Academic Progression
Master of Athletic Training
MAT students must successfully complete all courses listed with an overall GPA of 2.75. A student may earn a C in no more than two MAT courses. To earn credit for a course, students must earn a grade of C or better; grades below this standard do not earn credit.
Master of Business Administration
MBA students must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 2.75 to maintain satisfactory progress in the program. To earn credit for a course, students must earn a grade of C or better; grades below this standard do not earn credit. If a student drops below a 2.75 GPA or receives a grade of “C-” or lower in one course, the student will be placed on academic probation. A second C- in either the same or a consecutive term may be cause for academic dismissal.
Students are also expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 throughout their MBA program. Falling below this standard for one term is cause for academic probation; failure to raise the GPA in the following term may be cause for academic dismissal. The Dean of the School of Business and the Chief Academic Officer reserve the right to view each occurrence on a case-by-case basis.
Master of Science
MS students must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 2.75 to maintain satisfactory progress in the program. To earn credit for a course, students must earn a grade of C or better. If a student drops below a 2.75 GPA or receives a grade of “C-” or lower in one course, the student will be placed on academic probation. A second C- in either the same or a consecutive term may be cause for academic dismissal.
Students are also expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 throughout their MS program. Falling below this standard for one term is cause for academic probation; failure to raise the GPA in the following term may be cause for academic dismissal.
Master of Education/Master of Special Education
Academic Progression Policy:
Graduate students must successfully complete all courses listed with an overall GPA of 3.0. To earn credit for a course in fulfillment of the degree requirement, students must earn a grade of B- or better; grades below this standard do not earn credit in fulfillment of the degree requirement.
Program Probation/Dismissal Policy:
Graduate students must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher and no course grade lower than a B- to maintain satisfactory progress in the program. If a student drops below a 3.00 GPA or receives a grade of C+ or lower, a notification from the program Dean or Director indicating academic probation will be sent. An improvement plan will be issued for a student if a student earns a C+ or lower in a class. If a student earns two grades of C+ or lower, even when repeating the same course, this will result in academic dismissal from the program, regardless of overall GPA.
If a student is placed on probation, the student must raise their overall graduate GPA to 3.0 within six credits. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the graduate program. The Chief Academic Officer and the appropriate graduate program Dean reserve the right to view each occurrence on a case-by-case basis.
Doctorate of Education
Academic Progression Policy:
In Midland University’s Doctor of Education (EdD) program, a doctoral student’s academic standing is considered unsatisfactory and the student is placed on academic probation if any of the following outcomes occur:
The student earns a grade of C+ or lower in any course that uses an A-F grading scale. No grade of C+ or lower may be counted toward a doctoral degree program. Students receiving a C+ or lower will be required to retake the course.
The student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 (on a 4.0 point scale).
The student earns an F, a “PM”, or “NC”. A grade of F, “PM”, or “NC” will not be counted toward a doctoral degree. If a student earns an “F”, “PM” or “NC”, he/she/they will be dismissed from the program.
The student fails to demonstrate proficiency on the Year One or Year Two benchmarks.
The student fails to make adequate progress toward the doctoral dissertation in practice. The doctoral program director, in collaboration with an advising committee, will consider progress based on expectations set by the program, discussions with the advisor, and input from the student.
The student fails to meet other academic and/or professional expectations as defined by individual programs—for example, failing to display appropriate professional dispositions in a course/program.
Prerequisite policy: In most cases, students can progress in their program of study if they have earned a C- or better (students still need to retake any courses below a B-). However, students must earn a B- or better in EDD 801, 802, and 803 and a “Passing” score in EDD 808, 813, 815, 817, and 818 to continue in their program of study. These are foundational courses that require students to demonstrate proficiency on concepts and assignments that will be used in their entire program of study, including in their Dissertation in Practice. Therefore, if a student earns a grade below a B- or "No Credit" in 801, 802, or 803 or does not earn a “Pass” (Pass/No Credit option) in EDD 808, 813, 815, 817, and 818, they will be unable to continue in their program of study. If students earn a grade below a B- or earn a "Pass Marginal" or “No Credit” in any of the courses listed above, they should contact their dedicated program advisor to discuss a plan to re-enroll in the respective course the next time it is offered.
Academic Probation Policy:
In the event that any of the above outcomes occur, the following actions are taken:
The student is placed on academic probation for the next six credits in his/her/their program of study. While a student can appeal the award of a grade (see Grade Appeals policy in the Midland University Graduate Academic Catalog), a student cannot appeal the decision to place him/her/them on academic probation.
The student should contact his/her/their program adviser and the program director to develop a plan for reinstatement to good academic standing (Note: Doctoral students will receive a letter from their program explaining the terms of the academic probation and the requirements for reinstatement).
Any courses taken during the probationary period must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser.
The student will be released from academic probation once he/she/they has met the following conditions (where applicable): 1) completed any required course(s) with a B- or “P” (as appropriate) or better; 2) regained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 as required for good academic standing; and 3) met all other conditions of probation set by his/her/their program Dean or Director.
If the student does not demonstrate proficiency on his/her/their Year One or Year Two benchmark assessments, they will be placed on academic probation and given 14 calendar days to refine and resubmit their benchmark assessment(s) from the day that instructor feedback was provided. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor when instructor feedback was provided in Canvas. If they do not demonstrate proficiency on their second attempt, they will be dismissed from the program.
Students who are placed on academic probation because they fail to make adequate progress on their dissertation may be required to take a Leave of Absence to remediate any issues related to adequate dissertation progress (Note: During a leave of absence, students will not have access to their faculty adviser, faculty, or Midland University resources). Students will continue to have access and support from their program advisor.
Academic Dismissal Policy:
Students will be automatically dismissed from their academic program, irrespective of his/her/their cumulative grade point average at the time, in the event that any of the following occur:
Fails to meet the conditions for reinstatement to good academic standing while on academic probation (NOTE: Doctoral students must meet the requirements for reinstatement to good academic standing within six credit hours of being placed on academic probation. Otherwise, they will be automatically dismissed from the program).
Earns two C grades (C+, C, or C-) in the same semester or cumulatively over the course of his/her/their entire program of study.
Earn a grade of C+ or below while on academic probation.
The student earns an F, a “PM”, or “NC”. A grade of F, “PM”, or “NC” will not be counted toward a doctoral degree. If a student earns an “F”, “PM”, or “NC”, he/she/they will be dismissed from the program.
If the student does not demonstrate proficiency on his/her/their Year One or Year Two benchmarks, the student will be placed on academic probation and given 14 calendar days to refine and resubmit the required benchmark assessment(s) from the day that instructor feedback was provided. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor when the instructor feedback was provided in Canvas. If the student does not demonstrate proficiency on the second attempt, the student will be dismissed from the program.
The appropriate graduate program Dean (or designee) and Chief Academic Officer reserve the right to review each occurrence on a case-by-case basis.
Readmission Policy:
Students seeking Readmission to the University after an academic dismissal in the EdD program, must file an EdD Readmission Request form as part of the reapplication process. This process applies to those students that have not been enrolled at Midland University for a semester (two eight-week terms) or more. In the EdD program, doctoral students must wait until the next time the required course is offered in his/her/their prescribed program of study.
Students must file the EdD Readmission Request form via the University Registrar’s Office. The form must include a narrative to support the student’s request detailing how he/she/they plan to improve participation, communication, engagement, and/or quality of course products (e.g., discussions, written assignments, projects, etc.).
This process is in addition to the standard Admissions reapplication. The decision of the Chief Academic Officer will be final.
Leave of Absence:
A student may request a leave of absence for personal or other reasons. To request a Leave of Absence, a student must complete and submit a Leave of Absence Form for review by the program Dean (or designee) and Chief Academic Officer. The approval of the program Dean (or designee) and Chief Academic Officer is required before the leave is granted for a specific period, not normally to exceed one year. A student whose leave of absence status expires has the option to request a leave of absence extension on a yearly basis, typically for two years only, subject to the approval of the program Dean (or designee) and Chief Academic Officer. A request for a leave of absence is not automatically granted—decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. If a leave of absence is granted, the program Dean (or designee) or Chief Academic Officer will notify the Office of the Registrar.
Students granted a leave of absence also need to withdraw from any course(s) in which he/she/they are enrolled at the time the request is approved. Students placed on a leave of absence are still required to meet tuition/fee and financial aid obligations. Financial aid obligations may include returning federal funds to the U.S. Department of Education and non-federal funds to their respective programs as outlined in the University’s Withdrawal and Refund Policy.
Note: During a leave of absence, students will not have access to their faculty adviser, faculty, or Midland University resources. However, students will have access to their dedicated program advisor.
Reinstatement From a Leave of Absence
Students returning from a Leave of Absence are required to submit a request for reinstatement. Students must complete a Request for Reinstatement Form during the semester prior to his or her reinstatement to begin the process of reinstatement. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the reinstatement process.
Academic Progress Requirements for Scholarships and Financial Aid
In order to receive or renew scholarships, federal and/or state financial aid, a student must meet certain academic requirements. These requirements are detailed in the Financial Aid Guide that was mailed with the student’s Award Letter. It is the student’s responsibility to know, understand, and comply with these requirements.
Revised 7/7/2023. EDD Progression Policy Revised 12/6/2023.