Course Revalidation

Minimum Requirements for Graduate Course Revalidation

Graduate course work used to meet master's degree requirements must be satisfactorily completed within a period of eight years immediately preceding the conferring of the degree. The rationale for this limit is to ensure that students earning a master's degree have current knowledge (no more than eight years old) in their field. Courses completed in the same term as degree conferral (fall, spring, summer) eight years previously are considered to fall within the eight-year limit (for example, a course completed in fall 2008 would fall within the limit for fall 2016 degree conferral). A course completed more than eight years prior to the term of degree conferral must be revalidated if it is to be used toward meeting degree requirements. Revalidation can be accomplished through the following procedure:

• The current instructor of the course determines the method used to revalidate the course. The student may, for example, be required to complete specific activities (such as repeating all or some of the course or completing a set of readings). The instructor then assesses the student’s knowledge of course material (through such means as a written or oral examination, a paper, a project, or some other assessment) and determines if the student’s knowledge is adequate to justify revalidation of the course.
• The instructor submits a description of the revalidation method and results of the assessment to the college or school dean or designee.
• The college or school dean or designee submits a letter describing the revalidation process and supporting the revalidation to the Associate Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs.
• The Associate Provost informs the Office of the Registrar that the course has been revalidated. Generally, the process and procedures for students to revalidate a CEHS graduate course are left to the discretion of the faculty member(s) that teach the course. Students should minimally be expected to complete a current written examination (e.g., final course examination) or major course project (e.g., literature review or extended paper), such as that which is typically assigned in the course, to demonstrate up-to-date knowledge of the course content. Students’ professional experiences (e.g., classroom or clinical work) are not a suitable substitute for academic work.

Generally, the process and procedures for students to revalidate a CEHS graduate course are left to the discretion of the faculty member(s) that teach the course. Students should minimally be expected to complete a current written examination (e.g., final course examination) or major course project (e.g., literature review or extended paper), such as that which is typically assigned in the course, to demonstrate up-to-date knowledge of the course content. Students’ professional experiences (e.g., classroom or clinical work) are not a suitable substitute for academic work.