Academic Standards & Regulations
Unit of Credit
The University offers instruction and grants credit on the semester
system, with the academic year on the Main Campus including Fall and
Spring semesters, and Summer term. One semester hour of credit is
equivalent to 1 1/4 quarter hours credit. One quarter hour of credit is
equivalent to two-thirds of a semester hour credit.
Non-Traditional College Credit
A student who intends to apply credit earned by correspondence toward
teaching licensure or degree requirements must complete the Course Work
Approval Form with their advisor and the Office of the Registrar for
main Campus or the Information Window at Austin Peay Center @ Fort
Campbell prior to enrolling. More Information about Non-Trad Credit is
available here.
While in residence at the University, the student may not take
English Composition by correspondence. Students carrying the maximum
load of credit hours may not register for additional credit to be
earned during the same semester in correspondence courses, unless
approved to do so by their advisor and dean.
Students may earn college credit for acceptable scores on the
College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the Advanced Placement
Examinations (AP) of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB),
locally administered Departmental Proficiency Examinations, the ACT
Proficiency Examination Program (PEP), DANTES, PLATO/CYBIS, PONSI,
and Military Service experience. The total amount of credit earned
by a non-traditional method, including correspondence and extension
credit, which is acceptable to apply toward a degree is limited to
one-half the total number of credits required for the degree sought.
Correspondence Credit
Credit earned upon completion of correspondence courses taken
from a regionally accredited university will be accepted.
Students registered at APSU must have permission on the Course
Work Approval form to take a correspondence course. While in
residence at the University, the student may not take English
Composition by correspondence.
CYBIS
Credits earned through interactive computerized instruction CYBIS
will be evaluated using ACE guidelines.
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
(DANTES)
Credit earned through DANTES-Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs)
will be evaluated using ACE guidelines. DANTES are available from
the Counseling & Testing Center.
Departmental Proficiency Examinations
Some academic departments give proficiency examinations to
students under limited conditions in conjunction with an instructor
who is willing to administer and grade the examination. Students
should have the requisite knowledge and skills upon completion of
existing courses, from previous experience, or personal expertise.
Students should contact the respective department chair about
potential courses for departmental proficiency examinations.
Students must complete the Application for Departmental Proficiency
form (available from the Office of the Registrar) and pay the
respective fees prior to the examination. To be acceptable for
credit the student must have attained a minimum grade of “B” on the
examination.
Life/Work Portfolio Experiential Learning Credit Options at the
Undergraduate Level
Austin Peay State University offers the Experiential Learning
Program for assessing college-level knowledge gained through work
and life experience. Prior learning may be evaluated through a
variety of assessment tools. The tools may include departmental
examinations, portfolios, external examinations, performance
assessments or documented training programs, as determined by
academic departments. Each department may determine whether it will
participate in the experiential credit process or accept credits
earned via the portfolio process. The following departments will
participate in the experiential credit process: Communication and
Theatre, Professional Studies, Health and Human Performance, and
Computer Science and Information Technology.
A student may earn a maximum of 15 semester hours at the
undergraduate level through experiential learning credit. The APSU
prescribe credit allocations for experiential credit fall within the
established Southern Association of Colleges and Schools parameters
for experiential credit.
Portfolio Development
Upon approval by the appropriate chair, a student may develop a
portfolio for a course or courses offered by Austin Peay State
University to gain college-level credit. Portfolios are submitted to
the faculty advisor and/or the department chair(s) of the
appropriate department(s). The process ideally includes a
preliminary study of the portfolio, an interview with the student,
and the determination of credit to be awarded by the faculty
assessor. A student seeking experiential credit via a life/work
portfolio must complete an APSU non-credit portfolio development
course through the Center for Extended and Distance Education.
The following regulations for experiential learning
credit will apply:
- Experiential learning credit will be granted upon the
written recommendation of the chair of the department and/or
designated faculty assessor having jurisdiction over the courses
involved with department chair approval.
- The applicability of experiential learning credit toward
specific degree program requirements is subject to departmental
approval.
- A student may not fail a course at Austin Peay State
University or any other institution and later receive credit for
the same course through an experiential learning option.
- Credit earned from non-accredited institutions may not be
used as a basis for credit earned via a portfolio.
- A student may not enroll in a course for credit or aufit at
Austin Peay State University and subsequently seek credit
through an experiential learning option.
- No letter grades will be entered on the transcript for
experiential learning credit. The credit will be treated in the
same way as transfer credit: a 'P'(Pass) will be assigned and it
will not count in the grade point average.
- A student earning experiential credit must meet the minimum
residency requirements of 25 percent of the total number of
credits required for the degree at Austin Peay State University.
This would include the specified residency hours of upper-level
courses in the department should be aware that some program
residency requirements exceed the university minimum residency
requirements.
- The privilege of seeking experiential learning credit is
available to both full-time and part-time degree status
students. A student should meet with his or her program advisor
at the beginning of the academic career at Austin Peay State
University to determine how experiential learning may be
applicable to the degree. For further information, contact the
Dean of Extended and Distance Education.
- Students must choose CLEP, departmental challenge exams or
other approved mechanisms to receive credit for prior knowledge
when available in lieu of seeking credit via a portfolio.
Candidates for portfolio credit are:
- Returning student with significant work experience
- Employed at least 5-7 years in a particular field, with
increasing responsibilities
- Highly organized - effective speakers and writers
- Highly motivated - will work independently to complete a
project
- Able to reflect on work and training
Law Enforcement and Corrections Training Credit
Upon completion of one APSU course, a regular admitted student
may request evaluation of training received from the Tennessee
academies listed below. A maximum of one half of the credit required
for the A.A.S. degree in Management Technology with a concentration
in Police Science and Administration may be applied from a
combination of this training credit. Fort Campbell personnel will
review the certificates of completion for the following programs:
Metropolitan Police Department (Nashville)
CRJ 1030 Introduction to Law Enforcement (3)
CRJ 1040 Introduction to Security (3)
CRJ 1050 Introduction to Corrections (3)
CRJ 1060 Introduction to Criminilogy (3)
Total Maximum Credits (12)
Tennessee Basic Police School (Donelson)
CRJ 1030 Introduction to Law Enforcement (3)
CRJ 1040 Introduction to Security (3)
CRJ 1050 Introduction to Corrections (3)
Total Maximum Credits (9)
Tennessee Department of Safety (Donelson)
CRJ 1030 Introduction to Law Enforcement (3)
CRJ 1040 Introduction to Security (3)
CRJ 1050 Introduction to Corrctions (3)
Total Maximum Credits (9)
Tennessee Department of Corrections (Tullahoma)
CRJ 1030 Introduction to Law Enforcement (3)
CRJ 1040 Introduction to Security (3)
CRJ 1050 Introduction to Corrections (3)
Total Maximum Credits (9)
Military Service Experience
Students are eligible to receive non-traditional credit for
military experiences after successfully completing one course at
APSU and attaining regular student status. Military experience is
evaluated using the appropriate ACE Guide recommendation. Students
who have completed Basic Training are awarded two hours of Physical
Activity and three hours of HHP 1250 –Wellness Concepts and
Practices..
Excelsior College Examination
The School of Nursing grants credit for the following Regents
College Exam in nursing for (RN-BSN) registered nurses.
If a student does not pass the examination, it may be retaken
once. If the minimum score is not made, the RN/BSN student must take
and pass that course within the APSU Nursing Program. Official
scores must be sent to the APSU Office of Admissions and the School
of Nursing. After careful review, a memo with scores attached will
be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for recording to the
academic record. Contact the School of Nursing for additional
information.
|
Regents College Exam
|
APSU Courses
|
Credit Hours
|
Minimum Scores
|
|
403
|
Fundamentals of Nursing
|
NURS 3030
|
8
|
45
|
|
457
|
Maternal & Child Nursing
|
NURS 4040
|
9
|
45
|
|
503
|
Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing
|
NURS 3060
|
8
|
45
|
|
554
|
Adult Nursing
|
NURS 3070
|
8
|
45
|
PONSI - National Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored
Instruction
Credit earned through PONSI will be evaluated using the
National PONSI guide.
Credit Load
A normal course load in a term is sixteen or seventeen semester
hours. If you want to graduate in four years, you will want to
take fifteen to eighteen hours. To be classified as a full-time
undergraduate student during a Fall or Spring semester or Summer
term, a student must register for at least 12 semester hours
credit. Eighteen semester hours is the maximum number for which
a student may register in the fall and spring semesters. Any
deviation from this policy must be approved on an Overload form
by the student’s advisor and/or the department chair and the
dean of the college in which the student is majoring. An
overload includes registrations at all colleges and universities
including Fort Campbell during the semester.
The maximum undergraduate load in the Summer is eight hours for
either five-week session or 14 hours for the entire Summer term.
Students on academic probation are recommended to limit their
credit load to 14 hours during the Fall and Spring semester, or six
hours at Fort Campbell or all Summer sessions.
Academic Time Status Classification and Maximum Load
|
Time Status
|
Main Campus
|
Fort Campbell
|
|
Full-time (F)
|
12
|
6
|
|
Three-quarter time (T)
|
9
|
4
|
|
Half-Time (H)
|
6
|
3
|
|
Less than half-time (L)
|
5
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maximum Load
|
Main Campus
|
Fort Campbell
|
|
Fall or Spring
|
18
|
12
|
|
Summer |
14 |
8 |
Students enrolled on both Main Campus and Fort Campbell will be
considered full-time when enrolled in 12 hours of combined credits for the
overlapping days of the semesters/terms, and be limited to a maximum of 18
hours. Students enrolling only at Fort Campbell will be considered full-time
if enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours.
Classification of Students
Students will be classified on the basis of total semester hours
earned as follows: Freshman 0-29; Sophomore 30-59; Junior 60-89; Senior
90 and above.
