Graduate Certificate in Public Health

Minimum Grade Point Average

Matriculated graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better. Failure to do so will result in academic probation and possible termination from the program. Any student receiving a grade below B- on any individual course has failed that course and will not earn credits. Any student receiving a grade below B- in a required course must re-enroll and repeat the course to achieve a grade of B- or better. Any student who receives a grade of F in two (2) courses is dismissed from the program.

Graduation

Candidates must fulfill all program requirements and earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be eligible to graduate. All students must file an Application to Graduate with the registrar’s office via U-Online. Please access the following link for complete instructions and the answers to frequently asked questions: www.une.edu/registrar/graduation.

Attendance Policy

Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 p.m. of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean’s Office. 

COURSE WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Add/Drop Period

A student may add or drop a course during the time frames published on the UNE Academic Calendar. Courses dropped during the add/drop period will not appear on a student’s official transcript.

Course Withdrawal Period

A student may withdraw from a course after the add/drop period has ended through the designated withdrawal deadline, which is approximately at the 60% point of the course's length. The withdrawal period for each semester and session is published on the UNE Academic Calendar.

Grade for the Course Withdrawal

A course withdrawal during the withdrawal period results in a grade of W, which will appear on a student’s official transcript. The grade of W is awarded only if a student has submitted a completed Course Withdrawal Form to the Registrar’s Office by the deadline. A W grade does not impact the term or cumulative GPA.

Consultation Before a Course Withdrawal

Before deciding to withdraw from a course, students must consult their Program/Academic Director and are encouraged to discuss the situation with the instructor. 

International students must obtain the approval of the Office of Global Education, as withdrawals may affect visa status.

Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits. 

Course Withdrawal Process

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must submit a Course Withdrawal Form, signed by their Program/Academic Director and Office of Global Education (if applicable), to the Registrar’s Office before the Course Withdrawal deadline.

Ceasing to attend classes or notifying the instructor does not constitute an official withdrawal.

Late Withdrawal

Requests to withdraw from a course after the withdrawal period will only be considered in extreme circumstances. To request a late withdrawal, a student must consult with their Program/Academic Director and submit a completed Academic Petition stating the extenuating circumstances and a letter of support from an advisor, faculty member, or Program/Academic Director to the College’s Dean’s Office offering the course for consideration. 

If approved, a W grade will appear on the transcript, not impacting the GPA calculations.

Late withdrawal petitions must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the last day of the class.

Note: All deadlines, procedures, and policies related to course withdrawal are subject to the guidelines specified on the UNE Academic Calendar.

University Withdrawal

All matriculated students who wish to withdraw from the University must complete notification documentation available from the Registrar’s Office. Documentation must be signed by designated academic and administrative authorities.

Audit Policy

A student may, with prior consent of the Program Director or designee, enroll in a course for an audit grade (AU). This must be requested at the time of registration for the course and must be accompanied by signed approval of the instructor and Program Director or designee. This applies to both matriculated and non-matriculated students. Reversal or change of an audit grade is not possible. Once enrolled for AU the grade becomes permanent on a student's academic record. The student who wishes later to be graded for such a course must re-enroll in and pay for graded credit. In auditing a course, the student is expected to complete all lectures and discussion boards, but is not permitted to submit coursework for evaluation, take examinations, receive grades, or earn credit. Auditing a course does not count toward enrollment status (i.e. part-time, full-time, etc.) and therefore cannot be considered for financial aid purposes, veteran's benefits, etc.

Academic Integrity Policy

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
• Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
• Action that destroys or alters the work of another student.
• Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one (1) course without permission of each instructor.
• Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in The College of Professional Studies Student Handbook.

Student Access Center

The Student Access Center works to ensure that the University promotes respect for individual differences and that no person who meets the academic and technical standards needed for admission and continued enrollment at UNE is denied benefits or subjected to discrimination due to a disability. Toward this end, and in conjunction with federal and state laws, the University provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is highly valued by the College of Professional Studies. Many courses within the College feature experiential learning components. However, at this time, no credit will be awarded to students for purely experiential learning experiences undertaken in place of coursework.

Upon acceptance, students may apply to transfer up to two (2) courses (maximum of six (6) credits) into the Graduate Certificate in Public Health program.

To request consideration for transfer credit, a student must provide an official transcript and a course syllabus for each course. Transfer credit is awarded at the discretion of the College of Professional Studies based on specific program details listed below. Requests for approval of transfer credit should be submitted to the Program Director, and will be granted per their discretion.

Transfer courses must:

• Be classified as graduate level
• Be from a CEPH accredited institution
• Have been taken within five (5) years of application
• Have been completed with a grade of B or better
• Be worth three (3) credits
• Be equivalent to one (1) of the required program courses or an elective course that meets the goals of the student’s education

Individuals who earned a Graduate Certificate in Public Health from the University of New England within the last five (5) years may apply for admission to the MPH program and request that all courses be accepted. Current GCPH students, who are in good standing, may apply to the MPH program at any time during the certificate program by requesting a "change of major" with their Student Support Specialist.