PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
The Higher Professional learning is an innovative, new graduate degree designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics, while simultaneously developing workplace skills highly valued by employers. High Professional Science programs consist of two month of academic training in an emerging or interdisciplinary area, along with a professional component that may include distance learning in workplace skills, such as business, communications, and regulatory affairs. All have been developed in concert with employers and are designed to dovetail into present and future professional career opportunities
Programs of Study.
The professional higher diploma, master's and doctoral degree programs are generally similar to those for the academy learning except that they emphasize instruction in professional affairs and practice and serve as preparation for careers in the professions. The program of study should be a coherent program designed to assure the mastery of specified knowledge and skills, rather than a random accumulation of a certain number of courses. The overall form and content of the student's program of study is the responsibility of the student's department or school. To carry out this responsibility, each student must be assigned a major adviser, who, in consultation with the student, plans a program of study and research in accord with school and departmental guidelines.
Diploma, Master's and Doctoral degrees are conferred only on those students who have completed all course requirements with at least a 3.00 QPA.
Departments are expected to provide students with a copy of school and departmental regulations appropriate for their programs. Students are expected to become familiar with these and to satisfy all prescribed degree requirements.
Credit Requirements.
The professional degrees normally require the satisfactory completion of more than 30 credits of graduate study approved by the department. No professional degree program may require fewer than 30 credits. No more than one-third of the total number of required credits may be granted to a student as transfer credit for work done at another accredited graduate institution.
Additional Requirements.
Most professional degrees programs provide opportunities for distance studies and practical applications. Students are expected to acquire professional skills through course work, projects, practice, and/or research papers.
Student Assessment.
Professional degrees are conferred upon those students who demonstrate comprehensive mastery of the general field of study. This includes:
a) Satisfactory completion of all course requirements
b) Other performances which indicate comprehensive mastery such as examinations, research projects, theses, practice, and so forth. These requirements vary from school to school