This policy is for undergraduate students

Undergraduate students who have completed a minimum of 60 undergraduate credits taken at Montclair by the end of the semester prior to their commencement may be recognized for graduation honors.

Grades of A through D- (passing grades that contribute to the GPA) must be earned for a minimum of 45 credits.

Exception: School of Nursing students who have completed a minimum of 32 undergraduate credits at Montclair State by the end of the semester prior to their commencement may be recognized for graduation honors.

The following standards will be applied to graduates:

• Cumulative GPA of 3.700 – 3.799 cum laude
• Cumulative GPA of 3.800 – 3.899 magna cum laude
• Cumulative GPA of 3.900 – 4.000 summa cum laude

Cooperative Education (co-op): A structured, paid, full-time faculty- or site-supervised work learning experience. Co-ops are components of an academic program curriculum that allow students to make a connection between their studies and the world of work. These experiences typically last several months to a year and alternate with academic study. The positions must meet the University’s work-learning criteria.

Internship: A short-term paid or unpaid work experience providing the employer with skilled workers and giving students exposure to a potential career and/or work environment. An internship may be credit-bearing. The positions must meet the University’s work-learning criteria.

Policy Description

This policy is for Undergraduate students only:

Internships for Credit:
Students who believe a work experience can be considered for internship credits should contact the Career Services office in the designated school to discuss eligibility, how many credits can be earned for the experience, and how those credits can be applied towards degree completion.

Eligibility/Requirements for Internship Credit:

• 2.0 minimum grade point average (GPA)
• 30 earned credits
• Must be a NEW learning experience
  • Students currently employed with an organization must provide the University with evidence that substantial new learning will take place during the internship semester. (e.g. promotion, different position within the organization, evidence of a new project that compromises at minimum 50% of work time)
• Must take place during the same semester of the application. The University will not retroactively award academic credit for an internship that has already been completed.
• Must last a minimum of 8 weeks.
• Undergraduate students may earn up to 12 credits from a combination of internship courses.
• A student cannot be self-employed or work for a family member.
• Restrictions apply to work in an employer’s private residence.
• Prior to enrollment and if applicable, a student must accept the Consent Agreement, Statement of Ethical Conduct, the Remote Policy and/or the Covid Waiver.
• The Career Services Director, faculty or designee can determine academic credit eligibility and allocation. This is not determined by a student or an employer.

The following internship hours to credit conversion chart is applicable only for all sections of COED; including, but not limited to 401, 402, and 403. The number of credits earned, and hours worked, shall be indicated prior to the beginning of the internship, and cannot be changed unilaterally during the internship experience:

• 140 hours over the course of a semester = 3 credits
• 190 hours over the course of a semester = 4 credits
• 235 hours over the course of a semester = 5 credits
• 280 hours over the course of a semester = 6 credits
• 330 hours over the course of a semester = 7 credits
• 375 hours over the course of a semester = 8 credits
• 420 hours over the course of a semester = 9 credits
• 470 hours over the course of a semester = 10 credits
• 515 hours over the course of a semester = 11 credits
• 560 hours over the course of a semester = 12 credits

Cooperative Education:
For requirements and eligibility for cooperative education experiences, and information on how to set up these experiences, students should contact their advisor, program director, or Career Services office.

����vlog recognizes that some applicants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and individuals affected by natural disasters or political crises, may face challenges in providing official academic transcripts. Traditional admission processes often rely on official academic records, which may be inaccessible due to extraordinary circumstances.

To uphold Montclair’s commitment to equitable access to education, this policy establishes alternative credential evaluation pathways to ensure that qualified applicants are not unfairly excluded due to factors beyond their control. This policy does not apply to applicants who are unable to obtain official transcripts solely due to financial holds or administrative blocks at their previous institutions. These applicants are subject to Montclair’s standard admissions policies and should work with their former institutions to resolve any outstanding obligations.

This policy applies to:

• Refugees and asylum seekers who cannot access official academic documents.
• Students affected by natural disasters or political crises preventing transcript retrieval.
• Displaced international students whose home institutions are unable to provide records.

Alternative Evaluation Pathways

To support students facing transcript barriers, Montclair will implement the following measures:

1. Competency-Based Assessments and Placement Exams
   • Where transcripts are unavailable, Montclair may offer subject-specific placement tests or competency-based assessments.
   • These assessments ensure students are placed in courses that match their academic level.
2. Provisional Admission with Academic Monitoring
   • Students admitted under this policy will receive provisional status for one semester.
   • Their academic performance will be evaluated to determine full admission.
   • Dedicated advisors and academic support services will assist in their transition.
3. Collaboration with Credential Evaluation Networks
   • Montclair will work with organizations such as World Education Services (WES), the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), and AACRAO to verify educational backgrounds.
   • Montclair may also partner with refugee advocacy organizations and foreign ministries of education to reconstruct academic credentials when necessary.
4. Self-Reported Academic History and Supporting Documentation
   • In rare or severe cases, applicants may submit a self-reported record of coursework and grades.
   • If available, unofficial documents, letters of recommendation, or standardized test scores can supplement the application.
   • Specialized accreditations may require additional verification (see list of discipline-specific accreditations)

Students are expected to prepare a course schedule that allows one enough time to be fully present in class, and to travel from one class to another. In rare cases in which students must enroll in two overlapping courses to stay on track in their major program, in consultation with an advisor, department administrator, or instructor, a student may request permission to take both courses with a specified agreement to leave one course early or arrive at one course late. The course overlap form requires approval of the instructor of both courses, approval of the respective dean(s) and chairperson(s)/or director(s) responsible for the instructional areas, and a clear agreement with each instructor that resolves the overlap in scheduled time (leaving early, arriving late, missed work, etc.).

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a posthumous degree, the student must meet the following criteria:

• The student must be in good standing at the time of death
• The student must have completed a significant portion of the degree requirements, specifically:
  • Undergraduate students must be within 30 credits of completing all requirements for their degree
  • Graduate students must be within 9 credits of completing all requirements for their degree
• The faculty of the Department associated with the student’s primary major/degree program recommend awarding the degree.

Extraordinary circumstances

Cases that do not meet the conditions above may be considered for the conferral of a degree when extraordinary circumstances exist (i.e. the student died while carrying out a heroic deed, while performing outstanding service to the University, after completing an outstanding piece of research or creative project, etc). In such cases, the academic department/school, Dean, and Provost will be consulted prior to making a recommendation to the President and Board of Trustees.

Application Procedure

Upon receiving information about the passing of an enrolled student, the university will initiate the process of considering a posthumous degree. The application procedure will involve the following steps:

1. Notification: The university must be notified of the student’s passing by an official source such as the student’s family, a faculty member, or a university staff member.
2. Documentation: The university will require relevant documentation, including a certified copy of the student’s death certificate, academic transcripts, and any other supporting materials deemed necessary.
3. Academic Review: A designated committee, consisting of academic advisors, faculty members from the student’s program, and university administrators, will conduct a thorough academic review and render a final recommendation.
4. Approval Process: The committee’s recommendation for awarding the posthumous degree will be submitted to the appropriate university authorities for final approval. The decision to award a posthumous degree will be based on the committee’s evaluation and academic standing of the student at time of death.

Degree Conferment

If the application is approved, the posthumous degree will be conferred during the next commencement ceremony following the approval decision. The university will recognize the student’s family or a designated representative during the ceremony and present them with the posthumous degree diploma.

Academic Program

A distinct curriculum leading to a degree, certificate and/or other credential recorded on a student’s transcript (e.g., minor).

Program Adjustment/Program Exception

Substitution or waiver of a course and changes in credits in order to achieve equivalencies and equal access to academic programs, including required courses, restricted electives, etc., in a declared program, minor, or certificate.

Course

A unit of teaching and learning focused on a specific academic subject or area of inquiry, specified by a unique combination of title, alpha code, course number, credit hours, and instructional level. Courses may be delivered in a variety of modes including face-to-face, online, other form of distance learning, or hybrid.

Course waiver

Excuses a student from completing a particular required component (course or other academic requirement) of an academic program by taking a test, having completed the equivalent course at another accredited institution, or otherwise demonstrating sufficient knowledge demanded by that requirement.

Credits (or credit hours)

The unit measuring quantity of academic study, with one credit-hour established as 150 minutes of academic work each week for 15 weeks in one semester, which is typically accomplished by 50 minutes of face-to-face class activity each week complemented by at least 100 minutes each week of laboratory or outside assignments, but may also be accomplished through an equivalent amount of academic work.

Policy

Undergraduate and graduate academic program, certificate, minor, and other University requirements may be adjusted to:

• Equate academic courses earned by a student at an accredited institution of higher learning other than Montclair to Montclair courses.
• Allow a course to fulfill a requirement area or the “spirit of the requirement” without being a direct equivalent for a Montclair course.
• Allow a student to substitute an equivalent course completed at Montclair to a course in their Montclair curriculum.
• Allow a student to waive a course or other program requirement.
• Adjust the number of credits required for certain components of the curriculum.
• Accommodate a student’s disability.
• Other valid purposes or program requirements not listed above.

General Requirements

To pursue an adjustment a student must first consult with an academic advisor. The advisor will initiate a Program Adjustment Request form on behalf of the student. Forms are processed by the Office of the Registrar.

An approved course substitution will apply in the degree requirement(s) but will not change the course prefix and number on a transcript.

A lower-level course substituting for an upper-level requirement is not able to count toward the required number of upper-level hours.

Changing programs may nullify earlier approved adjustments.

For courses meeting a major or program requirement, the academic unit chair/director and dean/designee must review and approve the program adjustment. When the substitute course is in a department/school other than the student’s major, that chair/director must also sign the approval.

A graduate course may be applied to an undergraduate program, but an undergraduate course may not substitute for a graduate course.

A specific substitute course or requirement must be identified for the request, rather than a range of courses.

For courses counting as General Education or another graduation requirement generally, and not a specific matching course, the provost or designee will review and approve the substitution.

Substitutions cannot be made that effectively circumvent Montclair institutional or accreditation standards.

Multiple courses may be used to satisfy a credit adjustment for one Montclair course.

Substitutions must be justified, addressing both the level of equivalency between the two courses and a rationale for making an exception to the requirement.

Pass/fail grades cannot be used for substitute courses

Students seeking course substitutions should consult the Residency Requirements Policy and the Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Requirements Policy.

Guidelines for Approval of Adjustments – Transfer Credits

Transfer students may apply courses and course credits to their new programs at Montclair, under the following conditions:

• Montclair program adjustments may not be determined by other institutions.
• The learning objectives or spirit of adjusted courses must be equivalent.
• Considerations should include impact on the program plan of study, the skills and knowledge specified by the program learning outcomes, and industry requirements.
• Undergraduate students may transfer a maximum of 60 credits from 2-year colleges, or 90 credits from 4-year institutions, master’s level graduate students a maximum of 6 credits, and doctoral students a maximum of 9 credits from other institutions of higher learning.

Guidelines for Approval of Adjustments – Montclair Credits

A clear relationship must exist between the courses being adjusted, indicating the learning objectives or spirit of the requirement have been or will be covered in the substitute.

Substitutions must be justified, addressing both the level of equivalency between the two courses and a rationale for making an exception to the requirement.

When there is a change in major, an approved course substitution or requirement waiver applying to a General Education requirement may continue to apply.

Allowing a Student to Waive a Course

A waiver dismisses the requirement. Generally, waivers should be avoided, but are allowed to accommodate a demonstrated level of competence in a subject.

A student requesting a waiver must present documentation to an academic advisor, Program Coordinator/Graduate program director, and Chair/Director of the student’s major, explaining how the course requirements were met. The Chair/Director may require that the student take an exam.

In some cases, waivers will not be permissible if a degree or program requires a minimum number of credits by policy, law, or statute.

Accommodating a Student’s Disability

To qualify for adjustments based on a disability, a student must first self-register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC). See the DRC Academic Adjustments Policy. Students with disabilities are expected to complete all academic requirements necessary for graduation. Reasonable accommodations will be made to ensure that requirements do not discriminate against qualified applicants.

Students must begin by working with the DRC for any proposed adjustment. The DRC will then work with the departments, provost or designee, or other approver on the student’s behalf to accommodate a disability by substitution or adjustment.

Justification by reason of disability must indicate how the substitute course is an appropriate replacement for the required course.

Adjustments for disability cannot fundamentally change program requirements or standards.

Modality

The method of instructional delivery: how (delivery mode) and when (convening method) a class will meet.

Synchronous

Happens at the time class is scheduled on NEST

Asynchronous

No set scheduled class time; assignment deadlines are determined by the instructor.

Simultaneously

At the same time

Policy

The university provides instruction in several formats or modalities. The following modalities are currently available:

Hawk2Hawk (H2H)

A traditional face-to-face (F2F) class that is held entirely in-person, on campus during the days and times listed.

Hybrid Instruction

The following instructional modalities (HawkLIVE, HawkMIX or HawkFIELD) require some in-person, on-campus class attendance, as provided by the instructor’s in-person attendance policy in the class syllabus. The hybrid modality also applies to online instruction, including HawkSYNC and HawkASYNC, as certain instruction formats may require some flexibility.

Hybrid includes the following modalities:

HawkLIVE (HLV)

Synchronous instruction held simultaneously in-person and online. Due to limitations to the number of people allowed to be present in a classroom at one time, a regular, rotating schedule is created. Students must come in or log in to their class during the days and times listed on their schedule.

HawkFIELD (HFD)

Courses that have off-campus field elements supplemented by in-class sessions for mentoring and supervision; for example, student teaching clinical activities, internships, or co-ops

HawkMIX (HMX)

A mix of online (either synchronously or asynchronously) and in person sessions with some group activities and meetings in person. A clear schedule is provided in the Schedule of Classes. The instructor will provide a clear schedule in the syllabus.

Online Instruction

The University’s online course offerings consist of two modalities.

HawkSYNC Online – Synchronous (SON):

A fully online class that meets at specific days and times and requires a student to log on to be remotely “in class” with the instructor and classmates.

HawkASYNC Online – Asynchronous (AON):

A fully online class that does not require a student to attend class on specific days and times. The instructor will create assignments and deadlines to complete and meet in one’s own time.

HawkSYNC courses may be offered with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction as defined by the Schedule of Classes.

Purpose:

Students should be able to rely upon consistent, reasonable, and transparent determinations of minimal grade point averages (GPA) for admission into an academic program/degree, minor, or certificate, as well as minimal GPAs used as successful milestones for advancement.

Adhering to the approval process determined by a college/school dean and the university provost, any program of study may establish a minimal GPA above 2.0 for admission, milestones, advancement or completion.

• The GPA is calculated on a 4.00 scale.
• Only grades of required courses and required electives should be considered when calculating the GPA for programs of study. Grades of prerequisite courses recommended or required before formal admission into a program should not be considered when calculating the GPA for programs of study.
• Grades of General Education courses, World Cultures courses, and free electives that do not also count as program requirements should not be considered when calculating the GPA for programs of study.
• Pass/Fail grades are not calculated in the GPA for the program of study.
• First-time freshmen might require a minimum high school cumulative GPA for admission to a program, where the college/school has designated one in consultation with Enrollment Management.
• Transfer students might require a minimum GPA from prior institutions where the college/school has designated one in consultation with Enrollment Management.

• Approval of multi-year calendar at least 3 years (ideally 5 years) in advance
• Length of a spring and fall semester; including start and end dates
• Approved length of summer and winter sessions (i.e., parts of term)
• Teaching credit (contact) hour requirements per term/parts of term
• Days in which classes are not held and University remains open
• Reading days
• Determination of spring break
• Commencement activities

The academic calendar for the upcoming year must be reviewed by the responsible offices no later than March 1 of the prior academic year. In the event it becomes necessary to make a change to the next academic calendar, the Provost/SVPAA will consult with key stakeholders to determine an appropriate alteration. The Provost/SVPAA will publish a revised calendar no later than May 1.

Unexpected, extenuating circumstances necessitating a change to the academic calendar after May 1 of the previous academic year, require emergency attention by the Provost/SVPAA. The Provost/SVPAA will consult with key stakeholders, when/if possible, before publishing a revised calendar.

Academic Renewal, if awarded, provides students who have previously been unsuccessful at ����vlog with an opportunity to complete their undergraduate degree. If a student’s application for Academic Renewal is accepted, certain failing or D-range grades will be removed from institutional cumulative and major GPA calculations.

Eligibility for Academic Renewal requirements:

• Students must have stopped out at Montclair a minimum of 5 years prior to readmission.
• Students who left the University as a result of a disciplinary hearing are not eligible to apply for academic renewal.
• One of the following must be true:
  • Student’s previous cumulative GPA or major GPA was 1.7 or lower.
  • Student was dismissed from Montclair, attended a county or community college and successfully completed an AA/AS/AFA degree (NJ or other).
  • Student stopped out after 150 credits attempted without completing graduation requirements.

Application:

The application period for Academic Renewal begins the day the student applies for readmission, and ends on December 1 if the student’s first semester back is a Fall term, or May 1 if a Spring term.

To be considered, all applications and appropriate supportive documentation must be submitted by the established deadline. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the committee.

Students must submit a statement explaining the reason(s) for their prior academic performance (i.e., the period of time in which they are seeking renewal) and indicate their reason for requesting academic renewal:

• Academic Growth
• Personal Growth/Resolution of Extenuating Circumstances
• Personal Medical Issues – sample documentation: doctor’s notes, hospital statements, etc.
• Family Medical Issues – sample documentation: doctor’s notes, death certificate, etc.
• Financial Issues – sample documentation: proof of financial resolution, new job, financial plan, etc.
• Military Service – sample documentation: enlistment and discharge papers
• Personal/Family Issues – sample documentation: court papers/legal documentation, police reports, etc.
• Other

If a student attended another institution after their most recent period of enrollment at Montclair, coursework and grades from the transfer institution(s) will be reviewed and presented to the committee as part of the application.

Students must resolve all outstanding financial obligations to the University prior to application for academic renewal.

Students with outstanding financial, immunization, and other registration holds will not be considered by the committee.

Approval:

By committee of the Provost (to be established). Members include appointed representatives from Undergraduate Education, Dean of Students, Faculty, college/school student success/academic advising administrators, Student Academic Services, and the Office of the Registrar (non-voting).

The committee reserves the right to approve, deny, or defer the application for academic renewal.

The committee may request additional, supportive documentation in support of the application at any time during the review process.

Students indicating extenuating circumstances (medical illness, treatment, death in the family, etc.) will be required to provide appropriate documentation in support of their application.

If granted, and accepted, academic renewal cannot be reversed. All courses approved for renewal will remain on the academic transcript and records, and still count toward Financial Aid requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress. All approved courses will no longer count with regard to cumulative or major GPA, or program completion.

As a committee of the Provost, all decisions made are final and cannot be appealed.

If approved, academic renewal does not forgive financial responsibility for impacted coursework, nor is it a basis for financial reimbursement.

Approval of academic renewal at ����vlog does not indicate recognition by any other college, university, or other organization.

Conditions of Approval:

If eligible and approval is granted, full-time students must earn a minimum of 12 credits in each of two consecutive terms of enrollment with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (and semester GPA of at least 2.0) to be awarded renewal. Students must not earn any course grade of D+, D, D-, or F during this time period.

If eligible, part-time students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.75 in a minimum of 24 credits within four terms of enrollment. Students must not earn any course grade of D+, D, D-, or F during this time period.

Students, if approved, may be required to select a major other than the one previously enrolled in at the time of expulsion.

The Committee will decide which courses will count for academic renewal.

Eligible Courses: Only courses with earned grades of D+, D, D-, or F within impacted term(s) will be eligible for renewal.