Academic Policies

• Transfer of Credit
• Grading System
• Academic Records and Diploma
• Leaves of Absence
• Comprehensive Examination
• The Temple University Policy on Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination

Transfer of Credit

A maximum of six semester hours of credit can be transferred to Temple from other schools. There are five main considerations to remember:

• the school you attended must be an accredited college or university;
• your grade must be "B" or better;
• the course(s) must be graduate level;
• the credits must have been earned within three years of your first Temple graduate course;
• the credits must not have been counted toward any degree you have already earned (in other words, they must be credits you have taken after you earned your most recent degree).

The transfer procedure requires an official transcript from the college or university you attended and the Request for Transfer of Credit Form, which is available at the Graduate College of Education Office at TUJ.

Grading System

Grades of A, A-, B+, and B are considered acceptable grades in a graduate program. The numerical equivalents are as follows:

You must maintain a "B" average (3.0 GPA) to remain in good standing in the graduate TESOL Program. If your grade point average falls below 3.0, you should consult the Program Director or Assistant Director as soon as possible. You must have a 3.0 grade point average before you take the M.S.Ed. Comprehensive Examination and before you graduate. A course carrying the grade of "C" counts toward graduation, but you can earn no more than two grades below "B-."

Academic Records and Diploma

Official academic records for all divisions of the university are kept only in the Office of the Registrar at Temple University in Philadelphia. If you want a copy of your official Temple University transcript, you can request one from the Office of the University Registrar at http://www.temple.edu/registrar/

Your diploma, awarding you a Master's degree, is issued by Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is accredited by the Middle State Association of Colleges and Universities. Your official transcript and your official academic records are kept permanently in the Office of the University Registrar at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Leaves of Absence

If you are a matriculated student and you must miss a spring or fall semesters in the course of your Master's program, be sure to inform the Program Director or Assistant Director. You should file a Request for a Leave of Absence Form. The Dean of the Graduate School in Philadelphia will almost certainly approve a request for a one-semester or a one-year leave of absence; a leave that is longer than one year, or multiple leaves of absence, may be granted, but they require special consideration.

Comprehensive Examination

The Comprehensive Examination is a test that is required of all students who are finishing the M.S.Ed. program. The examination is not a "final examination" covering details of the courses you have taken in the M.S.Ed. program; rather, the examination asks you to take a broad, comprehensive view of the entire TESOL profession, and to discuss global aspects of the TESOL field as you have come to understand them. This means that in writing the Comprehensive Examination you will draw on your experiences as a language teacher and language learner, as well as what you have learned in Temple courses, in your independent reading, and in your contacts with others in the profession.

The Comprehensive Examination is offered twice every year, usually on a Saturday in early January and on a Saturday in early May. Members of the graduate faculty have prepared a set of recommended readings, which you can pick up at the Tokyo Center or Osaka Center approximately three months before the examination is given. You will also receive copies of two examinations that were given previously at TUJ.

Students may take the Comprehensive Examination after they have completed at least 24 of the 30 semester hours required for the Master's degree.

The Temple University Policy on Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination

Temple University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all in every aspect of its operations. The University has pledged not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, or handicap. This policy extends to all educational, service, and employment programs of the University.