Academic Regulations
Course Load
Most master’s seminary students will typically enroll for a full-time course load. A student taking a course load of nine semester hours is considered a full-time seminary student. Students intending to take an excess of 18 hours during the fall or spring semesters or 12 hours during the summer semester must seek approval from the Office of the Associate Dean or the Director of Academic Services.
Students are urged to consider the demands of the rigorous graduate theological education program of Truett Seminary when planning academic schedules combined with off-campus employment and ministry obligations. Students who are serving in vocational ministry positions, working full-time, or commuting for more than one hour should consult with their faculty advisor when selecting courses.
Time Limit
In order to fulfill the broad educational and formational goals of the M.Div., an M.Div. program shall require a minimum of three academic years of full-time work or its equivalent. All course credits applied toward degree requirements should be earned within 10 years of the awarding of the degree.
Course Numbering System
Baylor course numbers consist of an alpha prefix followed by a four-digit course number. The level is specified by the first digit; “7” indicates a seminary course. The second digit specifies the number of semester hours of credit assigned to the course. The letter “V” is used as the second digit for courses that may be taken for a varying amount of credit.
Attendance Policy
Students are required to attend all classes in the student’s schedule. Under no circumstances will credit be given for courses in which the student is absent more than the maximum number of allowable absences for the class. Unless a smaller number of classes is designated by the professor, the “maximum number of allowable absences” shall be 25 percent of the total number of class meetings. A student having absences for more than the maximum number of allowable absences will receive an “F” (or a “W” if the student drops the course prior to the last date to drop a course). Excessive tardiness will be dealt with by the individual professor.
Class absences are one of the early signs that a student may be experiencing academic, personal, or emotional challenges or distress. Resources in the Paul L. Foster Success Center (PLFSC) and Counseling Center are available for students who are experiencing difficulties related to class attendance.
For additional assistance, students may contact the Office of the Academic Dean.
Students Called for Active Military Duty
An enrolled student who withdraws as a result of being called into active military duty (reserves or National Guard) may choose to:
- receive a refund of tuition and fees paid toward the current term, or
- be given full credit of tuition and fees paid toward the current term to apply toward a future term’s chargers for enrollment, or
- if late enough in the term, request an “incomplete” so that the remainder of the work could be completed at a later date and receive no refund or credit of tuition and fees.
If the student has met the academic requirements for the term, a grade will be assigned and no tuition refund or credit will be granted.
Board charges are refunded on a pro rata basis on the date of the student’s withdrawal. Room charges are refunded on a pro rata basis based on the date a student officially vacates on-campus housing.
Students having federal/state financial aid will be withdrawn according to the published withdrawal policy. Any refund or credit for a student being called into active military duty who has such financial aid will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Grading System
The method and manner of evaluation at the seminary is left to the discretion of the course instructor as outlined in the course syllabus. A student may take an examination at a time other than the scheduled time only under extenuating circumstances and with permission from the instructor. The following criteria may be used at Truett Seminary in assigning letter grades:
| Grade | Percentage | Grade Points per Sem.Hr. |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4.00 | 94-100 |
| A- | 3.67 | 90-93 |
| B+ | 3.33 | 87-89 |
| B | 3.00 | 84-86 |
| B- | 2.67 | 80-83 |
| C+ | 2.33 | 77-79 |
| C | 2.00 | 74-76 |
| C- | 1.67 | 70-73 |
| D+ | 1.33 | 67-69 |
| D | 1.00 | 64-66 |
| D- | 0.67 | 60-63 |
| F | 0.00 | 0-59 |
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| I | Incomplete; usually because of excused absence from the final examination or permission for extension of time to submit a report or term paper. The "I" must be removed by the last day of class the next semester (summer terms included); if the course is not completed by this time, the "I" will automatically be changed to the grade of "F." Once an “I” changes to an “F,” the “F” becomes the permanent grade. An "I" is not included in hours earned or grade point average until it expires or becomes a grade. |
| IP | Used for courses in which the specified time for completing an incomplete has expired but for which the instructor has submitted an extension of time request. |
| W | Withdrawal |
| P | Pass; used for courses graded on a pass-fail basis. If a grade of “A”, “B”, or “C” is earned, the grade will be recorded as “P.” Semester hours are earned, but no grade points. |
| FA | Fail; used for courses graded on a pass-fail basis. If a grade of “D” or “F” is earned, the grade will be recorded as “FA.” This does not count in the grade point average. |
| CR | Satisfactory completion of courses graded on a credit/non-credit basis; semester hours are earned, where appropriate, but no grade points. |
| NC | Unsatisfactory completion of courses graded on a credit/non-credit basis; neither semester hours nor grade points are earned. |
| AU | No academic credit earned; for courses registered on an audit basis. |
Grade Change Policy
Changes of grades may be initiated by the instructor of the class and must be approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Changes to grades may only be initiated by an instructor when the original grade resulted from an error or when the original grade was an Incomplete. Changes resulting from an error may only be made within one calendar year of the original date that the grade was due and may not occur once a degree to which the course was applied has been conferred. Further, changes to Incomplete grades may only be made in compliance with George W. Truett Theological Seminary policies on Incompletes. Beyond changes to grades for those reasons, changes may occur when initiated by the Executive Vice President and Provost based on the finding of a violation of academic integrity or when a grade is successfully appealed through George W. Truett Theological Seminary’s Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure found on our General University Policies page; the one-year time limit does not apply to these changes.
Course Repetition
Courses taken at Truett Seminary for which the grade earned is an “F” must be repeated at Truett and must be repeated prior to taking any course for which the first course is a prerequisite. The course cannot be repeated at another seminary for transfer to Baylor or for use as degree credit. Although all occurrences of a student’s course work will appear on the academic transcript, the grade received the last time the course is taken is the only grade that is calculated in the cumulative grade point average. Grade point status can be modified only by work done in residence at Baylor.
Courses in which the grade earned is a “D” may be repeated in an effort to raise the student’s cumulative grade point average to a 2.00, the minimum required to graduate. Any classes repeated will move a student beyond the benchmark of 87 attempted hours and could adversely affect a student’s financial aid.
Students are required to submit a registration petition form to obtain permission to repeat a class for credit.
Courses taken at Baylor for which the grade is “B” cannot be repeated.
Transcripts
To obtain an official academic transcript, students can place an order with the Office of the Registrar for the University, which is located in Robinson Tower.
Transfer Credit
Any student who has taken courses at an accredited seminary (or approved university graduate program) may apply to receive transfer credit.
Transferred hours may not exceed 30 hours for the MDiv, 21 hours for the MACM, and 15 hours for the MTS. Transferred hours towards any MA program will be reviewed by the Director of Academic Services and the Director of the corresponding program on a case-by-case basis. Students who have taken courses in another program but not completed another degree may submit transfer hours for consideration to complete up to one-third of the required Truett program hours. If a student completes another graduate degree at an accredited seminary (or approved university), not more than half of the credits required for another graduate degree can be transferred.
In all cases, grades earned on transfer hours are not included in the calculation of a student’s grade point average. Only courses taken at accredited institutions are transferable, but the courses must have been taken within the past six years. No grade lower than a “B” or its equivalent will be transferred from another institution.
All decisions regarding transfer credit are made at the discretion of the Academic Dean.
Courses taken in residence at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary may not be repeated at another institution for degree credit. Also, students who are on academic suspension are not eligible to take courses elsewhere for transfer to the seminary.
Once transfer credit has gone through in place of a required class on a student’s degree plan, that student may not take that class again for credit at Truett.
Truett Seminary adheres to The Association of Theological Schools’ standards on Advanced Standing.
Students who are interested in receiving transfer credit should contact Jo Ann Sharkey Reinowski in the Office of Academic Services (JoAnn_Reinowski@baylor.edu) to apply. An official transcript is required for an application.
Advanced Standing
Students may be granted advanced standing without credit and be exempted from the introductory courses if they have been religion majors in college and have already covered the introductory material. Students should submit their request for advanced standing online prior to their first semester and must substitute other courses (electives) for these required hours to complete their degree.
Students may be granted advanced standing with credit for the introductory courses, reducing the number of required hours to complete the degree, if they pass the appropriate written exam that demonstrates their knowledge, competency, and skills in that area of study. Exams must be taken prior to the student's first semester. Baylor University charges a fee for the administration and grading of each exam for credit. However, this fee is waived for graduates of Baylor University and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Students who have proficiency in Greek and/or Hebrew may skip the introductory courses in Greek and/or Hebrew, but must pass a three credit-hour course in Greek Readings and/or Hebrew Readings with at least a “B” to reduce hours to complete their degree.
Independent Study
A student may request to take an Independent Study in extraordinary situations. Application for Independent Study is to be made by the student per the Independent Study Request Form and submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for approval.
Academic Probation/Dismissal
Probation and Academic Failure Policy
Probation
A student encounters probation in two ways:
First, he/she may be admitted under probation (provisional acceptance) because of the following factors:
- The student does not hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
- The student’s undergraduate GPA was under the standard 2.7 recommended for admission to Truett.
- The student is an international student living in the United States who has not yet taken the TOEFL exam because of special circumstances.
To remove the academic probation upon acceptance and receive full admission status, a student must produce a 2.00 GPA during the first semester (9 hours minimum). Part-time status must be approved by the Associate Dean.
Second, a student is considered failing and will automatically be placed on academic probation if his or her cumulative GPA drops below 2.00.
Academic Failure
If a student has two consecutive semesters in which his or her cumulative GPA is below 2.00, that student is considered as failing and will not be allowed to register for further class work at Truett.
Procedures of Probation and Failure
A student will be notified upon acceptance concerning whether he or she is accepted on probation. It will be up to the student to secure clearance by initiating a meeting within the Office of Student Services after the 9 hour compliance minimum to apply for full admission.
A student who fails to maintain a minimum grade point average will be notified. After a semester of below minimum work, the student will be notified by mail concerning this change in his/her status. An appointment with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will be scheduled at the initiative of the student. If the student continues to fall below a minimum grade point average after the subsequent semester, the student will be notified by mail and will no longer be allowed to register for classes. It will be the student’s responsibility to arrange for a hearing with the Associate Dean of the seminary to appeal for reinstatement.
Reasonable Progress
Each student must make reasonable progress toward satisfying the requirements for graduation. To remain in good standing, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher.
Sequence of Courses
Students should seek recommendations from the Director of Academic Services concerning the suggested sequence of all courses including the academic concentration and biblical language courses. If a student does not complete degree requirements within six years, the student then comes under the current catalog, which may entail changes in the requirements to graduate.