Development of Graduate-Undergraduate
Overlap Programs
Articulation Agreement
In instances where the faculties of existing graduate and
undergraduate programs wish to create an overlapping program
(often referred to as a 4-1 or a 3-2 program) in which upper
level undergraduate and basic level graduate courses may
be taken simultaneously, an Articulation Agreement between
the two programs must be developed, written, and brought
to the Graduate Council for assessment and input. The Associate
Provost/Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the Council's
recommendation to the Provost. Following the Provost's acceptance,
the overlapping program may be implemented.
The Articulation Agreement should be developed in consultation
with the Office of Graduate Studies and signed by the chairs
of the undergraduate and graduate programs involved, as well
as by the dean(s) of the college(s) in which the programs
reside. The written agreement should include:
- An overview of the purpose and goals of the overlap program.
- A detailed description of the planned curriculum, including
the sequence of undergraduate and graduate courses.
- An explicit plan for admission to candidacy for the graduate
portion of the program, conditional admission to graduate
study, and matriculation as a graduate student following
completion of the bachelor's degree.
- A summary of credit distribution: the number (or range)
of 100-400 level credits, the number (or range) of 500-600
level credits, and the maximum number of credits that will
be counted toward both degrees. (See guidelines below.)
Guidelines for the Overlap
The following guidelines from the Graduate Council are intended
to protect the integrity, quality, and rigor of graduate
education at USM and to provide a reasonable but not restrictive
level of consistency among overlapping undergraduate-graduate
programs.
- Undergraduates may not enroll in 600 level courses.*
- A maximum of six 500 level credits may be counted toward
both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.
- When overlap programs are developed within professional
programs, the requirements of the appropriate accreditation
agency will be honored.
*Rare exceptions to this policy may be made in the case
of students in overlap programs who are in their last semester
of undergraduate status. They are required to have permission
of their program director and the Dean of Graduate Studies
to enroll in specified 600 level courses, which will apply
to their graduate degree only.
|
