College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences, the University of Hartford’s central and largest college, offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Psychology degrees. The Master of Arts is offered in communication, and a Master of Science is offered in biology, organizational psychology, and school psychology.

Admission requirements, fees, rules and regulations, and academic programs are presented in official Catalogs of the University. The right, at any time, to make whatever changes may be deemed necessary, is specifically reserved. Applicants for graduate degree programs should contact the Center for Graduate and Adult Academic Services at 860.768.4371 or visit www.hartford.edu/graduate.

Facilities

Abrahms Hall is home to the Cinema department and the Cinema and Media Studies Editing Suite.

Auerbach Hall provides facilities for the departments of English, Rhetoric and Professional Writing, and Philosophy, as well as the Center for Reading and Writing, Learning Plus, the English Language Institute, and the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies.

The Biology-Chemistry Building, approximately 40,000 square feet in total size, contains the Chemistry and Biology departments. The building has modern labs and research facilities for undergraduate and graduate students.

The Biology-Chemistry Building and Dana Hall are part of an Integrated Science, Engineering, and Technology complex. The University has grouped the sciences, engineering, and technology into one complex to promote interdisciplinary activities

Charles A. Dana Hall is home to the departments of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics. Special features of the building include the Mali I and Mali II lecture halls, which contain 120-seat classrooms; a computer laboratory; and individual research laboratories for students and faculty. Dana Hall also has a rooftop greenhouse, classrooms, faculty offices, a lounge, and seminar rooms.

East Hall houses the Department of Psychology. The building offers classrooms equipped with projection equipment, a computer classroom, research laboratory space, and a drop-in computer lab. Facilities throughout East Hall are shared by faculty, students, and staff from the various programs in the department.

The Harry Jack Gray Center provides space for the School of Communication and the college’s television production and broadcasting facilities. In addition, the Harry Jack Gray Center includes a classroom overlooking the television studio.

Hillyer Hall provides facilities for the departments of Art History, Economics, History, International Studies, Modern Languages and Cultures, Political Economy, Politics and Government, and Sociology and Criminal Justice. This building includes rooms for classes, seminars, and conferences, as well as the Herbert Gilman Family Center for Communication Technology. The Beatrice Fox Auerbach Auditorium, which seats more than 200, is used for lectures, recitals, films, and dramatic performances.

Admission

General Requirements

All applicants for graduate study must file an official University application with the Center for Graduate and Adult Academic Services. Official transcripts of all undergraduate work must be submitted as well as three letters of recommendation.

Special Requirements

Master’s Programs

Biology

The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in biology or a related field from an accredited collegiate institution. The applicant’s undergraduate work should have included genetics, cell biology, general chemistry, biochemistry, calculus, and physics. An average of B or better is required in all undergraduate biology courses.

Communication

The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in communication or a related field from an accredited collegiate institution. If the degree is not in communication or a related field, communication-oriented work experience is required, or the applicant may be required to take undergraduate communication courses (without graduate credit) to acquire sufficient background. Applicants are expected to have at least a B average in the undergraduate major and an overall average of at least a B-. In addition, acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination are necessary for admission.

Psychology

Clinical Practices. The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited collegiate institution and should have achieved a B average in undergraduate courses. An undergraduate concentration in psychology, including courses in introductory psychology, abnormal psychology, statistics, research methods, and history and systems in psychology, is desirable.

Official scores for the General Aptitude (Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical) and the GRE Subject Test in Psychology are required.

Organizational Psychology. The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited collegiate institution. Admission is based on undergraduate GPA, additional educational and work experience, the form and content of a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation. Applications from individuals with various undergraduate majors are welcome, including, but not limited to, psychology, business, economics, sociology, and communication.  No GRE test scores required (see description of program  for details of admission requirements).

School Psychology. The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited collegiate institution and should have achieved at least a B average in undergraduate courses. In addition, he/she must submit scores for the General Aptitude section of the GRE and the GRE Subject Test in Psychology (see description of program  for details of admission requirements).

Doctoral Program

Doctor of Psychology

The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited collegiate institution, including courses in statistics, research methods, developmental/child psychology, and abnormal psychology. The applicant should have achieved at least a B average in undergraduate courses. In addition, he/she must submit scores for the Verbal, Quantitative, Analytic, and Psychology sections of the GRE (see description of program  for details of admission requirements).

Financial Assistance

Each graduate department in the College of Arts and Sciences has a limited number of assistantships and/or fellowships available for qualified students. These awards are based on both merit and need and are usually awarded for the academic year only.

Requests for additional information regarding assistantships and/or fellowships should be directed to the chairman of the department in which the student will study.

Theses

A master’s thesis committee shall consist of at least three members, one of whom must be from the department involved (see the governing policies regarding committee composition established by the individual department for which the thesis is to be completed).

All graduate students preparing to write a thesis must file an Approval of Proposed Thesis form with the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee.  This form must be submitted prior to the student’s beginning his or her research project, must be signed by all members of the thesis committee, and must be forwarded to the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee in the College of Arts and Sciences. Changes in membership of the thesis committee must be approved by the department chair and notification sent to the director of graduate studies. A thesis defense may not be held in August, unless an August defense date is agreed on by the thesis committee members.

Thesis/Capstone Continuance Fee

For students who do not complete their thesis or capstone project requirements within a given semester, a grade of I will be issued by the instructor at the time grades are due. Upon completion of the thesis or capstone, the letter grade will be reported to the registrar on a Change of Grade form. Masters student who have completed all requirements for the graduate degree except for the thesis or the capstone project, must pay a thesis continuance fee until the project is completed. Exceptions can be made for the Summerterm. In order to maintain continuous matriculation the student must register for ZTC 900 Thesis Continuance, 0 credit.

Dissertations

All students in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology preparing to write a dissertation must file an Approval of Proposed Dissertation form with the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee. This form must be submitted prior to students’ beginning their research projects, must be signed by all members of the dissertation committee, and must be forwarded to the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee for the College of Arts and Sciences. Additional detailed information about the doctoral dissertation guidelines and process may be found in the Doctoral Dissertation Manual.

Dissertation Continuance Fee

Students who have completed all required course work must pay a dissertation continuance fee until the dissertation has been completed, except for students registered for internship. The student will write in the designation CPS 090  (fall), CPS 091  (spring), and CPS 092  (summer), Dissertation Continuance, 0 credit on a registration form.

Submitting Approved Copies to the Library

As part of the requirements for graduation, masters and doctoral students must submit copies of their approved thesis or dissertation to the Harrison University Libraries. Three copies of an approved master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation with the appropriate binding fee must be deposited with the Library no later than three working days before the degree award date. The bound original and one copy will be kept on file in the Harrison University Library, and one copy will be kept in the department of the discipline involved. Students may submit additional paper copies to be bound at this time if they wish to obtain bound copies for their advisor(s), or for personal use.

Comprehensive Examinations

Specific guidelines are provided by individual departments.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Academic progress is a measure of a student’s movement toward a stated degree objective. Satisfactory progress is evidenced by: (a) maintenance of a grade point average (GPA) consistent with the minima outlined below (qualitative satisfactory progress): and (b) satisfactory performance in the major area of study as specified by the student’s graduate program; and (c) an acceptable rate of course completion as outlined below (quantitative satisfactory progress). Students are said to be in good academic standing so long as they are eligible to continue at or return to the University (unless expelled for nonacademic reasons). Students who are not in good academic standing are ineligible to attend any credit classes at the University. Final responsibility for knowing whether or not a student is making satisfactory academic progress and/or is in good academic standing rests with the student.

International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa, should consult with their programs and with the International Center about specific immigration regulations regarding academic progress.

Rate of Completion: Masters degree students are expected to complete all degree requirements within seven years of initial matriculation; doctoral degree students are expected to complete all degree requirements within nine years of initial matriculation. Individual programs may impose shorter time limits. These time limits may be extended upon written request from the student. The request must be approved, in writing, by the chair or graduate program director and by the Arts and Sciences Graduate Studies Committee. Graduate students who have not obtained an extension will be dismissed from the University by the A&S Graduate Studies Committee.

Matriculation Maintenance Fee: In order to maintain their matriculated status, full-time graduate students who have not completed all requirements for the graduate degree, and who will not be enrolled or in attendance during a particular semester, must register for “active status” in the program. Active status registration may be continued for no more than two consecutive semesters. Extension beyond two semesters must be authorized by the dean of the college. Failure to file for an active status extension will result in dismissal from the University and require the student to reapply for admission. Part-time graduate students need not register each semester to maintain their matriculated status. However, part-time students who have not registered for three consecutive regular semesters, nor for any summer session during the three-semester period immediately previous must request an extension or they shall be required to reapply for admission.

Leave of Absence: A leave of absence may be granted to degree candidates involved in approved off-campus study programs for up to two semesters. Requests for leaves of absence for other personal reasons will be considered. Students applying for a leave of absence must secure permission from the department involved, register for “active status,” and pay a fee. Failure to conform to this procedure would necessitate reapplication for matriculated status upon return to the University.

Grade Point Average: In order to make satisfactory progress toward a degree, graduate students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 during all portions of their academic career after attempting 9 credit hours.

Determination of Satisfactory Academic Progress

Review: For the purposes of determining a student’s satisfactory academic progress in the University, all graduate students are reviewed at the end of each semester after they have attempted 9 credits. Each student’s qualitative and quantitative progress (i.e., GPA, rate of completion, and performance in the area of study, as defined by the degree program) will be evaluated at the end of the fall and spring semester, as well as the end of the summer session.

Departmental Warnings: Graduate program directors may issue departmental warnings to graduate students who do not meet standards in their major area but are otherwise making satisfactory academic progress, defined as GPA of at least 3.0. Upon receipt of a warning, students should consult immediately with their advisers to determine actions to correct the deficiencies.

Graduate program directors are responsible for reviewing students in their specified program and for informing the Dean or Designee and the A&S Graduate Studies Committee in case of less than satisfactory academic progress.

The A&S Graduate Studies committee will review the records of those students who do not meet the standards for satisfactory academic standing to determine if academic standing action is warranted.

Notification: No later than two weeks after receiving less than satisfactory progress report from the student’s designated graduate program director, the Dean or Designee will notify in writing (electronically and through mail) each student who has not made satisfactory qualitative and/or quantitative academic progress. Students are notified in writing by the Dean or Designee if they are placed on academic probation or academically dismissed from the University, with copies to the A&S Dean’s Office, Graduate Dean, Graduate Studies, International Studies Advisor, Financial Aid, Registrar, Vice-President of Student Affairs, Associate Provost, Provost, and President.

Academic Standing Actions

In the event of less than satisfactory academic progress, the College employs two official actions: academic probation and academic dismissal.

Academic Probation

GPA Deficiency: Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation.

Course Completion Rate Deficiency: Graduate students who do not meet the standards for course rate completion specified by their program may be recommended for probation or dismissal to the A&S Graduate Studies committee.
Those who are placed on probation are eligible to continue to enroll at the University. The student may not be considered for financial aid until they have satisfied the requirements for satisfactory academic standing.

Subsequent Action: Graduate students who are placed on academic probation should consult immediately with their graduate program directors to determine the actions necessary to correct the deficiencies.

At the end of fall, spring, and summer term, the graduate director of the specified program will review the records of students who have been placed on probation during the previous semester. Students who have corrected the deficiencies will be removed from probation after approval from the A&S Graduate Studies Committee. If students have not corrected the deficiencies, the A&S Graduate Studies Committee may keep them on probation or dismiss them from the University.

Academic Dismissal

Graduate students whose grade point average is 0.5 (five tenths of one point) below the College minimum of 3.0 may be academically dismissed from the University by the A&S Graduate Studies Committee. Graduate students who fail to complete their programs by the date specified and who have not obtained an extension will be dismissed from the University by the A&S Graduate Studies Committee. Students who have been placed on academic probation and have not corrected the deficiencies within one semester may be continued on probation or dismissed from the University by the A&S Graduate Studies Committee. Students who have been dismissed are ineligible to attend any credit classes at the University.

Appeal of Academic Progress Actions

Students may appeal the decision of the A&S Graduate Studies Committee using the established process outlined below. Responsibility for initiating the appeal in a timely fashion and in accordance with procedures outlined below lies with the student. The outcome of the appeal determines a student’s academic standing at the University.

Bases for Appeals

Students may appeal academic standing actions only on the basis of procedural irregularities or on the basis of mitigating circumstances. Appeals based on mitigating circumstances should include explanations of the circumstances, a description of their effect on performance, and discussion of the actions taken to minimize or eliminate these circumstances and their effects.

Procedures for Appeals

Step 1: An appeal must be made in writing to the dean of the college or designee within seven working days after notification, and should be accompanied by appropriate documentation.

Step 2: The dean of the college or designee refers the appeal to the A&S Graduate Studies Committee within five working days.

Step 3: Following review of the materials, the GSC will hold a closed hearing at the next regularly scheduled GSC meeting. The student is invited to meet with GSC to respond to questions. The dean of students or designee may be invited to attend by either the student or GSC with voice but no vote.

Step 4: Following the hearing, the GSC shall either sustain or rescind the action. The Dean or designee will inform the student of GSC’s decision within five working days. There shall be no further appeal from decisions of the GSC to place students on probation. Decisions by GSC on appeals of dismissal may be appealed to the Provost.

Step 5: Appeals of dismissal to the Provost must be made within seven working days of notification by the Dean, and only on the basis of procedural irregularities or on the basis of mitigating circumstances.

Step 6: The Provost shall sustain the A&S GSC or rescind the dismissal within seven working days. There is no further appeal to dismissal.

Requirements for Degree

Graduation requirements in any program include completion of the indicated total number of credit hours in that program with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. All courses applied toward the graduate degree must be taken on a letter-grade basis unless specified otherwise by the designated program.

Degree application must be accompanied by graduation fee. The application must be filed with the college evaluator in accordance with the deadline date published in the Academic Calendar. The following requirements must be met

• The results of language examinations, comprehensives, and oral defenses must be submitted to the Office of the Dean at least one week prior to Commencement.
• Satisfactory completion of one of the prescribed curricula
• Payment of all outstanding fees
• Vote of faculty, trustees, and regents

Transfer Credits

A maximum of 9 credits for master’s programs may be transferred from accredited institutions outside the Greater Hartford Consortium for Higher Education. A minimum grade of B at the graduate level is required for transfer credit. These credits will be accepted upon written approval of the department chair or graduate program director concerned and the Graduate Studies Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences. Approval must be obtained at the time of matriculation or prior to registration for any off-campus course. Such prior notification is the responsibility of the student.

It should be noted that there are some courses that may not be waived unless taken at the doctoral level and other courses (e.g., Psychological Assessment III, Practicum, Professional Practice Seminar, and clinical electives) that may not be waived under any circumstances.

Doctoral Program (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology

Ninety-six credits are required for the Psy.D.

The following is information on the Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology’s (GIPP) policy on transfer of credit and waiver of required courses for applicants with a master’s degree or higher:

Doctoral: For students coming from an American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited doctoral program in clinical, counseling, or school psychology, a maximum of 32 transfer credits and waiver of similar courses may be granted, as long as the student has received a grade of A- or higher.

Master’s: For students with the M.A. degree in clinical practices from the University of Hartford, a maximum of 32 credits and waiver of similar courses may be granted, as long as the student has received a grade of A- or higher.

For students with a non-University of Hartford master’s degree, credits may not be transferred. A waiver may be given only if the instructor of the equivalent course at GIPP deems the other course to be doctoral-level equivalent and the student has received a grade of A- or higher.

Other elective courses must be taken in lieu of waived courses.

In addition, in all of the above circumstances, students must still have at least two years in residence at the Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology. All waivers must be signed by the GIPP’s associate director. All students must take 9 clinical elective credits (three 3-credit elective seminars) in the doctoral program and may not use previously taken courses as substitutes for these clinical electives.

The following courses may be waived only if taken at the doctoral level:

Advanced Psychopathology
Dissertation Seminar
Professional Seminar: Diversity
Professional Seminar: Ethics
Individual Psychotherapy
Advanced Research Design in Clinical Psychology

Nonwaivable/nontransferable courses (even if taken at the doctoral level):

Case Conference Seminar I and II
Practicum I, II, III, and IV
Professional Practice Seminar I and II
Psychological Assessment III (even if taken in the University of Hartford’s master’s program)
Three elective clinical courses*

*All students must also take a minimum of three elective clinical courses while in residence.

Courses

• CS 500 - Cooperative Education Program
• PHY 500 - Cooperative Education Program

• POL 590 - Special Topics in Politics and Government
• POL 591 - Special Topics in Politics and Government