciary Council, or the Dean of Students' Board.

Any member of the College community may report in writing to the Dean of Students an alleged incident of academic dishonesty as defined in the policy on Academic Integrity. The student(s) involved then becomes subject to an investigation and possible subsequent disciplinary action. The Dean of Students Office is located in Thomas Hall 514.

Student Privacy Rights

Background Information
The primary purpose of The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is to grant college students “the right to inspect and review any and all official records, files and data directly related to them,” and generally to deny access by others without the written consent of the student except in limited and specified circumstances.

Definitions and Procedures
Included in the coverage of the Act is any person who is or was enrolled in Manhattan as a student (including full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students, day and evening).

In compliance with and subject to the provisions of this legislation and the College’s Statement on the Confidentiality of Student Records, the College will make available to each student the College’s official records, files, and data falling within the scope of the Act to each student for his or her personal review and inspection. Specifically excluded from the definition are personal notes of teachers, supervisors, and administrators which are retained in their possession and are not accessible to others except substitutes; medical and psychiatric records except that these records may be reviewed by a physician or other professional of the student’s choice; the Parent’s Confidential Statement; letters of recommendation placed in the file before January 1, 1975; and campus security records.

Students wishing to inspect and review any of their official records and material contained therein should file a request in writing with the Registrar. Forms for such requests-in-writing will be made available. All proper requests will be complied with as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than forty-five days of the date of the request.

A hearing may be requested by a student to ensure that his or her records are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of his or her privacy or other rights, to provide an opportunity for the correction or deletion of any such inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise inappropriate data contained therein or to challenge the content thereof. An appropriate hearing procedure has been established by the College and is included in the Statement of Confidentiality of Student Records.

The Law prohibits the release of material in a student’s file without the written consent of the student, except to officials and teachers of the same school, another school where the student intends to enroll, and certain state and federal officials.

A copy of the Law and a copy of the Statement is available in the Office of the Registrar and the Office of the Vice President for Student Life.

Withdrawal from Course

Students who find it necessary to withdraw from courses must file the official withdrawal form with the director of the program. The W grade will not be given if the student withdraws after the published date for withdrawal. The withdrawal is dated when the office of the Registrar has been informed. No refund is given if a student withdraws from a course after the third scheduled class.

Incomplete Course Work

In extraordinary instances, when some requirement of a course has not been completed before the final examination, a student may be assigned the temporary grade of I (Incomplete Course Work), if, in the judgment of the teacher, a passing grade may be attained with the completion of the requirement. The I grade will be removed and a permanent grade assigned if the requirement is completed satisfactorily. If the requirement is not completed by the date specified in the academic calendar, (see discussion regarding Incomplete grades above) the I grade will be automatically changed to F. Students are responsible for making arrangements with the teacher to complete the requirement within the time permitted. For certain projects, Independent Study prerequisites, internships, and other non-course work (which carry academic credit), students may have an additional session to complete the required work with the permission of the dean of the school.

Students who fail to complete their Master's Thesis/Project by the end of the semester in which they are registered will be issued the temporary grade of T.

The “T” grade indicates a Master's Project, Thesis, or Internship/Practicum/Field Experience that is not completed by the end of the semester in which the student has registered.  “T” grades are intended to be temporary and must be resolved before the graduate student’s term of matriculation expires.  For domestic graduate students, the term of matriculation is five years.  For international students on visas, the term of matriculation is 24 months based on visa requirements. 

If the course is required for the student’s degree, the “T” grade will convert to an “F” grade if a grade change is not submitted by the end of the matriculation period.  If the course is not required for the student’s degree, the “T” grade will convert to an “NG” (No Grade) grade if a grade change is not submitted by the end of the matriculation period.  Once a grade is changed to either an “F” or “NG”, the conversion cannot be changed.    

The required work must be completed and forwarded to the instructor as soon as it is complete, but no later than 30 days before the end of the matriculation period.  The faculty member must submit the final grade within 7 days of receipt of the completed work received from the student. 

If the completed work is not submitted according to the timeline or by the time a student applies for graduation, “T” will be converted to “F” or “NG” grades by the Registrar’s Office after consultation with the faculty member.  Extensions for the completion of the work or the submission of the final grade may be granted by the Dean of the student’s school only in compelling circumstances.  “T” grades must be resolved before the student graduates. 

The T grade is not assigned any quality points and is not computed in the student's grade point average.

Semester Hour of Credit

Many three-credit graduate courses meet for two hours of a lecture once a week. To comply with the regulation of the Commissioner of Higher Education that there be fifteen hours of instruction for each semester hour or the equivalent, a third credit is granted for the successful completion of a course paper, an independent reading list, or some suitable project assigned by the professor. In addition to the two hours of lecture, the professor will be available during a third hour to assist and direct the student. The student's final grade for the three credits will reflect the response of the student to this third-hour requirement.

Records

A report of the semester course grades can be viewed on Self-Service. Official and unofficial transcripts can be requested from the Office of the Registrar in person, by mail, or online at http://www.getmytranscript.com. The Office of the Registrar cannot comply with telephone requests. All obligations to the College must be fulfilled before transcripts will be issued.

Requirements for the Degree

The requirements for a master's degree for each of the programs are listed in the departmental sections. All requirements must be completed within the degree time limit.

Students who began graduate studies after January 1, 1989, must present a minimum grade point average of 3.00 within the specified departmental course requirements needed for their degree. If students do not achieve the required grade point average within those specified course requirements, they may take additional courses with the permission of the department chairperson or director of the program to achieve the 3.00 index.

Courses

To be awarded a master's degree, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 30 to 60 credit hours of graduate course work, depending upon the requirements of the specific program. Because most graduate programs are part-time, many courses are offered in a cycle over two or more years. It is the responsibility of the student to register for courses in the sequence in which they are offered and to make the necessary progress to complete all the requirements within the five-year time period.

Degree Time Limits

All requirements (courses, papers, projects, thesis) must be completed within a maximum of five years from the beginning of the semester of matriculation. The beginning semester of matriculation is the semester within which the candidate is awarded the first credits towards the degree whether they were earned as a non-matriculated or matriculated student. Candidates should plan their five-year program to assure the completion of all requirements within the five-year period. Foreign students must be full-time students. They must complete the requirements for the degree within two years.

Termination of Matriculation

The dean of the school, on the recommendation of the graduate program director, may terminate the matriculation of any student who fails to make sufficient progress towards the degree or cancel a student's registration if the student is registered for courses for which the student does not have the prerequisites.

Candidates for the degree not in attendance for two calendar years will have their matriculation terminated. To reactivate their matriculation, these candidates must receive permission from the dean of the school. Such candidates will need to reapply under the current admissions process and would be required to meet all current degree requirements within the five-year period from the beginning of the semester of matriculation. If this is not possible, the candidate may have to complete additional courses and current degree requirements.

Conferring of Degrees

Degrees are conferred four times a year - September 1st, the end of the Fall semester in December, February 1st, and at the annual Commencement Exercises in May.