Rules & Procedures

A. Advising

Upon admission, students will be assigned academic advisors who will assist them in planning an appropriate course of study. At a later date, students choosing to undertake a project or a thesis will be assigned a thesis/project advisor.

B. Student Course Load

The normal course load for a full-time, on-campus student is 9 credit hours per semester. The maximum is 12 during regular semesters and 6 during the summer term. The normal course load for an online student is 3 credit hours per 8-week semester; the maximum allowed is 6 credit hours during an 8-week semester (Fall A, Fall B, Spring A, Spring B, or Summer). Graduate students with full- or part-time employment are strongly advised not exceed 3 per term.

C. Transfer of Credit

A maximum of 6 graduate credits may be transferred from another institution of higher education that is of academic standing comparable to LAU or from other LAU graduate programs. This rule applies also to graduate courses taken at LAU during the student’s undergraduate program over and above the total number of credits required for graduation. Transferred credits apply only to courses with a grade of B or above. As of Spring 2023, the maximum time limit of transferrable graduate courses is six years. Unless otherwise specified in the requirements of a program, transferred credits should not have been used for another degree required for admission to the graduate program in which the student is enrolled. A request for transfer of credits shall be submitted to the Registrar’s Office during the student’s first term. The request shall be reviewed by the department/school concerned, and the decision communicated to the Registrar’s Office.

D. Course Substitution

A student may substitute up to 6 graduate credits for an equal number of credits. A request for approval of such substitution shall be submitted to the Registrar’s Office. The request shall be reviewed by the department/school concerned and the decision communicated to the Registrar’s Office. 

E. Participation Regulations

Regular participation is required of all online graduate students.

A student who misses more than 30% of the participation scores in a particular course in a term, excused and otherwise, for any reason, is advised to withdraw from the course within the official withdrawal deadline. Otherwise a grade of F will be assigned.

Specific schools may opt for a more stringent rule.

F. Removal of an Incomplete Grade

In order to have a grade of I changed to a regular grade, the student must complete all requirements within eight weeks of the following semester in which he/ she is enrolled. If the requirements are not duly completed by that deadline announced in the academic calendar, the grade of I will turn into F. 

In no case may incomplete work be made up after a lapse of one year from the end of the semester in which the grade of I was received, even if the student does not register in courses after getting an Incomplete grade.

This rule excludes Incomplete grades for Project/Thesis courses as well as graduate apprenticeships and internships required by specific programs.

G. Withdrawal from Courses

(revised as of Spring 2023)

If a student withdraws officially from a course before the withdrawal deadline set for the semester, a grade of WI, WP, or WF is assigned. The student must submit a withdrawal form within the set deadline.

H. Repeating Courses

(revised as of Spring 2023)

1. Graduate courses with grades lower than C cannot be used toward graduation. Any required course with a grade below C must be repeated. Any elective course with a grade below C should either be repeated or alternatively another elective course must be registered; both grades received for the elective courses will be counted in the determination of the cumulative grade point average.
2. During their course of study, students may optionally repeat a maximum of six credits of graduate courses. The latest grade will be counted in the determination of the grade point average.

I. Auditing

Only students who have satisfied all the admission requirements may audit graduate courses. Auditing will only be permitted when places are available.

J. Program Shifts

Any shift from one graduate degree program at LAU to another requires the submission of a new application for admission.

K. Academic Integrity

The university fosters an atmosphere of high integrity by maintaining an ongoing dedication to honesty and responsibility. Any act of lying, cheating, plagiarism, deliberate misrepresentation, theft, scientific fraud, dishonesty or ill use of other human beings is a blatant violation of the relevant Student Code of Conduct and will be treated as such.

1. Plagiarism & Falsification of Research Material

Plagiarism is using someone else’s ideas, words, or work as if it were one’s own without clearly acknowledging the source of that information. Examples of plagiarism include:

1. Submitting research work (a report, project, thesis, etc.) written by someone else and claiming that it is one’s own work.
2. Paraphrasing another person’s words without citing the source.
3. Including material (e.g. written work, figures, tables, charts, graphs, computer programs, etc.) in one’s work without acknowledging its source.

Plagiarism and falsification or forging of research material or data are serious academic offenses subject to disciplinary action by the faculty and/or the department/school concerned. The severity of the disciplinary action is determined according to the extent of the act. The disciplinary action could range from a requirement that the student resubmit the work with penalty to dismissal from the program. At the request of the faculty, the Dean of Graduate Studies/dean of the school shall issue a written warning. A copy of the warning will be kept in the student’s file and at the Registrar’s Office.

2. Cheating

Students caught cheating on an exam/assessment receive a score of zero on the exam/assessment in their first cheating attempt in the course and receive a warning from the department/school concerned at the request of the faculty. A copy of the warning will be kept in the student’s file and at the Registrar’s Office. A score of zero on an exam/assessment resulting from cheating must be counted in the student’s course grade. Students caught cheating for the second time in the same course will receive a grade of F in the course. The act of cheating will be recorded and included in the student’s file.

​​L. Time Limit

Students must complete all requirements for a master’s degree within six years from their first registration in graduate courses. Students who exceed this time limit must submit a petition to request extension. In such a case, their program of study must be revalidated. Revalidating a program by the concerned department/school may involve taking additional courses and/or repeating outdated ones. Revalidation is granted for one time only and the new requirements must be completed according to a prorated time period. Under no circumstances may the extension time exceed one year. Once a student’s program is revalidated, the student and the academic advisor must prepare a course completion plan that must be reviewed for approval by the department and the school. The Registrar must be notified about the revalidation and completion plan in writing.

Registration Rules

A. Registration

Registration is required of all students in accordance with the university’s procedures and regulations. Students will not be permitted to register after the late registration period.

B. Cross-Registration

A student may request permission from the concerned school/department to cross-register at another institution of higher education that is of academic standing comparable to LAU if a course needed for the student’s graduation is not offered at the university, provided that the number of credits transferred/cross registered does not exceed the number of credits allowed to be transferred as stated in “Rules & Procedures”, section C, on “Transfer of Credit”.

C. Course Changes after Registration

Course changes after registration are permitted subject to the following provisions:

1. Any course change must be made during the Drop/Add period.
2. Students will get no refund for courses dropped after the Drop/Add period.
3. All course changes which increase the student’s tuition obligation will be noted by the Business Office, and the added fee shall be collected before the change is finalized; changes decreasing the tuition obligation are subject to the refund policy.

Scholastic Standing

A. Grading System

The university grading system uses a series of letters that correspond to grade quality points. The Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated according to a procedure outlined in the following section.

• Grade A: Indicates work of excellent quality (4 points per credit hour).
• Grade B: Indicates work of good quality (3 points per credit hour).
• Grade C: Indicates work of unsatisfactory quality (2 points per credit hour).
• Grade D: Indicates work of poor quality (1 point per credit hour).
• Grade F: Indicates work of unacceptable quality (0 point per credit hour).
• Grade P: Indicates that the student has successfully passed the defense of the thesis/project.
• Grade NP: Indicates that the student has failed to pass the defense of the thesis/project.
• Grade U: Assigned to a course taken on audit basis. It adds no credits and it has no quality points.
• Grade I: Represents an incomplete work. Grade I is exceptionally given by the course instructor when a student with a valid excuse did not complete some of the course requirements. To be entitled to an I grade, a student should have fulfilled the minimum attendance condition and completed a minimum of 60% of the course requirements with a satisfactory grade. An I grade does not count in the Grade Point Average.
• WI: (early withdrawal) indicates withdrawal from the course, after the Late Registration Period and until the end of the 5th week of the fall and spring semesters, and until the 14th day of the summer term. It has no quality points. It does not count in the GPA, and no credits will be added to the student’s record.
• WP: (Withdrawal Pass) indicates withdrawal from the course, after the 5th week and until the end of the 10th week of the fall and spring semesters, and from the 11th day of classes until 25th day of the summer term. It has no quality points. It does not count in the GPA, and no credits will be added to the student’s record.
• WF: (Withdrawal Fail) indicates withdrawal from the course, after the 5th week and until the end of the 10th week of the fall and spring semesters, and from the 11th day of classes until the 25th day of the summer term. It has no quality points. It does not count in the GPA, and no credits will be added to the student’s record, but is counted as repeat. A Withdrawal Form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

(*) Grades P/NP, U, I, WI, WP, WF are not calculated in the GPA.

B. Academic Standing

(revised as of Spring 2023)

Graduate students are considered to be in good academic standing if they maintain a minimum cumulative GPA (CGPA) of 3.00 on all graduate coursework. 

C. Probation and Dismissal

(revised as of Spring 2023)

1. Students whose CGPA falls below 3.00 at any time after the completion of a minimum of nine credits will be placed on First Graduate Probation.
2. The student may register a maximum of six credits after First Graduate Probation.
   a. At any time after First-Graduate Probation the student will be placed in Good Standing After Probation if the CGPA ≥ 3.00
   b. If CGPA is still below 3.00 after completion of six credits, the student will be placed on Second Graduate Probation.
   c. To proceed with the program, the student must submit a petition to the University Graduate & Research Council (UGRC) for approval.
3. The student may register a maximum of six additional credits after Second Graduate Probation upon approval of UGRC.
   a. At any time after Second Graduate Probation if the CGPA ≥ 3.00, the student will be placed in Good Standing After Probation.
   b. If the CGPA is still below 3.00, the student will be dismissed.

Application for Graduation

Students shall apply for graduation at the beginning of the term in which they expect to graduate. They shall fill out the appropriate form at the Registrar’s Office. Candidates for graduation will be officially notified of any requirements that they have not completed.

Post-Graduate Certificates

A. Admission Requirements to Post-Graduate Certificate Programs

Admission to the online post-graduate certificate programs at LAU is granted to students who hold a bachelor’s degree. In addition to the regular requirements pertaining to the online admissions process, applicants must submit the following documents: (1) Copy of the bachelor’s degree, (2) Official university undergraduate transcript. No English competency exam is required.

B. Payment & Tuition

A special rate will be charged to students pursuing certificates. Payment is processed online through Banner similar to the existing online graduate degree programs payment method. Refund is not applicable.

C. Course Registration

Online post-graduate certificate program students are able to register in any of the online terms (Fall Term A, Fall Term B, Spring Term A, Spring Term B, & Summer Term). Students will only be permitted to register courses that are part of the certificate. Existing graduate registration rules and policies will apply.

D. Graduation Process & Clearance

The Registrar’s Office will monitor the progress and academic completion of the certificate requirements by students. Students are required to submit an application for graduation to the Registrar’s Office to be eligible for graduation. Program/Certificate directors in consultation with the school deans will recommend the final awarding of the certificates after receiving the list of candidates from the Registrar’s Office.

E. Certificate Structure & Dissemination

The certificate template will include the signatures of the program directors and deans, and will be in English language only. E-certificates are an option, when applicable. Students will have to complete the regular online clearance procedure while the Registrar’s Office will be responsible for printing the certificates and disseminating them to students.

F. Post-Graduate Certificate requirements

a. Must complete at least nine credits – 3 courses with a minimum grade of C.  A grade of C- will not be counted for the post-graduate certificate program.

b. Maximum six-year time limit duration (30 online terms) to complete the post-graduate certificate program.

G. Certificate/Program shift

Any shift from one post-graduate certificate program at LAU to another requires the submission of a new application for admission.

H. Transfer of credits

a. Transfer of credits is not allowed from another institution to the post-graduate certificate program.

b. Eligible courses (B and above) taken at the certificate level at LAU can be transferred to the Master’s program through a petition reviewed by the department/school concerned. 

I. Stackable Course Option

a. Online post-graduate certificate holders who opt to pursue an online graduate degree will be subject to different acceptance criteria considering their performance in the academic certificate.

b. Online post-graduate certificate holders will have their certificate credits counted towards their graduate online degree. Students would need to have earned a minimum grade of “B” on their certificate courses for eligibility to have the courses transferred to the graduate degree level. The courses would be reflected then on both levels of the transcript: (1) Post-graduate Certificate and (2) graduate degree level with the letter grade showing on both and the GPA calculated accordingly. All post-graduate certificate-level credits can be used and transferred to the graduate degree level. Transfer rules apply.

J. Online Graduate Program Students

Online graduate program students who complete the requirements of a post-graduate certificate will not be eligible to receive it alongside their graduate program degree. Students who opt to discontinue their graduate program and who have already completed the requirements for a post-graduate certificate may apply to convert their courses and receive the post-graduate certificate instead.