Master of Arts in International Affairs Academic Policies

Incomplete Grades

No student carrying two incomplete grades may enroll in additional course work without the written consent of the International Affairs program coordinator. An incomplete must be finished by the beginning of the second term after which the incomplete was awarded. There are three terms within the course of the academic year; fall, spring, and summer. An incomplete which is not finished by the beginning of the second term will automatically become an F. No degree will be conferred on a student who has an unresolved incomplete grade remaining on his/her transcript.

Repeated Courses

No student enrolled in the MAIA program nor a non-degree student taking International Affairs courses may repeat courses for credit or in an attempt to improve a grade.

Academic Standing Policy

Graduate MAIA students whose academic performance is unsatisfactory will be subject to the following:

Probation — A student will be placed on probation for any of the following reasons:
1. Student's cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0.
  No student may be a candidate for the degree while on probation due to a GPA below a 3.0. Probation will be removed when the student's GPA reaches 3.0 or greater. In cases where the student is placed on probation, it will be removed when the student's overall GPA is 3.0 or greater. Students on probation will have three consecutive terms to raise their overall GPA above a 3.0 or be dismissed from the program. The consecutive terms will begin the first term the student enrolls in classes after having been placed on probation.
Suspension — A student will be placed on suspension for any of the following reasons:
1. Student earns more than two grades of C.
2. Student earns a grade below a C.
3. Student has already served three consecutive terms on academic probation.
No student may enroll in graduate courses at North Georgia while on suspension. Courses taken at another institution during the period of suspension will be not recognized for transfer credit.

A student who has been placed on suspension based on the standards articulated in the graduate bulletin may seek reinstatement to the MAIA program. The reinstatement process is outlined below:
1. All students seeking reinstatement will file a reinstatement request letter. A signed hard copy of this letter must be sent to the graduate advisor for the MAIA program. The letter should address the following:
  1. An explanation of reasons why the student was placed on suspension due to grades earned in the program.
  2. An overview of what the student will do in the future to correct the problems that caused the suspension.
    Once the formal letter has been received by the MAIA graduate advisor, a meeting will be held of MAIA faculty who have had the student in class to make a recommendation on reinstatement to the MAIA program coordinator and the Dean of the School of Arts and Letters.
2. MAIA program coordinator will make a recommendation and forward it to the Dean of the School of Arts and Letters for a decision.
3. The student will be informed of the decision via electronic and hard copy letters. If the student is reinstated, included with the decision letter will be a list of recommendations from the MAIA faculty outlining how the student can successfully complete the requirements for the MAIA program.
4. Students who are instated in the MAIA program will return on probation and have to meet the requirements of that status. In addition, all courses taken by the student must be approved by the MAIA graduate advisor.

Academic and Professional Conduct Policy

At the end of each term, the program faculty or MAIA program coordinator may intervene to establish a plan of action for any student in the program whose competency is in question for reasons including unprofessional, disruptive, or unethical behavior in the classroom or applied setting. The plan will be signed by the student and the MAIA program coordinator with copies forwarded to the Dean of the School of Arts and Letters.

Policy on Plagiarism

The International Affairs faculty will use a combination of methods to detect plagiarism in the program including www.turnitin.com and Google searches. Penalties for plagiarism will be determined by the course instructor and submitted to the Academic Integrity and Professional Conduct Committee.

Students are expected to perform in accordance with the regulations stated in the Academic Regulations section of this bulletin. All of the rules, regulations, and standards published in the "Regulations of the MAIA Program" are incorporated by reference in this bulletin. Each student is responsible for obtaining a copy of this document and for adhering to its contents.

Transfer Residency Requirement

To be awarded a Master of Arts in International Affairs, students must earn a minimum of 30 hours of credit applicable to the degree in residence, unless North Georgia has an official transfer of graduate credits agreement for international affairs in place with another institution. In addition, no more than six hours of transfer credit may be applied toward meeting North Georgia's MAIA degree requirements. All course requirements, including transfer credits, must be completed within a six-year period. The MAIA program coordinator and the Dean of the School of Arts and Letters must approve all transfer credit. Transfer credit will not be given for any course in which a grade of less than a B was earned.