Joint Degree Programs

Graduate Certificates

Degrees and Concentrations

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Admissions

Procedure

Application Information about graduate study, including literature and application materials, may be obtained from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs offices listed in the previous section of this bulletin.

Eligibility For most programs, applicants with bachelor’s degrees in any field from an accredited institution are eligible to apply for admission to the graduate programs of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Application Submission Applicants should apply to a degree or certificate program and request financial assistance as early as possible before the desired semester of enrollment. Deadlines for applying for admission and for financial assistance may vary across campuses.

Admission Each application for admission is carefully evaluated by the admissions committee for the appropriate degree. Applicants to all SPEA degree programs must do the following:

1. Submit applications to the graduate program office on the campus where the applicant intends to matriculate.

2. Submit complete official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Students who have taken course work on any Indiana University campus do not need to submit an Indiana University transcript.

3. Pay a nonrefundable application fee to Indiana University.

4. Submit three Application Reference Forms completed by individuals familiar with the applicant’s activities and potential to succeed in graduate work. These forms are included in the application packet.

5. Read carefully the applicable sections in this bulletin for any specific program or campus admission requirements.

6. Submit proof of bachelor’s degree certification from an accredited institution. Students who have not completed undergraduate course work at the time of application may be admitted based on the strength of previous work, but a final transcript attesting to the award of a bachelor’s degree must be submitted before the student can be admitted.

LSAT and GRE Requirements Applicants for the M.P.A.-J.D. degree may submit LSAT or GMAT (Law School Admission Test or Graduate Management Admission Test) scores in lieu of GRE (Graduate Record Examination). Other degrees require the GRE. Information concerning the GRE is available from:

Admission Status

Regular (Unconditional) Admission Status Applicants have met all admission requirements for the specific degree program and enroll in accordance with the entry date contained in the application for admission.

Deferred Admission Following notice of regular admission, applicants (except those in the M.H.A. program) may enroll in the following fall semester, or they may defer enrollment for a maximum of one year. Transcripts of course work completed during the deferral period must be submitted, and the admissions committee may request additional letters of recommendation. Should the additional material prove unsatisfactory, the admission may be canceled. Applicants who fail to enroll within one year may need to re-apply for admission.

Provisional Admission On some campuses, applicants may be admitted on a provisional basis if GRE or LSAT scores or prior grade point averages are below admission criteria. Provisional status is removed upon fulfillment of conditions stipulated by the respective degree program admissions committee.

Admission with Deficiencies Applicants may be admitted with deficiencies on a case-by-case basis if they lack course work in certain foundation areas such as mathematics, economics, or statistics. Campus and degree policies may vary.

Nondegree Enrollment Applicants who have a bachelor’s degree and who have not been admitted to the graduate program may enroll in SPEA courses as nondegree graduate students. Procedures may vary across campuses.

Confidentiality of Student Records In accordance with Indiana University regulations, student records are confidential and are available to other persons only under specific conditions as outlined in university regulations.

Student Rights Rights of students are included in a handbook available on each campus. Due process is followed in the event of disciplinary or other actions.

Student Responsibility Students are responsible for planning their own academic programs and for meeting the requirements for their degree or certificate programs. Faculty and academic advisors may assist students in meeting their responsibilities.

Applicability of Degree and Certificate Requirements Students may choose to complete either the specific degree and certificate requirements published in the appropriate bulletin at the time of entry into the university or those in the bulletin current at the time of graduation.

Residency Requirements—Master’s and Certificate Programs The campus at which a student completes the majority of required course work will certify and award the degree or certificate, provided the campus is authorized to grant that degree or certificate. The student must have been admitted by the SPEA campus awarding the degree or certificate.

Academic Standing Students are considered to be in good standing during any semester in which their academic grade point average is at least 3.00 (B) both for their last semester’s course work and for the cumulative average of all course work completed. Only courses with grades of C (2.00) or above may be counted toward degree requirements. However, grades below C are used in computing the cumulative grade point average, even if a course is repeated and a higher grade is earned.

Academic Probation Students are placed on probation following a semester in which their cumulative or semester grade point average falls below 3.00. Students on probation or admitted provisionally are required to attain an average of at least 3.00 for all work completed by the end of the next semester of full-time enrollment or its equivalent (12 credit hours). Failure to do so is cause for dismissal.

Grading System The official grading system of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs is as follows:

Withdrawals Because deadlines for withdrawal from courses may vary by campus and/or school, students should check with the current campus Schedule of Classes to verify deadlines and procedures.

Intercampus Transfer Students enrolled in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at any campus of Indiana University may transfer to SPEA on another campus, provided they are in good standing.

Transfer of Credit A maximum of 9 credit hours of appropriate graduate course work with grades of B (3.00) or better (only 6 credit hours for the M.H.A. program) may be transferred from degree programs of other academic units within Indiana University or other accredited colleges and universities and applied to SPEA master’s-level degree programs. The transfer must be approved by the appropriate graduate program director.

Course Waivers Requests for waiver of specific courses or requirements on the basis of previous course work are to be submitted in writing to the appropriate faculty member or program director.

Program Deviations Requests for deviation from SPEA programs or school requirements are granted only by written approval from an academic advisor and a campus or program director. Disposition by the SPEA program or campus director is final.

Minimum Credit Hours To qualify for the M.P.A. or M.Pl. degrees, students must complete a minimum of 24 of the required 48 credit hours of graduate SPEA courses at Indiana University. Credit granted to transfer students and those exercising the mid-career option does not reduce the number of courses taken in SPEA below this 24-credit-hour minimum.

Credit Earned in Nondegree Status Not more than 12 hours of graduate credit completed as a nondegree student may be credited toward a SPEA graduate degree. Not more than 9 hours of SPEA graduate credit earned as a nondegree student may be credited toward SPEA certificate programs.

Academic Integrity Academic integrity requires that students take credit only for their own ideas and efforts. Misconduct, including cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, or facilitating academic dishonesty, is prohibited because it undermines the bonds of trust and cooperation among members of this community and between us and those who may depend on our knowledge and integrity. Complete details are contained in the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.

There are three opportunities each year for graduate students to take courses in the Netherlands. In the spring we offer a program for both graduates and undergraduates at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. This emphasizes public administration and policy in Europe and the Netherlands. Graduates take three courses from a broad range of choices, and have to complete a 3-credit research paper under the supervision of a faculty member from Erasmus. In the fall, students taking an M.S.E.S., or taking the natural resources concentration in the M.P.A., should consider the one-semester program in environmental science, policy, and management at the prestigious Technical University of Delft. Students may take four courses or three courses and an independent research program under Delft supervision. Also in the fall, we offer a program stressing European public management and policy at Leiden University.

Three times a year it is possible for SPEA graduate students to go to Thailand to study at the National Institute for Development Administration. This institution was established with the help of Indiana University 30 years ago, and regionally is one of the most respected institutions of professional education in Southeast Asia. Courses are in English, IU fees apply, and accommodation is provided free.

Graduates also may wish to consider the Parliamentary Internship program offered in Canberra, the federal capital of Australia. Applicants may be placed in the Parliament or with a suitable government ministry or nonprofit agency. This is offered three times annually.

For those students who speak French, an opportunity exists to spend one year at the Jean Monnet School of Law at the University of Paris South. This program lasts one academic year, and generates a certificate in French law (Public Administration is a branch of law in France.) In addition, it is possible to bring back up to 9 hours of transfer credit into the SPEA graduate program. There are no fees for this program, and subsidized accommodation is provided. Transfer credit is free.