Academic Progress

An MDiv, MTS, MRPL, ThM, or Visiting Student (formerly named Special Student) may be placed on probationary status or required to withdraw should the appropriate curriculum committee determine that they are not making satisfactory academic progress. Should a student do any of the following, the appropriate committee will review the student’s academic progress and take any action deemed warranted:

  • Fail to satisfy or be on course to satisfy the residency requirement (the requirement to complete three courses in each of two of the consecutive semesters during the student’s first three semesters of enrollment), or alternatively, petition successfully to defer or waive the residency requirement. Students who have officially been recognized as studying part-time are exempt from this requirement.
  • Receive any non-passing grade(s) (“UNSAT” or grades below C- for MDiv, MTS, and MRPL students and “UNSAT” or grades below B- for ThM students) in any semester.
  • Fail to complete at least two courses each semester, and at least two-thirds of the courses taken in any two consecutive semesters, with grades other than incomplete (INC), absent from exam (ABS), or withdrawn (W).
  • Fail to maintain a B average overall for the degree program to date.
  • Fail to complete courses at a rate and with a distribution that will allow the student to complete the degree within the maximum length of program requirements (no longer than four years for MDiv students, two-and-one-half years for MTS students, and one year for MRPL and ThM students), or have this requirement extended by the appropriate committee.

When a student meets any of these criteria, they will be notified of the pending curriculum committee discussion of their progress and given the opportunity to make a written statement providing pertinent information before the committee meets. The committee will make a reasonable effort to notify the student, but if there is no response from the student, the committee will act regardless. The committee may offer specific advice to the student and may take any of the following actions:

  • Issue a warning letter to the student that outlines the academic progress criteria that have been insufficient, as well as a target and timeline for regaining adequate academic progress. The letter may also suggest or require relevant support structures be implemented to assist the student in successfully regaining academic progress.
  • Place the student on academic probation, allowing the student to register on probationary status for a subsequent semester with or without further restrictions. When a student is placed on probation, the committee will review the student’s academic progress prior to the following semester and whenever new grades are reported to determine whether probationary status can be removed or more significant action is required.
  • Require the student to take a leave of absence for a set period of time. The committee may make stipulations about what the student is required to do in order to return from leave and may require proof that those stipulations have been met. Should the student not satisfactorily meet the requirements set to return from leave, they may be withdrawn from the program.
  • Withdraw from the program with conditions for return. Such a requirement may set forth conditions for application for readmission, which must be met before application for readmission is made, or may indicate that readmission is unlikely. If the student is withdrawn by committee action, such action will be noted on the student’s transcript.

Decisions taken by committee are final. See Withdrawal and Reinstatement for more information.

Ordinarily, when a student fails to make satisfactory academic progress (i.e., meeting any of the above criteria) in a subsequent semester while on academic probation, the student will be required to withdraw by the appropriate committee. A student who is reinstated may be required to begin their return to studies on probationary status.

Students who have been placed on academic probation for making unsatisfactory academic progress are eligible to receive institutional and federal financial aid for only one additional semester unless such sanction is lifted.

A student who remains on academic probation for more than one semester normally is not eligible to receive institutional or federal financial aid for any subsequent semester on probation.