J o h n F K e n n e d y U n i v e r s i t y

Credit by AssessmentMaster’s degree students may use the Credit by Assessment(CBA) procedure to fulfill only undergraduate prerequisiterequirements. A Bachelor of Science student who hascompleted at least 6 units at John F. Kennedy University ora Bachelor of Arts student who has completed 9 units atthe university with a cumulative JFK University grade-pointaverage of 2.7 or higher may petition for credit for priorlearning through Credit by Assessment (CBA). The priorlearning must directly relate to the student’s overall academicprogram and be demonstrably of a level appropriate to thatprogram. Learning experiences that may be assessed forcredit include formal but non-accredited classroom studysuch as corporate training, professional workshops, seminarsand conferences; licensure or certification; independentscholarship; and appropriately supervised volunteer training.Learning should include both a theoretical and a practicalunderstanding of the subject and must be measurable. Aminimum of two assessment techniques must be used tomeasure the learning.CBA cannot be used to obtain credit for coursework alreadycompleted, nor can it be used to fulfill lower-divisiongeneral-education breadth requirements. Deans may specifydegree requirements that may not be satisfied through CBA.Examples of such courses include• Senior Project; Service Learning B; and Education, Self, andCommunity II in the School of Education and Liberal Arts;and• Case Studies in Organization and Management andPracticum in the School of Management.A maximum of 30 quarter units may be earned through Creditby Assessment, but a student may not register for more than15 CBA units in any given quarter. Furthermore, if a studentregisters for 12 or more CBA units in a given quarter, thestudent may register for not more than 9 units of coursework.The registration deadline for CBA is Friday of the sixthweek of the quarter. Payment of the assessment fee doesnot guarantee the outcome of the assessment or ensure thatacademic credit will be awarded. Units awarded throughCBA will be graded on a Credit/No Credit basis. All unitsearned through CBA will be designated as such on thetranscript. Units earned through CBA do not fulfill residencyrequirements.Each school may have additional CBA requirements andprocedures. Students should consult a school advisor.Master’s ThesisWhen a thesis, research report, or comparable project isrequired to fulfill degree requirements, the student mustarrange an initial conference with the thesis coordinatorof the degree program at least one year before expectedgraduation.In consultation with the thesis coordinator, the studentprepares a formal application and receives thesis instructionsspecific to the school or degree program. The form grantingpermission to enroll in thesis research must be obtained fromand approved by the thesis coordinator prior to registration.Before beginning a project, the student’s writing abilitiesand preparation for writing a research paper are assessed.A basic composition course may be required prior to theresearch course and thesis work if, in the judgment of thethesis coordinator, the student needs to strengthen basicwriting skills. Specific programs with theses or final projectcomponents may require enrollment in a course that instructsthe student in writing and research methods.The thesis coordinator, in consultation with the student,appoints at least one other member of the university facultyto serve with the coordinator as the thesis committee. Onemember of the committee serves as faculty advisor. Thestudent prepares a thesis proposal that must be approvedby the thesis coordinator and the faculty advisor at least twoquarters before expected graduation. Approval must also beobtained from the faculty committee established to protectindividual and university rights against legal and ethicalinfringements.The student meets regularly with the faculty advisor for oraland written critiques of work in progress. The student will beasked to work with a writing instructor if the thesis draft isseriously deficient. Students needing writing assistance maywant to contact the JFK University Academic Support Center.When the rough draft has been approved by all membersof the thesis committee, the student prepares the final draft.Instructions on format should be obtained from the thesiscoordinator. The thesis coordinator retains copies of all draftsof the proposal as well as copies of critiques written bymembers of the thesis committee.The thesis coordinator has immediate responsibility andthe Provost ultimate responsibility for guaranteeing that theinstruction and student work meet the university’s academicquality standards.Students who plan to do thesis work in any of the schoolsmust enroll for at least 3, and in some cases, 6 units of thesisor project research. Students who need further help aftercompleting these courses must enroll for additional unitsas required by the individual program. Additional units,however, do not count toward fulfillment of unit requirementsfor the degree.GENERAL INFORMATION 15