Academic Definitions
Master of Arts
The M.A. degree is conferred for successful completion of a program generally requiring one or two years of full-time college-level study beyond the bachelor’s degree. It is awarded in the liberal arts and sciences for advanced scholarship in a subject field or discipline and demonstrated ability to perform scholarly research.
Master of Business Administration
The MBA degree is conferred for successful completion of a program in business generally requiring 2-3 years of college-level study beyond the bachelor’s degree. It is awarded for the advanced study of the theory and practical application of business and management.
Master of Education
The M.Ed. degree is conferred for successful completion of a program in education generally requiring two or three years of full-time college-level study beyond the bachelor’s degree. It is awarded for advanced scholarship in education and demonstrated ability to perform scholarly research.
Master of Music
The M.M. degree is conferred for successful completion of a program in music generally requiring one or two years of full-time college-level study beyond the bachelor’s degree. It is awarded for advanced scholarship in music and demonstrated ability to perform scholarly research.
Master of Occupational Therapy
The MOT degree is conferred for successful completion of a program in Occupational Therapy generally requiring 25 months of full-time college-level study beyond the bachelor’s degree. It is awarded for entry-level occupational therapy practice based on the integration of theoretical knowledge and skill-based competencies in occupational therapy.
Master of Science
The M.S. degree is conferred for successful completion of a program generally requiring one or two years of full-time college-level study beyond the bachelor’s degree. It is awarded in the liberal arts and sciences for advanced scholarship in a subject field or discipline and demonstrated ability to perform scholarly research.
Doctorate
The doctorate degree is the highest award a student can earn for graduate study, requiring advanced work beyond the master’s level; conferred upon completion of a program providing knowledge and skills for recognition, credential or license for professional practice; or upon the preparation and successful defense of a dissertation based on original research; or the planning and execution of an original project demonstrating substantial artistic or scholarly achievement.
Post-Master’s Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS)
This certificate is designed for students who have a master’s degree but would like to earn additional credits for a specialty area or certification and/or licensure requirements. The specific course work is tailored to meet the needs of the certificate student, but the course work must include a minimum of 12 credits.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate of Graduate Studies
This certificate is designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree but would like to earn graduate level credits within a specialty area or discipline. The group of courses required to earn this certificate is specifically prescribed and includes a minimum of 12 credits.
Concurrent Degrees
Concurrent degrees occur when a student is enrolled in two graduate degrees of the same level at the same time, which are not arranged by the University as a dual degree program.
Subsequent Degree
A subsequent degree is awarded when a student completes an additional graduate degree of the same level at Messiah University after completing the first graduate degree.
Dual Degree
Dual degrees are formal programs of study created by the University where students complete two different existing graduate degrees of the same level at the same time.
Program Core
A prescribed set of specialized courses recommended by a program and approved by the Community of Educators as a valid representation of the area of study. These courses are completed by all students in a particular graduate program. A core may be complemented with a track/concentration.
Track/Concentration
A prescribed set of courses in a sub-discipline of a program or closely related discipline consisting of a minimum of 9 credits and a maximum of 45 credits. Students may complete requirements for more than one track.
Directed Study
Directed study is available to graduate students who need to complete a catalogued course at a time other than when it is offered. Each study must be completed under the supervision of a qualified faculty member who will communicate regularly with the student during the study. Directed studies will only be approved for situations that present extenuating circumstances. Students are expected to make every effort to enroll in required courses at their regularly-scheduled times.
Independent Study
Independent study is available to graduate students who wish to explore a particular area of study outside of the current graduate curriculum. Projects must be carefully designed and directed toward a specific goal under the direction of a qualified faculty member who communicates regularly with the student during the study.
Credit Hour
A credit hour is a unit of academic work consisting of a minimum of 14 contact hours of classroom instruction, or its equivalent, over the period of the learning session. In addition to the hours of classroom instruction (or its equivalent), the student is expected to invest two to three hours for each contact hour of instruction. A lab credit hour will consist of a minimum of 14 contact hours of classroom instruction, or its equivalent, over the period of the learning session. Standard practice in the School of Graduate Studies is 21-28 contact hours of classroom instruction per credit hour.
Contact Hour
A contact hour consists of 50 minutes of instruction. The contact may take place in a classroom or laboratory setting; online where the learners and faculty member are engaged in the instructional process; or within the context of experiential settings, e.g., practicum, internship, clinical and student teaching.
Semester (term)
A semester or term is a session within the academic year in which courses are offered. Consisting of 17 weeks in length in the fall and spring, and 13 weeks in the summer, each semester may contain various parts-of-term. Students may register for more than one course in a semester.
Part-of-Term
A part-of-term is a condensed term contained within a semester and provides the flexibility for accelerated courses to be offered. Typical models include 6-week, 8-week or intensive parts-of-term. All parts-of-term are confined within the published beginning and ending dates of the semester. Students may register for more than one course in a part-of-term.
Intensives
Intensive courses are named for their concentrated meeting time and immersive learning experience within a short period of time. Typical models provide students the opportunity to attend class in a face-to-face environment eight hours a day for five days. In addition to the work taking place during the week, course readings and work are assigned prior to and following the face-to-face experience.
Prerequisite Course
A prerequisite is a course which must be completed prior to another course(s) due to the fundamental content or knowledge required through the progression of study. Prerequisite requirements are included in course descriptions and may be enforced through course registration.
Co-requisite Course
A co-requisite is a course which must be taken in the same part-of-term as another course. Typically a lecture and lab/clinical combination, registration for co-requisite courses must be performed in the same registration transaction. Co-requisite requirements are included in course descriptions and may be enforced through course registration.
Concurrent Course
A concurrent course is a modification of a prerequisite requirement, where it can be taken in an earlier part-of-term or in the same part-of-term as the course in which registration is attempted.
Methods of Course Delivery
Traditional
Students meet at a physical location during scheduled meeting times for the duration of the course.
Synchronous
Use of a learning management system and other technologies to deliver real-time online lectures and discussions for students at remote locations.
Asynchronous
Use of a learning management system and other technologies to deliver recorded online lectures and materials for students at remote locations at any time.
Hybrid
A combination of face-to-face meetings and synchronous and/or asynchronous class sessions.
Online
Students access all course materials online through the learning management system: there are no requirements for face-to-face sessions. Online courses will include synchronous and/or asynchronous methods of delivery.
Student Enrollment Status
Full-Time Status
Graduate students who carry an academic load of 6 or more credit hours in a semester are considered full-time students and may be eligible for financial aid as full-time students.
Three-Quarter Status
Graduate students who carry an academic load of at least 4 credits but less than 6 credits are considered three-quarter-time students. They are eligible for any financial aid open to three-quarter time students.
Half-Time Status
Graduate students who carry an academic load of 3 credit hours in a semester are considered half-time students and may be eligible for any financial aid open to half-time students.
Less than Half-Time Status
Graduate students who carry an academic load less than 3 credit hours in a semester are considered less than halftime students and may be eligible for financial aid that is less than half-time students.