The University awards degrees only to those students who have earned at least twenty-five percent of the credit hours required for the degree through instruction offered by McNeese.

Residence Requirements

The University Catalog states that candidates for the Bachelor’s degree “must fulfill the general requirements and [e]arn in residence at least 25 percent of the semester hours offered in fulfillment of degree requirements, exclusive of credit by examination or advanced placement credit” (62). For candidates earning an associate degree, the University stipulates that candidates must “[e]arn in residence a minimum of 18 semester hours exclusive of credit by examination or advanced placement credit” and “[e]arn in residence 12 of the last 15 semester hours offered in fulfillment of the degree requirements” (62). For the associate degree, the eighteen hours earned in residence is equivalent to or greater than twenty-five percent.

Oversight of Progress toward the Degree

Faculty advisors and department heads in the individual academic units monitor degree plans to ensure that students can meet graduation requirements. Review of degree plans includes examining residence requirements for all degrees. The University Faculty Advising Handbook, available to faculty advisors online, provides guidelines for advisors to ensure that students are properly advised:

Functions of the Faculty Advisor

The primary function of a faculty advisor is to direct advisees toward successful completion of their degree and to help to prepare them for a career in their chosen field. In keeping with this function, the advisor should become a resource for students, reminding them about deadlines and forms that might apply to them. Advisors should have a good working knowledge of all courses on the degree plan(s) for which they are responsible and must know about the use of standardized transfer or substitution of courses, transcript evaluation, course availability (what semester courses are offered), and prerequisites for required courses. The advisor should also be able to give advisees current, accurate information about University rules. If unable to answer a student's question, the advisor should take the time to track down the needed information or send the student to the person who can furnish the information. By the same token, the advisor should carefully instill [in] advisees the sense that they also have definite responsibilities to themselves, their families, their friends, and the University. (6-7)

Certification of Residency Requirements for Graduation

The Dean of each college is responsible for reviewing all degree plans for students enrolled in his/her college and for certifying residency requirements. When a student applies for degree candidacy, the Registrar’s Office audits his/her transcripts to determine if all requirements for the degree have been met. Individual departments, colleges, and the Registrar’s office conduct a final audit of all degree plans for degree candidates during final exam week just prior to graduation.

Application for Degree

Students are notified by their departments and their advisors of deadlines for filing applications for a degree. This step begins the transcript audit process. The University notifies students via the University home page of this important deadline:

Filing Application for Degree

A student who plans to complete graduation requirements at the end of the current semester should file an Application for Degree for each degree he/she is to receive with his/her academic department during the first week of classes. An application may be used only for the current graduation ceremony for which a candidate is applying to graduate. If a candidate does not graduate during the enrollment period for which applied, a new application must be submitted.

Graduation Requirements

The University publishes graduation requirements in the University catalog and online. Students are advised that the “catalog in effect when the student first registered in that curriculum, at McNeese or at another regionally accredited institution, is followed” (Catalog, 61). Students who wish, however, to follow “updated curriculum requirements that become effective while enrolled in that curriculum” may do so. The requirements for associate and bachelor’s degrees are listed below. These requirements clearly inform students of the necessity of completing at least twenty-five percent of their coursework at McNeese.

Associate Degree

Candidates for an associate degree must fulfill the general requirements and the following residence requirements:

1. Be in residence a minimum of 36 weeks.

2. Earn in residence a minimum of 18 semester hours exclusive of credit by examination or advanced placement credit.

3. Earn in residence 12 of the last 15 semester hours offered in fulfillment of the degree requirements. Three of these semester hours must be in the major field. Any exceptions to the residency requirement pertaining to 12 of the last 15 semester hours must have the written approval of the appropriate department head and dean.

Item two above notes that at least 18 semester hours be earned from the University. The maximum number of hours required in any of the Associate degree programs is 73 semester hours. Hence, students must earn at least twenty-five percent of the hours at the University.

The table below lists associate degrees and corresponding hours.

Hours Required to Complete Associate Degree:

Source: 2006-07 McNeese State University Catalog

Bachelor’s Degree

Candidates for a bachelor degree must fulfill the general requirements and the following residence requirements.

1. Earn a minimum of 40 semester hours in courses numbered above 300.

2. Earn a minimum of 12 semester hours in courses numbered above 300 required for the major. Six semester hours of these courses must be earned in residence at McNeese.

3. Fulfill the following University residence requirements:

a. Be in residence a minimum of 36 weeks.

b. Earn in residence at least 25 percent of the semester hours offered in fulfillment of degree requirements, exclusive of credit by examination or advanced placement credit.

c. Complete the final 30 semester hours at McNeese. Any exceptions must have the written approval of the appropriate department head and dean.

The table below lists representative examples of bachelor’s degrees offered in each college and corresponding hours. The University Catalog provides a comprehensive list of degrees offered at the University.

Hours Required to Complete Bachelor's Degree

Source: 2006-07 McNeese State University Catalog

Graduate Degrees

For graduate degrees the University has the following policy on transfer credit.

Transfer Credit

1. Upon the recommendation of the major professor and department head and with the approval of the Dean of Graduate School, a student may, in individual cases, transfer a maximum of one-third of the credit hours required for the degree from another accredited college or university to McNeese provided that:

a. The grade in each course accepted is “B” or better.

b. Each course is comparable to a required course on the degree program at McNeese State University.

c. The credit has been earned within six calendar years from the date the student is first enrolled in the program.

2. No more than six credit hours of core courses may be transferred in to the MBA Program.

3. Credits earned through a Louisiana multi-purpose resident center, as designated by the Board of Regents, may be considered for transfer if the student has been accepted in a degree program and has earned a minimum of 12 hours toward the degree. Petition for this credit is made to the Dean of Graduate School.

4. Correspondence or extension courses taken for graduate credit may not be used to fulfill graduation requirements in any degree program offered by Graduate School.

5. Transfer credit will not reduce the minimum residence requirements.

6. A student shall make application on the proper form for transfer of credit.

Item one above notes that the student must earn at least 2/3 of the degree from instruction through McNeese and hence, at least twenty-five percent of course work is completed at the University.

The table below lists representative examples of graduate degrees offered in each college and corresponding hours. The University Catalog provides a comprehensive list of graduate degrees offered at the University.

Hours Required to Complete Master's Degree

Source: 2006-07 McNeese State University Catalog

* Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

At the behest of the Louisiana Board of Regents, McNeese State University and the College of Nursing have entered into a Consortium to provide opportunities for interested students wishing to complete graduate course work in adult health nursing at McNeese and three sister institutions. The University Graduate Council and the University administration have approved the curriculum for this program. All credit hours earned at any of the consortium institutions are applicable to residency requirements at each member school. A description of the program and the consortium arrangements is available on the College of Nursing website:

The Intercollegiate Consortium for a Master of Science in Nursing program (ICMSN) is a cooperative venture among the nursing units at Southeastern Louisiana University, McNeese State University, Southern University-Baton Rouge, and the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission accredits the ICMSN. [. . .] SACS has previously approved this consortium as an alternative delivery method for MSU.

The consortium structure allows students to enroll in courses at any one of the participating universities and receive credit toward their master's degree. Faculties of the various units share instruction of courses for all campus programs. The method of delivery is web-based or compressed video. Students enroll for all courses at their home campus. Students can select the campus they wish to attend based on the major(s) and role concentration(s) offered and the campus most convenient to their living and working arrangements. Southeastern Louisiana University offers a major in Community Psychosocial Nursing, McNeese State University offers a major in Adult Health Nursing, the University of Louisiana, Lafayette offers a major in High-Risk Home Health Nursing, and Southern University offers a major in Family Health Nursing. The advanced nursing role concentrations offered through the consortium are nursing administration, nursing education, clinical nurse specialist, and nurse practitioner.

Supporting Evidence

http://www.mcneese.edu/colleges/nursing/msn/msnabout.asp