Academic Regulations
ACADEMIC ADVISORS
After being admitted to degree status, students are strongly
urged to seek the guidance of an academic advisor. Students
are free to select any on-campus faculty member or their
program director as their advisor. It is the advisor’s
task to approve transfer credits when appropriate, to waive
required courses under certain circumstances, and to encourage
prudent sequencing of courses.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The University is committed to academic excellence and integrity.
Students are expected to do their own work and to cite any
sources they use. A student who is guilty of dishonest acts
in an examination, paper, or other required work for a course,
or who assists others in such acts, may receive a grade
of F for the course. In addition, a student guilty of dishonest
acts may be immediately dismissed from the University.
Students who violate copyright laws, including those covering
the copying of software programs, or who knowingly alter
official academic records from this or any other institution,
are subject to similar disciplinary action.
GRADING SYSTEM
Plus (+) and minus (–) suffixes are incorporated with
letter grades to provide the following marks (and numerical
equivalents that indicate grade points):
| A |
4.0 |
| A- |
3.7 |
| B+ |
3.3 |
| B |
3.0 |
| B- |
2.7 |
| C+ |
2.3 |
| C |
2.0 |
| C- |
1.7 |
| D+ |
1.3 |
| D |
1.0 |
| D- |
0.7 |
| F |
0.0 |
| W |
Withdrawn |
| I |
Incomplete |
| P |
Pass |
| NP |
No Pass |
| NR |
Not reported (assigned by Student Records Office) |
| R |
Repeat (no credit) |
| AUD |
Audit |
To calculate the grade point average (GPA), divide the
total number of earned grade points by the number of units
attempted (marked UA on grade card and transcript); a B
average is 3.0.
CHANGE OF GRADE
Only the instructor in charge of a course may assign grades.
All grades, except incompletes, become final when they have
been assigned and reported to the Student Records Office.
An instructor may approve and report a correction of a final
grade to the Student Records Office only if a clerical or
procedural error was made in assigning, transmitting, or
recording the original grade.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
A grade point average of 3.0 (B) or higher is required in
all courses. Students falling below this cumulative average
must make up the deficiency within their following two courses
in order to continue in the program. Students who receive
a grade of D or F or who fail to maintain the required grade
point average will be disqualified.
If, in the judgment of the instructor, absences affect
academic performance, the instructor may assign additional
work. Student absences may also affect the final course
grade.
Periodic Evaluations - The counseling psychology and education
faculty will periodically evaluate students on their performance
and behavior. This is part of the Division’s commitment
to the professions of counseling and education and to the
clients they serve. Should the faculty judge that a student
would not be an asset to these professions, the student
will be administratively withdrawn from the University regardless
of the number of courses completed. Students will be contacted
only if their evaluation warrants consideration of serious
problems from a faculty perspective. The periodic evaluations
adhere to specific guidelines and procedures. Appeals of
a negative outcome of the periodic evaluation must be made
in writing to the Chair of the department and to the Dean.
ACCOMMODATION FOR A DISABILITY
If you need an accommodation for a disability, please contact
Disabled Student Resources at 408-554-4109 (voice) or 408-554-5445
(TDD).
ATTENDANCE
Students are required to attend all classes. Penalties for
absences are left to the discretion of individual instructors.
Students are held accountable for all assignments in each
course, whether or not the assignments were announced during
an absence.
If, in the judgment of the instructor, absences affect
academic performance, the instructor may assign additional
work. Student absences may also affect the final course
grade.
INCOMPLETE GRADES
Students may receive an Incomplete grade (I) in a course
if, because of extraordinary circumstances beyond their
control, some essential portion of the assigned work has
not been completed before the final examination or final
paper date assigned by the professor of the class. The unfinished
work must be completed and given to the course instructor
within four weeks of the beginning of classes in the next
scheduled term (not the student’s next term of enrollment),
excluding summer session, unless extraordinary circumstances
require an extension.
All extensions must be in writing and approved by the department
chair; they should not exceed a period longer than two academic
quarters after the Incomplete was earned, excluding summer
session. Approval for an extension must be obtained and
forwarded to the Student Records Office within the four
weeks mentioned above. All Incompletes not cleared in the
time stated above will automatically become an F grade,
which will restrict students’ registration for subsequent
quarters.
GRIEVANCE PROCESS
If students have a grievance related to a course, they should
first speak directly with the course instructor. If it continues,
they should submit their concern in writing to the program
director. If not resolved, the concern should then be presented
in writing to the Division director, who will meet individually
with the student, the instructor, and the program director
in an attempt to mediate a resolution.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE OR WITHDRAWAL
To withdraw from the University, a student must submit a
withdrawal letter to the Division Office, 226 Bannan Hall.
Degree-status students who interrupt their course of studies
for up to two years need not reapply on their return. Summer
session is not considered a term.
Degree-status students who interrupt their course of studies
for more than two years must withdraw from the University.
In order to return, they must file a new application form
but without a fee. Such application forms should be filed
by the April 1, November 1, and February 1 application deadlines.
These applications for readmission will be subject to the
admission requirements and procedures established for persons
applying for the first time.
Withdrawal from the University is not officially complete
until students clear all of their financial obligations
with the Office of Student Accounting Services. Students
on deferments or Federal Perkins Loans must also clear their
financial obligations with the Office of Student Loan Services.
COURSE LOAD
A full course load is 9–12 quarter units. No student
is permitted to carry more than 15 graduate quarter units
in a single quarter, with the exception of full-time teacher
education students. No student may carry more than 10 quarter
units during summer session. Any student carrying fewer
than 9 quarter units is considered a part-time student.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The need for personal disclosure creates an obligation of
confidentiality for teachers and group leaders.
Students have the right to expect confidentiality because
the faculty of the counseling psychology and education programs
expect self-disclosure. Violations of this obligation are
most serious and may result in a review of the professional
responsibilities of the faculty member.
Students to whom personal disclosure is made in courses,
practica, counseling sessions, and other training activities
also have an obligation of confidentiality.
Students who violate this obligation are subject to suspension
or expulsion from the University.
CHALLENGING COURSES
Students, including those applying for a credential or MFT
license, may challenge certain courses that satisfy specific
degree requirements. These courses do count toward a student’s
total units passed. These units do not count toward a student’s
graduation requirements. In order to maintain the integrity
of a Santa Clara University degree, students are usually
not allowed to challenge more than three courses. A successfully
challenged course appears with a grade on the transcript.
To challenge a course, students must (1) have completed
at least 15 quarter units at Santa Clara (unless an exception
is granted by the director of the student’s program);
(2) have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2;
and (3) have permission from the instructor, program director,
and dean to proceed with the challenge. The instructor must
complete a written description of the proposed challenge
process, to be approved by the program director.
Challenge examinations may be either oral or written, as
determined by the instructor. Challenged courses may not
be taken on a pass/no pass basis. There will be a $85 fee
for challenging a course. Challenge forms are available
in 226 Bannan Hall.
Certain classes within the Division normally cannot be
challenged, including any counseling psychology practicum/internship
courses and any field lab courses. Classes in which the
experiential component of the work is high are usually unavailable
for challenge.
WAIVING COURSES
Students who waive classes with the permission of the director
of the program receive no indication on their transcript
that the classes have been waived, but a notation is made
in their records file that the specific class requirements
have been met and waived. These students must take another
class in lieu of the waived class. Waived classes are not
accepted by licensing or credentialing boards for meeting
competency requirements.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAIVING AND CHALLENGING COURSES
Students who successfully challenge a class receive a notation
on their transcripts as units attempted and passed and a
grade for the challenged class. Students who waive a class
have proven competency in a particular course area, and
a notation is made in their file to this effect; a transcript
notation is not made and a grade is not given for the waiver.
AUDITING COURSES
Students accepted into degree or credential programs may
audit one course per quarter. No more than three courses
may be audited during a student’s degree or credential
program. Permission to audit a course will be given only
at the end of the late registration period and only if space
is available in the class. No credit is assigned for an
audited course, but the successful completion of an audit
will be indicated on a student’s transcript by the
notation AUD. Students must pay full tuition for auditing
a course.
TRANSFER WITHIN COUNSELING PROGRAMS
Students who wish to transfer from one counseling psychology
program to another (e.g., from the M.A. in Counseling to
the M.A. in Counseling Psychology) must first meet with
their advisor and then submit a written request to the Chair
of the Counseling Psychology Department. The request must
contain one or more reasons for the proposed change. Transfer
of programs is not automatic. The director will present
the request to the faculty for review and decision. The
faculty decision will be transmitted by letter to the student,
and a copy of the letter will be placed in the student’s
file. The date of the letter will be the effective date
of the transfer.
The requirements for the new degree program will be those
printed in the Division bulletin current at the date of
the transfer letter. All requirements for the new degree
program must be completed within five calendar years from
the beginning of the quarter or session into which the student
was originally accepted.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
The minimum number of graduate quarter units of credit required
for the Master of Arts degree is 45; the maximum is 78.
Course requirements are described under each program heading
in the following pages. For the Master of Arts degrees and
the teaching and services credential programs, the candidate
must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average.
All requirements for any degree or credential must be completed
within five years. Requests for extension beyond this period
must be submitted in writing to the student’s program
director.
Candidates for a master’s degree must file a petition
to graduate with the Admissions and Records Office, 226
Bannan, by the second Friday of the quarter in which the
candidate plans to graduate. Candidates for graduation during
summer session must file by the third Monday of summer term.
A late fee of $2 per day (maximum, $50) will be charged
for failure to meet these deadlines.
After a petition is filed, the candidate’s academic
record will be reviewed by the Admissions and Records Office.
Candidates whose eligibility to graduate is in question
will be notified. A candidate who fails to meet all requirements
for graduation by the expected date must file a new petition
to graduate.
Details concerning participation in the commencement exercises
are handled by the Office of Student Life and Leadership
(408-554-4583).
