These are the academic policies and scholastic regulations related to this catalog's academic year. 

Each student is responsible for knowing the academic regulations and other program requirements of the school in which they are enrolled. While the academic dean, the student's student success advisor, and the registrar’s office may provide appropriate reminders, the primary responsibility for knowing and fulfilling all policies rests with the individual student.

Topics are listed alphabetically below.

Academic Honesty

Since Bethel University is a Christian academic community, its fundamental purpose is the pursuit of knowledge and the development of growing Christian persons. Essential to the success of this educational mission is a commitment to principles of ethical academic integrity. Each member of the university community is responsible for upholding the highest standards of honesty at all times. Students, as members of this community, are also responsible for adhering to the principles and spirit of academic honesty.

Academic Dishonesty Definitions

Activities that have the effect or intention of interfering with education, pursuit of knowledge, or fair evaluation of a student’s performance are prohibited. Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to:

• Cheating: Using or attempting to use assistance, materials, or study aids not authorized and/or specifically prohibited by the instructor.  

• Plagiarism: Using the ideas (e.g. concepts, theories), data,  language, media, or images of another source (e.g. human or artificial intelligence) and representing it as one’s own original work, without specific and proper acknowledgement. 

• Fabrication: Deliberately submitting false, fraudulent, or altered information in any academic work.

• Multiple submission: Submitting, without prior permission, any work previously or concurrently submitted to fulfill another academic requirement. 

• Misrepresentation of academic records: Misrepresenting, tampering with, or attempting to tamper with any portion of a student’s academic record.

• Facilitating academic dishonesty: Knowingly helping or attempting to help others violate any provision of this academic dishonesty policy.

• Unfair advantage: Exercising or attempting to exercise unauthorized or unfair academic advantage over others or impeding the academic work of others.

Academic Petitions

Students who have a concern or dispute related to any academic policy matter in a class (e.g. grading, scheduling, instruction, deadlines etc.) should confer with their instructor to express their concerns, exchange information, and discuss a possible resolution. In the event that a satisfactory solution is not achieved, a student may submit an academic petition.

An academic petition may also be submitted by a student for concerns or disputes within or outside of a specific class if the student believes they are not being treated fairly, or in accordance with announced policies, or who have extenuating circumstances beyond their control that warrant an exception to a policy.

Under all circumstances in which a student would consider submitting an academic petition, it is advisable that they first consult with their student success advisor.

Academic petitions fall into two categories:

Exception Requests

• Completion of degree requirements from a prior catalog year
• Extension of time to complete a degree
• Grade change for a course
• Registration change for a course: Add, Drop, or Withdrawal after the deadline (with or without a request for tuition refund)
• Required course or directed study substitution
• Residency requirement
• Exception to other academic policy

Appeals

• Academic Dismissal
• Co-curricular Dismissal
• Denial of an Exception Request

Academic petitions must be filed no later than 60 days after the student has reasonable notice of the circumstances that give rise to the issues presented in the petition (e.g., within 60 days of a faculty or administrative action affecting the student). Petitions must be filed according to the process defined for CAPS, Seminary, and GS, which is in compliance with Minnesota Statutes Section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (c).

The Academic Petition form will be made available to the student upon correspondence with the student success advisor. Initial filing of the academic petition must be submitted to the student success advisor who transmits it to the appropriate decision-making person or committee.

Academic Standing

Academic standing is evaluated based on the student's cumulative GPA at the end of each term in which they have registered for one or more courses, starting with their second term of enrollment.  "Term" is defined as Fall, Spring and Summer.

The Office of the Registrar determines and makes the final decision on all academic standing designations assigned to any student.

Some Bethel University programs may have more stringent policies for continued enrollment than those expressed in the university academic standing policies. Specific program requirements are listed with program information and/or the student handbook. Any such program alerts, probations and dismissals are the decision of the deans and program directors for that program and are not under the purview of the Office of the Registrar.

Students have the right to petition their academic standing and are advised to contact their student success advisor for more information about this process.

Good Standing

Good Standing is defined as a cumulative GPA of (3.0) or above.

Academic Alert

Difficulties in a particular course or term may be a normal and temporary part of the student experience, or they may be an early indicator of larger academic challenges. An Academic Alert is used to notify a student that they may be at risk of falling out of good standing if challenges continue into future terms. An Academic Alert does not always precede academic probation or dismissal and appears only on the unofficial transcript. 

The Registrar’s Office will issue a notice of Academic Alert at the end of a term in which a student has completed one or more courses for an A - F letter grade and all of the following conditions are met:

During the first term of enrollment, the student: 

• Earned a term GPA below the minimum GPA required for good standing.  

During the second term of enrollment and beyond, the student:

• Earned a term GPA below the minimum GPA required for good standing, but maintained a cumulative GPA above the minimum GPA required for good standing. 

Students who receive the Academic Alert are encouraged to work closely with their student success advisor to develop a plan for academic success.

Academic Probation

Students will receive a notice of Academic Probation from the Registrar's Office at the end of any term in which they have completed one or more courses for an A - F letter grade and all of the following occur: 

• They have been assessed for academic standing. 

• They have earned a cumulative GPA below the minimum GPA required for good standing. 

Students may remain on Academic Probation for no more than two consecutive terms in which at least one A-F letter graded course is completed in each term. 

Academic probation of any student is the decision of the Bethel University Registrar and appears only on the unofficial transcript.

An academic standing of Academic Probation may not always be preceded by an Academic Alert.

Academic Dismissal

Students receive a notice of Academic Dismissal from the Registrar's Office at the end of any term in which a student completes one or more courses for an A - F letter grade and all of the following occur:

• They have been assessed for academic standing. 

• They have earned a cumulative GPA below the minimum GPA required for good standing. 

• They have had an academic standing of Academic Probation for the previous 2 consecutive terms.

Students will also receive a notice of Academic Dismissal from the Registrar's Office for any of the following:

• The requirements for provisional acceptance are not fulfilled at the time of provisional evaluation.

• Patterns of unsatisfactory performance are documented by the dean and presented to the Registrar's Office along with a recommendation for dismissal.

• Other patterns of unsatisfactory performance which are not listed above may also lead to academic dismissal.

Academic dismissal of any student is the decision of the Bethel University Registrar.

An academic standing of Academic Dismissal may not always be preceded by an Academic Alert or Academic Probation. 

Programs may have more stringent policies than listed above. Specific requirements are listed with program information and/or student handbooks.

Some students may have unique circumstances which can affect their academic standing. These special cases are detailed below.

No Calculation

An academic standing of No Calculation will appear on a student transcript in the following situations:

• The only course a student has taken in a term is of a grade type not included in the cumulative GPA calculation.

• Students taking courses at more than one level in a term will see No Calculation for the level which does not apply to the degree/credential of pursuit.

• If a student has a grade of I (Incomplete for A-F letter-graded courses only) in one or more courses in a term.

  • Once all grades of I for a term have been resolved with an A-F letter grade, academic standing will be re-evaluated and assigned for that term. This may or may not occur at the end of a term.

Provisionally Admitted Students

Provisionally admitted students should refer to the Admissions Categories/Provisional Evaluation section of the catalog for academic requirements unique to their admittance category.

Provisionally-accepted student may require more than one term to complete enough A-F letter-graded courses to be provisionally evaluated. At the end of each of these terms, one of the following Academic Standing notations will appear on the student’s transcript:

• No Calculation

• Academic Alert: this indicates that the provisionally-accepted student’s term GPA or cumulative GPA is under the required minimum.

Accessibility

The Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) exists to create equal opportunities for students with disabilities at Bethel University. Services for students with disabilities are coordinated through OARS by providing reasonable accommodations.

OARS serves students with various types of disabilities, including physical, sensory, learning, psychiatric, systemic, and some chronic illnesses. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines an individual with a disability as "a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” To receive accommodations, students must provide documentation of a disability.

Reasonable accommodations are approved after an interactive process with the student and OARS. The instructor will provide accommodations, but the student is required to initiate the process. Students registered with OARS are responsible for logging in to their AIM, Accessibility Accommodation portal (via MyBethel) each term to request their Faculty Notification Letter of Accommodations. Accommodations cannot be applied prior to the faculty’s receipt of the letter. Accommodations cannot modify essential requirements or fundamentally alter the nature of the course. Consultation with OARS may be necessary to clarify reasonable accommodations based on the course.

For further information or to schedule an appointment to discuss needs, students should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services

• Email
• 651.638.6833 (800.255.8706, ext. 6833).

Attendance Policy

Attendance and Online Participation Policy

The model of learning practiced in the College of Adult & Professional Studies and in the Graduate School relies on active, self-directed students who enhance each other’s learning interactively. Students are accountable not only for completing individual work, but also for participating in all interactive learning activities designed by course faculty in the following ways:

• Online interaction as directed by faculty.
• Energetic participation in classroom sessions.
• Participation in clinicals, field tours, etc.

A student is considered to have participated in an online course by participating in measurable activities as assigned such as graded work, synchronous, interactive, and collaborative activities. 

The attendance and participation policy emphasizes faculty and student responsibility for interactive adult learning in the following ways:

• In course syllabi, faculty will designate the value of participation in interactive learning activities in the classroom, in the field, and online.
• Students are responsible to participate in and complete all interactive learning activities and to master their content.
• Full (100%) course participation is defined by completion of all activities as assigned.
• Course syllabi will indicate whether make-up work is or is not appropriate for non-attendance in the classroom or lack of participation in designated learning activities.
• Absence or non-participation due to illness or other emergency may be excused at the discretion of the faculty.
• Students should expect that non-participation in interactive activities associated with more than 20% of the schedule of the course will reduce a course grade or risk course failure.  For face-to-face and hybrid courses, this includes attending at least 80% of scheduled face-to-face time.
• At the discretion of the institution, lack of participation during the first two weeks of a course may result in course registration being dropped; this may affect financial aid awards. Multiple instances of course registrations being dropped for non-participation may result in all registration being dropped for the student.

Attendance Requirements for Auditors

Auditing is defined as “observation in the classroom setting.” Auditors are required to meet the attendance and other requirements set by the instructor. Auditors who do not meet the attendance and other requirements will be graded WZ. Participation for auditors beyond attendance in class activities is at the instructor’s discretion. A student may change to or from audit status with the instructor’s approval only during the first 60% of the course.

Program-specific Attendance Requirements 

In addition to the general admission requirements, specific programs may require additional attendance requirements stated within the program’s catalog page, handbook, and/or in individual course syllabi.

Auditing Courses

Auditing a course allows degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students (including spouses of students, alumni, and pastors) to benefit from the content of a course that is not graded or taken for credit. For an audit to be recorded on the transcript, regular attendance at the class sessions and participation in the class, when feasible, are required. Individual instructors may also require some portion of class assignments from auditors. Instructors may decide not to allow auditors to take their course if they determine it is in the best interests of accomplishing the course objectives. Disruptive auditors can be removed at will by the instructor.

Students who audit a course and then wish to receive credit at a later date must register again for the course and pay tuition. Students may change their registration in a course from audit to credit only within the registration period for the course.

It should be noted that students seeking to enroll in a course for credit will be given priority over auditors when a class has reached its maximum enrollment. 

All auditors must apply via the Application to Audit form.

Calendar and Student Load

Bethel University operates on a semester calendar. Students work with their student success advisor to determine an academic plan.

Student load for each academic term is as follows:

• Full time = 6 credits or more
• Part time = 0.1 to 5.9 credits
  • Three-Quarter time = 4.5 to 5.9 credits
  • Half time =  3 to 4.4 credits
  • Less than half time = 0.1 to 2.9 credits

Receiving an extension or a grade of Incomplete in a course does not extend a student’s enrollment beyond the final date of class.

Credits must apply toward a student’s graduation requirements. If credits are not toward graduation requirements or a student drops below full-time or half-time status a student's eligibility for certain financial aid programs may be affected.

See "Tuition and Fees Refund Schedule" under Student Account Information in this catalog for more information. 

Commencement

Bethel University holds a winter commencement and a spring commencement each year. Bethel Seminary commencement is held in the Spring of each year. Exact dates, application, and details are published on the MyBethel portal channel for Commencement. 

To be eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony, students must have a plan to complete all remaining courses by the end of the Fall term of the next academic year. To be eligible for the December ceremony, students must have a plan to complete all remaining courses by the end of the Spring term of the same academic year. Graduation plans must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Student Success and Retention.

Certain programs have additional requirements to be eligible for commencement. 

Students may contact their student success advisor with questions about their eligibility.

Cross Enrollment

Cross enrollment provides an opportunity for students enrolled in one Bethel school (CAS, CAPS, Seminary, or GS) to take specific courses in another Bethel school as a guest student. Students must first consult their academic advisor in CAS or student success advisor in CAPS, Seminary, or GS before undertaking the cross enrollment process. Requests are subject to approval by advisors, department chairs or program directors, and deans. Limitations may include prerequisites, available space, program restrictions and the number of courses at the host school in which a student may enroll. 

NOTE: The College of Adult & Professional Studies courses are not open to students currently enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences at Bethel University except where specific agreements exist between the deans of both schools.

Curricular Practical Training

Information about Curricular Practical Training for residential international students can be found under CPT in the Residential International Students page. 

Directed Study

Depending on the major, a student may be required to complete a directed study experience or may have the option of completing an elective directed study experience in his/her major under the guidance of a faculty member. The directed study may consist of independent reading and/or research, or travel with related study. Students design such an experience in cooperation with the supervising faculty member.

Students may engage in a directed study under the following regulations:

1. The proposed study must embody significant academic purpose and content, equal in quality to a regular course, yet be of such a nature that it cannot be obtained within an existing course. The amount and distribution of work should be similar to that of a regularly offered course of comparable credit.

2. Students must have demonstrated in program coursework that they have the capability and background to study independently. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher as certification of this ability.

3. Students may take only one directed study per term and no more than a total of two directed studies toward graduation. A faculty supervisor may direct no more than two study projects (directed studies and courses by arrangement) per term.

4. Upon fulfilling the agreement, students receive credit on their transcript for the course as titled. A directed study is graded based on an A–F grade mode, not S/U, and therefore is included in the student's cumulative GPA.

5. Complete the following procedures to obtain approval of a directed study proposal:

   1. The Directed Study Agreement form is available through My.Bethel.edu (Student Academics > Registration > Forms > caps-gs-directed-study-application).

   2. The student meets with the faculty member who will supervise the study. They jointly prepare the electronic Directed Study form, which includes submitting a syllabus with the objectives of the study, the study's relationship to the student's overall program, the specific content and procedures of the study, the definition of student and faculty roles, the product or response to be made by the student on which his or her learning will be evaluated, and the number and frequency of regular contacts between the student and supervisor. Students doing research off campus will contact their supervisor by phone at regular intervals at the student’s expense.

   3. When the student submits the electronic Directed Study form, it is automatically sent to the Office of the Registrar and to a designated dean, who confers with the student success advisor, the program director, and the divisional dean to determine approval.

   4. If approved, the Office of the Registrar coordinates the creation of the course, registers the student, and notifies the student and instructor that the course was approved and the registration is complete.

   5.  Processing of the agreement by the Office of the Registrar validates the agreement.

Extensions for Thesis, Capstone, or Dissertation Courses

Students who do not complete a master’s thesis, master’s capstone project, or doctoral dissertation during the term in which they enroll in their final capstone/thesis/dissertation course will initially be given a grade of incomplete. In each term thereafter, the student will register in an extension course that carries zero (0) credits, but will result in a thesis or dissertation continuation fee (see the section on tuition and fees for the amount). Registering in an extension course each term and the subsequent billing will end when the student either (1) completes the capstone project, thesis, or dissertation, (2) officially withdraws from the program, or (3) reaches the maximum time for degree completion. The full continuation fee will be assessed for the final extension even if the student completes the capstone or withdraws before the full academic term has elapsed. When the thesis or capstone project is complete, the incomplete grade will be changed appropriately on the student’s transcript.

Students who require capstone, thesis, or dissertation extensions must be enrolled in consecutive terms without interruption until they have completed the work. Students whose circumstances require one or more semesters “off” will receive the grade earned for work completed. When students who had a break in their capstone, thesis, or dissertation enrollment return, they must retake the course. 

Students who officially withdraw from a program will receive a grade of “U” or unsatisfactory for their capstone, thesis, or dissertation course and must apply for readmission to return to complete their degree. See “Withdrawal and Re-Enrollment” for more details.

Extracurricular Activities

Students in the Graduate School or Seminary are generally restricted from participation in extracurricular organizations and programs sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences, including club and intramural sports. Participation in intercollegiate athletics is allowed through the 2024-2025 academic year, in programs that meet NCAA requirements. 

Freedom of Inquiry

All students have the right to free inquiry and scholarly investigation. Students are encouraged to discuss all topics freely and to exchange ideas in a mutually respectful manner. They are also free to publish any findings or recommendations, either individually or in association with others, provided they make no claim to represent the university without due authorization, and they have secured the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals if necessary.

Grading System

Coursework is evaluated on the following scale:

An instructor has the option of affixing a minus to the grade of A, a plus or a minus to the grades of B and C, and a plus to the grade of D. A plus increases the number of grade points awarded by 0.3, and a minus decreases the number of grade points awarded by 0.3.

All grades are considered final and are not subject to change except for errors in calculation, or as a result of a successful academic petition. Students should contact their student success advisor about submitting a petition, if desired. The grade of I or IN is resolved to a grade when work is completed or the incomplete extension deadline has been reached (see: Grade of I or IN).

GPA Calculations

The GPA is determined by dividing the number of grade points by the number of credits the student has attempted in A-F letter-graded courses at Bethel. When a course is repeated, only the last attempt is used in computing the GPA. The exception is when a course is designated as repeatable, in which case it can be taken for a grade for a prescribed number of times, with each occurrence factoring into the GPA.

Cumulative GPA

Coursework included in the cumulative GPA calculation meet all of the following criteria:

• Completed.
• Given a letter grade of A-F.
• Taken in the term being evaluated for academic standing.
• Taken at the level of the student's degree/credential of pursuit at that time (undergraduate, masters, doctoral).

Coursework not included in the cumulative GPA calculation are:

• Non-A-F letter graded courses. These courses are graded as: AU, CR, I (Incomplete for A-F letter graded courses), IN (Incomplete for S/U courses), IP, N, NR, P/F (pass/fail), S/U, W and WZ. 
• Courses taken at a level other than the student's degree/credential of pursuit at that time (undergraduate, masters, doctoral). 

The graduate school GPA is calculated only on the basis of credits attempted at the Bethel University Graduate School. 

Grade of AU

The grade AU is given when a student audits a course. 

Auditing at Bethel is defined as observation in the classroom setting.  Participation beyond attendance in class activities is the instructor’s prerogative. Not all courses are available to audit. Students wishing to audit a course must secure the consent of their student success advisor and the course instructor at the beginning of the term. A student may change to or from audit status with the instructor’s approval only during the first 60% of the course.

Auditors are required to meet the attendance requirements set by the instructor. Students who do not meet the attendance requirements will be graded WZ.

Grade of CR

The grade CR is used for coursework that is excluded from GPA calculations.

Grade of I or IN

The grade I or IN is given when a student is unable to complete the course requirements in the regular time due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. The incomplete must be negotiated with and approved by the instructor before a grade of I or IN may be allowed. Remaining work must be of the kind that can be done largely through independent effort. Unless the grade of I or IN is removed by the deadline designated by the instructor, the student will be graded for the course using the default grade designated by the instructor.

The maximum deadline the instructor can assign for resolution of the I or IN grade is six months from the end of the course. Assignment of the maximum deadline or an earlier deadline is at the discretion of the instructor. Students with multiple grades of I or IN may be required to resolve all grades of I or IN before continuing to progress in their program.

Incompletes in internships or practica may be handled differently [see Internships]. Incompletes for doctoral dissertation work, doctoral projects, master’s theses, and master’s capstone projects follow the Extensions for Thesis/Capstone/Dissertation Courses Policy.

Grades of IP, N, and NR

The grades of IP (In Progress), N (Not Graded) and NR (Not Reported) are generated for administrative use only. These grades are not counted in the GPA.

Grades of S and U

Courses graded with S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) rather than the default A-F letter grading, are identified in the catalog course description. Some courses allow for either an A–F or S/U grade. This option is also indicated in the catalog course description. In these courses, a student may change from A–F grading to S/U  or from S/U to A-F grading, with instructor approval, through the date designated as the 60% point of the course. The grade of S always indicates achievement equivalent to at least a grade of B.

Grade of W

The grade W is given to a student who officially withdraws from a course by the withdrawal deadline, which is approximately 60% of the total course length.  After the withdrawal deadline, students will receive the grade they have earned. Grades of W do not affect the Grade Point Average (GPA).  

Honors

The following academic society has been approved to award honors cords to graduates to wear in the commencement ceremony:

• Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing

Graduates requesting to wear honors cords from societies that are NOT on the approved list must submit requests by email by March 31 or October 31 for the spring and fall ceremonies respectively. The graduate will be informed of the decision (approved or denied), and approved societies will be listed in future catalogs.

Graduate level students cannot retroactively request to wear honors cords from their undergraduate degree. The hood itself is considered the honor at the graduate level.

Immunization Requirements

Minnesota state law requires some students attending college, graduate school, or seminary to show proof of immunization. The law makes others exempt from the requirement. For students in the College of Adult and Professional Studies, Bethel Seminary, and the Graduate School, the following applies:

Students who do not need to provide proof of immunization

• Any student born before 1957
• Any student who graduated from a Minnesota high school in 1997 or later.
• All CAPS students enrolled only in CAPS classes unless required by their program to be immunized*
• GS and Seminary students who: 
  • Attend only evening or weekend classes
  • Study only in online classes who are not otherwise required to provide proof of immunization because of their field of study
  • Have intensives or residencies that are seven or fewer consecutive days

Students who must provide proof of immunization

• Any student who attends face-to-face classes during weekday daytime hours if they are not otherwise exempted by the statute because of their age or year of graduation from a Minnesota high school
• Students in particular fields of study (usually in the medical professions)*
• Students who come to campus for residencies or intensives that are longer than seven consecutive days if not otherwise exempted by the statute because of their age or year of graduation from a Minnesota high school
• “Cross Enrollment” students in CAPS, Seminary, or GS who take CAS classes or Seminary daytime classes if not otherwise exempted by the statute because of their age or year of graduation from a Minnesota high school

*Programs that require proof of immunization currently include students in most nursing programs and all students in the MS in Physician Assistant program.

Individualized Study

Individualized study policies are listed under the specific type of individualized study: Academic Internship, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), or Directed Study (DS).

Internships

An academic internship is preferably an off-campus learning/practicing experience in which the student applies a body of knowledge and skill in a structured, non-classroom setting. It can take place in many settings: government, social organizations and agencies, churches, or business enterprises. It can make use of almost every knowledge and skill area in Bethel’s curricula. Credit is available through some departments to qualified students in their majors. Inquiries should be made to the Office of Student Success and Retention.

Academic Internship Policy

1. An acceptable internship is one that expects the student to:
   1. Make a deliberate application of one’s academic knowledge and skills.
   2. Continue to learn as stimulated by the problems and issues encountered.
   3. Grow in one’s personal maturity and confidence in one’s abilities.
   4. Develop empathy with and understanding of persons, groups, and settings typically not encountered on campus.
2. The proposed internship must embody significant academic purpose and content, equal in quality to a regular course, yet be of such a nature that it cannot be obtained within the existing course structure.
3. It is conducted under joint supervision of a Bethel faculty member and an onsite supervisor. Both parties agree on the specific objectives and assignments before beginning and jointly evaluate the student’s work during the experience and at the end. There should be a plan for ongoing processing of the experience (log, weekly meetings, etc.). It is expected that the Bethel faculty supervisor will meet at least bi-weekly with the student.
4. The internship position may be part-time or full-time and may be salaried or non-salaried. Routine jobs or work that repeats experience does not qualify for an academic credit internship. The work must provide an opportunity to meet academic/educational objectives.
5. The student must meet the following criteria:
   1. Declare a major or minor in the department of the internship being proposed.
   2. Hold junior, senior, or graduate standing. Individual departments may permit qualified sophomores to undertake exploratory internships under special circumstances.
   3. Have a minimum of 10 credit hours completed in the department.
   4. Have good Academic Standing in the major. Individual departments may require a specific GPA.
   5. Meet additional criteria as established by each department.
6. An internship must be two to four credits with the following minimum time required onsite:

   Internships

   Internship	Hours
   Two-credit internship	90 hours
   Three-credit internship	135 hours
   Four-credit internship	180 hours

7. A maximum of twelve credits in internships may be taken. Each separate internship must have goals and objectives different from the prior ones taken for credit.
8. Internships are graded S/U (see: Grading System).
9. Students in internships which cannot be completed in one term, will be given a grade of incomplete at the end of that term and automatically registered in no more than one additional extension term. The extension term may incur additional charges. 
10. For the following internship courses, the maximum deadline the instructor can assign for resolution of the I or IN grade is one year from the end of the course: ADST 481, ADST 491, CHMN 481, EDUC 886, EDUC 887, EDUC 888, EDUC 889. 
11. This policy identifies minimum college-wide requirements. Departments may choose to supplement this with additional requirements.
12. Graduate students must submit a completed and signed Contract for Academic Internship to their student success advisor for approval no later than the final day of the preceding semester. The form is available through the Office of Student Success and Retention.

Intellectual Property Rights

In addition to the responsibilities students have to abide by standards of academic integrity, students are also entitled to protection of their intellectual property rights.

• Original work that a student submits as part of a course is the property of the student. That work may be used by Bethel solely for educational purposes within the context of the course in which the student is enrolled unless the student grants permission for other uses. Students who complete theses, dissertations, and capstone projects acknowledge, by completing the project, that they are aware that a copy of the work may be retained by the University Library and made available to library patrons.
• Any other use of student work must credit the student as the author of the work.
• Students may seek to publish or present work they have submitted as coursework. If they do so, they must follow ethical guidelines common to academic research and unique to the discipline in which they do their work. They must redact any sensitive, personally identifiable information (e.g., names of businesses cited in case studies, demographic information related to research subjects, etc.) before releasing their work for applications outside of the classroom. If students seek to publish research involving human subjects, they must have secured the appropriate review/approval from Bethel’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the collection and analysis of data.
• Although students may choose to co-author with a faculty member, students own materials they independently design, data they collect, or written work that they create.
• Students are encouraged to copyright written materials when releasing them outside of the classroom.

International Residential Students

 For policies related to International Residential (F1) Students see the International Residential Student section.

Military Service

Upon involuntary military call-up, a student so affected will be granted a withdrawal from courses with a full refund. Students must provide a copy of their orders to the Office of Financial Aid.  If 75% of the scheduled days of a given course have elapsed, an incomplete grade will be assigned with a deadline for submission of remaining coursework of one year from the last date of active student status. If the student does not submit the outstanding coursework by the incomplete deadline, a grade of W will be assigned automatically.

Students called to active military service should expect some disruption in their progress toward their desired degree and/or certificate. Disruption could include, but may not be limited to, course availability and time to complete the desired credential. 

Non-Degree Seeking Students

Students who were not admitted for the purpose of obtaining a degree, certificate, or other recognized credential are, for the purpose of this policy, defined as non-degree-seeking students. These students are permitted to take courses at Bethel but are not permitted to pursue a degree, certificate, or credential and may have a limited range of courses in which they may enroll. 

Non-Degree Seeking students may be admitted under any admissions category:  accepted, conditional, provisional, or limited enrollment. Only accepted students in this category may become degree-seeking through declaring a program of study. This declaration must happen with support from a student success advisor in the Office of Student Success and Retention. After declaring a program of study, accepted students may work toward a degree, certificate, or a recognized credential. 

Non-degree-seeking students admitted conditionally or provisionally who wish to obtain a degree, certificate, or other recognized credential must first meet the requirements set by their conditional or provisional acceptance before becoming accepted and declaring a program of study.

Non-degree seeking students admitted to Bethel with limited enrollment must apply for admission and receive acceptance before assignment to a program of study. Students unsure of their admissions category should consult with a student success advisor in the Office of Student Success and Retention.

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Program prerequisites are listed with each program’s admission requirements. 

Course prerequisites are listed with each course description. A course’s prerequisites must usually be completed in a term prior to the course; however, in some cases prerequisites can be taken concurrently (within the same term) as the course.

Course corequisites are listed with each course description. A course with a corequisite requires concurrent (within the same term) registration with its corequisite.

Registration

To add, drop, withdraw, or otherwise change course registration, students should refer to the self-registration website and to MyBethel. The student's unique Academic Plan and other resources for registration are located here. When taking any registration activity, students should refer to the CRNs (Course Registration Numbers) on their Academic Plan, to identify specific scheduled course sections and streamline self-registration. Regardless of the actual first day that a class “meets” face to face or online, most courses officially begin on a Monday.

Course registrations, and all registration changes are official on the date the student makes the change online or when written notice is received by the student success advisor.  Specific add, drop and withdrawal deadlines are listed on the Office of the Registrar’s website. No registration activity is complete until the change is displayed through MyBethel.

Adding a Course

Students may register for an upcoming term starting on the following dates:

• Fall registration begins April 1
• Spring registration begins August 1
• Summer registration begins December 1

Once registration opens, students can self-register until two weeks before the course start date. After that date, students must work with their student success advisor to request approval for a late course registration. 

The deadline for adding a late course registration depends on the length of the course and is as follows:

• For courses less than 5 weeks long, the late add deadline is the 3rd calendar day of the part of term in which the course occurs.
• For courses 5+ weeks long, the late add deadline is the 8th calendar day of the part of term in which the course occurs.

Dropping a Course

Students must drop a course soon after it begins in order to remove the course from their transcript and avoid charges. The exact number of days depends on the length of the class:

• For courses less than 5 weeks long, the drop deadline is the 3rd calendar day of the part of term in which the course occurs.
• For courses 5+ weeks long, the drop deadline is the 8th calendar day of the part of term in which the course occurs.

Withdrawing from a Course

A student may withdraw from a course starting the day after the drop deadline.  Unlike dropping, a course withdrawal appears on the student’s transcript with a grade of “W.” Students may withdraw from a course until approximately 65% of it has been completed.  Specific withdrawal deadlines can be found on the Office of the Registrar's website.

Students who withdraw may be eligible to receive a prorated refund, starting on the first day of the withdrawal period and ending at the 50% point of the course. After this they are no longer eligible for any refund, even if they are still eligible to withdraw and earn a W on their transcript without petitioning to do so. The refund schedule may be found on the Business Office website.

Students may not withdraw after the course withdrawal deadline, except by petition. They will receive the grade earned for the course.

Changing from Credit to Audit

A student may change their registration in a course taken for credit, to that of audit up until the withdrawal deadline for that course.

Charges Related to Registration Activities

The student is responsible for all charges incurred due to registration activity and for any loss of financial aid or change of loan deferment status as a result.  Scheduled online sessions count as “class sessions” when determining tuition refunds and grades. Any refund due to a registration drop or withdrawal will be governed by the refund policy found in this catalog.

Exceptions to Registration Policies

Extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control may warrant exception to a registration policy. Such exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may require submitting a petition. Students should contact their student success advisor to discuss eligibility and initiate the petition process.

Registration at Other Institutions

Students who are registered at Bethel University may take courses at other institutionally accredited institutions for transfer credit if they have prior consent of the program director and student success advisor. Credits will be transferred according to Graduate School transfer credit policies in this catalog.

Student Success Advisors

Location: Anderson Center 

Each program has a designated student success advisor (SSA) who serves as the first point of contact for student advising and support. The SSA can assist students with course selection, program planning, and other academic and registration questions. They are also able to provide referrals to a number of other support offices on campus based on each student's particular needs. Contact information for each division is found below. The Office of Student Success and Retention website is available for more information. 

College of Adult & Professional Studies Advising Support

• caps-advising@bethel.edu 
• 651.635.2463 

Seminary Advising Support 

• seminary-advising@bethel.edu 
• 651.638.6868

Graduate School 

• Health, Medical, and Business Advising Support

  • graduate-advising@bethel.edu 
  • 651.635.1104

• Education and Doctoral Advising Support

  • graduate-education-advising@bethel.edu
  • 651.635.8013  

Student Experience

• student-success@bethel.edu
• 651.635.8800

Summer Session

Summer semester counts as a full academic term, along with Fall semester and Spring semester, for the purpose of assessing academic standing and application of grading policies. Some programs require coursework during day or evening hours in the summer months. Consult the course schedule, which shows the calendar of class sessions for the full Summer semester.

Teach-Out Policy 

When a program, certificate, minor, concentration, or pre-licensure program is eliminated, affected students will be notified. The university will establish a teach-out schedule with a date for when classes in that program, certificate, minor, concentration, or pre-licensure program will no longer be offered. Students should seek to complete all requirements during the teach-out period. However, students who have not completed all requirements have two academic years beyond the end of the teach-out period to complete any remaining requirements through approved transfer courses.  All transfer courses must comply with published transfer policies. Theses, dissertations, and capstone projects must be completed at Bethel within two academic years after the teach-out. The end of that two-year period is the date on which the program officially closes and degrees in that program will no longer be granted.

Time Limits for Degree Completion

Master’s Degrees: All requirements must be met within 5 years from the term of the student's initial enrollment.

Doctoral Degrees: All requirements must be met within 15 years from the term of the student's initial enrollment.

Specific programs may require shorter maximum completion times than listed above to comply with specific accreditation requirements.

Transcripts

The transcript includes coursework transferred from other schools and coursework completed at Bethel. All transcripts from other schools in the student’s file remain the property of Bethel University and cannot be released to the student or other parties. 

Official transcripts are available showing all academic work completed to date at Bethel University. Both electronic and paper versions of official transcripts may be ordered via the Registrar's website. Transcripts are processed within 1-3 business days. Some exceptions apply. Questions regarding transcripts should be addressed to the Office of the Registrar.

Transfer Credit Policies

Students who have completed graduate-level courses at other institutionally accredited institutions of higher education may receive credit for those courses that are equivalent to work required in their program at Bethel. The amount of credit, the courses to be accepted, and the method of evaluation will be determined by the nature of the courses.

At least 67% of the credits used to meet the requirements of a degree or certificate must be taken in programs that meet Bethel residency requirements except in cases where formal agreements with other institutions exist or when a program has its own residency credits requirement, as indicated in the catalog. In each major, certain courses are required to be taken in residence. Students who complete the requirements for transfer of credit will receive an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) indicating which Bethel courses may be waived, which must be audited, and which courses from other institutions will be accepted in transfer.

Credits earned prior to entering a graduate program at Bethel University, or with prior approval after matriculation, may be accepted in transfer with the approval of the Registrar's Office, based upon the evaluation of the program director when:

• Bethel’s Graduate School directly receives an official transcript.
• The transfer credit was earned at an institutionally accredited institution.
• The transfer credit is no more than three years old unless approved by the program director.
• The credits are clearly designated as graduate credits. For doctoral programs, the work completed is beyond requirements of a master’s degree.
• A description of course content, such as from the college catalog or course syllabus, has been submitted for the purpose of determining whether course(s) will be accepted in transfer.
• The course grade is a pass or at least a 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

Prior Learning Assessment

Students in academic programs that have formal agreements with other non-institutionally-accredited organizations or institutions may earn graduate-level credit for completing training at these organizations, as identified within the formal agreements. When a formal agreement with such an organization does not exist, the Registrar’s Office  may, with program director permission only, formally evaluate and approve this training in order to award graduate level credit. In either case, residency requirements for the degree must still be met.

Credits for prior learning assessment may be awarded through one of two options:

Withdrawal and Re-Enrollment

University Withdrawal

Students who desire to officially withdraw from Bethel must contact their student success advisor and submit an official withdrawal form. In addition, students who do not enroll for more than one year (three consecutive academic terms, excluding interim) are automatically withdrawn from Bethel.

University Re-Enrollment

Former students must file an application for re-enrollment. They should contact the Office of Student Success and Retention to learn more and start this process. Former students who have a registration hold on their account from the Business Office are not eligible to seek re-enrollment until the hold is resolved. All requests to re-enroll must be approved by the Program Director or Dean.

Withdrawn students will enter under the catalog of the year in which they re-enroll.

Students will re-enroll at the academic standing assigned for their last term of enrollment, with the exception of students who were academically dismissed. (See Re-enrollment after Academic Dismissal below for further information)

Re-Enrollment after Academic Dismissal

Academically dismissed students are eligible to apply for re-enrollment no sooner than the third term after the term of their academic dismissal or last term of registration, excluding interim. If approved to re-enroll, students may resume coursework no sooner than the fourth term after the term of their academic dismissal or last term of registration, excluding interim.

Students who are approved to re-enroll after academic dismissal will return on an academic standing equivalent to the second term of academic probation. Students must achieve the minimum cumulative GPA required for good standing at the end of their first term of re-enrollment. The one exception is for re-enrolled students who, in their first term of re-enrollment, achieve the minimum required term GPA for good standing. They will not be dismissed even if their cumulative GPA at the end of that term is below good standing. In this case the student's academic standing remains equivalent to that of a second term of academic probation for no more than one additional term.

Specific academic programs may have different dismissal and re-enrollment policies than listed above. These requirements would be listed with program information and/or the student handbook.