Office of the Registrar
Registration Information
After students have been accepted to a graduate certificate program at Concordia College, they will receive registration instructions from the specific graduate certificate program director.
Repeating Courses: Students enrolled in a graduate certificate program at Concordia College may be allowed to repeat one course. See individual program for details. A course may be repeated if the student has earned a grade of C or below, and if space permits. All courses attempted remain on the student’s transcript; only the last grade is computed into the GPA and credit is only earned once.
Pass-Fail Registration Option: Students may elect to take a maximum of 4 credits on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis, in addition to any transfer credits allowed by the graduate level program as well as courses set up to be graded on a pass-fail basis (capstone projects, internships, research thesis). The grade of S is awarded for C and higher level work. The grade of U is awarded for C-, D, and F level work. A course taken as pass-fail will be counted in the attempted hours but will not affect the Concordia GPA. Individual graduate level programs may appeal to the Graduate Programs Committee for an exception to allow more than 4 credits on an S/U basis. Individual graduate
level programs may also elect to exclude certain courses from pass-fail options or not allow any pass-fail
options.
Departures/Exit Procedures
Withdrawal from Current Term: If it is necessary to withdraw from the term, the student must obtain the application for withdrawal from Center for Student Success. The Center for Student Success will route the application to the Business Office, Office of Financial Aid, and the Office of the Registrar. If endorsed, the withdrawal becomes effective on the date it is approved and is reflected on the academic record. A “W” is noted on the transcript for each dropped course. Failure to file an application for withdrawal or filing an application late will result in additional charges being assessed. Withdrawal from the term may affect a student’s financial aid.
Students who stop attending classes and who do not withdraw in the prescribed manner will be charged as if they had continued in the classes and may earn failing grades. Students who have completed all coursework and are in the process of completing the research thesis or capstone project will not be allowed to withdraw.
The college reserves the right to withdraw students who discontinue class attendance.
See program information for additional academic policies.
If students engage in behavior that suggests a danger to self or others, or if students’ behavior demonstrates they are emotionally or psychologically incapable of functioning properly in the college setting, the college reserves the right to withdraw students involuntarily.
Military Withdrawal: The college will make every effort to accommodate the needs of students called to active military duty. Students who receive orders to report for active U.S. military duty are instructed to contact the Office of the Registrar. Students in this situation must present their Military Orders to initiate accommodations regarding coursework in progress. An approved plan regarding coursework must be established prior to students’ departure. Generally, there are three approaches that may be taken:
- Students may be able to complete coursework prior to leaving.
- In some situations, it will be feasible for students to receive an Incomplete in a course. If it is not feasible to receive an Incomplete, the students will be allowed to drop a course or courses with a full refund of tuition and fees associated with the dropped course(s). If students receive an Incomplete but are unable to complete the work due to a change in circumstances, the students may appeal to the Graduate Programs Committee for a retroactive course drop under the same terms outlined above.
- In some situations, it may be necessary for students to withdraw from the certificate program to fulfill military obligations. In this circumstance, students will be given a 100-percent refund of tuition and fees.
Concordia College is approved by the Minnesota State Approving Agency for Veteran’s Educational Benefits. To obtain benefits, the veteran must apply for a Certificate of Eligibility. Application forms may be obtained from the Veteran’s Administration Regional Office. This should be done as soon as possible after acceptance so that the Certificate of Eligibility may be obtained before veterans come to campus.
Non-Returning
Any student who does not plan to return to Concordia for the next term must meet with the Center for Student Success.
Academic Leave: Academic Leave is an option in some, but not all, graduate certificate programs. Students who are interested in an academic leave, should meet with the Center for Student Success. When allowed, students in good standing may apply for an academic leave, allowing them to take leave from the college for up to two terms without having to apply for readmission. Leaves will only be considered in extreme cases where circumstances prohibit all meaningful progress toward the certificate. During an academic leave, students will not have access to institutional resources such as the library, nor will their instructors be available for consultation. Should the student return at the scheduled time, the requirements for graduate certificate completion will follow the catalog at the time of original admission.
Glossary of Terms
The following definitions will help you interpret college regulations and understand academic requirements:
Credit Hour: A credit hour is a unit of measure that gives value to the level of instruction, academic rigor and time requirement for a course taken at an educational institution. See the Federal Credit Hour Policy for more information, including the federal definition of a credit hour.
Grades: Grades are indicated by letters, using the traditional method of describing the quality of work in a course. See the following chart for how letter grades are interpreted in terms of quality and grade points. Policy for assigning grades is at the discretion of the individual instructor.
Grade Points: Grade points are the numerical measure of the quality of work. Each grade received is assigned the value indicated on the chart below. The grade points earned in a single course are determined by multiplying the numerical equivalent of the letter grade by the number of credit hours for the course.
Grades and Grade Points
| Grades | Interpretation | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|
| A | excellent | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 | |
| B+ | 3.3 | |
| B | good | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 | |
| C+ | 2.3 | |
| C | satisfactory | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 | |
| D+ | 1.3 | |
| D | 1.0 | |
| D- | minimum passing | 0.7 |
| IP | in progress | 01 |
| NG | no grade | 01 |
| NR | no report | 01 |
| F | failure | 0 |
| I | incomplete | 01 |
| W | withdrawn | 01 |
| DR | dropped course | 01 |
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Grades that do not affect the grade point average
Grade Point Average: GPA is determined by dividing total number of grade points by the number of credit hours attempted. A GPA of 2.0 is the same as a C average, 3.0 as a B average, etc.
Incomplete Credits: A grade of “I” is a temporary indicator that credit may be earned upon satisfactory completion of all course requirements. The grade of “I” is justified only when the student is unable to complete course requirements because of circumstances beyond their control and when arrangements have been made with the professor before the end of the semester. It is the responsibility of the student to consult with the professor and request the grade of “I” and develop a plan to meet the instructor’s requirements. The instructor will indicate course requirements to be completed, date by which requirements will be completed and received by the instructor (no later than the eighth week of the following semester), and the course grade which will be recorded should the student fail to meet all conditions of the agreement.
If an “I” has been automatically converted to an F or another assigned default grade, the student may request to complete the necessary coursework. This may only be permitted at the instructor’s discretion and must be completed within one year, which is in accordance with the grade change policy. The student may not complete coursework after that time.
Selected summer graduate courses are designed to be completed shortly after the end of the term. The deadline for completion of these requirements will be established by the program director.
In Progress: A grade of “IP” is a temporary indicator that credit may be earned upon satisfactory completion of coursework.
No Grade: A grade of “NG” can only be applied to courses where continuing registration is required.
Withdrawn: If a student officially withdraws from a course, he/she will receive a grade of W for the course.
Change of Grade: Once a grade is recorded on a student transcript, it becomes part of the institutional record and can be changed only to correct an error in the original grade computation or in cases where there has been a violation of academic integrity. A grade change cannot be made because required (or additional) coursework has been turned in after the end of the term. A grade change can be made by the instructor of record for a course or be made with approval of the chief academic officer, if the instructor of record is not available. A change of grade may not be made more than one year after the grade was officially recorded in the Registrar’s Office.
A student who wishes to appeal a grade may appeal to the department chair or program director, who, in consultation with the faculty member and one or two other faculty members agreeable to the student, will determine whether the grade should be changed. Appeals must be submitted no later than midsemester following the semester in which the grade was assigned. Students seeking an appeal of the academic department/program decision may bring a petition to the dean of the college or designee.