Academic Policies

Academic Advising

NOBTS - Graduate Faculty provide general guidance for specialized programs during the degree program orientation section of Student Orientation and by appointment in their offices. Students can monitor their academic progress online through SelfServe. However, the academic advisors in the Student Success Office are the primary source for academic advising of graduate students. It is essential that students maintain frequent contact with their academic advisor in order to assure that they maintain progress toward their degree. Students who do not benefit from the advice of their academic advisor may be unaware of the scheduling of limited class offerings or overlook a degree requirement that could delay their graduation. Academic advisors for most graduate students are housed in the Student Success Office; however, extension center students may also utilize academic advisors associated with the extension center system. Some specialized programs such as Music or Counseling may require academic advising in these respective offices.

Students should consult their academic advisor during every registration period and before adding, dropping, or withdrawing from a class. Students should be sure to update their academic advisor immediately upon any change in the degree, specialization, or concentration they are seeking from the Seminary or Leavell College in order that their degree plan can be updated and to assure they make progress toward graduation without delay.

Please feel free to call or stop by the Student Success Office to request academic counseling. However, if you want to guarantee a time slot to meet with a counselor you can request an appointment through www.nobts.edu/ student-services/graduate-advising.html.

Leavell College - The academic advisors in the Registrar’s Office are the primary source for academic advising of Leavell College students. Students may consult faculty Program Coordinators for advice on upcoming courses, but the academic advisors formally advise students on required courses that fit their degree program. It is essential that students maintain frequent contact with their academic advisor in order to assure that they maintain progress toward their degree. Students should consult their academic advisor during every registration period and before adding, dropping, or withdrawing from a class. Students should be sure to update their academic advisor immediately upon any change in the degree they are seeking from Leavell College in order that their degree plan can be updated and to assure they make progress toward graduation without delay. 

Registering for Courses

All returning students are required to register for classes through their SelfServe account. The registration deadlines for each term are published on the school’s website each semester.  Graduate schedules can be found at https://www.nobts.edu/graduate-program/graduate-course-schedules.html and Leavell College schedules can be found at https://www.leavellcollege.com/info/class-schedules.html. 

Registration always closes at 4 p.m. Central Standard Time on the final day of the registration period. Once the deadline has passed, students can request to be registered late. To begin the late registration process please complete the form on the seminary website at www.nobts.edu/ registrar/student-request-forms.html. If the request is approved, the fee for late registration plus the tuition for the course will be charged. See specific fees on the Student Fees page of this catalog.

At registration, the student should be prepared to pay tuition and any other applicable registration fees. A late payment fee will be assessed to any student that does not arrange for payment in full, have a scholar- ship/grant letter on file with the Financial Aid Office, or set up an Official Payments Payment Plan Agreement by the Final Day for Tuition Payment. The Final Day for Tuition Payment is 4 p.m. Central Standard Time on the final day of the registration period.

Any student with unpaid tuition after the Final Day for Tuition Payment will be subject to Administrative Withdrawal from all courses. The student account would be assessed a Withdrawal fee, all tuition- related charges would be refunded, the student would be removed from courses, and an Administrative Withdrawal would be entered on the student’s official transcript.

Enrollment Status and Academic Load

Full-time status at NOBTS and Leavell College is determined at the program level. Undergraduate students are considered full-time when they are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours per academic term (Fall, Spring, Summer). Master’s level students are considered full-time when they are enrolled in at least 9 credit hours per academic term (Fall, Spring, Summer). All degree-seeking doctoral students are considered full-time by virtue of their enrollment.

Full-time enrollment does not specify that a student will graduate on-time for a specific program. For example, for a student to graduate in 4 years from a baccalaureate degree having no prior credits would stipulate a student to enroll in 15 credit hours per main academic semester to graduate on-time. For a Master of Divinity student to graduate in 3 years, a master’s student would also need to enroll in 15 credit hours per semester. 

Campus housing and financial aid have specific requirements concerning academic status. Both prospective and current students should consult the student handbook and the appropriate office concerning questions about either of these options.

Writing Guides

In preparing research papers and other written assignments, Leavell College and graduate students are required to follow the NOBTS/Leavell College Manual of Form and Style.  That document, based on the 9th edition of A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate Turabian, is available in all course Blackboard shells.  Students in doctoral programs should contact their respective offices for guidelines for writing dissertations and other assignments.

All counseling students enrolled in counseling courses are required to follow the approved edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Students in biblical studies are to follow the latest edition of the SBL Handbook of Style.

Absences

Regular class attendance is expected and students are responsible for completing all assignments. Failure to do so may jeopardize a student's scholastic standing. Faculty are required to state, in writing, their expectations regarding class attendance. Faculty are at liberty to assign a failing grade to students who exceed course attendance requirements.

No Show Policy: If a Leavell College student receiving Title IV funds fails to attend courses or to demonstrate academic engagement in the first 14 days of course, the student will be dropped from the course(s) in which the student does not demonstrate attendance or academic engagement. The 14 days are 14 calendar days measured from the beginning of the term in which the course is being offered.

Independent Directed Study (IDS)

Students may earn a limited amount of credit through independent directed study. An IDS course is permitted only if one of the following two criteria are met: (a) to provide interested students with training in a specialized area not covered in a regularly offered course, or (b) to offer a course required for graduation which is not available to the student in the regular class schedule. The student may take no more than four independent directed studies per academic year (fall, spring, summer) – one per regular semester, and no more than two in the summer. If taken in the summer, students may enroll in only one additional summer class while enrolled in an IDS. No IDS can be taken during an Academic intensive session.

Independent directed studies include reading, writing, and research projects done under the direction of a seminary faculty member. Students desiring an IDS should submit a written request to the professor who will direct the study. The professor will provide the appropriate form to request permission to take the IDS. All proposals must be approved by the professor, the appropriate division chairperson, and the Dean of Graduate Studies (Graduate Students) or the Dean of Leavell College (Leavell College Students) prior to registration. A copy of the proposal will become a part of the student’s permanent file.

Students should register for an independent directed study during the regular registration process. Deadlines will be strictly enforced. Assignments must be completed two weeks before the end of the semester or one week before the end of a summer term. The fees for an IDS are not included in the student’s regular tuition fees. The fees include the current tuition fee for one course and an instruction fee. Fees must be paid at the time of registration for the course. See the section on student fees in this Catalog for current IDS fees. Students approved to register for an IDS after the regular registration period will pay the late registration fee (see the Student Fees page in this catalog).

Auditing Classes

With the professor's approval, students, student spouses, and other interested parties may audit Leavell College and (NOBTS) courses if there is space available. Students who are auditing will not be able to transfer into the "for credit" class after the drop/add deadline. Auditor applications are available from the registrar at www.nobts.edu/registrar under the Student Request Forms section. See the section on student fees in this Catalog for current audit fees. Audit fees do not count toward load on tuition cap or scholarship/grants. Participation in class discussion is allowed at the discretion of the professor. Audited classes will never be counted as credit toward a degree. Students who have audited classes earlier may repeat the class later for credit.

Dropping or Adding a Course

Adding a Course
Adding another course in addition to the student’s schedule at registration must be done before the end of the second week of the semester in the fall and spring semesters. The drop/add period for summer Internet courses is at the end of the first week due to the summer session being a condensed term. For spring and fall terms, including all delivery methods, students can drop through their student portal until registration closes. See fee schedule for add/drop fees. These changes and charges are applied manually by the Business Office. Ph.D. courses can be dropped before the second meeting through the ReDoc Office. ProDoc policies are listed on the Professional Doctoral Calendar. EdD policies will be guided by the level of the course 8000 = ProDoc and 9000 = ReDoc. Students may not enroll in 19 semester hours or more without permission of the the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Graduate Students) or the Dean of Leavell College (Leavell College Students). A student should consult an academic advisor before dropping or adding any courses.

Intensives must be dropped before the first day of class. Students cannot receive credit if they miss a single period and thus they cannot add after the intensive has begun.

Dropping Classes during the Drop/Add Period
A regular semester or Internet course may be dropped before the end of the second week of the semester. The drop/add period for summer Internet courses is at the end of the first week due to the summer session being a condensed term. Students who need to drop a course may request this by filling out the “Drop/Add Course” request form in the “Student Request Forms” section of www. nobts.edu/registrar. A student should consult an academic advisor before dropping or adding any courses. See the Student Fees page in this catalog for the course drop fee. During the drop/add period, tuition is refundable (tuition and the Internet program fee are also refundable for Internet courses).

Dropping a Hybrid Class
Hybrid students cannot receive credit for the course if they miss more than one class session of a four-time hybrid course, or two class sessions of an eight-time hybrid course. A student may drop a Hybrid class before the second class meeting. In such cases, the student should complete the “Drop/Add Course” request form in the “Student Request Forms” section of www.nobts.edu/registrar. A tuition refund minus a class drop fee is available for those who drop a Hybrid class before the second class meeting. See the Student Fees page in this catalog for the class drop fee.

Dropping a PhD Block-Scheduled Course
PhD students are expected to attend all class sessions. Students may drop a PhD block-scheduled seminar, colloquium, or other course before the second class meeting. A class meeting is defined as one half-day session. To drop a course, students must contact the Office of Research Doctoral Programs.

Dropping an Academic Intensive
Students cannot receive credit for an academic intensive course if they miss a single academic intensive class. Students may drop an academic intensive from the registration deadline until before the first day of class by filling out the “Drop/Add Course” request form in the “Student Request Forms” section of www.nobts.edu/registrar. A student should consult an academic advisor before dropping or adding any courses. Tuition is refundable, minus the per class drop fee (see the Student Fees page in this catalog). Tuition is not refundable, however, after the first day of class.

Withdrawal from a Course

Withdrawal from a Class after the Drop/Add Period
After the Drop/Add Period, a student may withdraw from a regular semester or Internet class without complete withdrawal from school. In such cases, the student should request the class withdrawal by filling out the “Withdraw from a Course” request form in the “Student Request Forms” section of www.nobts.edu/registrar. The student will receive a grade of “WP,” “WF,” or “F” for the class. Students should be aware that dropping classes below a full-time load changes their financial aid status and/or their housing status.

Spring and fall withdrawal begins after the two-week drop period has ended. Students complete a withdrawal request through the Registrar’s Office to withdraw. The student receives a WP unless otherwise instructed by the professor. There are no refunds for withdrawn courses after the drop period has ended.

• Students may not withdraw from classes after December 1 or May 1

Dates for determining add, drop, and withdrawal are primarily determined based upon the time stamp on the completed Google form. In rare instances in which we have record of the request apart from the completed Google form and or authorization from appropriate academic officials, we defer to that earlier date.

Withdrawal Refund – Internet Courses
Withdrawal from a fall or spring Internet class will be the same process as stated in the preceding section, “Withdrawal from a Class after the Drop/Add Period.”

With all Internet courses, the Internet program fee is non-refundable after the Drop/Add Period. Students interested in viewing the course syllabus of an Internet course should not attempt to access the course, but should open the syllabus on the applicable academic course schedule prior to registering for the course.

Withdrawal from an Academic Intensive
Students cannot receive credit for an academic intensive course if they miss a single academic intensive class. Beginning with the first day of class, there are no refunds for academic intensive classes. Students who withdraw from an academic intensive will receive a grade of “WP,” “WF,” or “F”.

Withdrawal from a Hybrid Class
A student may withdraw from a Hybrid class by filling out the “Withdraw from a Course” request form in the “Student Request Forms” section of www.nobts.edu/registrar. The student will receive a grade of “WP,” “WF,” or “F” for the class. Students may not withdraw from classes after December 1 or May 1. Students should be aware that dropping classes below a full-time load changes their financial aid status and/or their housing status. See the Student Fees page in this catalog for the class withdrawal fee.

Official Withdrawals

In order to withdraw officially from enrollment, a student must consult the Registrar’s Office, obtain certain required approvals, return all materials on loan to the Library, and clear their accounts with the Business Office. A Withdrawal Form is available online on the Registrar’s Page. Students whose withdrawals are completed before the final drop date will receive a reversal of fees. Leavell College students receiving Title IV funds who have not completed requirements for a degree and who do not plan to enroll for the following term are required to withdraw from enrollment through the withdrawal procedure or complete the request for an official leave of absence.

Additionally, a student may initiate the withdrawal process by contacting the Academic Advisor, the program-level Assistant Registrar, or the Director of Financial Aid. This contact can be in written form or by way of conversation while they are acting in their official capacity as employees of the institution. While the official withdrawal can be initiated verbally, an official withdrawal is finalized by completing the process outlined in the previous paragraph. For Title IV purposes, the date of the withdrawal is the date the withdrawal is initiated, whether verbal or written.

Unofficial Withdrawals for Title IV Fund Receivers

Students who receive Title IV funds are considered to have unofficially withdrawn when they cease attendance or academic engagement in all their classes according to the institution’s attendance policy. Students who are withdrawn from a course due to lack of attendance or academic engagement will receive the grade of WF. Students who earn all WFs in a given term are considered unofficially withdrawn.

●        For students in all traditional classes, ceasing attendance will be determined by the course attendance records.

●        In non-traditional classes, ceasing attendance will be determined by the last date of academic activity.

●        Additionally, if a student in all online classes verbally indicates her intention to withdraw to the Academic Advisor, the program-level Assistant Registrar, or the Director of Financial Aid who are acting in their official capacity, but never officially completes the withdrawal process, she will also be considered to have unofficially withdrawn.

If a student remains enrolled in only non-Title IV eligible classes, the student is considered withdrawn for Title IV purposes, and Leavell College will initiate the R2T4 process.

In other words, any student who fails to receive a passing grade or an earned F in any of their classes in a term is considered to have withdrawn from that term. At this point, the institution will review the student’s academic activity in order to determine the withdrawal date for R2T4 calculations.

Emergency Withdrawal

Students who must withdraw from the seminary because of a life-threatening personal or family emergency may receive an EW (Emergency Withdrawal) for all the courses in which they were enrolled and may receive a partial refund. To qualify for an Emergency Withdrawal, the student must petition the Provost of NOBTS, with a statement that evidences the need for the Emergency Withdrawal. Emergency Withdrawals are granted only when circumstances arise during the semester that are beyond the control of the student and prevent class attendance and/or completion of class assignments. Heavy work loads, church responsibilities, or other personal and/or family difficulties normally are not sufficient reasons for Emergency Withdrawal, since these reasons are not unusual or extraordinary. Students who have received a grant or scholarship will be required to repay that grant or scholarship when they withdraw from school.

Grading Scale

The grading scale for the master’s programs is as follows:
A - 93-100
B - 85-92
C - 77-84
D - 70-76
E - Course in progress
F - Below 70 or failure in Pass/Fail course
P - Pass in Pass/Fail Course
I - Incomplete
S - Satisfactory
U - Unsatisfactory
AW - Administrative Withdrawal
WP - Withdrew Passing
WF - Withdrew Failing
FR - Failure Repeated
EW - Emergency Withdrawal

Examinations

The time limit for final examinations shall be two hours and shall be strictly adhered to according to the schedule published in the Catalog. Late finals are permitted only in extreme emergencies and must be approved by the professor and/or appropriate dean's office. Early finals are not permitted. Scheduled sectional/unit exams: Prior arrangements made in consultation with the professor are at the discretion of the professor. A student who misses an exam because of illness or personal reasons should contact the professor to indicate the problem and a suggested time for make-up. A student who misses for no valid reason should be expected to take a make- up at the professor/grader’s convenience and will incur a point penalty. Any student who misses a scheduled exam is expected to schedule with the professor (or grader) a make-up within one week of the missed exam. A minimum five-point penalty will be incurred for failure to do so.

Report of Grades

Students may obtain their grades through SelfServe on the seminary’s website. The seminary may withhold grades or transcripts of any present or former student if financial obligations are outstanding.

Academic Grievances

This policy addresses grievances in matters related to academics. The seminary policy regarding non-academic complaints and grievances is published in the Student Handbook.

1. Initial Complaint: In accordance with the teaching of Scripture, concerns about academic matters should first be voiced directly to the professor or other responsible person(s). If the informal communication of such a concern does not resolve the issue, the student may file a formal complaint.

2. Formal complaint: A student may file complaints with the Dean of Leavell College for undergraduate academic matters or with the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for graduate academic matters. Such matters may include grievances related to grading or evaluation, as well as grievances related to other academic or faculty issues. The academic official will investigate the matter and recommend a resolution of the matter if feasible.

3. Hearing: At the student’s request a hearing before the appropriate dean will be scheduled. At either the request of the student or the appropriate academic dean, the Dean of Students may be invited to a hearing related to academic matters. At the hearing, the student will be given an opportunity to voice the complaint. This opportunity shall include the right to offer witnesses and other evidence.

4. Findings and Decisions: The academic dean shall notify the student in writing of the findings and of the decision, if any, regarding the grievance.

5. Appeal Procedure: The student may appeal the decision of the academic dean to a review committee. The review committee for academic matters shall be composed of the Provost, the Dean of Graduate Studies, the Dean of Leavell College, the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, and the Associate Dean of Leavell College.

6. Committee Decision: The decision of the review committee will be communicated to the student, to the President, and to the administrative officers involved. It shall be the final decision unless it is appealed by the student to the President of NOBTS, or unless the President indicates his desire to review the decision.

7. Final Appeal Procedure: The student’s appeal must be in writing and delivered to the President’s office within 24 hours of receipt by the student of the committee’s decision. The President’s intention to review the committee’s decision shall be communicated to the Dean of Students, the chair of the committee, and the charged student within one week of the President’s receipt of the committee’s decision. The President may choose not to review the student’s appeal of the committee decision. He may review and reverse, amend, or affirm the decision of the committee. The decision of the President regarding the matter shall be final.

8. Students taking courses at the Georgia extension centers also can file grievances directly with the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission. Contact information is as follows:
   Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
   2082 East Exchange Place
   Tucker, GA 30084
   (770) 414-3300
   https://gnpec.georgia.gov/student-resources/complaints-against-institution

Quality Points

For each semester hour of credit earned, quality points will be recorded as follows: A-4; B-3; C-2; D-1. To complete requirements for a degree, a student must earn a minimum average of two quality points for each semester hour of credit.

Incomplete Work

At the end of a semester, a mark of Incomplete shall be placed in the teacher’s record in a case where a student is granted permission to complete any part of the required work after the date set for the examination. Such permission is granted only by the student communicating with the professor of record and/or the dean's office and only in case of an emergency. Requests for such permission must be made by completing the Student Request Form available on the Registrar’s Office page at nobts.edu. If possible, requests should be made before the time for the examination. The deadline for requests is two weeks following the date set for the examination. If delay is granted, but not extended in view of continuing emergency, the work must be completed during the semester following in a regular session (regular session does not include summer). There will be no further penalty for delays. If permission is not granted or not exercised during the time set, the work involved will be graded zero. The Registrar’s Office bears no responsibility for incomplete work. Please note that students who receive an incomplete for an internet course must complete the work outside of the online learning course shell. The student must communicate and send assignments directly with the professor of record for the course for which they were given an incomplete using email or other means of instruction as specified by the professor of record.

Financial Obligations

Credits for grades will not be effective in the Registrar’s Office until satisfactory agreement concerning financial obligations has been made with the Business Office.

Academic Probation and Suspension

If a student’s total grade point average falls below 2.0, the student will be placed on academic probation for the next semester in which the student enrolls. A student will be permitted to enroll for a maximum of 9 semester hours during the semester of academic probation. Failure to achieve a 2.0 grade point average during the semester of academic probation will result in immediate suspension of the student for at least one full semester.

A student on academic suspension may apply for readmission to the seminary up to one month in advance of the anticipated enrollment date. If readmission is granted, the student will be on academic probation for one semester. A student who fails to achieve a 2.0 grade point average during this semester of academic probation will be immediately and permanently suspended from school.

The faculty or any appropriate committee of the faculty may at any time advise the President that a student evidences spiritual, ethical, emotional, psychological, or attitudinal deficiencies which in the judgment of the faculty disqualify the student for continued study at the seminary. The student may appeal this determination to the President. The decision of the President shall be final.

Standard Policy for Student Conduct

Seminary students are expected to live according to the high standards of conduct befitting a Christian minister.

Seminary Policy on Plagiarism
The Student Handbook section on Ethical Conduct includes plagiarism as one type of unacceptable conduct.

Definition of Plagiarism
Students are given the task of writing papers in order to help them learn how to think critically about the ideas of others and to present the result of their analysis in a readable form. Plagiarism defeats these purposes by cheating the student out of an opportunity to grow. Plagiarism is, therefore, a failure to distinguish between the work of the student and the work of others, either intentionally or unintentionally. It may take several forms:

• Taking one or more sentences verbatim from a source and inserting it into a paper without the proper citation obviously is plagiarism.

  The student should note that a failure to document credit for a direct quotation is also a violation of copyright law (See Student Handbook section on Electronic Reserves).

• Representing the words or ideas of another person or artificial intelligence program as your own words or ideas is plagiarism, even if you summarize. Also, loosely paraphrasing a sentence without proper citation also is plagiarism.

• Borrowing without proper citation such things as an outline, an idea, or an approach to dealing with a problem that is unique to an author is plagiarism. This type of plagiarism often results from poor note taking on the part of the student.

• Plagiarism also can result from improper methods of citation. The student is responsible for learning the appropriate rules for citing sources and for following those rules throughout the paper. Ignorance of rules of citation is not an excuse.

• In addition plagiarism is a violation of the use of the seminary’s computing resources (See Student Handbook section on Com- puter Use Policy Violations).

For other definitions of plagiarism and ways to avoid it see Robert A. Harris, The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing with Plagiarism (Los Angeles, CA: Pyrczak Publishing, 2001).

Consequences for Violations of Plagiarism
When a professor discovers a student has committed plagiarism, the professor should report this violation to the Dean of Students. In making this report, a copy of the paper in question is supplied to the Dean of Students for the purpose of documentation. A letter of warning will be issued from the Dean of Students Office to the student notifying him or her of the violation. This letter will serve as the official notice of the violation, and a copy will be placed into the student’s permanent file along with the copy of the student’s paper(s). Copies of the letter will be forwarded to the appropriate academic dean, the Registrar, the professor, and the Provost. This letter will state clearly that if the student plagiarizes a second time, the offense will be reported directly to the President. At the discretion of the President, a second offense of plagiarism may result in the student’s dismissal from the seminary.

Leavell College Plagiarism Policy
A high standard of personal integrity is expected of all Leavell College students.  Copying another person’s work, submitting downloaded material without proper references, submitting material without properly citing the source, submitting the same material for credit in more than one course, and committing other such forms of dishonesty are strictly forbidden.  Although anything cited in three sources is considered public domain, we require that all sources be cited.  Any infraction may result in failing the assignment and the course.  Any infraction will be reported to the Dean of Leavell College for further action.

Repeating a Course

When students have received credit for a course, they will not be allowed to repeat it for credit except through petition and approval of the Registrar. For students who have been approved to repeat a course for which they have received prior credit, the most recent grade in that course will count toward their GPA. The previous grade will be changed to indicate a repeated course on the official transcript and will not be calculated in the student’s GPA. If the student repeats a course and earns a failing grade, a prior passing grade in the same course will be negated and not count towards the requirements for the degree.

Discrimination

NOBTS and Leavell College does not discriminate in admissions or in the administration of its educational policies on the basis of race, color, national origin, or ethnic origin. Only to the extent required by its religious tenets and allowed by law does the seminary make distinctions between men and women.

The fulfillment of the seminary’s religious mission requires the seminary to be the sole judge of which students should be admitted and, once admitted, to continue to pursue a course of study and to receive a degree. In these decisions, the seminary is concerned with the spiritual, ethical, emotional, psychological, moral, behavioral, and attitudinal traits evidenced in the student’s life which suggest a foundation upon which a lifetime of Christian ministry can be built.

Seminary and Third-Party Access of Student Information

Appropriate admissions and academic personnel have access to student records for processing and maintenance purposes. Directory information, data that normally is public information, is available to seminary and outside sources. Additional information will not be released without the written permission of the student.

Senior Status

Bachelor of Arts students reach senior status when they have completed 90 semester hours.

Master of Divinity students reach senior status when they have completed 50 semester hours. Master of Arts in Christian Education students become seniors when they have completed 27 semester hours. Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling students reach senior status at 43 semester hours, and Master of Music in Church Music students reach senior status at 10 hours.

All MDiv and MA students must have a senior conference with the Academic Advisor during the term prior to reaching senior status or as soon as possible thereafter. Master of Music in Church Music students should consult with the office of Church Music Ministries.

Master’s Credit for a PhD Seminar

• Candidates in master’s degree programs of the seminary may be admitted to PhD seminars when they have met the following requirements:

  a. A minimum GPA of 3.26.

  b. Within last two semesters of the master's program.

  c. Approval by the respective division and the Associate Dean of Research Doctoral Programs.

  d. A demonstrated aptitude for advanced theological study, to be determined by faculty and graduate divisions.

  e. Completed prerequisite course work.

• Permission for registration is granted through the Office of Research Doctoral Programs. To receive permission, students must submit a written request to the Office of Research Doctoral Programs including the name of the course, permission from the professor of record and the division of study, and evidence that they meet the requirements listed above. Students will receive a decision in writing regarding their request. If approved, students will be registered by the Office of Research Doctoral Programs. All doctoral tuition rates and fees apply.

• Registration for master's students to enroll in a PhD seminar is within two weeks after the PhD registration period has ended.

• Should a course fill up, doctoral students have first priority to enroll.

• No more than 20% of a course may be populated by master's level students without prior approval by the respective division and the Associate Dean of Research Doctoral Programs.

• No more than 8 hours of seminars and/or colloquia may be applied to an appropriate master's-level degree.

• Seminar or colloquium credit earned prior to the completion of requirements for the master's degree may be applied to the PhD program under the following conditions:

  a. For a student who completes the master's degree, up to 8 hours of seminars and/or colloquia, with a grade of "B" or above, may be eligible for doctoral program credit, should the student be admitted to the PhD program and if permission is granted by the Research Doctoral Admissions Committee.

  b. In application for the PhD, the student must achieve a combined score of "0" or higher on the five-point sliding scale for application.

• The seminary is under no obligation to accept the previous credit toward any doctoral program.

• Course credits will be transferred to the student's transcript following successful completion of his or her first semester in the program.

Transfer of Credits Policies

Credits earned at other institutions may be transferred into NOBTS and Leavell College for a baccalaureate or master’s degree given that the previous institution and courses meet the guidelines set below:

• For graduate degrees, up to two-thirds of the degree may be completed outside of NOBTS. One third of the degree must be completed at NOBTS.

• For undergraduate degrees, up to three quarters of the degree may be completed outside of Leavell College. A fourth of the degree must be completed at Leavell College.

• Normally, credit hours from academic institutions must be accredited by an agency recognized by CHEA and must carry a grade of at least a “C” to be transferred.

• Credit from a non-accredited institution may be accepted if the course work is deemed equivalent by the registrar's office, but no more than one-fourth of a degree may be accepted unless an existing formal partnership exists. Additional documents may be requested.

• For graduate credits, credits earned more than 10 years ago will normally not be transferred into NOBTS.

• All courses transferred must be substantially parallel to the offerings of NOBTS and Leavell College and fulfill the requirements of the relevant degree plan. Courses which do not fulfill the requirements of the degree being sought cannot be transferred.

Given that the student’s transcript meets the above criteria, the student must formally request a transcript evaluation through the Student Portal and must provide the institution with official copies of all transcripts at the program-level for which the current degree is being sought. Credits which may appear on a transcript via transfer credit, AP credit, or similar processes may not be transferred into the institution without the official record bearing the original credits. For transfer policies related to doctoral programs, please refer to the appropriate program page in this catalog for more detail.

Students are able to request an official transcript evaluation upon acceptance into the institution by the Admissions Office. Students are highly encouraged to complete the request prior to matriculation. All requests to transfer credits must be completed prior to the start of the student’s last semester. Students in a degree plan that requires a Mentoring format course must still complete a Mentoring format course regardless of the results of the transcript evaluation.

All questions regarding transfer of credits and credential evaluations should be directed to the Office of the Registrar and Student Success.

Degree-to-Degree Transfer Credits

NOBTS values continuing education of Christian ministers. Therefore, we want to facilitate ministers earning second degrees to the extent allowed by accreditation principles. Transfer of MA credit hours into the larger MDiv are covered in an existing policy. This policy addresses transferring credit hours from a degree with more credit hours to a degree with fewer credit hours.

Students with a degree from other institutions - Accreditation rules dictate that in transferring credit hours from a different institution, the following guidelines should be followed:

• At least one-third of the shorter degree must be earned at NOBTS. In addition, only those credit hours which fit into the NOBTS degree as required or elective courses may be transferred. Courses differ some in content between institutions. Submitting a catalog description of the courses, or preferably syllabi listing learning outcomes for the course, is helpful in evaluating these transcripts.

Students with a degree from NOBTS - Since NOBTS students with longer degrees have taken the same courses with the same learning outcomes that pertain to shorter degrees, the following guidelines pertain:

• Some MA type degree programs at NOBTS have special admission requirements not required for admission to the MDiv. The student who seeks the second degree must meet all of the entrance requirements for the MA type degree.

• All courses required in both degrees transfer from the longer degree into the shorter degree, being understood as dual or sequential degree programs.

• Even if all of the required courses transfer from the longer degree to the shorter type degree, the student must earn at least one-third of the hours required for the second degree in the relevant or cognate disciplines to receive the second degree.

Leavell College Credit by Examination

Students in Leavell College normally earn degree credit by taking regular college courses.  However, Leavell College accepts credits from various credit-by-examination programs including the Advanced Placement Program (AP) and the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).  Students may be awarded up to 30 credit hours via credit by examination, except by permission of the Dean of Leavell College. 

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

Students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams will be awarded credit as noted in the chart below.  Students earning scores of 4 or 5 on selected exams will receive 6 hours of credit, with the second course identified by an asterisk.  Exams not included in the listing below may be considered on a case-by-case basis.  NOTE:  An official copy of the AP College Grade Report is required to be on file with Leavell College in order for the school to award credit. The Leavell College (New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) code is 5034.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Students earning the minimum qualifying scores as determined by the College Board for CLEP examination will be awarded credit as noted in the chart below. Exams not included in the listing below may be considered on a case-by-case basis.  NOTE:  An official copy of the CLEP transcript is required to be on file with Leavell College in order for the school to award credit. The Leavell College (New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) code is 6740.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program

 Scores of 4 or better on higher-level courses on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme may be considered for college credit on a case-by-case basis.  NOTE:  An official IB score report must be on file with Leavell College in order for the school to award credit.

Defense Activity for Traditional Education Support (DANTES)/DSSTs

The DANTES program is a testing service conducted by Educational Testing Service (ETS) that makes use of the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs).  Credit may be considered for DSSTs on a case-by-case basis.  NOTE:  An official DANTES/DSST score report must be on file with Leavell College in order for the school to award credit.

Requirements for Graduation

In order to graduate from the seminary, students must meet all academic requirements set forth in this Catalog, settle all financial obligations to the seminary, and maintain high standards of moral and ethical conduct. The seminary requires that all students anticipating graduation be currently enrolled and have earned 1/3 of the hours for the degree program at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. These hours can be taken at the main campus, at any of the current extension centers, or through online courses.

Students who wish to graduate must apply for graduation by September 15 for December graduation or February 15 for May graduation. The application for graduation may be found at www.nobts.edu/registrar.

Participation in graduation exercises is required of all students unless permission is granted to graduate in absentia. Requests for permission to graduate in absentia should be made on the application for graduation. Permission is granted only in cases of emergencies.

Key to Identifying Graduate Courses

Courses listed in the Catalog are identified by four letters and four numbers. The letters indicate the division and/or the subject area. For example, the letters PREA indicate that the course is a Preaching course in the Pastoral Ministries Division. The letters CCSW indicate Church and Community Ministries Division and the department of Social Work.

The first number indicates the course level:

1-4: Undergraduate-level courses
5: Basic master’s-level courses without graduate prerequisite or considered beginner’s level. These courses, especially if required as prerequisites for other courses, should be taken as early as possible in the student’s program of study
6: Advanced master’s-level courses having prerequisites, or courses which by their nature should be taken after the student’s initial year of theological study
7: Master of Theology courses to be taken only by students pursuing the Master of Theology degree program
8: Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Educational Ministry, and Doctor of Education courses
9: Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education, or Doctor of Musical Arts courses only

The second number indicates the hour value of the course.

Key to Identifying Leavell College Courses

Courses listed in the catalog have been labeled specifically in order to help the student determine the sequence and content of a course. Four letters and four numbers identify the courses. The first two letters, LC, designate the course as a Leavell College course. The last two letters designate the specific type of course. These letters are the abbreviations for the following:

 Following the four letter abbreviations are four numbers.

• The first number refers to the level of the course. For example,

  a 1 is a freshman-level course whereas a 4 is a senior-level course.

• The second number indicates the number of semester hours that one receives for completing the course successfully.

• The last two digits are the course identifier.

Note the example Introduction to Teaching: LCEM2360. The course is a Leavell College course (LC) in Educational Ministries. The course is a second-year course (2) for three hours of credit (3). The course identifier is 60. When registering for or referring to courses, all letters and digits should be used.

Definition of a Credit Hour

At NOBTS and Leavell College, a standard, semester-based course with weekly meetings will normally meet in person 1 hour in seat time per credit hour weekly, with assignments which take approximately two hours per credit hour outside of class. So, for a typical 3 hour course, class meetings will total 45 hours in seat time, and outside of class assignments will total approximately 90 hours. The total time spent by the student inside and outside the classroom for the 3 hour course should thus be approximately 135 hours. When various alternative delivery systems are being utilized in which the percentage of seat time and outside of class assignments vary, the same total time investment of total time commitment by the students must be maintained.

Policies for Defining and Assigning a Credit Hour in Music Courses

In terms of credit hours versus contact hours in the office of Church Music Ministries, the following procedures have been established. Each credit hour of applied study equals a half hour of instruction. For example, a student taking 2 credit hours of voice would receive 1 hour of instruction per week over a 15- week semester. In keeping with common practice, lesson assignments are made during week 1, so there are actually 14 lessons. All ensemble courses include 1 hour of credit regardless of the number of contact hours of instruction in a given week (e.g., Seminary Chorus meets from 6:30 to 8:30 on Monday evening but students receive 1 hour of credit). Class piano follows the model of applied lessons. Because the class is small, 2 hours of credit equal 1 hour of instruction per week over the course of a 15-week semester. The standard of 2 hours of assigned work per credit hour in addition to contact hours as defined above is mandated for all undergraduate and graduate courses. In the case of ensembles, additional work required is largely met with the extra rehearsal time as described above.

VA Pending Payment Compliance

In accordance withTitle 38 US Code § 3679 subsection (e), this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;

• Assess a late penalty fee to the student;

• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;

• Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students will be required to: Provide the enrolling institution with a copy of his/her VA Certification of Eligibility (COE) - A “certificate of eligibility” can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) website; eBenefits; or a VAF 28-1905 form, for chapter 31 authorization purposes.

Policy for Timeline of Academic Credit

Normally, any NOBTS degree should be completed within ten years, with the following exceptions:

1. The student is a part-time student still persisting toward the degree being currently enrolled not missing more than one year.

2. Some student may be granted an exception on a case-by-case basis by the program Dean in cases in which the student has experienced a serious career or life crisis, financial hardship, or was not in a position due to their ministry to continue the degree (in cases such as overseas missionary services).

Credentials Policy

Credentials Provided by the Institution:

Transcripts: NOBTS and Leavell College will refer to students on their transcripts by the name supplied by the student at the time of the application. If a student changes their name through marriage, they are responsible for communicating the change to the registrar's office. Marriage, annulment, and divorce are the only sufficient reasons NOBTS and Leavell College will change a student's name on the transcript.

Diplomas: NOBTS and Leavell College will refer to graduates on their diplomas by their legal names, or an approved variation, provided at the time when they are students. A graduate requesting a replacement diploma will receive a copy of the diploma they originally received. NOBTS and Leavell College reserves the right to disapprove any request for replacement diplomas.