GPA Requirements

As described in the Catalog, graduate students must maintain a 3.00 minimum grade point average. Graduate Catalog policy states:  “A graduate student who receives a combination of more than 8 credit hours of B- (2.7) or lower grades, or more than 4 credit hours of grades lower than C (2.0) is subject to dismissal.”   Students who are unable to maintain academic standards of the College are subject to dismissal for academic reasons. Grades of C- or below are not counted toward completion of the certificate.

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General Requirements

1.    Certificates must be completed within six years after the first graduate enrollment.
2.    No more than 2 hours of workshop may be used toward a certificate.
3.    Before being eligible to be awarded a Certificate, students must be admitted to the Certificate program.

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Current Degree Seeking Students 
Students who are currently in a degree program (masters, Educational Specialist, or Ph.D.) may also apply to a certificate program.  Their degree seeking coursework may be applied to the certificate coursework with advisor approval.  The courses must be completed within six years and satisfy certificate course requirements.   

Transfer Hours  
Students who are admitted or were previously admitted as a guest or non-degree or who have a previous graduate degree (masters, Educational Specialist, or Ph.D.) and are not currently seeking another graduate degree may transfer a maximum 6 credit hours with advisor approval. Therefore, a total of six hours of transfer credits may be used toward the certificate requirements whether from another institution or taken at KSU prior to admission to the certificate program. 
To transfer in coursework from an accredited institution (not KSU) the student completes the “Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit” form.  The transfer of credit paperwork should be done in the first semester and submitted to room 418 White Hall with an original transcript with grade posted. OGSS will secure all required signatures.  For coursework to qualify, the following conditions must be met: (1) student was admitted as a graduate student at the time the graduate level course was taken; (2) a grade of “B” or Satisfactory was earned; (3) credit will be less than six years old at the time the certificate is conferred at Kent. 

Plan of Study 
It is the responsibility of each graduate certificate student to make an appointment with the assigned certificate advisor and prepare a plan of study to be filed with the Office of Graduate Student Services, 418 White Hall, by the end of the second enrolled semester. The plan of study form is available in the program area.  If the plan of study must be revised after submitting to OGSS, the advisor must initial the change(s) on the plan of study or submit a memo to OGSS indicating the changes(s). 

Graduation / Application Process 
The online graduation application is used for all degree and certificate programs. To access the online graduation application, log into FlashLine, then click on the Student / Resources / Graduation.  Students must apply for graduation no later than Friday of the first full week of classes in the semester in which graduation is anticipated.  The Late Graduation Application form is accessible on FlashLine, under Student/Resources/Graduation Section in Flashline. Deadlines will be enforced for graduation clearance.