Addendum to the 2020-2021 Catalog
April 13, 2021
New Programs
Other Changes
New Programs
Master of Liberal Arts (Online)
Joey Cope, Program Director
16633 Dallas Parkway Suite 800
Addison, TX 75001
Phone: 214-305-9449
Email: copej@acu.edu
Faculty
The graduate faculty of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies serves as the faculty for the Master of Liberal Arts.
Abilene Christian University offers the Master of Liberal Arts degree with concentrations in a variety of fields in which the College of Graduate and Professional Studies offers master’s degrees.
Introduction
The Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) program provides students who have completed at least a baccalaureate degree a means of formal personal enrichment through the interdisciplinary MLA degree. Liberal arts study is for anyone with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree who wishes to continue their investment in a liberal arts education, the quest for knowledge about humankind, God, and God’s creation.
Liberal arts study at ACU permits the student to explore a wide range of disciplines and personal interests at the graduate level. The MLA student may take graduate courses from any area in which he or she can meet the specific course prerequisites. Thus, a student can gain understanding in a broad graduate curriculum within the context of Christian higher education.
Unlike more traditional master’s degree programs, the MLA is not designed to produce a standard career credential. Rather, the liberal arts program seeks the intellectual development and professional enhancement of adult students in areas such as the arts and humanities, social sciences and religion with additional enrichment from professional and technical areas such as business, leadership, and conflict management.
The liberal arts student will be responsible for helping design his or her degree plan because each is crafted to the student’s individual needs and desires for higher education. The degree plan must meet the parameters given in the degree requirements below. Courses will be offered online in settings designed to fit within the schedules of working adults.
The liberal arts student will first work with the MLA advisor to determine the dominant areas of interest and an appropriate graduate committee. The graduate committee will then work through the completion of the individual MLA degree program. The committee and degree program should be approved by the end of the second semester of enrollment.
The liberal arts student may apply to take courses in any graduate program offered through the College of Graduate and Professional Studies but should remember that some courses have specified prerequisites. Note: the courses in some programs, including online programs, are available only to students formally admitted to those programs. In some cases, the student will require special admission to the course from the program director. Specific courses may be required and appropriate research competencies must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the student’s graduate degree committee, the MLA advisor, and the dean.
Each degree program operates under the general supervision of the dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. The initial advisor will be the MLA advisor. A supervisory committee of appropriate graduate faculty (at least three) will be appointed to consult with, advise and evaluate the student’s progress. Each degree plan will be approved by the dean and committee members from appropriate areas of study in consultation with the MLA advisor.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for the Master of Liberal Arts are:
- A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee.
- An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent.
- A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Interview with the MLA advisor or one appointed by the MLA advisor and/or
- Impromptu written statement from the applicant describing the purposes and objectives for entering the MLA program.
An admission committee will determine the student’s eligibility for admission. Admission applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as received prior to the beginning of each academic term. Admission decisions will apply all general standards for graduate programs.
To access the MLA Degree Plan, click here .
Nursing, Post-Licensure Track (Online)
Students who have completed an associate’s degree or diploma program in nursing and hold an active, unencumbered Registered Nurse license may apply for this RN to BSN track. The post-licensure track is offered only online.
BSN Program Post-Licensure Track Admission Requirements
Students must meet all university degree requirements. A separate admission process is required for students to be admitted to the School of Nursing’s BSN program Post-Licensure Track. Admission to Abilene Christian University does not guarantee admission to the post-licensure nursing track and upper-level BSN coursework in the School of Nursing . The post-licensure nursing track is offered through ACU Online in collaboration with the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. This track is for nurses with an Associate’s Degree in nursing or are Diploma-prepared and also hold an unencumbered RN license and wish to complete a BSN. The curriculum is designed to expand prior learning and professional experiences in order to advance their nursing career.
To be eligible for the post-licensure (RN to BSN) track, students must meet the following criteria:
- Have completed a Diploma or Associate’s Degree in nursing from a regionally accredited nursing program.
- Possess a current, unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse (RN) in the U.S.
- Be actively employed in the Registered Nurse role OR have work experience equivalent to a minimum of one year of full-time employment in the Registered Nurse role.
Note: work experience in another nursing or health care role does not meet this requirement.
- Completed all ACU University Requirements and Supplement to the Major courses for full admission to the post-licensure track.
- Have completed all previous coursework with a minimum required cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
- Students will not be permitted to enroll in nursing courses (prefix NURO) unless all criteria have been met.
To access the Nursing, Post-Licensure Track Degree Plan, click here .
Other Changes
Transfer Policies
These revisions apply to the list of Transfer Policies enumerated in the Undergraduate Academic Information section of this catalog.
Items 4 and 12 have been replaced with the following:
- Generally, transfer courses will be posted at the same level they were taken at a previous institution. Lower-level courses accepted as equivalent to upper-level ACU courses offered will satisfy the degree requirement but will not count toward the advanced hours requirement. When a course transferring from an accredited institution does not have a comparable equivalent at ACU, the course is counted as an elective. Transfer courses from accredited institutions may be grouped to meet comparable requirements at ACU.
- Transfer students are subject to all earned hour requirements found in the general requirements for associate’s or bachelor’s degrees.
Texas Core Complete
Undergraduate students who transfer to ACU who have earned credit for all core requirements for a degree at a Texas public institution and are designated as “Core Complete” on their official transcript will have limited ACU University Requirements to complete. Transfer students who are designated as “Core Complete” will take 9-12 hours of Bible (based on the total number of hours credited to their ACU degree) and 3 hours of sophomore literature; all other University Requirements are satisfied.
Academic Suspension
Students in Online Programs
Any student who does not maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA or higher will be placed on academic probation. If during the next 12 credit-bearing hours taken, the student fails to attain a 2.0 cumulative GPA, the student will be suspended for two sessions (e.g., Fall 1 and Fall 2 or Fall 2 and Spring 1).
Students who have been suspended for academic reasons may apply for readmission after being out of school for at least two parts-of-term. In all cases of academic suspension, the Readmission Committee for online programs will decide if the student should be readmitted, and if so, whether special conditions should be required for readmission. When students are readmitted after suspension, they are placed on probation for two parts-of-term and may not be eligible for some forms of financial aid.
NOTE: Federal regulations governing student financial aid may differ from ACU policy. A student may be eligible to attend ACU on academic probation but be ineligible to receive federal, state or institutional financial aid based upon a lack of satisfactory academic progress (SAP). The Student Financial Services Office should be consulted for more information.
|
Print this Page