All Indiana University students are required to be familiar with and comply with the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. All O'Neill students must also comply with the O'Neill Student Honor Code, the Academic Misconduct Policies, and the following MPO policies.
O'Neill Form Policies
An exception form is required for any course not appearing in the degree outlines and/or focus area templates that outline faculty-approved electives. General elective hours taken to fulfill the required minimum number of credit hours for a degree do not require substitution approvals as long as they are O’Neill courses. Non-O’Neill courses have a separate approval process; see Academic Exceptions – Outside-Program Courses for more information.
A student who wishes to substitute a course into their focus area should access the Academic Exceptions Form in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal and select whether they are requesting a substitution for a course that is required for the focus area or an alternate elective course for the focus area. The Exception Form will be routed to the Faculty Program Director for approval and, if approved, it will then be entered into the student’s online Academic Advisement Report (AAR). The student will be notified of the outcome of their request via email.
Submitting requests for academic exceptions after a course has been taken is highly discouraged.
V551 O'Neill Online Week (Capstone Substitution)
The Capstone is part of the Core and is an integral part of the MPA program; as such, it is not possible to waive this course.However, qualified students may request to use SPCN-V 551 O’Neill Online Week in place of V600 Capstone. To qualify, students must meet BOTH of the following criteria:
- Successfully complete at least 12 credit hours of Core coursework before V551 begins
- At least two years of relevant, full-time, professional work experience before the course begins.
Interested students should submit the Academic Exceptions Form. SPCN-V600 Capstone is most frequently offered for online students in Spring and Summer terms. SPCN-V 551 O’Neill Online Week is only offered in the Summer term.
A course waiver normally means that a student has already demonstrated proficiency in the subject matter covered by a required course. Core course requirements are rarely waived, but students can make acceptable cases for a waiver based on excellent prior performance in similar graduate coursework or degrees. Thus, a student will be offered the opportunity to pursue another course that will expand the student’s proficiency in a related or new subject area. A course waiver does not reduce the number of total credit hours required by the student’s degree program.
A student who wishes to request a waiver of a core course should first work with the appropriate Gatekeeper for that course to determine if the waiver is appropriate. The student may then access the Academic Exceptions Form in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal and select “Request a Core Course Waiver.” A syllabus for the prior coursework should be attached. The Exception Form will be routed to the respective Gatekeeper for approval.
Waivers are only available for core courses. V600 Capstone is not eligible to be waived. If a student has demonstrated proficiency in a focus area requirement, another course should be substituted for that course rather than having the requirement waived. The number of credits required by a focus area cannot be reduced.
Online MPA students may petition to waive one or more core course requirements. Core course requirements are rarely waived, but students can make acceptable cases for a waiver based on excellent prior performance in similar graduate coursework or degrees. Waiving a course does not reduce the number of credit hours necessary to earn a degree. See Academic Exceptions – Waivers for information on how to submit a request for a core course waiver.
COURSE | FACULTY MEMBER | SCHEDULING E-MAIL | FACULTY OFFICE |
SPCN -F 560 | Denvil Duncan | duncande | SPEA 375F |
SPCN -V 506 | Tom Rabovsky | rabovsky | SPEA 451 |
SPCN -V 512 | Jill Nicholson-Crotty | jillnich | SPEA 351 |
SPCN -V 517 | Justin Ross | justross | SPEA 375E |
SPCN -V 532 | Jill Nicholson-Crotty | jillnich | SPEA 351 |
SPCN-V 535 | Tom Rabovsky | rabovsky | SPEA 451 |
SPCN -V 536 | Andrea Need | aneed | SPEA 260E |
SPCN -V 537 | Laura Littlepage | llittlep | SPEA 423 |
SPCN-V 538 | Susan Siena | sjsiena | SPEA 225 |
SPCN-V 548 | Jennifer Silva | jensilv | SPEA 410J |
There are limits on how many courses can be taken outside of IU Bloomington’s O’Neill school and counted towards an O’Neill degree. These courses must be approved for use in an O’Neill degree. This includes:
• Courses taken at another department at IUB
• Courses from a regional campus of IU (including the O’Neill School at a regional
campus)
• Courses from another institution
Courses taken prior to the start of an IUB O’Neill program are considered transfer courses. Students are limited to transferring in 9 credits of approved coursework.
Courses taken after the start of an IUB O’Neill program are considered Outside Program courses. Students are limited to taking 6 credits (or 8 credits in the case of approved 4-credit language courses) of approved Outside Program courses. Students are encouraged to consider O’Neill course options prior to making outside course selections.
No more than 9 credits of transfer courses and Outside Program courses will be approved in total.
Transfer courses and Outside Program courses must receive a grade of B or better to count towards an O’Neill IUB degree. Courses with grades of B- or lower will be counted in the student’s GPA but will not count towards any degree requirements.
Students seeking to use transfer courses or Outside Program courses towards their O’Neill degree should access the Outside-Program Course Request Form in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal.
Students should include:
• Course Information
o Course description for courses taken on an IU campus
o Syllabus for non-IU courses
• Compelling rationale for taking the course outside of the program
• Explanation of how it will be comparable or better suited to their program.
The form will be routed to the Faculty Program Director for review. Once reviewed, the O’Neill Records Office will notify the student. A grade of B or better must be earned in non-O’Neillcoursework in order to be counted towards degree requirements. Outside courses with grades of B- or lower will be counted in the student’s GPA, but not counted towards any degree requirements.
A course approved via the Outside Program & Transfer Course Request Form will count towards total credit hours as a general elective. Students who wish to have an outside program or transfer course count towards focus area requirements should first complete the Outside Program & Transfer Course Request Form, then, if approved, complete an Academic Exception to substitute the course for a focus area requirement. Outside-Program Course Request approval does not guarantee that the course will be counted in the focus area.
In addition to core and focus area requirements, students are encouraged to take O’Neill graduate elective hours to satisfy the total credit hour requirements of their degrees. For an elective course to count toward a graduate degree, it must be 500-level or higher or listed in the University Graduate School Bulletin as eligible for graduate credit, and if outside the O’Neill curriculum, should be approved by the appropriate Faculty Program Director—see Academic Exceptions –Outside-Program Courses.
NOTE: Some 400-level language courses have titles suggesting they are for graduate students, but do not actually count for graduate credit. Contact the O’Neill Graduate Records Office (oneillrc@iu.edu) for clarifications.
A student’s experiential requirement may be satisfied through Prior Experience (PE). Depending upon the type and amount of experience, a student may qualify for a credit reduction as well. There are three categories of PE (Professional, Military, and Volunteer) available.
Applications for the different types of PE can be found online via the Current Student Portal in the Forms section. Completed forms should be returned to the O’Neill Graduate Records Office (oneillrc@iu.edu) so they may be advanced to the appropriate Faculty Program Director for review.
Please note:
• PE waivers and credit reductions are granted for experience gained prior to taking courses in the MPA program.
• Students are strongly encouraged to submit applications for PE within the first 24 credit hours.
• Students may be approved for more than one type of PE, but the combined credit reduction cannot exceed 9 credit hours.
• Credit reductions cannot result in the elimination of degree or focus area requirements. Students receiving prior experience credit reductions should carefully plan the balance of their program with an advisor.
• Determination of PE credit is made separately from decisions about transfer of credit. Under no circumstances will the prior experience credit and transfer credit total more than 18 hours.
1. Professional Experience: Experiential waivers and credit reductions can be granted forprior professional or technical work experience. The appropriate Faculty Program Director, using guidelines set forth in the Professional Experience application forms, determines if the experience qualifies for a waiver and/or reduction. In general, credit reductions require work experience above entry level that involves some independent managerial, analytic, or scientific responsibility and work that articulates with the student’s current field of study. The Professional Experience Application can be found in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal.
General guidelines to qualify for Professional Experience:
• The work is generally assumed to have been paid, full-time work, but students may make the case for highly relevant volunteer and part-time work.
• To qualify for a waiver of the experiential requirement, experience should roughly equal or surpass that of a summer internship.
• Position may be with government, private firm, or nonprofit organization, but the work must be explicitly related to an MPA career path, regardless of the type of employer.
• Employing entity may be domestic or international.
• Documentation from supervisors may be required.
2. Military Experience: Students with at least one year of active duty or full-time guard/reserve service OR two years of part-time guard/reserve service with the U.S. military are eligible for an experiential waiver and a 3-credit reduction. Up to a 9-credit reduction is possible. Proof of service that indicates dates of service will be required. The Military Credit Reduction Application can be found in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal.
Students who have international military experience should submit the Professional Experience form rather than the Military Credit Reduction Form.
3. Volunteer Experience: Students who have participated as a volunteer in Peace Corps,AmeriCorps, or Teach For America are eligible for up to a 6-credit hour reduction based on years of service, as well as a waiver of their experiential component. Proof of service will be required. The Volunteer Credit Reduction Application can be found in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal.
Students who will not register for classes for a semester or more should fill out the Leave of Absence form available in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal. This includes both students who are taking a semester or more off for any reason (such as health, finances, etc.) but plan to return at a later date and also students who do not intend to continue with the program.
Students who have gone a semester or more without registering for classes will need to submit the Returning Student Form in order to have their student record reactivated, which allows them to register for classes. This includes taking a break from school for personal or academic reasons, working on incomplete grades from previous terms without registering for new classes, etc. The Returning Student form can be accessed in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal or by emailing the O’Neill Records Office at oneillrc@iu.edu. If possible, students should submit the Returning Student form in advance of the start of classes. This process generally only takes 1-2 business days but can take longer in some cases. Students who are appealing an Academic Dismissal should use this form and include rationale for the appeal.
O’Neill Academic Policies & Regulations
O’Neill’s accredited MPA degree is offered in two modalities: online and residential. Students MUST take the majority of their credits in the modality in which they want their degree awarded. If the modality in which a student wants to graduate is different from the modality to which they were admitted, students must apply to switch modalities via the Forms section on the Current Student Portal. Students wanting to switch modalities should submit the application as early as possible.
Students may work directly with a faculty member on an individual plan of study by submitting an Independent Study Contract for a Readings or Research course. The available courses are:
o V580 Readings in Public Affairs
o V590 Research in Public Affairs
The independent study course will count as a general elective unless the student submits an Academic Exceptions Form to have the course substituted into a focus area. Students should work with the sponsoring professor to agree upon a plan of study, and then submit the Independent Study Contract in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal. The contract must offer detail that clearly reflects a plan of independent study including learning objectives, learning activities, and graded deliverables. The form will be routed to the sponsoring professor for confirmation, then to the Faculty Program Director for final approval. The O’Neill Records Office will contact the student with registration information once this process is complete.
The grade of Incomplete (or “I”) used on final grade reports indicates that coursework is satisfactory as of the end of the semester but has not been completed. Instructors may award the grade of Incomplete only after a student demonstrates that holding him or her to the normally fixed time limits for completing course work would constitute an unjust hardship, for example extreme medical or personal circumstances. An Incomplete should not be offered as an option if a student’s course load is merely too heavy and/or a course cannot be completed within the timeframe of any given semester/session.
Please note that multiple grades of Incomplete may jeopardize a student’s academic progress. See more information in “Multiple Incompletes”. The time allowed for the removal of an Incomplete is one calendar year from the date of its recording. The IU Registrar will automatically change an outstanding “I” to “F” at the end of this period.
A student should not re-enroll in a course if a grade of Incomplete has been recorded.
Contact the O’Neill Records Office (oneillrc@iu.edu) for clarification regarding policies.
By University policy, students considered “full time” are expected to take at least 8 credit hours per semester. Summer full-time enrollment is 4 credit hours. Only grades of “C” or better are counted toward O’Neill degree requirements. If a “C-” or lower is received in a required course, it must be retaken. Courses taken outside O’Neill IUB require a grade of B or better to count toward O’Neill degree requirements; see the Outside Program Course policy.
Students who wish to audit courses need to consult with the instructor and seek permission. Next, a student should obtain an auditing form from Student Central’s website
(https://studentcentral.indiana.edu/register/audit.html). After completing the form and obtaining the instructor’s signature, students can upload the form to Student Central’s secure contact form (a link is available on Student Central’s website). Please know that audit hours are assessed at a rate per credit hour ($25.00) regardless of residency classification. Additionally, IU charges mandatory fees based on your total on-campus hours, whether you’re taking classes for credit or auditing them. Students who choose to audit a course(s) should be sure to fully understand the expectations (course obligations) as an auditor.
Audited courses do not fulfill degree requirements. Full- and part-time, degree-seeking students are offered priority in O’Neill courses if space constraints limit enrollment. O’Neill Capstone courses are not open to audit. O’Neill adheres to a guideline that a non-degree seeking student may not audit more than 12 credit hours of O’Neill coursework (this is consistent with the credit transfer policy maintained by the University for non-degree seeking students).
Students who enroll in a course for audit, then decide they want to drop the course must
complete an audit drop form from Student Central’s website (https://studentcentral.indiana.edu/register/audit.html) and submit it via Student Central’s secure contact form, which is linked at the website above.
Any student who disputes a grade in an O’Neill course because of error, bias, or failure to follow the grading policy as outlined in the syllabus may initiate the grade appeal process. Here are the steps:
1. Within 14 days of the final grade being posted, the student notifies the Faculty Program Director through email that he or she wishes to appeal a grade. This email must include the:
• course number;
• section number;
• name of the instructor; and
• reason for appeal (error, bias, or failure to follow the grading policy as outlined in the syllabus).
2. The Director then sends an email to the instructor informing him or her that the grade appeal process has been initiated and that the instructor will soon be receiving a request for a meeting by the student.
3. The student must then contact the instructor and meet with him or her to discuss the issue. At this meeting, both student and instructor will make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute to the satisfaction of both.
4. If the grade dispute is not resolved at this meeting, the student then makes a written appeal to the Director through an email that briefly describes the situation and states what relief he or she seeks.
5. The Director then meets with the student and the instructor separately to learn more about the situation and understand both sides of the grade dispute.
6. After these meetings, the Director may suggest a solution to the parties to see if they find it acceptable.
7. The instructor makes a final decision on the grade, sending it by email to the student and the Director.
8. Within 14 days of the instructor’s decision email, the student may appeal the instructor’s decision by sending an email to the Executive Associate Dean that contains the:
• the course number;
• the section number;
• the name of the instructor;
• the reason for appeal (error, bias, or failure to follow the grading policy as
outlined in the syllabus),
• a brief description of the situation; and
• what relief he or she seeks.
9. The Executive Associate Dean will inform the Academic Fairness Committee
(Committee) of the appeal. The Committee will then contact the student about the appeal and inform the student of next steps.
10. The Committee will “consider procedural errors in assigning grades.” BL-ACA-H35. The Committee may “direct the Dean of the School/College to change grades on the basis of the Committee's findings.”
Further questions about this process may be directed to the Director of Master’s Programs Office (SPEA A304, oneillmp@iu.edu).
Students may change their schedules through the first week of classes without being assessed additional fees. After the first week of classes…
RULE: If a graduate student drops and adds credits after the first week of classes, the student will receive a partial refund for the dropped course (75% the second week, 50% the third, 25% the fourth, and 0% thereafter) and will pay in full for the added course(s). In addition, the student will receive a grade of “W” for the dropped course. The partial refund will be applied toward the fees for the added course(s). The exception to this rule is the “Even Exchange” policy which only occurs during the second week of classes (see policy below).
EXAMPLE: You are a nonresident graduate student enrolled in 9 hours for first semester. You drop a 3-credit hour class in O’Neill and add a 4-credit hour class in the University Graduate School during the third week of classes. You will receive a 50% refund of the 3-credit hour drop and be assessed the full charge of the 4-credit hour added class. In addition, you will also be assessed $23 in late program change fees for the dropped course and a grade of “W” will be recorded on your transcript for the O’Neill course.
Official Master’s Academic Alert Policies
To be in good standing, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.000 or higher. If a student falls below a 3.000 GPA, they will be placed on academic alert for the following semester. Students will be notified if they are placed on academic alert. Students on academic alert are required to schedule and attend an appointment with an O'Neill Master's Programs Office advisor or faculty program director. A student placed on academic alert has one semester to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.000 or above. Failure to do so will result in a review of the student’s status and may result in dismissal from the program. Students must have 6 completed credits before being placed on academic alert. Students must be in good academic standing in order to graduate.
Under special circumstances, a student may be dismissed if their cumulative GPA is less than a 2.0 in their first semester.
Note regarding academic alert: If a student is placed on academic alert, a hold will be placed on their academic record. This hold will prevent the student from registering for next semester's courses. The hold will remain on the student’s academic record until the student schedules and attends a meeting with an O’Neill MPO advisor or faculty program director.
Dismissal - Any student being academically dismissed can appeal their dismissal, in writing, to the program director within 2 weeks of being notified of the dismissal decision. If a dismissed student wants to return and didn’t originally appeal their dismissal, the student can apply to return after a break of at least a full fall/spring semester away. If approved to return, they would return on academic alert status.
Any student who has received a fellowship from the O’Neill Master’s Programs Office (MPO) must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.000.* If a student falls below the minimum GPA requirement as outlined in his or her fellowship agreement, they will be placed on financial aid alert. Students on financial aid alert may be required to schedule and attend appointments with an O’Neill MPO advisor/staff member. Two consecutive semesters of failing to meet the 3.000 cumulative GPA threshold may result in the fellowship being revoked. Students may seek clarification on this policy by contacting the Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. Students must have 9 completed credits before being placed on financial aid alert.
Students with more than one incomplete on their record must schedule and attend appointments with an O’Neill MPO advisor/staff member, as assigned. A hold will be placed on their student account which will prohibit registration for the next semester. The hold will be lifted when the student has only one incomplete remaining or has completed all incomplete courses. If students have enrolled and still have multiple incompletes on their record at the start of the next term, students may be administratively unenrolled from courses until the incompletes are resolved.
*Cumulative GPA can be found at the bottom of the AAR; transcript GPA is not always accurate.
Students who are on academic alert, financial aid alert or have multiple incompletes in coursework must make an appointment(s) with an O’Neill MPO advisor or faculty program director.
The decision of the frequency of the appointments for each student will be decided by the O’Neill MPO staff member or faculty program director The decision will be based on the student’s overall academic performance and need. Students who are placed on alert or have multiple incompletes will be notified of their status and how often they must meet with an O’Neill MPO advisor or a faculty program director. Frequency of appointments are subject to change at the discretion of MPO staff and faculty program directors, based on student progress, performance, and feedback.