Academic Policies
The seminary education offered at Wesley attempts to find the proper balance between teaching and learning, enabling you to achieve those educational and developmental goals so essential for service and life in the Kingdom. The policies listed below will help to order and guide your learning process. A full and detailed list of our policies can be found in our Academic Catalog.
Withdrawal
Students who withdraw from any or all of their courses during the semester must complete an official withdrawal process. Failure to do so may result in failing grades for the course work, the forfeiture of funds, or both. Withdrawals made in order to avoid an unsatisfactory grade will not be permitted. If circumstances develop that make withdrawal necessary, students should make immediate contact with their faculty advisor. Complete details on the withdrawal process are given in the Student Handbook.
Incompletes
An Incomplete is a temporary grade that may be given in the case of an unavoidable emergency. The student must request an incomplete from the professor before the end of the term by filling out this Incomplete Form. Once approved, the student will have until the end of the following semester to complete all work for the course before the Incomplete automatically becomes an "F".
Auditing Classes
With permission from the professors in charge, classes may be audited. While the auditing student will not be required to take class examinations or do term work, attendance is required. Notation of "Audit" is made on the transcript regarding audited courses. Audited courses cannot apply toward degree requirements. Registration for audits must be done in the Academic Office. Auditing fees and special considerations for students and staff are identified in the Financial Information section of the catalog.
Language Requirements
Candidates for the Master of Divinity, along with the M.A. in Biblical Literature and Theology all require a working knowledge of New Testament Greek. A knowledge of Hebrew is also required for the biblical literature concentration. Incoming students who have acquired a knowledge of these languages may validate their competency through examination. Satisfactory performance in the language assessment will allow students to take more advanced courses in biblical languages.
Thesis
The M.Div. Honors Research concentration is the only concentration that requires a master thesis. However, a student who desires to write a thesis should study carefully the Handbook for Thesis Writing at Wesley Biblical Seminary. The handbook provides specific guidelines and expectations that are essential for the student to follow. The thesis is to be completed during the student's final year.
Students anticipating a thesis should consult with their faculty advisor very early in the academic program to lay out a time schedule for this extensive research project. Students must complete the research techniques course and submit this Selection Form before launching a thesis project.
Academic Standing and Probation
Students maintain good academic standing by satisfactorily completing 75% of the courses in which they enrolled prior to the current term and having a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 or above. Grades representing satisfactory completion of a course range from A through C-, and CR (Credit).
At the end of the fall and spring semesters, review of the records of all degree students occurs. In the event a student fails to meet the standard for good academic standing, he or she will be placed on academic probation by receiving a notification of such action and having a notation placed on the transcript.
Students placed on academic probation must prepare, with the assistance of their faculty advisor, a strategy for improving academic performance. Students are given eighteen semester hours to bring their performance to the standard of good standing. Probationary students failing to reach this goal in eighteen semester hours will be subject to academic dismissal.