Policies And Procedures
Normal Course Load A normal course load is twelve to eighteen semester hours for the fall and spring semesters and two to five semester hours for the winter term. The permission of the Academic Dean must be obtained prior to registering for nineteen or more semester hours. Students who take fewer than twelve semester hours of academic work in a regular semester are classified as part-time students.
Grading SystemThe seminary uses the following grading system:
| A | (97-100) | 4.00 quality points | | A- | (94-96) | 3.66 | | B+ | (91-93) | 3.33 | | B | (88-90) | 3.00 | | B- | (86-87) | 2.66 | | C+ | (83-85) | 2.33 | | C | (80-82) | 2.00 | | C- | (78-79) | 1.66 | | D+ | (75-77) | 1.33 | | D | (72-74) | 1.00 | | D- | (70-71) | 0.66 | | F | (below 70) | 0.00 | | I | (incomplete) | 0.00 | | W,WP | (withdraw,
withdraw passing) | 0.00 | | S | (satisfactory) | 0.00 |
The grade "I" indicates that the work required for the course was not completed. It is given only when special, extenuating circumstances (such as illness) prevent the student from completing the work or taking the examination. A written request for an extension must be submitted prior to the due date of the work concerned. If the request is granted, it remains the responsibility of the student to complete all work for the course as soon as possible. In any case, an "I" grade must be removed within the extension time granted; otherwise it will be changed to "F." A grade of "C" or better is required to continue in the sequence of language courses.
English Bible and Catechism RequirementsSuccessful completion of a comprehensive examination in biblical content is required for M.Div. and M.A. Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, and Christian Education students prior to graduation. This examination may be repeated in a varied form until it is passed. A grade of "C" is considered a passing grade. All M.Div. students are required to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
Course Drop/Add Dates, Fees, and Tuition RefundsCourses may be dropped without academic penalty through the first five weeks of any regular semester and through the first week of classes during the winter and summer sessions. No courses may be added after the two-week add deadline, and no courses may be dropped after the five-week drop deadline. Once the semester begins a Drop/Add fee will be charged every time a student drops or adds a course. Students who drop a course before the drop deadline will recieve a full refund of tuition. Those who withdraw after the deadline will not receive any refund of tuition.
Directed Study CoursesStudents may request permission to take an independent, directed study course under the supervision of a professor. Such a course requires the equivalent of 750-1000 pages of reading per semester study hour in lieu of class attendance, plus a project approved by the professor. The character of the work and the way of reporting it will be left to the professor, but all directed study courses must be approved by the Academic Dean. These courses must be completed within the semester in which they are started. The normal tuition rate is charged for all directed study courses. Directed study courses are normally offered to cover subjects that are not included in the published curriculum. Regularly scheduled elective and required courses may be taken by directed study upon the discretion of the professor and Academic Dean only when a course is required for graduation and cannot be worked into a student's schedule.
Class AttendanceClassroom attendance is for the glory of God and preparation for the gospel ministry. Students therefore are expected to attend class sessions. No student should absent himself from classes in order to fulfill requirements or responsibilities of other classes. Those with absences may be penalized at the discretion of the professor. Students who have more than four absences in a two-hour course, six in a three-hour course, and eight in a four-hour course may be dismissed from the course. If this pattern persists throughout the regular semester, they may be dismissed for academic reasons. In certain exceptional cases, such as extended illness or family crisis, in which it is impossible for students to complete a semester's work, they may present a written request for permission to withdraw from all courses in the semester without penalty.
ConductStudent conduct is under the supervision of the Dean of Students. The seminary reserves the right to dismiss any student whose conduct is found to be unsatisfactory on the basis of the moral, spiritual, and ethical principles found in Scripture and the Westminster Standards after a proper hearing and due process according to the procedures described in the Operating Manual. Additional rules, procedures, and regulations governing life at the seminary are contained in the Student Handbook.
Term Papers and ExaminationsUnless required earlier by the professor, all course assignments, term papers, and reports must be submitted by the deadline that is listed in the academic calendar for each campus. Exceptions to this rule may be made by the professor upon approval of the Academic Dean. Extensions will be granted only for causes deemed adequate, and a written request is required. All examinations must be taken when scheduled. Exceptions to this rule may be made only upon prior request showing adequate cause to the professor concerned, but the examination should be rescheduled to be taken during the examination period.
Degree Time LimitsStudents enrolled in the M.Div., Th.M., D.Min., or D.Miss. degree program have five years to complete degree requirements. Students enrolled in the M.A. degree program have four years to complete their program requirements. After the maximum time limit has been reached for a degree program, the student may apply for an extension. Students who request an extension in a Master's degree program will be charged $100.00 each year after the time limit has been reached. Doctoral students must register for at least two semester hours each academic year until the completion of their program. Program requirements will be updated to meet the requirements of the current catalog for those given extensions.
Withdrawal/Dismissal/ReadmissionA student planning to withdraw from the seminary at any time should report that fact in writing to the Registrar so that his/her academic records may be finalized and transcripts released. Unless the proper withdrawal forms are completed, transcripts will not be released. If a student returns after being out for more than one year, he/she must reapply, pay the application fee, and submit any other information that may be requested by the Director of Admissions. A student whose GPA falls below "C" (2.0) after completing 18 hours of coursework is permitted to continue studies for one semester. If the average remains below 2.0, the student is dismissed. After a period of one year, those dismissed for academic reasons may apply for readmission. The Marriage and Family Therapy curriculum includes clinical and ethical requirements. If the program directors judge that personal or ethical issues impair a student's ability to function as a therapist, the student may be required to participate in psychological assessment or remedial therapy and/or may be dismissed from the program.
Maximum Transfer Credits| A. | An MDiv student must take at least 36 credits at an RTS MDiv-degree-granting campus and a total of 54 somewhere in the RTS System. | | B. | An MAR student must take at least 31 credits at one RTS MAR-degree-granting campus, and an MABS/MATS student must take at least 34 credits at one RTS MABS/MATS-degree-granting campus. | | C. | An MDiv student may normally only transfer a maximum of 36 RTS-Virtual credits. However in exceptional circumstances, the academic dean may approve a maximum of 52 RTS-Virtual credits for an MDiv student. An MAR student at RTS-Atlanta, or RTS-Boca Raton, or RTS-WDC may only transfer a maximum of 29 RTS-Virtual credits, and an MABS/MATS student may only transfer a maximum of 32 RTS-Virtual credits. |
TranscriptsTranscripts are released only upon written request of the student. Upon graduation, the student receives a copy of his/her final transcript free of charge provided all accounts at the seminary and in the community have been settled. Additional copies are available at the rate of $10.00 each. Click here to go to a printable transcript request form for your campus.
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