RU GraphicRU GraphicRadford University
Graduate Catalog
for 1999-2000

Graduate Study

Wilbur W. Stanton, Dean
College of Graduate and Extended Education
Preston Hall (540) 831-5431
E-mail: gradcoll@runet.edu

As the world moves toward the 21st century and the demand for highly trained professionals in every field increases, more and more students are choosing to pursue a master's level degree. This degree, once considered primarily a stepping stone toward a doctorate, is becoming, for many, a terminal degree.

From 1990 to 1998 there was a 77 percent increase in the number of master's degrees annually awarded at Radford University. In recent years more than 72 percent of master's students have been women, more than 9 percent have been members of ethnic minority groups, about 45 percent have been 30 years of age or older and over half have been enrolled part time. Radford tries to meet the needs of all these various groups.

Radford is small enough to allow each graduate student opportunities for interaction with fellow students and faculty members, yet large enough to provide challenging and diverse areas of study. To better serve graduate students, the university schedules classes at times designed to meet the scheduling needs of part-time as well as full-time students.

Many fields which once employed graduates with bachelor's degrees now prefer to hire those with master's degrees. Radford University is meeting the challenge of educating men and women in a wide variety of fields including business administration, nursing, music and music therapy, art, English, criminal justice, communication, social work, international economics, physical education, psychology, communication disorders, computational sciences, environmental and engineering geosciences, and a variety of areas within the field of professional education.

The College of Graduate and Extended Education is responsible for administering all post-baccalaureate programs at Radford University leading to Educational Specialist, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts, Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Social Work and Master of Science degrees. The College also offers graduate-level courses for teachers seeking recertification and for students who have already earned a bachelor's degree and who are not seeking a further degree.

Graduate studies at Radford University are designed to give the student advanced knowledge in a special field of study, higher levels of professional competence, an understanding of and respect for scholarly research and a sophisticated knowledge of the techniques of continued, lifelong intellectual growth. These goals are achieved through coherent, orderly programs of study, investigation and supervised practical experiences that are carefully planned by each individual student in consultation with a graduate faculty adviser and a graduate advisory committee. Each student's progress through the program is monitored by the graduate faculty adviser and by the Graduate College Office through the various stages of admission to the Graduate College, development of a program of study, formulation and completion of a thesis, if one is to be written, administration of the comprehensive examination and, finally, application for graduation.

The Graduate College functions as the admissions office for graduate students, consulting with each department or program office on each application for admission before making final decisions.

The Graduate College consists of the Dean of the College, the staff of the Graduate College and the graduate faculty in various departments of the university. A Graduate Affairs Council, made up of elected representatives from the graduate departments and student representatives chosen by the Graduate Student Council, advises the dean on the administration of graduate studies and makes recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs concerning graduate courses, curricula, academic standards and policies.

GRADUATE COLLEGE MISSION

Within the mission of the university, the Graduate College mission is to provide high quality graduate programs in selected areas of study in order to meet needs of the Commonwealth and the nation for citizens with education beyond the level of the baccalaureate.

GRADUATE COLLEGE GOALS

  1. To provide high quality graduate degree programs in fields in which there are needs for people with such qualifications, for which there are prospective students seeking such advanced qualifications, and to which the university can devote the requisite human and material resources;
  2. To provide advanced educational opportunities, beyond the baccalaureate, for professionals and others who are not seeking a graduate degree, or who already have a graduate degree, but who need to develop new knowledge and skills to meet changing conditions, or to continue to keep current with advancing knowledge in their specialties;
  3. To enhance the academic environment of the university by attracting qualified students to the campus, by giving faculty the opportunity to teach their specialties at an advanced level, and by fostering research and creative activity among graduate students and faculty;
  4. To assure that the graduate student's experience in Radford's programs is a coherent experience of intellectual growth, enabling each student to meet reasonable academic, intellectual, and professional goals.

GRADUATE COLLEGE OBJECTIVES

  1. To serve as the admissions office for all graduate programs, maintaining admission standards and procedures designed to admit applicants who have a high likelihood of a) profiting from the experience of graduate study at Radford University, and b) successfully completing their programs of study and achieving their graduate educational goals;
  2. To recruit qualified graduate students to all graduate programs, with particular attention to under-represented groups;
  3. To seek, generate, and, when appropriate, administer programs of financial and other types of assistance for graduate students;
  4. To provide effective advising systems both through individual faculty advisers assigned by the departments, and through a series of Graduate Studies checkpoints: admission, establishment of regular admission status, filing of approved program of study, approval of written proposals for theses:
  5. To maintain established standards of quality by the checkpoints listed above, as well as by monitoring of academic status, enforcement of probation and suspension rules, final approval of theses, administration of comprehensive examinations, and final degree checkouts (in collaboration with the Registrar's Office);
  6. To maintain established standards through monitoring membership on the Graduate Faculty in order to assure that faculty involved in graduate activities have the appropriate qualifications, achievements, and experience required for each level of membership;
  7. To work closely with the individual departments and the other colleges to see that graduate programs continue to meet current needs, to cancel or revise those that do not, and to develop new programs as the need is perceived and the resources are available;
  8. To work closely with the Graduate Affairs Council, to assure that the council is well informed of opportunities and problems at the graduate level as it establishes academic policies and procedures, and approves curricular changes;
  9. To work with the Division of Continuing Education, the Roanoke Valley Graduate Center, the Western Region Consortium for Continuing Education, and other entities to make high quality graduate education available, particularly in western Virginia, for students who cannot readily study on campus;
  10. To work with the Graduate Student Council, Student Affairs, and other offices and groups to be aware of and, whenever possible, responsive to graduate students' needs and concerns; and
  11. To work with the Office of Student Assess-ment and individual departments to evaluate how graduate programs utilize information related to student outcomes and stu-dent/alumni satisfaction in order to improve graduate curricula, facilities and services.

CHECKLIST FOR THE GRADUATE STUDENT

Admission

  1. Complete the application form.
  2. Enclose two official transcripts from each of the undergraduate and/or graduate institutions previously attended or currently attending. For applicants who are graduates of Radford University, only transcripts for course work taken at other institutions after graduation need to be sent. Have the transcript(s) signed and enclosed in the special envelope included in the application packet.
  3. Enclose two or more letters of recommendation in the application packet.
  4. Send completed application form, $25 application fee, transcripts and letters of recommendation in the large envelope addressed to Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 6928, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142. Applicant is responsible for submitting all of these materials at one time.
    Non-degree and transient applications may be submitted at any time during the year along with a reduced application fee of $10.
  5. Have an official score sheet for the GRE, PRAXIS, TOEFL, MAT or GMAT sent directly to Graduate Admissions.
  6. Check individual department descriptions for any additional requirements.
  7. Applications and all other supporting materials should arrive no later than February 1 for fall enrollment, October 1 for spring enrollment or April 1 for summer enrollment.
  8. Apply for financial aid if needed.
  9. Contact the adviser to discuss undergraduate deficiencies and/or courses to be taken during the first semester.
  10. Become familiar with all academic policies and pertinent degree requirements presented in the catalog.

First Semester of Enrollment

  1. Begin preparation of the program of study and submit it by the end of the semester if a full-time student, or by the end of the second semester if a part-time student.
  2. Make up as many undergraduate deficiencies as possible.
  3. Prepare for the preliminary examination if required.
  4. Register with the Career Services Center.

End of First Semester of Enrollment

  1. Select a graduate committee in consultation with the adviser.
  2. Submit the approved program of study if a full-time student. Five copies are required.
  3. Request change to regular status (if applicable) if nine hours of graduate work have been taken at Radford University with at least a "B" average, all deficiency/supporting courses have been taken, and application is complete.
  4. If applicable, send a final transcript from your undergraduate institution.The transcript must be official and must show conferral of bachelor's degree.

Last Semester of Enrollment

  1. Check that all necessary program changes have been approved.
  2. Make application for the degree at the beginning of your last semester. Deadlines are given in the class schedule. Information about commencement and graduate hooding ceremonies will be sent after the completed application has been received by the Graduate College.
  3. Submit two copies of the completed thesis or graduate recital program notes to the Graduate College Office at least two weeks before the end of the semester.
  4. Request an approval form for your final comprehensive examination at least five days in advance of the examination date and return the signed form to the Graduate College Office at least two weeks before the end of the semester.
    Communication Sciences and Disorders students who pass the NESPA examination in lieu of the comprehensive examination are also required to have a signed form.

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