Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures
These policies and procedures apply to students on the following programmes: the MA in Art History and Visual Culture and the MA in International Relations.
Academic Standing
A graduate student is in good academic standing if a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) is maintained. Graduate students with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 (B) risk dismissal from the university (see below under “Grade Point Average” and “Academic Probation”).
Grades
A : 4.0 Excellent
A- : 3.7 Very Good
B+ : 3.3 Above Satisfactory
B : 3.0 Satisfactory
B- : 2.7 Below Satisfactory
C+ : 2.3 Poor
C : 2.0 Deficient
C- : 1.7 Seriously Deficient
F : 0.0 Failing
Grade Point Average
A grade point average (GPA) is calculated each semester and summer session and is recorded on the student’s transcript. A cumulative GPA, including all graduate courses taken at Richmond, is also calculated. The numerical equivalent for the grade (see above) of each course is multiplied by the number of credits for that course to give the number of quality points for the course. The GPA is then the sum of the quality points for all courses divided by the total number of credits of all courses attempted.
Students achieving a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7 will be awarded a distinction.
Students achieving a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 will be awarded a pass.
Students achieving a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 will fail the degree.
Students who fail to submit the thesis or who do not obtain a minimum grade of B (3.0) on the thesis, but who achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all other courses will be awarded a Post Graduate Certificate (US)/Post Graduate Diploma (UK) as an exit award in recognition of their achievement in this area.
The Graduate Academic Standards Committee
The Graduate Academic Standards Committee (GASC) considers and acts upon cases of academic dishonesty, rules on student petitions for exceptions to academic policy, and monitors the academic standing of students. Petition forms can be accessed via the university website or from the departmental administrative assistant, who also acts as the GASC secretary. Petitions must be submitted in good time for consideration by the GASC. On matters that do not involve dismissal, the GASC’s decision is final, and will be communicated to the student via email.
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty is defined as:
Any action by which a student seeks to claim credit for the intellectual or artistic work of another person or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information in any academic situation.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
- Receiving or giving assistance in tests and examinations;
- Intentionally impeding or damaging the academic work of others;
- Submitting another person’s work as your own, or providing work for this purpose;
- Submitting work purchased from an essay mill or a ghost-scholar service or an e-tutor;
- Submitting work of your own that has been substantially edited and revised by another person, or providing an editing service for others;
- Submitting material from a source (books, articles, internet sites) without proper citation and bibliographic reference;
- Paraphrasing material from a source without appropriate reference and citation;
- Submitting substantially the same piece of work in more than one course without the explicit consent of all of the instructors concerned;
- Assisting other students in any of the above acts.
Students who are academically dishonest will receive a failing grade on the work in question or a failing grade for the course as a whole, depending on the importance of the work to the overall course grade and the judgment of the instructor.
Please see the general university regulations on Academic Honesty. Where these regulations refer to ASC, in the case of graduate students, GASC should be substituted.
Academic Probation
Several processes will ensure that graduate students are aware of the level of their academic progress throughout their study. Graduate students performing below B in any course will be alerted to this at mid-semester. If a graduate student’s overall GPA at mid-semester is less than 3.0 (B), that student will be placed on academic probation.
Any graduate student on probation who does not raise his/her cumulative GPA to 3.0 (B) by the end of the semester will have his/her academic record individually evaluated by the Graduate Academic Standards Committee (GASC). Any graduate student with an overall cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 at the end of a semester risks dismissal from the University.
Any graduate student with a semester cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 (B) who is permitted by GASC to continue on the course remains on academic probation, and his/her record will be reevaluated the following semester. Two consecutive semesters on academic probation will normally result in dismissal from the university.
Courses
Graduate level courses are designated by course numbers 500-699. Undergraduates are not permitted to enrol in graduate level courses. Graduate course offerings are strictly scheduled across the academic year, and students must normally enrol for a full academic year beginning in the fall semester (fall/spring/summer). Certain courses are only offered in a specified semester, and some options are subject to student demand. Please see the student handbooks for more details.
Repeat of a Course
Any repeats of courses are subject to availability (course scheduling and course cycling).
Any graduate student who receives a grade of F (0.0) on a course may repeat it in any subsequent semester (subject to availability and within the “time for
completion” restrictions outlined below).
Any graduate student who receives a grade lower than B (3.0) on a course may petition GASC for permission to retake the course. All petitions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and in the larger context of the student’s overall academic record.
Incomplete Courses and Re-Sits
In cases where graduate students believe that they have a legitimate reason for missing a final examination or failing to complete coursework, they may petition the GASC for a re-sit examination and/or an extension to coursework deadlines.
If the petition is approved, an interim grade of I (Incomplete) is assigned. Incomplete grades have no quality points, and are not factored into a graduate student’s semester or overall GPA. The final grade for the course is then revised by the instructor upon completion of course requirements.
Re-sit examinations are completed in the official re-sit period, which is the fourth weekend of the semester following the original exam date. Re-sits are not normally permitted at any other time. Deadlines for incomplete coursework will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the GASC in liaison with the instructor for the course. The deadline may not exceed the last day of the semester following that in which the coursework was originally assigned. All incomplete grades must be resolved by the end of the semester following that in which the original coursework was assigned.
Failure to meet these deadlines will result in the I grade reverting to the original grade submitted by the instructor, or to an F grade if no grade was submitted.
Leave of Absence
A graduate student may request a Leave of Absence (LOA) from the program Director for a maximum period of one year. The program Director will consult with the Dean of Academic Affairs in all leave of absence requests. Normally students applying for a leave of absence must be in good academic, social, and financial standing. Approved leaves of absence provide students with the right to return to the university and to register for a future semester without applying for readmission. Graduate students must be particularly aware of the practical restrictions placed upon their return to studies posed by cycling and scheduling of courses outlined under “Courses” above.
Note: Students must be aware that the university is obliged to report to the UK Borders Agency any student who is in the UK on a student visa, but who is not attending classes. This also applies to students who are taking a Leave of Absence. The university’s granting of an LOA should in no way be interpreted as granting permission for a student on a student visa to remain in the country.
Leaves of absence must be applied for and approved in advance of the term in which they are to be taken. Graduate students registered for and attending classes will not be permitted to apply for a leave of absence retroactively. They must withdraw from any courses in which they are enrolled.
On returning from an approved leave of absence, students continue under the same graduation requirements that were in force when they began their leave. Those granted a leave of absence for medical reasons may be required to provide confirmation from their health-care provider that they are medically fit to resume their studies. Students failing to return from a leave of absence within one calendar year must apply for readmission. If they are readmitted, they will be governed by the graduation requirements in effect at the time of readmission.
Open University Validation
Richmond’s MA programs are pending validation by The Open University. Once final validation has been approved, the following explanation will apply. Validation by The OU means that Richmond’s masters degrees are of comparable standard to the Masters degrees directly registered with The Open University and other UK universities.
External examiners, who are normally experienced academics from other British universities (not The Open University itself), review the content and structure of the degree program, review assessed academic work, and have the right to moderate the grades awarded by internal examiners where this is within the regulations of the program and does not bias the overall assessment or cause unfairness to individual students. Therefore grades may not be considered to be final before review by the external examiners.
Completion of Richmond degree requirements automatically results in the award of a Richmond diploma, signifying completion of the US accredited degree program, and a certificate from The Open University signifying that the degree obtained is validated by The Open University. Students’ final GPA equates to British Masters degrees classified as ‘Distinction’ (‘A’ and A-’ grades) and ‘Pass’ (‘B’ range grades). The classification of the degrees awarded to Richmond graduates are recommended by the Richmond academic staff members, and then evaluated and a final decision made by the external examiners at an official Examination Board Meeting.
For full details of OU validation, please see under Open University Validation, and consult the relevant MA student handbook.
Graduation Requirements
All MA students must complete an approved program of 36 credits. Full graduation requirements for the MAs are found on the webpages for the MA in Art History and Visual Culture and the MA in International Relations.
US Credits and UK CATS Credits
As Richmond is an American university, all credits are expressed throughout this catalog in US terms. However, OU validation for the MA requires that all US credits also be explained in UK terms. For more details, see the relevant MA student handbook.
1 US MA credit = 5 UK CATS credits (at Level 7)
3-US credit MA course = 15 UK CATS credits (at Level 7)
6-US credit MA course = 30 UK CATS credits (at Level 7)
36 US credits for the US MA = 180 UK CATS credits (at Level 7) for The OU-validated MA.
Time for Completion
Graduate students are normally expected to complete all requirements in one academic year comprised of Fall, Spring and Summer semesters (see under “Courses”). Any returning student must complete all requirements for the degree within three years of their first registration.
Courses at Other Institutions
Graduate students are not normally permitted to transfer courses in from other institutions.
Coursework Regulations
- In order to be awarded the MA, students must successfully complete all coursework, maintain good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 3.0 [B]), and obtain a minimum grade of B (3.0) for the thesis and on the internship.
- A student must normally maintain good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 3.0 [B]), in order to progress to the Spring semester (see above under “Academic Probation”).
- A student must normally maintain good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 3.0 [B]), in order to progress to the Summer semester (see above under “Academic Probation”).
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In borderline cases, the final decision will be made at the Assessment Board.
Thesis Regulations
- Students who do not submit the thesis will receive an F grade for the thesis component.
- Students with exceptional circumstances may petition the Graduate Academic Standards Committee (GASC) for an extension for thesis submission. Only in exceptional circumstances, supported with official documentation (eg a medical certificate), will an extension be considered.
- In cases of deadline extension, the due date will be decided upon on a case-by-base basis by the GASC in consultation with the course instructor.
- In cases where the grade obtained on the thesis is below B (3.0), the student may petition the GASC for permission to resubmit. Where permission is granted, the new deadline will be decided on a case-by-case basis, but will not exceed two semesters from the original deadline.
- In cases of thesis resubmission, the thesis will be held until the Assessment Board of the following academic year. The diploma, if granted, will therefore be dated on academic year later than if the thesis had been submitted on time.
Students with Disabilities and Special Educational Needs
Support for students with disabilities will be arranged for students who have registered their disabilities with their MA Director, who will communicate their needs to Student Affairs and to the Registrar’s Office. These students are entitled to “reasonable modifications” that will facilitate their university learning experiences. If in doubt about the correct avenue to follow, students should consult with their MA Director. The following web page has been established to assist students in selecting the appropriate way of addressing an issue: Support for Students with Disabilities.
Student Appeals and Complaints
Situations may arise where students are dissatisfied with an aspect of their academic experience at Richmond. The university welcomes feedback from students – if there is a genuine problem, Richmond officials need to be informed about it in order to respond. If in doubt about the correct avenue to follow, students should consult with their MA Director. See the general university policies on appeals and complaints, for assistance in selecting the appropriate way of addressing an issue.
Note that where these regulations refer to ASC, in the case of graduate students, GASC should be substituted.
Link to this page: http://www.richmond.ac.uk/s/1532.aspx
