McNeese State University

George Mead, Interim Dean

PURPOSE

McNeese State University was established to bring to Southwest Louisiana an institution of higher learning which would provide students with equal opportunities to receive the education and training needed to participate fully and wisely in the intellectual, economic, and social life of our democratic society. The purpose of the Doré School of Graduate Studies (DSGS) is fourfold: professional training, to contribute to increased competency in specialized fields; research, to further the development of students in techniques and methods of scholarly research; knowledge, to develop broader and deeper understanding of human knowledge; and preparation, to stimulate and encourage students to prepare themselves for further graduate study.

ADMINISTRATION

GRADUATE DEAN
The Dean of the Graduate School serves as the chief administrative officer for graduate programs at the University. The Graduate Dean administers and coordinates graduate programs and makes final decisions regarding admissions, changes in degree status, admission to candidacy for the degree, certification of candidates for graduation, and all other aspects of graduate studies. Graduate instruction is supervised by the appropriate deans, department heads and graduate faculty under policies set forth by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors and McNeese State University.

GRADUATE COUNCIL
The Graduate Council consists of one representative from each college. The Dean of the Graduate School serves as Executive Secretary, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and University President are ex officio members. A student member is selected by the seated Council and appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Graduate Council acts in an advisory capacity to the Dean of the Graduate School and to the administration. The Council is responsible for the approval of new courses, course changes, and the modifications of existing degree programs. In addition, the Graduate Council reviews credentials and nominates faculty to teach graduate-level courses. The Graduate Council also hears and acts on graduate-student petitions or grade appeals.

GRADUATE FACULTY

The graduate faculty consists of those members of the teaching faculty who have been so designated by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, upon recommendation by the Dean of the Graduate School acting upon appropriate nominations by the Graduate Council. The graduate faculty is composed of two types of membership: Member and Temporary Member as defined in the Faculty/Staff Handbook. Each graduate faculty appointment will be reviewed by the appropriate department head, dean, and the Graduate Council when the faculty member applies for continuing membership in the graduate faculty. Graduate faculty are marked with an asterisk in the faculty section of this catalog.

DEGREES

EDUCATION BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL MASTER’S DEGREE
The Education Specialist is granted in Educational Leadership.
The Master of Fine Arts is granted in Creative Writing.

TRADITIONAL MASTER’S DEGREES
   The Master of Arts is granted in English and Psychology.
   The Master of Arts in Teaching is granted in Elementary Education Grades 1-5, Secondary Education Grades 6-12, and Special Education Mild/Moderate Grades 1-12.
   The Master of Business Administration is granted in Business Administration.
   The Master of Education is granted in Curriculum and Instruction, Education, Educational Leadership, Educational Technology Leadership, and School Counseling.
   The Master of Engineering is granted in Engineering.
   The Master of Music Education is granted in Music Education.
   The Master of Science is granted in Environmental and Chemical Sciences, Health and Human Performance, Instructional Technology, and Mathematical Sciences.
   The Master of Science in Nursing is granted in Nursing.

CONSORTIUM FOR GRADUATE PROGRAM IN NURSING

McNeese State University is a member of the Intercollegiate Consortium for a graduate professional education leading to a Master of Science in Nursing. Information may be obtained from the College of Nursing.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP

A limited number of graduate assistantships for teaching assistants, laboratory assistants, non-teaching assistants, and research assistants are available to qualified graduate students. Graduate students pursuing at least six hours of graduate work, enrolled in a graduate degree program, and in good academic standing may be eligible for a graduate assistantship. Assistantships shall be awarded for one semester only with a maximum of 1-1/2 assistantships per student. Students enrolled in thesis in progress only may be awarded an assistantship for a maximum of three semesters. Duties of the assistants are assigned according to the nature of the appointment, and the stipend varies with ability and preparation of the student and with the nature of the service.

Applications for assistantships should be addressed to the head of the department in which the student will do the major work.

Graduate students who are employed through the McNeese Human Resources Office to work as graduate assistants are allowed credit for half of the tuition portion of their fees and, if applicable, an out-of-state fee waiver.

GENERAL REGULATIONS

Graduate students are responsible for being fully acquainted and complying with all requirements for Graduate School and for the respective degree programs. When a particular situation is not covered in the Graduate School section of the catalog, graduate students should refer to the Academic Regulations section.

ADMISSION TO GRADUATE SCHOOL

Please see the Graduate School Catalogue for more information on Admissions.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND POLICIES

Please see the Graduate School Catalogue for more information on Admissions.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible to receive an advanced degree, graduate students must abide by all regulations and satisfy all requirements of the major department, the Graduate School, and the University. A graduate student must assume full responsibility for knowledge of these regulations and requirements.

Candidates for advanced degrees must file an application for degree by the current deadline as listed in the University Calendar. This should be done at the time of registration for the semester or the summer session in which the candidate completes degree requirements. All candidates who are to receive degrees are to be present at the commencement exercises unless written approval to be absent is given by the Dean of Graduate School.

Graduating candidates must be eligible for the degree, complete degree requirements in a specified time period, meet residence requirements, complete master’s thesis (if applicable), and successfully pass a comprehensive examination.

MASTER’S DEGREE

Eligibility for Degree

The minimum credit requirement for the master’s degree is 30 semester hours of graduate work. Only 500- and 600-level courses can be used toward a graduate degree. One-half of the total number of hours required for the degree, excluding credit for the course titled “Thesis”, shall be in graduate courses numbered in the 600 series.

Specific requirements for degrees must be understood to be minimum; therefore, the University reserves the right to require any additional work and the passing of any qualifying or validating examination that it deems necessary to assure a scholastically mature graduate.

If a thesis is not written, the student may be required to demonstrate acceptable research proficiency and reporting, as prescribed by the major department.

To be approved for graduation, the student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. No grade lower than “C” may be counted toward the degree. No more than six semester hours of “C” work may be counted toward the degree.

Time Limitation

All work applied toward the master’s degree must be completed within six calendar years from the date the student is first enrolled in the program. All work applied toward the Master of Arts in Psychology (Counseling Psychology Concentration) must be completed within eight calendar years from the date the student is first enrolled in the program.

The time limit begins with the semester/term in which the student takes the first course to be applied toward the degree requirements.

Major Professor/Advisor

A graduate faculty member will be assigned as the major professor/advisor to each graduate student upon admission to a graduate program. The Dean of Graduate School, upon recommendation of the head of the department in which the student is enrolled, will appoint the student’s major professor.

Master’s Thesis

Some programs leading to the Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees require a thesis. The thesis subject is selected by the student and approved by the major professor and the student’s examining committee no later than the close of the semester preceding that in which the student is planning to complete degree requirements. If degree completion is planned for a summer session, the thesis subject must be approved no later than 60 days after the first day of classes in the spring semester.

The thesis should demonstrate the student’s capacity for creative expression, research, ability to organize and interpret data, and ability to report research in an acceptable style. The thesis shall be in the form prescribed by the Graduate Council. An instruction booklet for thesis writing should be obtained from Graduate School.

The student must register for departmental Thesis courses during each semester the thesis is in progress and for each semester or term in which the student receives faculty assistance and/or uses University facilities and resources. The student must be enrolled for Thesis the semester the thesis is completed and approved by the examining committee.

At the end of each semester in which the thesis is in progress, a grade of “IN” (in progress) shall be assigned to the student. After final approval of the thesis by the examining committee and by the appropriate authorities, after the examining committee certifies the student has passed the defense, and after all copies of the thesis have been approved by the Graduate School office, a final grade of “P” shall be assigned to all thesis courses; however, only six (6) hours of thesis credit are applicable to the master’s degree.

The acceptance of the thesis lies with the student’s examining committee, and its defense becomes a part of the final comprehensive examination. The thesis must be in the hands of the major professor at least four weeks before the commencement date. The original, with the certificate of approval signed by all examining committee members, must be given to the Graduate School for review at least two weeks before the commencement date. The original, corrected thesis, the signed title page, and all copies must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the Wednesday before commencement. At this time, the student must pay the necessary binding fee. The original thesis will be cataloged in the Lether E. Frazar Memorial Library. The first copy will be given to the major professor by the student, and the second copy will become the student’s property. One additional copy of the thesis may be a departmental requirement.

EDUCATION BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL MASTER’S DEGREE

Eligibility for Degree

The minimum credit requirements for a degree beyond the traditional master’s degree is 60 semester hours of graduate work. The Education Specialist degree requires 30 semester hours earned after receiving the master’s degree. A minimum of 36 semester hours of credit must be earned in courses open only to graduate students. Each candidate for the Education Specialist degree must submit an acceptable field study and pass a comprehensive final examination.

A minimum of one-half of the total semester hours required for the Master of Fine Arts degree must be in courses open to graduate students only. Each candidate for the Master of Fine Arts degree is required to demonstrate creative writing skills by writing a thesis (novel or collection of short stories or poems). The thesis shall be in a form prescribed by the Graduate Council.

Time Limitation

All work beyond the master’s degree which is to be applied to the requirements for the Education Specialist in Administration and Supervision must be completed within six calendar years from the date the student is first enrolled in the program. All work applied toward the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing must be completed within eight calendar years from the date the student is first enrolled in the program.

The time limit begins with the semester/term in which the student takes the first course to be applied toward the degree requirements.

COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAMINATION

Each candidate for the master’s degree (except MBA) or Education Specialist degree will be required to pass a comprehensive final examination covering areas of the student’s major and minor fields of study. If a thesis is written, the comprehensive examination will include a defense of the thesis. The examination may be oral, written, or both, as designated by the examining committee, and will be conducted at least two weeks before the date on which the degree is conferred. A student on probation will not be allowed to take the comprehensive final examination.

On a comprehensive final examination, an examining committee’s decision to pass or fail must be unanimous; otherwise, the student is informed of the conditions that must be met prior to re-examination. If the committee reports that the student has failed, there will be no re-examination. A re-examination will be required to remove any conditions that the examining committee imposes upon a student; only one such re-examination will be permitted. This examination will be permitted no sooner than the following semester or summer session. The Dean of Graduate School will set the time for the re-examination upon the recommendation of the major professor. On a re-examination by the original committee, the decision to pass must be unanimous; otherwise, the student is failed.

Upon written petition by the student, the Dean of Graduate School may augment the examining committee or appoint a new committee for the re-examination of the student; this committee shall consist of no more than five members. The decision to pass must be a majority; otherwise, the student is failed.

EXAMINING COMMITTEE

The Dean of Graduate School, upon recommendation of the major professor, will appoint the student’s examining committee. This committee will consist of the major professor as chairperson, two additional graduate faculty members representing areas of the student’s concentration, and others as deemed appropriate.