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- GRADUATE DETAILS
The NLU graduate petition form requests your NLU ID number, the term you were admitted, and in some reasons for petition, your unofficial transcript. Here's where to find this information.
- NLU Portal: The NLU Portal may be accessed from the NLU webpage.
- NLU ID Number: On the NLU Portal main webpage, look under My Info.
- Admit Term:
- Click on the My Services tab (near the top of the NLU Portal webpage).
- Click on NLU Self Service (in the center of the webpage).
- Click on Student.
- Click on Student Records.
- Click on View Student Information.
- Select a Term from the dropdown menu. It is recommended that you select the current term.
- Unofficial Transcript:
- Click on the My Services tab (near the top of the NLU Portal webpage).
- Click on NLU Self Service (in the center of the webpage).
- Click on Student.
- Click on Student Records.
- Click on View Academic Transcript.
- Click on Submit.
Reasons for NCE Graduate Petition
- Policies
- Core courses reflect the importance of being exposed to current theory, research, and practice in education. Core courses also emphasize integration, a process that typically occurs at the graduate level. Previous undergraduate courses do not promote this level of synthesis. These core courses are designed to have students construct a higher level of knowledge and understanding. Waiving these requirements denies students the opportunity to engage in such a process. Undergraduate-level courses may not be applied to graduate degrees.
- Courses taken more than three years prior to the date of the petition are not considered to be current. Readings in the substitute or equivalent course must extend beyond a single textbook. Readings must also be drawn from primary sources and/or scholarly secondary sources.
- If you are requesting a core course waiver with a course transferred from another institution, then request an audit from the Registrar’s Office prior to submitting a petition to AP Committee (per instructions on the Guidelines page).
- If a core course waiver is approved without equivalent credits being applied to the degree, the credit hour requirements for the degree must still be met.
- NOTE: Non-core classes are deliberated at the program level. Please consult with your academic advisor for program policies.
- Related reasons for petition:
If a transfer course being used for a core course waiver falls outside the time limit for completion of the degree, you must also petition for Extension of Time Limitation.
If a transfer course being used for a core course waiver exceeds the maximum allowed transfer credits, you must also petition for Transfer of Additional Credit.
- You may need to petition for Core Course Waiver(s) if ...
- You completed courses at another institution that you consider equivalent to NCE core courses.
- You have changed programs, and you wish to apply core courses from the previous program to the new program.
- Information / Materials Needed
- Core Courses To Be Waived — Select from the list provided. For each course selected, you will need to provide the following information regarding the course to be considered as equivalent: Institution, Term/Year Taken, Course #, Course Title, Grade, Credit Hours.
- Transfer Courses — Information regarding transfer courses, if applicable.
- Explanation — Provide a detailed explanation of why you are seeking waiver of the above course(s). If you do not have a course syllabus, please explain why.
It is recommended that you compose your Explanation in a word processing program (utilizing spelling and grammar checks, etc.), then copy and paste your Explanation into the petition form. - Supporting Documentation:
Catalog description
Syllabus
Copy of transcript showing grade received
Copy of Student Adjustment Form submitted to the Registrar's Office
Email from the Registrar's Office confirming that any transfer courses meet minimum university and college standards for transfer
- Policies
- MAT, MED, and EDS candidates must fulfill all degree requirements and apply for degree within a six-year period. This time period is calculated from the date of the first course to be counted toward the degree whether or not the candidate was admitted to NLU/NCE at the time the class was taken.
- EDD candidates must fulfill degree requirements within an eight-year time period from the date of admission.
- Please note that when APC approves an extension of time limitation, the Committee is essentially approving a current diploma date for all of the coursework.
Here are some patterns regarding APC's approval of various lengths of extension:- Extensions of 1-2 Years (= 6.25-8 years degree completion time for 6-year programs, or 8.25-10 years degree completion time for 8-year programs)
- Usually not a problem
- Extensions of 3-4 Years (= 8.25-10 years degree completion time for 6-year programs, or 10.25-12 years degree completion time for 8-year programs)
Considered much more carefully, in light of:- Circumstances that led to the need for the extension (e.g., family, medical, financial, employment, unaware of policy, etc.)
- Registration history — were you taking coursework along the way, or did you stop out completely for a time?
- If there was a long stop out period, why, etc.
- Professional experience
- What your professional activity / experience has been
- What you have done to keep current in the coursework since you completed it
- Changes to curriculum / standards / laws / etc. since the coursework was completed
- Grades / GPA
- Extensions of More Than 4 Years (= 10+ years degree completion time for 6-year programs, or 12+ years degree completion time for 8-year programs)
The "watershed" for time extensions is about four years. If a petition requests an extension of more than four years ...- The Committee tends to look for "extreme" circumstances that led to the need for the extension
- Registration history (especially stop-out) is more critical
- Professional experience is important, but may be outweighed by other factors
- Changes to curriculum / standards / laws / etc. are even more critical
- Grades / GPA may be weighed more carefully
- The plan of completion is extremely important
In crafting the plan of completion, please consider alternatives.
If the "ideal" plan of completion (due to family, finances, employment, etc.) involves more than a four-year extension, is there any way to request the "ideal" plan, but also indicate a willingness to condense the plan? What's your best offer?
- Please consider these factors in providing information on your petition.
- Extensions of 1-2 Years (= 6.25-8 years degree completion time for 6-year programs, or 8.25-10 years degree completion time for 8-year programs)
- You may need to petition for Extension of Time Limitation if ...
- you are not going to be able to complete the degree requirements within the maximum time allowed.
- you wish to transfer credits from another institution, which fall outside the deadline for degree completion.
- Information / Materials Needed
- Degree Information
- Unofficial Transcript (NCE) — See details above regarding how to access the unofficial transcript.
Print the unofficial transcript as a PDF. (Look for Adobe PDF in the dropdown menu for your printer[s].) You will be able to upload the PDF to the petition. - Transfer Courses — Information regarding transfer courses, if applicable, including:
Copy of transcript showing grade received
Copy of Student Adjustment Form submitted to the Registrar's Office
Email from the Registrar's Office confirming that any transfer courses meet minimum university and college standards for transfer - Explanation — Provide an in-depth explanation for not completing the degree within the time limitation.
- Please consider the factors outlined above, related to the length of extension you are requesting.
- It is recommended that you compose your Explanation in a word processing program (utilizing spelling and grammar checks, etc.), then copy and paste your Explanation into the petition form.
- For doctoral candidates, include information regarding the dissertation committee
- Completion plan — Term-by-term completion plan and, for doctoral candidates, timeline for dissertation completion
- Policies
- The grade appeal procedures apply to all classes at National College of Education. These procedures are congruent with the appeal procedures for National Louis University as described in the NLU Student Guidebook (published annually by the Office of Academic Affairs). Request for a grade appeal must be based on criteria for grade appeals (as published in the Student Guidebook, and on evidence that supports a change of grade for the student. In order for AP Committee to consider a grade appeal, evidence must be provided documenting Steps 1 and 2 of the grade appeal process, as well as any other documentation that supports a change of grade for the student — based on the criteria for grade appeals. The required documentation is detailed on the petition. Students are encouraged to contact the Advising Center for assistance with any questions related to the Grade Appeal process.
- Please refer to the Student Guidebook for additional information regarding the Policy for Academic Appeals.
- You may need to petition for a Grade Appeal if ...
- You have completed Steps 1 and 2 of the grade appeal process, and you wish to appeal the Step 2 decision to the AP Committee.
- Information / Materials Needed
- Please see the petition form for explicit details regarding the information and materials needed.
- Course Information
- Criteria for Grade Appeal
- Step 1 - Instructor / Person Responsible for the Grade
Contacts with the instructor, including dates and types of contact
Documentation, including the instructor's written decision (Please see the petition form for explicit details regarding the documentation needed.) - Step 2 - Program Representative for the Program in which the Course is Offered
Contacts with the program representative, including dates and types of contact
Documentation, including the Director's written decision (Please see the petition form for explicit details regarding the documentation needed.)
- Policies
- It is expected that doctoral students will be continuously registered until the completion of their degrees.
- When unforeseen circumstances require a student to temporarily withdraw from his or her doctoral studies, the student must submit a Request for a Leave of Absence form in the first quarter of becoming inactive (see the Doctoral Handbook). A leave of absence may be approved for up to one year. Please note that students who are granted a leave of absence must still complete the program within the original eight-year time limit.
- Students who have been inactive for three consecutive quarters and are not on an approved leave will be considered withdrawn from the doctoral program. Students who wish to be reinstated must submit the reason for the inactivity to the AP Committee and file a re-entry form with the Office of Admissions and Records.
- You may need to petition for Re-entry to Doctoral Study if ...
- you have had a leave of absence.
- you have been inactive for three consecutive quarters
- Information / Materials Needed
- Please see the petition form for explicit details regarding the information and materials needed.
- Degree Info
- Dissertation Committee Info
- Explanation — Provide an in-depth explanation for the inactivity.
It is recommended that you compose your Explanation in a word processing program (utilizing spelling and grammar checks, etc.), then copy and paste your Explanation into the petition form. - Comparison chart of coursework, if the program has changed
- Completion plan (term-by-term, as well as dissertation completion timeline for doctoral candidates)
- Program support
- Policies
- Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
- Grades of D or F are not accepted toward completion of degree requirements.
- A student on a provisional status at the time of admission must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in the first four graded classes taken after admission to avoid being dismissed from the graduate program.
- You may need to petition for Retention in Graduate Study if ...
- your overall GPA has fallen below 3.0 (for your current degree program).
- Information / Materials Needed
- Overall GPA for your current degree program.
- Unofficial Transcript: See details above regarding how to access the unofficial transcript.
Print the unofficial transcript as a PDF. (Look for Adobe PDF in the dropdown menu for your printer[s].) You will be able to upload the PDF to the petition. - Explanation — Provide a statement documenting the reasons for the failure to maintain the required grade point average, and providing an in-depth explanation as to why an exception to the policy should be approved
It is recommended that you compose your Explanation in a word processing program (utilizing spelling and grammar checks, etc.), then copy and paste your Explanation into the petition form.
- Policies
- A petition for transfer of additional credit is required only if you wish to transfer credits beyond the maximum for the degree you are seeking.
- Transfer credit to NLU must be graduate credit that would have fulfilled graduate degree requirements at the institution in which you took the class.
- Transfer credit must also be completed within the time limits of the degree you are completing at NLU/NCE. If not, you must also petition for Extension of Time Limitation.
- The Registrar’s Office must verify that the course meets all requirements prior to submission of a petition.
- Requests for transfer of credit beyond these maximums require a petition.
Upon verification by the Registrar's Office and approval by the academic advisor, the maximum credit hours that may be transferred from another institution are as follows:- Master's degrees (MAT, MED) or specialist's degree (EDS) — a maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate credit may be transferred from another institution.
- Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) — a maximum of one-third of the required credit for the program may be transferred from another institution.
- Doctor of education degree (EDD) — a maximum of 12 semester hours may be transferred from another institution.
- A maximum of 12 semester hours taken at National College of Education may apply toward an EDD degree.
- Courses taken during the term you are admitted are not considered hours prior to admission.
- You may need to petition for Transfer of Additional Credit if ...
- you wish to transfer more than the maximum credits allowed for your degree — as Core Course Waivers, or to fulfill other degree requirements.
- Information / Materials Needed
- Transfer Course Info
- Courses that Meet the Maximum of Allowed Transfer Credit — including how those courses will be applied to the NCE program
- Courses that Exceed the Maximum of Allowed Transfer Credit — including how those courses will be applied to the NCE program
- Explanation — Provide an in-depth explanation of why transfer of additional credit beyond the maximum should be accepted toward your degree.
It is recommended that you compose your Explanation in a word processing program (utilizing spelling and grammar checks, etc.), then copy and paste your Explanation into the petition form. - Supporting Documentation:
Catalog description
Syllabus
Copy of transcript showing grade received
Copy of Student Adjustment Form submitted to the Registrar's Office
Email from the Registrar's Office confirming that any transfer courses meet minimum university and college standards for transfer
- Policies
- If students wish to submit a petition for an exception to a policy not listed above, they must consult with the Chair of the NCE Academic Policies Committee with regard to the appropriate documentation to be provided.
- Information / Materials Needed
- Policy for which Exception is Requested — Cite or describe the policy for which you are requesting an exception.
- Explanation — Provide an in-depth explanation of why an exception to the policy should be approved.
It is recommended that you compose your Explanation in a word processing program (utilizing spelling and grammar checks, etc.), then copy and paste your Explanation into the petition form. - Supporting Documentation, as applicable:
Syllabus
Rubrics
Copies of evaluated work
Remediation plan
Transcript(s) — from NLU and/or other institutions
Plan of action / completion for a particular issue
Contact(s) with NCE personnel related to the issue — e.g., emails
Other
