Graduation/Degree Related Policies

Master's Degree Credit Requirement

Masters degrees at Lasell University require the completion of thirty-six (36) graduate credits with the exception of the following:

Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Healthcare Management which requires forty-two (42) credits.
Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Human Resources which requires forty-two (42) credits.
Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing which requires forty-two (42) credits.
Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Project Management which requires forty-two (42) credits.
Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Sustainable Fashion Operations which requires forty-two (42) credits.
Master of Science in Athletic Training which requires sixty-three (63) credits, all of which must be taken in residency at Lasell University.

Graduation Requirements

Students must maintain reasonable progress toward completing their degree. The majority of students complete their degree within two (2) to three (3) years. Occasionally, because of professional and/or personal constraints, students may need additional time to complete their degree. At Lasell, graduate students have five (5) years from beginning their program of study to complete their degree. Students who need additional time at the end of five years may have to reapply to the program. In order to graduate, each student must earn a minimum of thirty-six (36) credits of academic work, successfully complete all program requirements, and attain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Dual Concentration

A student may earn two concentrations in a degree provided (a) all requirements for each concentration are completed in good standing and (b) all pertinent requirements of the degree are completed successfully. Students may not use their electives to meet the requirements of either concentration. Students earning a dual concentration should plan on taking a minimum of forty-two (42) credits. In order to formally request the addition of a dual concentration, the student must submit the 'Change of Major/Concentration Form' located on the registrar's site and be approved by the Office of Graduate & Professional Studies.

Pursuing a Graduate Certificate and Master's Degree Simultaneously

Students in good academic standing who wish to pursue both a Graduate Certificate and Master's Degree at the same time may do so provided (a) all requirements for each certificate and degree are completed in good standing and (b) all pertinent requirements of the degree are completed successfully. Students may not use their electives to meet the requirements of either program. Students earning both a graduate certificate and Master's Degree should plan on taking a minimum of forty-five (45) credits. In order to formally request the addition of a certificate, the student must submit the 'Change of Major/Concentration Form' located on the registrar's site and be approved by the Office of Graduate & Professional Studies.

Earning a Second Master's Degree

Students in good academic standing who wish to pursue a second Master's Degree at the same time as their first degree may do so provided (a) all requirements for each degree are completed in good standing and (b) all pertinent requirements of the degree are completed successfully. Students may not use their electives to meet the requirements of either program. Students earning two Master's Degree should plan on taking a minimum of sixty-six (66) credits. In order to formally request the second degree, the student must submit the 'Change of Major/Concentration Form' located on the registrar's site and be approved by the Office of Graduate & Professional Studies. Students who wish to earn one degree before beginning the second degree must apply to the second degree by completing the Application for Graduate Admission (https://portal.lasell.edu/LasellGraduateApp/). Graduate Alumni admitted to a second master's degree may be eligible for advanced standing and waiver of up to six credits provided (a) all requirements for each degree are completed in good standing and (b) all pertinent requirements of the degree are completed successfully.

Full-time Status

Lasell University defines graduate full-time enrollment as 9 or more credits per semester.

Three Quarter Time enrollment as 6 to 8 credits per semester.

Half Time enrollment as 5 to 3 credits per semester.

Less than half time as 1 to 2 credits per semester.

9 + credits = full time
6-8 credits = 3/4 time
3-5 credits = half time
1-2 credit = less than half time

Enrollment Requirements

For federal loans, students must meet particular enrollment requirements. All students need to be enrolled at half-time status or more to receive financial aid. For graduate students, half-time status is registered in at least 3 credits.

Financial aid is packaged on a 16-week semester basis. Each semester is 16-weeks long, and it includes two 8-week terms.

Winter mini session requires a student to be enrolled in both winter and spring semester to be eligible for aid with at least a half-time status in at least 3 credits in spring semester.

Credit Hour Policy

Lasell's connected-learning philosophy acknowledges that learning takes place both within and outside the classroom. This approach broadens the definition of credit hour to other academic activities that include but are not limited to laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, individual study, research, recitation, service-learning and other experiential, project-based learning opportunities. At Lasell University, a credit hour is based on an amount of time, level and value of work in which a student engages in activities leading to intended learning outcomes established and measured by Lasell University faculty as evidence of student achievement. The amount of time and work expected is consistent with the Carnegie Unit definition and is not less than "one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester."

For traditional semester length courses where the majority of work is done within a classroom setting, students are expected to spend approximately two hours studying or preparing for class for each hour of instruction. This equates to six hours of study time for each three-credit course for a total of nine hours per week, per course. Over the course of a traditional semester at Lasell, students are expected to devote a minimum of 135 hours of work per course (this includes in class meetings). Lasell University's Graduate and Professional Studies Program offer 16 and 8 week graduate courses; all 16-week courses are offered in hybrid format. Our 8-week courses are offered in both hybrid and online delivery.

In an online class, the student is an active participant each week and evaluation of a student's understanding of course content is based on her/his daily involvement rather than a single event such as a mid-term or final project/exam. Online students are expected to be actively and creatively engaged in the entire learning process.

Students in 16-week hybrid courses are expected to spend 10-12 hours per week on their studies. In weeks where hybrid courses meet face to face, these meetings are included within the range of 10-12 hours. Students in seven-week courses are expected to devote a minimum of 19-20 hours a week preparing for and completing class assignments. In weeks when hybrid classes meet face to face, these meetings are included within the range of 19-20 hours.

Maximum Credit Load

Students may register for a maximum of 12 credits per semester (16 weeks) or 9 credits per session (8 weeks).

Change of Concentration

The student must initiate this change by speaking with their advisor and/or the Director of Graduate Student Services
If the decision is made to change concentrations, the student fills out the "Change of major/ Concentration" form.
The student submits the change of major/concentration form to the Registrar's Office.

Change of Degree

The student must initiate this change by speaking with the following faculty/staff in this order:

Graduate Program Coordinator of their current program of study
Graduate Program Coordinator of the program they want to enter
Their advisor and enrollment counselor if additional materials are required
1. If the decision is made to change degree programs, the student fills out the "Change of major/concentration" form. The form must include the signature of their advisor.
The student submits the change of degree form to the Registrar's Office.

Progress toward the Degree

Students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress is defined both by the number of credits successfully completed and the grade point average.

International Student Eligibility

International students on an F1 Visa must maintain a full course load (a minimum of nine (9) credits per semester) in order to maintain their status as an F-1 visa holder. Only on rare occasions is an international student permitted to drop below a full course load and still maintain their status as an F-1 visa holder. Any international student who anticipates falling below a full course load must consult with the Director of International Student Services.

Application for Graduation

A student eligible for degree completion must complete the Intent to Graduate Form located on the registrar's site at least three months before they expect to complete all requirements for graduation. Failure to comply may result in a delay of receiving the degree by a semester. Degrees are awarded three (3) times a year in December, May, and August. Commencement exercises are held once a year in May.

Expected Degree Completion:	Completed Application Filed:
December	By September 15
May	By February 15
August	By May 15

Conditional Graduation

Students classified as conditional graduates may participate in the May commencement exercises. To be considered a candidate for conditional graduation a student must have:

Attained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; and
Be within two (2) courses (maximum of six (6) credits) of completing their graduation requirements.
Course must be completed by the end of August following commencement with a grade of "B-" or better

A student may petition to be a conditional graduate if the above requirements have not been met and approval must be granted by the Registrar and the Director of Graduate Student Services.

The student must complete the Conditional Graduation Contract (https://lasell.secure.force.com/SCform?id=a250L000000U9jk). The Conditional Graduation Contract must be signed and returned to the Office of the Registrar by May 1.

Please note that a student may participate in only one commencement ceremony for a specific degree. Conditional graduates are not eligible to participate in a subsequent ceremony for the same degree. Conditional graduates will not receive their diploma until they have completed all program requirements and their degree has been conferred.