Graduate Programs

Admissions and Academic Policies

Graduate degree programs at Oregon Institute of Technology provide students with opportunities for advanced study in various disciplines. Graduates will develop the competence required for leadership roles in professional fields. Graduate education at Oregon Tech maintains an applied focus. Our mission is to integrate theory and practice.

Admission

The Office of Admissions, in conjunction with the appropriate academic department, maintains all pertinent information regarding the admission of graduate students.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to a graduate program, an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, as well as a scholastic record that evidences the ability to perform satisfactory graduate work. Specifically, a student shall:

• have completed a four-year college course of study and hold an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association
• be in good academic standing at the last college or university attended
• have attained a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 90 term (60 semester) units attempted
• have attained a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 45 term hours in the major
• satisfactorily meet the professional, personal, scholastic, and other standards for graduate study
• pass qualifying examinations required by specific programs

Unusual circumstances may warrant exceptions to these criteria.

Level of Course Work

All course work applied toward the master’s degree must be earned in courses designed for graduate students; these courses are generally numbered 500 and above. Oregon Tech undergraduate seniors may enroll in 500 level graduate courses for graduate credit with the approval of the student’s undergraduate advisor and the department chair. Nine credits are applicable to a graduate degree. Undergraduate seniors may enroll in graduate-level courses for undergraduate credit subject to each department’s policy. Oregon Tech offers some courses which are dual listed at the 400- and 500-level. The 400-level courses apply only to an undergraduate degree, while 500-level courses apply only to a graduate degree. Students enrolled in a dual-listed 500-level course will be required to complete additional work for graduate credit. Students may audit graduate courses subject to the policy described in the General Catalog. Audited courses cannot be used to meet degree requirements.

Application as a Degree-Seeking U.S. Resident Student

Degree-seeking students must submit the following items to the Office of Admissions before the deadlines specified in the Application Deadlines section:

• an official admissions application, along with a $50 non-refundable application fee. The application fee is waived for applicants who are currently attending Oregon Tech or who graduated from Oregon Tech within the previous two years
• official transcripts from each post-secondary educational institution attended

Individual programs may have additional requirements. Applicants must submit all required items before admission to the graduate program will be considered. Submitting the items, however, does not ensure admission. Applicants will receive official notification of admission after a review of the application by the Office of Admissions and the graduate program department.

Application as an International Degree-Seeking Graduate Student

Oregon Tech must assess the academic preparation of international students. For this purpose, international students, including those who hold U.S. visas as student exchange visitors or other non-immigrant classifications, should apply early. Official transcripts must be on file at least eight weeks before registration for the first term and, if not written in English, must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

All international applicants from countries in which English is not the native language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System exam (IELTS). A minimum score of 520 paper based TOEFL, 68 internet-based TOEFL or 6 IELTS is required for consideration. This requirement may be waived for some students whose primary language is English. Since the results of this test constitute part of the material reviewed for admission to graduate studies at Oregon Tech, students should arrange to have their test scores sent directly from the testing agency to the Office of Admissions well before the application deadline.

The following is an application checklist for degree-seeking international students:

1. submit the graduate application for admission with the $50 (U.S.) application fee
2. submit the international graduate student supplement to the graduate application form (as well as the Statement of Financial Responsibility form), available from the Admissions Office
3. provide evidence of ability to meet educational expenses at Oregon Tech. The Statement of Financial Responsibility form must be completed and submitted with documentation such as official bank statements and tax returns
4. official academic transcripts of all university course work sent to Oregon Tech
5. for university course work done outside the United States, transcripts must be reviewed by an evaluation service. There are several such services that are acceptable.  A “course-by-course evaluation” or a “detail report” is necessary
6. proof of proficiency in the English language. Oregon Tech requires that international graduate students submit official test scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System exam (IELTS). A minimum score of 520 paper-based TOEFL, 68 Internet-based TOEFL, or 6 IELTS is required for consideration. This requirement may be waived for some students whose primary language is English
7. students currently in the United States should submit a photocopy of the I-20 form and passport

Individual programs may have additional requirements.

Application Deadlines

Oregon Tech encourages all prospective students to submit graduate application materials six to nine months in advance of the planned enrollment date. This recommendation is especially important for international students in order to allow sufficient time for visa processing. However, applications will be accepted any time before the deadlines listed below. The recommended entrance time is fall term.

• Fall Term: April 1
• Winter Term: July 1
• Spring Term: October 1

Residency Classification

See the residency section of this catalog.

Tuition and Fees

See the tuition and fees section of this catalog.

Graduate Assistantships

Oregon Institute of Technology offers graduate assistantships, awarded on a competitive basis, to qualified graduate students based on department needs. Compensation varies with the type of service, the amount of time required for performing the service, and the academic qualifications and experience of the appointee. An applicant for a graduate assistantship must be admitted to a graduate program. Graduate departments usually award appointments and assistantships by Summer term, effective at the beginning of the next academic year. A graduate assistant application form is available from the appropriate department.

Types of Assistantships

Graduate assistantships (GAs) at Oregon Tech are either research assistantships (RAs) or teaching assistantships (TAs). Research assistantships are awarded by the faculty member administering the research grant and involve providing assistance in fulfilling the goals and objectives of the grant. Depending upon the grant, research assistantships may include additional support for summer term. If you are interested in a research assistantship, contact the faculty members responsible for the grant.

Teaching assistantships are awarded by the department and involve classroom and laboratory instruction. If you are interested in a TA, contact the individual department to determine availability.

Assistantship Offer

Assistantship notices of appointment are awarded on a term-by-term basis and renewal is dependent upon competent performance of assistantship duties, adequate academic progress, departmental needs, and the availability of funds. Assistantships may include a tuition waiver and/or a monthly stipend based upon a percentage of a full-time equivalent (FTE) salary.

Assistantship Course Load

Graduate assistants are expected to maintain full-time enrollment (nine credits). Graduate assistants not enrolled in nine credits of formal courses must supplement the course load with thesis or project credits to maintain full-time enrollment status.

Satisfactory Progress

Graduate assistants must make satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree to retain a graduate assistantship. Satisfactory progress includes:

• maintaining a 3.0 or higher grade point average
• maintaining full-time student enrollment

Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress will result in loss of an assistantship.

Academic Policies

The Graduate Council determines graduate academic policies at Oregon Tech. Other academic policies and procedures are described and/or defined in the general policies of Oregon Tech.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Oregon Tech encourages students to perform at a high academic level, and students are responsible for knowing degree requirements and enrolling in courses that will enable them to complete the master’s program. Oregon Tech expects students to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with the university’s function as an institution of higher learning. Students should acquaint themselves with regulations for the standard of work required to continue in the graduate school. For additional information, students should consult their graduate advisor.

Academic Integrity

Oregon Tech’s goal is to foster an atmosphere that produces educated, literate graduates. Academic misconduct, such as cheating and plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests or examinations
• dependence upon the aid of sources specifically prohibited by instructors in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems or carrying out other assignments
• the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic materials belonging to a faculty member of the school

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without acknowledging the source. Plagiarism occurs when a student either copies the work of another person and attempts to receive credit for that work or acquires and uses prepared material from someone who is selling academic materials. These examples are intended to provide general guidelines and are in no way comprehensive in describing academic dishonesty.

Faculty may assign specific penalties for cases of academic misconduct, including a failing grade for a test or assignment, a reduced grade for a test or assignment, or a failing grade in the course. Responding to academic dishonesty is the responsibility of the course instructor. If a student commits plagiarism or other academic dishonesty during the graduate project, the advisor, in consultation with the dean, determines the appropriate response.

All graduate students should acquaint themselves with the definitions and implications of academic misconduct as explained in Oregon Tech’s student conduct code. Repercussions for a student guilty of academic conduct violations range from a warning to expulsion. Students may contest a charge of academic misconduct by following the grievance procedure outlined in the OIT catalog and the student handbook, available on the Oregon Tech Web site.

Student Records

The Registrar’s Office maintains a permanent file for each graduate student. Faculty advisors will maintain a file of advising records, grade information and other correspondence pertaining to each graduate student’s academic progress. For more information on student records, contact the Registrar’s Office.

Enrollment Status

Full and part-time credit loads for graduate students are defined as follows:

• Full-time: 9 or more credits
• 3/4 time: 7 - 8 credits
• Half-time: 5 - 6 credits

Oregon Tech undergraduate seniors may enroll in 500-level graduate courses for graduate credit with the approval of the student’s undergraduate advisor and the graduate program director.

Students who are not yet admitted to Oregon Tech may take up to one third of the graduate program credits as a non-admit student and apply them toward the graduate degree upon formal admission to the graduate program.

Oregon Tech offers some courses which are dual-listed at the 400- and 500-level. The 400-level courses apply only to an undergraduate degree, while 500-level courses apply to both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students enrolled in a dual-listed 500-level course will be required to complete additional work to obtain graduate credit.

Continuous Enrollment for All Graduate Students

All graduate degree-seeking students must be continuously enrolled.  Continuous enrollment is defined as completing, with grades assigned, a minimum of 1 hour of graduate credit every quarter.

Academic Prerequisite Deficiencies

Students who have prerequisite deficiencies for graduate studies may be required to take additional course work prior to completing their graduate studies, as determined by the graduate program director. If there are deficiencies, the director will recommend substitute courses, and these are entered on the Graduate Program Form. When students pass these courses with a B or better, they become fully qualified graduate students. Prior to completion of the listed courses, the graduate student is considered “provisionally admitted.”

Academic Performance Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in all graduate work specific to the program of study to remain in good academic standing. Grades below C do not meet requirements for a graduate degree.

Graduate students earning a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 will be placed on probation and, if no improvement is made, will be suspended from the graduate program. Conditions established for probation and suspension are listed below:

Academic Probation: Students having 9 or more attempted credit hours will be placed on academic probation for each term that their cumulative GPA falls below 3.0.

Academic Suspension: A student on probation must maintain a term GPA of 3.0 or higher to avoid academic suspension. A student will be suspended if the student’s term GPA falls under 3.0 while on probation. Suspended students lose their institutional financial aid, including graduate research and teaching assistantships. A student may appeal academic suspension by following the process outlined in the Oregon Tech catalog. A successful appeal results in probation status.

Transfer Credits

Students may petition to transfer up to one third of the program graduate term hours earned at other accredited institutions and apply those credits toward an Oregon Tech graduate degree. However, each course must be consistent with the program of study planned by the student and the graduate advisor. Only grades of A and B are acceptable as transfer credit into the graduate program.

Grading Policy

Oregon Tech uses a 4.0 grading scale to evaluate student performance. Upon completion of a course or upon termination of attendance in the course, a student’s performance will be graded by the instructor and reported to the Registrar’s Office.

Requirements

Graduate degree academic requirements are specified by the program. The student, in conference with the graduate faculty advisor, will prepare a program of study for the graduate degree as a guide for planning an academic schedule.

Application for Graduation

To apply for graduation, the student must submit a petition for graduation to the Registrar’s Office two terms in advance of the anticipated final term of work. The petition is a record of the approved program of study. To receive favorable action, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• show that course requirements for the master’s degree will be satisfied before or during the final term
• maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.0
• provide evidence of passing any qualifying or comprehensive examinations, including defense of the master’s project or thesis
• obtain approval of both the student’s academic advisor and department chair, or by the program director or other faculty member in the event that the student’s academic advisor is the department chair

Right of Appeal

Philosophy of Policy Application

The graduate student academic grievance procedure provides a mechanism for exchanging information between student and instructor in cases of grade dispute and a safeguard against unfair grading practices. The intent is to provide an informal forum for discussing and resolving differences of opinion.

Academic Disputes Appealable by Policy

Student claims that final course grade resulted from:

1. unfair or prejudicial treatment by instructor
2. unusual or irregular procedures that impacted an individual student’s grade in a disproportionate manner
3. dismissal from a professional program or externship because of failure to meet prerequisite or sequential course requirements

Note: The student should initiate appeals of final grades or professional academic standing within three weeks after distribution of final course grades or dismissal notice. The appropriate academic dean will not consider appeals after that time limit unless the student was incommunicado with the campus or unable to obtain grades after distribution because of academic assignment, or unusual events associated with grading procedure or completion of assignments made it impossible for the student to receive or appeal the grade in a timely manner.

Academic and Related Disputes Not Appealable by Policy

1. Grades assigned to tests, quizzes, homework, papers, projects, or other components of a course
2. Final grades based on failure to meet published (via syllabus) standards for the course that involves no unusual or prejudicial treatment
3. Disciplinary or other student conduct matters not specifically covered above
4. Challenges to the instructor’s grading system or components thereof, as long as the system was made available to students at the beginning of the academic term

Procedure

1. Student reads policy to determine if grievance is appealable
2. Student makes appointment to discuss dispute with course instructor. Since reconciliation of the dispute at this level is in the best interests of all parties, instructors and students are urged to engage in an honest and open-minded effort to resolve the problem
3. Failing to resolve the dispute with the instructor, the student makes an appointment with the program director and department chair. The student and the instructor document the dispute in writing and bring this to the meeting. Department chair and program director should confer with instructor before consultation with the student. Department chair decides dispute based on available information.
4. If the student disagrees with the decision, s/he may request an appointment with the appropriate dean. The appropriate dean will not see students unless they have followed the preceding steps. If the course instructor is the department chair, the second level of appeal is the appropriate academic dean. The appropriate dean contacts the department chair and program director, and, when appropriate, the course instructor, to obtain information about the dispute. After consultation with the department and the student, the appropriate academic dean offers the student the choice of a summary decision or the opportunity for a hearing with the Graduate Council.

Summary Decision by Academic Dean

If the appropriate academic dean summarily decides the dispute, the grievance is terminated and the department chair, program director, instructor, and the student are notified in writing. If a grade change results, the Registrar’s Office is also notified in writing.

Graduate Council Hearing

If the student elects to have the dispute referred to the Graduate Council,

1. The student must prepare a written request, summarizing the reasons for a hearing and the requested intervention (e.g., change of grade, reinstatement), with supporting documentation attached. The request is presented to the academic dean within three academic days after discussion with the dean.
2. The council schedules a hearing at the earliest time mutually available, normally within five academic days after the academic dean receives the request.
3. The department chair and program director receive a copy of the student request and supporting documentation.
4. The Graduate Council chair convenes the hearing and considers the presentations of student and instructor. Either may call witnesses to offer supporting information. The student has the right to have an advisor or attorney. The advisor may be at the student’s side, and the student may consult with the advisor, but the advisor may not address or question the council.
5. The council formulates and sends a recommendation, supported by a rationale, to the academic dean. It may include a majority and minority report, if appropriate.
6. After careful consideration of the council’s findings, the academic dean renders a final decision and notifies the council, department chair, program director, instructor and student. If the outcome is a grade change, the academic dean notifies the Registrar’s Office.

Time Limits