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Online Graduate Program Credit Revalidation Policy

This policy outlines the conditions and procedures for renewing expired credits in the Data, Digital or Integrated Marketing Communications graduate programs in the Reed School of Media and Communications to ensure students complete their degrees with up-to-date and relevant knowledge while maintaining academic integrity and standards.

Scope

This policy applies to all graduate students who have credits that have expired due to the maximum allowed time limit between when the credits were earned and the degree completion date.

Definitions

Expired Credits: Credits earned by a student that exceed the allowable time frame for degree completion.

Credit Revalidation Coordinator (CRC): An assigned advisor or administrator responsible for overseeing graduate program policies and procedures and working with a returning student to create a revalidation plan and path to graduation, interpreting expired credits and working with the student’s advisor (if different from the CRC) to record the student’s plan of study in DegreeWorks.

Revalidation of Credits: The process of validating expired credits to count towards the completion of the graduate degree.

Time Frame for Credit Expiration: Graduate credits typically expire after eight years from the date they were earned.

Eligibility for Credit Renewal

Students whose credits have expired may apply for credit revalidation under the following conditions:

  • The student is in good academic standing. Cumulative GPA must be at or above 2.75 on all attempted credits.
  • All courses eligible for revalidation must have been completed with a grade of C- or better.
  • The expired credits must be determined to be relevant to the current program of study per CRC.
  • The courses must not have been substantially altered in content or requirements since the credits were earned as determined by a review by the CRC with current instructor(s) of the course prior to offering the option of revalidation to the student.
  • The introductory course in each sequence (DMC 460 – Intro to Data Marketing Communications, IMC 440 – Intro to Digital Marketing Communications, and IMC 410 – Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications) is ineligible to be revalidated and must be retaken successfully to initiate any credit revalidation plan.
  • The capstone course in any sequence is not eligible for revalidation.

Application Process

Students must submit a written request to the CRC, including:

  • A list of the expired courses for which revalidation is requested. Eligible courses may include core, specialty, or elective courses only.
  • DegreeWorks documentation showing the completion date and grades earned for the courses.
  • A rationale for why the credits were allowed to expire and should be supported for revalidation.
  • A proposed schedule for revalidation and completion of remaining courses, enabling the student to complete all requirements for graduation from the program.
    • The proposed schedule must include the initial term in which the student will retake the introductory course appropriate for the sequence.
    • No more than three courses can be revalidated in any term.
    • If revalidating courses in a term, no more than one additional course should be scheduled in a specific term to ensure that appropriate time can be dedicated to the revalidation work.
    • Expired courses cannot be revalidated in any term in which a student is completing the capstone course for their degree program.
  • Upon acceptance of the student’s proposed plan of study, the student will be expected to reapply to the University and enroll/retake the introductory course, thus initiating the revalidation process.

Revalidation Process

The CRC will review the submitted request and may require additional documentation or an interview with the student. Upon agreeing to the schedule, the plan will be added to DegreeWorks. In each term in which a revalidation is scheduled:

  • The student will be responsible for registering and successfully completing all regular courses.
  • For courses that are scheduled for revalidation in a term, the student will register for a one-credit revalidation section (independent study) for each revalidation that is required. Registration will be expected promptly when registration begins to enable program administration to make arrangements for each revalidation.
  • The CRC will assign an instructor to the revalidation section who is qualified to assess the relevance and rigor of the expired courses.
  • The student will be given access to current course materials in the independent study section at the beginning of the term and will have the duration of the term to review those materials and schedule an oral examination with the instructor.
  • The oral examination will be scheduled for no less than 30 and no more than 90 minutes. It will be held in Zoom on video and will be recorded. During the examination, the instructor will pose questions to the student based on the core concepts of the course.
  • Following the completion of the oral examination, the instructor will send the recorded video file and their decision of whether the student has successfully demonstrated mastery of the course content sufficient to support revalidation to program administrators.
    • If the student has successfully demonstrated mastery, approved credits will be recorded as valid toward the completion of the degree requirements.
    • If the student does not successfully demonstrate mastery, the student will be required to retake courses or take additional courses to fulfill the degree requirements.
  • Students may attempt revalidation of any course only one time.
    • Independent studies will be taken Pass/Fail.
    • If a student successfully demonstrates mastery, the course is revalidated, and they will receive a grade of Pass for the independent study.
    • If a student does not demonstrate mastery during the oral examination, they will receive a grade of Fail for the independent study and it cannot be repeated.
    • If the student does not schedule an oral examination during the term of their independent study or does not show up during their scheduled oral examination, they will receive a grade of Fail for the independent study and it cannot be repeated.

Students will be notified in writing of the decision within four weeks of submitting the request.

Approved renewals will be documented in the student's academic record.

Review and Amendment

This policy will be reviewed annually by the CRC and may be amended as necessary to reflect changes in academic standards, university regulations, or program needs.

Effective Date

This policy is effective as of November 1, 2024.

Contact Information

For questions or further information regarding this policy, students should contact the Assistant Dean of Online Programs at Lkhart@mail.wvu.edu.

This updated policy reflects the change in the credit expiration period to eight years, providing clear guidelines and procedures for the renewal of expired credits to ensure fairness and consistency in the marketing communications graduate programs offered by the Reed School of Media and Communications in the College of Creative Arts and Media at West Virginia University.