The St. John’s College Graduate Institute in Liberal Education administers the Liberal Arts and the Eastern Classics Masters’ programs, based on classic texts in the Western and Eastern traditions, respectively. Both programs are intended to create a deeper understanding of the fundamental and enduring questions raised by thoughtful human beings wherever an intellectual tradition is established and perpetuated. The programs lead to the degrees Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Master of Arts in Eastern Classics.
The Certificate in Liberal Arts Education is available to those seeking a great books qualification in just two summers. Teachers enrolled in the Liberal Arts Education Certificate Program will participate in classes along with other St. John’s graduate students, reading and discussing foundational texts of the western tradition, and studying pedagogy to bring back to their classrooms. Topic areas offered include: Philosophy and Theology, Politics and Society, Literature, Mathematics and Natural Science, Latin, and Pedagogy and Education. Teachers completing the two-summer Liberal Arts Education Certificate degree will receive 18 hours of transferable graduate-level credit. They may also return to finish the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts degree by completing two additional semesters of study any time within eight years of enrolling in the program. St. John’s does not allow students to dual enroll in the Certificate in Liberal Arts at the same time as the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts.
The Liberal Arts program is divided into five principal segments: Literature; Mathematics & Natural Science; Philosophy & Theology; Politics & Society, and History. The Eastern Classics program is a year-long program that concentrates on the works of India, China, and Japan. Reading lists for both programs are available from the Office of the Graduate Institute.
The seminar is the heart of the St. John’s program. One or two tutors and a maximum of twenty-one students meet to discuss a reading that is usually fifty to one hundred pages long. A tutor opens the class by posing a question based on the reading. Students and tutors then discuss the question and related problems. They do not engage in debate or take adversarial positions; the conversations are usually wide-ranging and exploratory, and are characterized by openness, concern, and clarity.
Openness is reflected in students’ willingness to state their opinions reasonably and entertain those of others. Concern is seen in the effort each seminar member makes to understand and grasp the importance of what is written in the text under discussion. Clarity emerges when participants, often with the help of others, are able to formulate what they think or feel in such a way that it is accessible for all to consider. Students in the Liberal Arts program have orals with their seminar tutor, while students in the Eastern Classics program write an 8-10-page paper, followed by an oral with their tutor.
The tutorial is a class with one tutor and a maximum of sixteen students that emphasizes close reading and analysis of a short text. Students usually write from two to four papers throughout the term.
The preceptorial is a class of six to twelve (or occasionally as many as fifteen) students and one tutor, who meet to study a single book or question in depth. Preceptorial topics vary widely from term to term, depending on the interests of students and tutors, who are invited to submit proposals to the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs.
At the end of the preceptorial, students write a substantial essay on a topic of their choice related to the work in the preceptorial. Tutors work closely with students to select the topic and may ask to see a précis or draft before the final essay is submitted. More information about papers and orals can be found in the “Essays and Examinations” section of the Handbook.
The college’s academic year consists of three terms—fall, spring, and summer—that run for sixteen weeks from late August through mid-December, sixteen weeks from mid-January through mid-May (with an additional two weeks for spring break), and eight weeks from early June through early August. For Liberal Arts students, full-time enrollment for each segment carries 9 credit hours, and a student may complete one segment each term. Full-time Eastern Classics students earn 14 credit hours in the fall, 14 in spring, and 6 in the summer, when the language tutorial is not offered.
The following are the Graduate Institute’s standard class schedules, although it is necessary to reschedule particular classes from time to time. In this case, students are advised well in advance of the change.
Monday and Thursday 7–9 p.m.
It is the college’s policy that formal address be used in all classes.
Students are expected to attend all regularly-scheduled classes. Instruction by discussion requires regular attendance in a way that other teaching methods do not. There are no books one can read that take the place of a missed discussion, as there may be in the case of a missed lecture.
Instruction by discussion implies that all students share in the process of teaching as well as learning, and regular, uninterrupted participation is essential for the good of all class members. Exclusion from a class on the basis of absences is at the tutor’s discretion (See the “Dismissal from a Class” section of the Handbook).
When absences are unavoidable, students should notify their tutors in advance, in person, or by leaving a message with the Graduate Institute Office or the switchboard operator. Unavoidable extended absences should be discussed with the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs as well as with the tutors. Such absences could make it impossible for the student to meet the requirements to complete the semester.
Transferring from one class to another interrupts the spirit of cooperative learning. A student who feels that a class is not going well should speak with the tutor(s) and the Associate Dean. In some cases, conversations with other students are also helpful. Frank, informal discussion of problems often improves a class.
Enrollment as a Graduate Institute student at St. John’s has two formal steps: Pre-enrollment and registration. On paying a deposit toward enrollment, a returning student (a Graduate Institute student about to begin a second segment or semester) is pre-enrolled officially, and the deposit is viewed as an indication of the commitment to enroll. If after being pre-enrolled, the student decides not to register, the student is required to give explicit notification of withdrawal in writing to the Graduate Institute Office. The deposit is non-refundable.
When, after repeated attempts to contact a student who, for whatever reason, fails to provide a clear statement of intention to register, continue, or withdraw, the college has the right to withdraw the student unilaterally and to assign a reasonable date for the withdrawal. Note again that the date of the withdrawal carries financial repercussions.
Students who wish to withdraw from the current session must notify the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs in writing and follow the Graduate Institute’s withdrawal procedure as arranged through the Graduate Institute Office. In the fall and spring, students may withdraw from the first day until as late as the twelfth week of the tutorial or the sixth week of the seminar or preceptorial without receiving grades (classes appear on the transcript with the notation “W” for withdrawal). In the summer term, the withdrawal deadline is Friday of the sixth week. After the deadline, grades are recorded on the transcript as an “F”. No credit is accrued for classes from which a student withdraws. Students who leave without notifying the Institute are liable to receive grades of “F” on their transcripts. Please see the “Refund Policy” to find schedules of tuition refunds for dropped classes.
Students who are considering withdrawing from the college should weigh the decision carefully, and friends, tutors, or members of the administrative staff should be consulted before making a final decision. If a student withdraws before three-quarters into any class session, the withdrawal will result in no academic credit for the class, and a “W” will appear on the transcript. If a student withdraws after the three-quarters point of any class, a grade of “F” will be assigned, and will appear on the student’s transcript. An appeal to the Associate Dean to receive a “W” is possible if there are mitigating circumstances. The “F” is considered an academic failure, not an administrative consequence. Please see the “Withdrawal from, and Readmission to, the College” section of the Handbook for the specific withdrawal dates.
To add or drop a class, the student must speak with the Associate Dean in person or by telephone, who must approve requests to drop from full- to part-time enrollment. Students should be aware that financial aid is not available when enrollment drops to less than two-thirds time. Students who stop attending classes without notifying the Graduate Institute are liable to receive an “F” on their transcripts.
Students who wish to withdraw from the institute should notify the Graduate Institute as soon as possible. Requests to withdraw should include the term in which the student would like to return or a statement that the student does not intend to return. This information guarantees that the student’s name is added to appropriate mailing lists for alumni programs or enrollment information.
Withdrawals may involve financial repercussions. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the tuition insurance available through the college. See the “Tuition Insurance” section for information. Please review the “Refund Policy” for information on refunds for tuition and room and board. Consequences regarding financial aid awards, both current and future, should be discussed with the Director of Financial Aid. Please refer to “Financial Policies and Practices”.
A student who is withdrawing from the college obtains a withdrawal form from the Graduate Program Administrator. The student then confers with the Associate Dean, who approves and signs this special form. The student also obtains the signatures of other college officials as stipulated on the form, and returns the completed form to the Graduate Program Administrator. This finalizes the student’s withdrawal; the Graduate Program Administrator notifies pertinent administrative and academic offices as well as the student’s tutors of the official withdrawal and effective dates.
A student who leaves the college without withdrawing formally may have difficulty obtaining a transcript or collecting refundable fees and the balance of the caution fee.
When a dependent student withdraws or is dismissed from the college or, under special circumstances, drops to part-time status, the parents or guardians may be notified.
Students who withdraw from the college when school is out of session are asked to contact the Office of the Graduate Institute as soon as they decide not to return. Students who withdraw when school is not in session will have the last date of their attendance recorded on their transcript. In such cases, parents are not usually notified of a dependent student’s decision to withdraw.
For specific details regarding official and unofficial withdrawal dates, see the “Refund Policy”.
The college recognizes that times arise when students experience extreme distress. As a way to ensure the safety of all members of the college community at such times, St. John’s College has adopted the following policy. A student may be withdrawn from the college involuntarily if, as a result of a medical or psychological condition, the student:
If the college is considering withdrawing a student involuntarily, the Associate Dean or their designee will notify the student and arrange a conference with them to discuss the student’s condition and status at the college. The Associate Dean may then require the student to be evaluated by an appropriate licensed medical or mental health provider approved by the college within a time period the Associate Dean specifies. The student may be asked to sign a form authorizing the results of this evaluation to be forwarded to the Associate Dean.
Before a student is withdrawn involuntarily for medical or psychological reasons, the Associate Dean will convene a review committee, including the associate dean (or their designee), the Director of Student Life, and at least one licensed medical provider in the case of withdrawals for medical reasons, or at least one licensed counselor or mental health provider in the case of withdrawals for psychological reasons. The review committee will consider all information related to the matter, including any evaluation or treatment plan for the student, and make a decision regarding the student’s continued enrollment or withdrawal. The review committee’s decision will be based on the nature, duration, severity, and probability of potential disruption, impairment, or threat. The committee will consider whether modifications or adjustments of policies, practices, and procedures or to the student’s academic or living environment could mitigate the risks sufficiently to avoid withdrawing the student. For instance, the review committee may determine that the student should be permitted to remain enrolled with conditions, such as moving off- campus or participating in regular counseling. The Associate Dean will notify the student in writing of the review committee’s decision.
When a student’s behavior poses a significant danger of causing imminent harm, or of interfering with others’ activities directly and substantially, the Associate Dean may withdraw the student immediately in the interim before the review committee’s consideration. The student will be notified of the reasons for the interim withdrawal and will be provided an opportunity to address the Associate Dean’s basis for doing so. During the period of the interim withdrawal, reasonable efforts will be made to expedite the review committee process described above. The interim withdrawal will remain in effect until the review committee renders a decision regarding the student’s withdrawal or the Associate Dean otherwise rescinds the withdrawal, whichever is sooner.
Within five days of receiving the review committee’s decision, the student may file an appeal with the Dean. Ordinarily, the dean will consider and determine the outcome of the appeal within five business days. If the student is dissatisfied with the Dean’s decision, they may file an appeal with the President, whose decision is final. At the Associate Dean’s discretion, the withdrawal may remain in effect while the Dean and President consider the student’s appeal.
Information regarding financial aid, federal student loans, and tuition refund policy in the case of a voluntary or involuntary withdrawal may be obtained by contacting the Director of Financial Aid. If a student registers for a class in which they was enrolled previously for more than three weeks, the class may be considered repeated work, and the student may be ineligible for financial assistance. The Dean may grant exceptions to this policy in cases of voluntary or involuntary withdrawal for medical or psychological reasons or other severe mitigating circumstances. In addition, a student on financial aid may owe a refund to the federal aid programs. If the amount owed to Federal Aid programs exceeds the amount that remains owing to the college. the student is responsible for that balance, even if the student has withdrawn. Students who have elected to enroll in the Tuition Refund Plan through the A.W.G. Dewar insurance company may receive up to a 60% tuition refund in the case of a medical or mental health withdrawal. Information about the insurance plan is available through the Student Accounts Office and in the “Tuition Insurance” section of the Handbook.
The Graduate Institute does not accept transfer credits from any other institution, with the exception in Annapolis of students in the Dual Degree program with the University of Maryland School of Law.
In the seventh and eighth weeks of the term, Liberal Arts students meet with their seminar tutors for thirty-minute oral examinations. Orals are based on seminar reading assignments and, like seminars, they begin with a tutor or the student’s opening question and then proceed to a conversation that explores the question and related problems. Their purpose is to give students the opportunity to think through a problem or proposal using the same techniques practiced in the seminar in a more concentrated and self-directed way. Although students are expected to know and understand the main lines of thought or themes contained in the texts under discussion, this knowledge is not what is being tested. At its best, an oral generates new questions about, and understandings of, the text under discussion.
In the fall and spring terms, Eastern Classics students are examined in the last four weeks of the term on their seminar essays, which are usually submitted by the end of the tenth week. Seminar tutors conduct essay orals exactly as Liberal Arts orals, with the exception that the exam question usually arises from the essay.
In the summer term, seminar orals for both programs follow the procedure of Liberal Arts examinations in the fall and spring.
Eastern Classics students are assigned a ten- to twelve-page essay based on seminar readings, usually due by the end of the tenth week of the fall and spring terms. These essays are intended to allow students to develop lines of thought outside the seminar conversation. The seminar essay is not a research paper with extensive footnotes and bibliographies, but rather an attempt on the student’s part to state in writing, as clearly as possible, his/her own thoughts on some aspect of a seminar reading.
Preceptorial essays are due near the end of the term on a date the preceptorial tutor sets (Eastern Classics essays are due in the last two or three weeks of each preceptorial). These essays must be substantial and demonstrate serious thought and inquiry. They are usually twelve to fifteen pages and are based on the readings. With the tutor’s approval, they may also refer to other program texts or related non-program works.
The preceptorial essays replace the conventional Master’s thesis, and as such, they are a degree requirement that may not be waived. The essay written for any preceptorial is a class requirement that cannot be waived. The only exception to this rule is replacement of a preceptorial by a Master’s essay (This exception does not apply to students enrolled in the Eastern Classics program, who must complete five preceptorials).
Students who have completed at least two segments in the Liberal Arts Program or one term in the Eastern Classics Program and have demonstrated considerable facility in writing and class conversation may petition the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs for permission to write an optional Master’s essay. The petition must include a three- to five-page précis or essay proposal, a writing sample that consists of two preceptorial essays, and the signature of a faculty advisor on the “Master’s Essay Application Form.” Master’s essay proposals must be submitted no later than the mid-point of the semester before the semester in which the candidate intends to submit the essay. The committee will consult with preceptorial tutors to determine whether the student is ready to undertake such a project. Once the Graduate Institute committee has approved the proposal, the student will be enrolled in a three-credit essay course and billed accordingly.
The essay may replace one Liberal Arts preceptorial or may be written in addition to the full program. In the Eastern Classics program, the essay may only be written in addition to the full program and is worth three credits.
The content and goal of the Master’s essay should be the thoughtful examination of a text or several texts. The essay is not intended to be a piece of specialized research, but rather a sustained performance in the liberal arts. The writer is expected to meet regularly with his/her faculty advisor to discuss the essay’s composition and progress. The faculty advisor must sign an “Essay Submission Form” that the student delivers to the Graduate Institute Office with the completed essay. More specifics on guidelines for completing the Master’s essay are available from the Office of the Graduate Institute.
Essays are evaluated by a specially selected committee of three college tutors, including a committee chairperson appointed by the Associate Dean. A public oral examination is scheduled at the time the committee approves the essay. Essays are graded satisfactory or unsatisfactory; oral examinations are graded pass with honors, pass, or fail. An essay judged unacceptable may be rewritten by a deadline the essay committee and the essay advisor determine. If the rewritten essay is unacceptable and the student has submitted the essay in place of a preceptorial, then the student must complete a preceptorial to graduate. A student who does not submit the essay during the intended semester will be assessed an extension fee of $600 per semester until the essay is submitted. Those whose essay work exceeds one year must receive permission from the Associate Dean and their advisor to continue.
To allow time for orals before the end of each term, Liberal Arts Master’s essays must be submitted by the following dates. A student may choose to delay submission of the essay, but late submission may delay graduation.
Students who write essays in addition to the program must complete them and pass the oral examination within two years of graduation.
After the student passes the oral examination, a line will be added to their transcript stating the essay’s title and the examination’s date. If the student passes the examination with honors, this will also be noted on the transcript. No reference to the Master’s essay will appear on the transcripts of students who do not choose to write one (or on transcripts of students whose essays are found unacceptable, as noted above).
The graduate student conference is a formal occasion scheduled by the Office of the Graduate Institute, at which the student meets privately with the tutors of the classes in which the student is currently enrolled. The conference’s goal is to enable all participants to gain a sense of the student’s work as a whole. The conference is usually scheduled for the sixth week of the term, but may be scheduled as early as the end of the fourth week. Eastern Classics conferences are held later in the term, after seminar essays are written.
Conferences are required for all first term students in the Eastern Classics program, first term and second term students for Liberal Arts students taking classes in-person, for second term Liberal Arts students in the low-residency modality, for those in bad academic standing, for students with “B” averages, and for students otherwise in difficulty. First semester Liberal Arts students taking classes in the low-residency program will participate in what is called a don rag, which is described below. Other students who wish to have a formal opportunity to speak with their tutors may request conferences, and tutors may request conferences for students not included in the categories above.
During the conference, the students give a self-assessment of their work in the term. Each tutor reports on the student’s achievement with respect to preparation and understanding of the texts being read, participation in the class conversation, and whatever writing has been submitted, and makes suggestions about ways the student might improve. The student is then invited to comment on the tutors’ reports and suggest ways tutors might be more helpful or the classes might be more rewarding. A written report of the conference is placed in the student’s file, which the student may read upon request.
In the don rag, it is the tutors who report to one of the seminar leaders on the student’s work during the semester and endeavor to present their overall progress. Students are then invited to respond to the tutors’ reports. Advice may be requested and given, difficulties may be aired, but grades are not reported. Students may review their don rag reports at any time convenient to the Registrar.
At the regular conference, or later in the term, a tutor may request that the Associate Dean arrange for a second conference near the end of the term. A student may also make this request. Second conferences should be requested when either a tutor or a student believes that the student was not sufficiently well known to tutors for the regular conference to have been optimally helpful. It is also important to request a second conference when serious unanticipated problems emerge after the first conference.
At the end of the term, tutors complete comment sheets for students enrolled in their classes. These brief reports usually contain a summary of students’ progress and an overall evaluation of their work. Occasionally, tutors prefer to meet with students for a conversation in addition to a written report.
The college does not distribute grades routinely, but students who wish to read their comment sheets or know their grades may ask to review their academic records, which are filed in the Office of the Registrar.
The “B” grade is the lowest satisfactory grade for graduate students.
*See “Withdrawal from, and Readmission to, the College” section for withdrawal information.
For graduate level work, grades of “B” or better are considered fully satisfactory. A student who receives a “C” or “C+” will be notified by the Associate Dean and placed on academic probation. The student will not be in good standing in the term following that in which the “C” was given. Good standing is re-established by satisfactory work in all classes in the next segment. A student who receives a second unsatisfactory grade may not be allowed to return to the college, or may, under special circumstances, be permitted to continue as a non- degree student.
An “F” is not merely an unsatisfactory grade: it signifies zero academic credit. Students who receive an “F” are ordinarily asked not to return, but they may petition the Associate Dean and committee to return as a non-degree student and remediate the “F” by receiving a grade of “B” or better in the same class in the same segment. If the petition is granted, and if students fulfill this requirement, they may resume as a degree student. Under highly exceptional circumstances, students who received an “F” may petition to be allowed to continue as a degree student on condition that at some point in the course of pursuing the degree, they remediate the “F” by receiving a grade of “B” or better in the same class in the same segment.
Incomplete grades may be given only in the case of emergencies, at the tutor’s discretion. Any grade of incomplete recorded for a graduate student must be accompanied by the following information:
Both the grade-changing deadlines and the review process apply to all grades, whether or not they were submitted originally as incomplete grades. Please see the “Incomplete Grades and Changing Grades” section for the dates by which students must submit missing work to their tutor to remediate incomplete grades.
Please note: Preceptorials have special requirements concerning incomplete grades. If a graduate student fails to submit a preceptorial essay, the tutor must assign a grade of “I/F.” If the graduate student fails to submit their preceptorial essay by the applicable approved deadline, a final grade of “F” will be assigned and the applicable policies regarding academic status will apply.
The seminar grade is based in part on the oral examination, but principally on the quality of the student’s contribution to class discussions. Students are expected not merely to demonstrate that they have read or understood the books, but to help other participants discover problems and possibilities that might not emerge from solitary reading. This is accomplished when students ask good questions, as well as when they propose answers to questions asked already.
The tutorial grade is based primarily on class involvement, which includes demonstration, translation, and of course, participation in discussion. Written assignments are also taken into account. Tutors will make clear to their classes what they look for in a tutorial paper.
In the preceptorial, the student’s long essay is a major factor in determining the grade. Because all four preceptorial essays taken together are considered equivalent to what would be a Master’s thesis in a conventional M.A. program, a failing preceptorial essay may result in an “F” for the preceptorial. The quality of the student’s participation in class discussion is also weighted heavily.
In general, students are responsible for both their academic performance and their comportment in class. The qualities of a “good citizen” or excellent student include willingness to listen, understand, and help others articulate their thoughts, as well as generous and forthcoming presentation of one’s own. Disruptive behavior, poor attendance, and failure to prepare for class cannot be tolerated and will result in lower grades or exclusion from a class.
Please see the “Academic Honesty and Plagiarism” section for the college’s policy on plagiarism.
A tutor may exclude from a class a student who is often unprepared, whose conduct is disruptive, or who has accumulated too many absences. In such cases, the tutor informs the student and the Associate Dean in writing of the conditions the student must meet to return to the class. When these conditions include make-up work, the tutor will set a reasonable, but nonnegotiable deadline. Students who fail to meet the assigned conditions will be suspended from the class. In unusual circumstances, the Associate Dean may assign the student to another class in the same or a following term. Otherwise, a suspended student may be dismissed from the college without refund of fees.
The college acknowledges excellence in students’ written work by offering prizes for the best examples in a variety of genres. Prizes for graduate students include the Preceptorial Essay, Tutorial Essay, and Translation Prizes. Graduate students are also encouraged to submit original writings—including tutorial essays, occasional essays, poetry, fiction, and musical compositions— for annual college-wide prizes and to compete for the translation and mathematics prizes. Students are notified each term of deadlines, submission requirements, and changes in the number and kinds of prizes offered through campus mail, email, and the Ephemera. Information is also available from the Office of the Dean.
See “Access to, and Disclosure of, Information” section.
Students should feel free to speak with their tutors at any time about their own work or the progress of their class as a whole. A conversation over lunch or dinner may provide a particularly good opportunity for discussion. Students are invited to treat a tutor to lunch at the Institute’s expense. Students should contact the Office of the Graduate Institute for details and restrictions.
Student must keep their online Enrollment Planning Forms up-to-date each semester in order to be considered pre-registered. Enrollment in the Liberal Arts program is limited currently to eighty- four students in each of the fall, spring, and summer terms. Students must pre-register in writing to reserve places in future terms. Continuing students are expected to have met all previous financial obligations to the college.
The $250 graduate advance deposit is required for each semester for ALL students regardless of housing status or scholarship/fellowship payment program. The deposit is due in the Office of the Treasurer by April 25 for summer, July 1 for fall, and November 1 for spring, and is applied to the student’s account as a payment for the semester. Provided that other financial obligations to the college are met, the advance deposit primarily secures the students’ place in class whether they choose to live on- or off-campus. This deposit will not be refunded if the student decides not to enroll.
The college’s long-standing tradition is to welcome new students at a formal convocation of the college. This is also the occasion when new students inscribe their names in the St. John’s College Register. For convocation dates by semester, please check the academic calendar.
Registration materials for new and continuing graduate students are located in the MySJC portal. Students are expected to have paid their tuition and housing bills by the Monday before classes begin.
Use of the students’ college email accounts is considered an official means of communication with students at St. John’s College. Email allows the college to send notices quickly and conserve paper. Email ensures that students receive important information about such time-sensitive matters as student accounts, financial aid, registration, and graduation. Because some notices are sent to students exclusively through email, it is necessary for students to check their college email accounts frequently and consistently to stay current with college communications. Students should check their college email at least twice a week and respond promptly to requests from administrative offices.
The degrees offered by the Graduate Institute do not need to be completed in consecutive semesters (and often are not), although they must be completed within 8 years of matriculation. When a student in good standing, after having left the College for a semester or more, wishes to return to resume the degree, they simply supply timely notice to the Student Services Coordinator (in Annapolis) or the Graduate Institute Administrator (in Santa Fe), who will enroll the returning student in courses for the upcoming semester. Students not in good standing, or those who have not completed the degree within 8 years, must first petition the Associate Dean on the relevant campus before returning.
Any Liberal Arts student in good academic standing and with no outstanding balance on his/her college account may transfer between campuses. Students who wish to transfer must submit an “Application for Intercampus Transfer” form available from the Graduate Institute’s Graduate Program Administrator to both campuses no later than 60 days before the beginning of the term. Applying to transfer does not guarantee a place in the term, and thus, it is best to submit an application as early as possible. Students who request to change campuses less than 60 days before the beginning of the term may not be approved for transfer and will forfeit $50 of their advance tuition deposit. Students on financial aid must also notify the Financial Aid Offices on both campuses (Santa Fe 505-984-6058, Annapolis 410-626-2502).
If a Graduate Institute student wishes to audit a class, the student must obtain permission from the Associate Dean, Registrar, and the tutor prior to the first day of the term. Auditing is a privilege, not a right, and is allowed by some tutors and not by others. Tutors often base their decision to admit an auditor to their class on the auditor’s commitment to read all assignments and attend all classes, and on the number of students enrolled already.
Alumni may audit preceptorials under the following policy: Requests must be made through the Associate Dean, and only those classes with sufficiently small numbers, as they determine, will be eligible for auditing. After consulting with the tutors whose classes are eligible, the Associate Dean will notify the prospective auditor of the classes that may be audited. Auditor do not receive the benefits of a regular student; therefore, they cannot live on campus or purchase a meal plan; however, they may sign a “Borrower Agreement” at the library to borrow books. The audited class(es) will not be reflected on any documents or transcripts and students will not receive credit for the classes. An $1,100 auditing fee will be in effect that will help fund community scholarships.
Many alumni of the Graduate Institute wish to return to the college for their fifth segment. College policy allows those who have graduated after completing four segments to pay half tuition for the fifth segment. Students enrolled in classes under this plan are considered to be regular college students. The segment or class appears on their transcript, classes are graded, and credit is awarded. The session GPA for a fifth segment is not incorporated into the cumulative GPA earned for the Master’s Degree. No financial aid is available for students who take the fifth segment.
The college conducts a May and August formal commencement each year. Graduate students who complete the Liberal Arts program in December receive a January degree-earned endorsement on their diploma and transcripts. These December graduates participate in the May commencement ceremony. All completing students will be charged a graduation fee during their final term, whether or not they participate in the commencement ceremony and related commencement week activities.
Low-residency graduate students will be required to visit the Santa Fe campus twice during their time in the program. Students are expected to come to campus for an initial orientation the week before classes start and are also encouraged to come to campus for activities related to Commencement at the conclusion of the program.
Students will be eligible to participate in the Commencement Ceremony on the campus where their degree requirements are met. They will also receive a diploma and be considered an alumnus of that campus.
To participate in class, it is crucially important that you have a smooth and stable audio/video connection. You cannot be a contributing member of the class without being seen and heard. This is controlled most particularly by your upload connection speed and not your download speed. Your internet connection should be robust enough to allow for reliable and clear audio and video, not just for you, but for your classmates. Just because you can hear and see everyone does not mean they can hear and see you. It is helpful, as soon as possible, to test your connection with a group to see if the computer and connection you intend to use are functioning properly.
If your current internet connection does not allow you to reliably send and receive clear audio and video, you should test your actual download and upload speeds rather than relying on the connection speeds published by your provider; you may do so here: speedtest.net. You should test your connection speeds at various points during the day to get a sense of what speeds you might get during your classes. You may also wish to compare wifi speeds to ethernet speeds and consider using a wired connection for classes. We recommend 50mbps download and 5mbps upload speeds though 25 mbps download and 3 mbps upload speeds may be adequate.
If you are signing up for new internet service, you should be aware that upload/download speeds quoted by internet providers are not reliably what you will actually experience. Please work with your new provider to test and ensure that you will have what you need for a clear audio and video connection with a group.
Cell phone and cellular data speeds are not sufficient for class.
PLEASE NOTE: Required minimum connection speeds published by platforms like Zoom and Teams are significantly lower than what is recommended here, but experience has shown that these are not sufficient for full participation.
For conversation we expect a PC or laptop for Zoom (or Teams) video conferencing. Your computer screen should be large enough that you can see each member of the Zoom discussion, even when they are not speaking, so that you can pick up on nonverbal conversational cues that can be missed when all participants are not displayed. Your device and operating system should be capable of downloading the most recent Zoom app and not merely accessing it through your web browser.
We expect students to use a recent generation Windows PC or Mac for the low-residency program. The primary criteria for determining what computer to use is that it is a machine capable of downloading and running the current version of the Zoom app and Office 365 apps, including Teams. Any computer running, or able to run, a current operating system should be adequate to download and run these essential apps.
If you are purchasing a new machine, here are some helpful hardware recommendations from IT. However, many machines that do not meet these standards are still capable of meeting our primary goal that your computer be capable of running the Zoom and Office 365 apps and of sustaining a reliable internet connection so that you can attend class.
For demonstration and other in-class writing and drawing, we recommend a tablet with a touchscreen and stylus. If you do not have a separate touchscreen device you will need either to split the screen or toggle between the faces of your classmates and whatever program or application you may be using for board work. If your computer, like most, does not have a touchscreen, it will also mean drawing or writing either with a trackpad or a mouse. Some tutorials may use other methods—such as webcams or even cellphones trained on paper—for board work. However, a tablet supplement will still be ideal: it will allow you to dedicate your primary screen (your PC or laptop) to video conferencing, so that you can see your classmates’ faces while simultaneously looking at or working on a virtual board on your tablet’s screen. This will primarily be useful for the Mathematics & Natural Sciences segment and some preceptorial offerings in the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts program. Some preceptorials in the Master of Arts in Eastern Classics program may utilize in-class writing and drawing as well.
Recommended Supplements: Touchscreen and Stylus
If you would prefer to have a single device that meets all needs, you can purchase a touchscreen laptop, which can be used for video conferencing as well as virtual whiteboard and other supplemental applications. If you choose to go this route, you will have to share screen space between the faces of your peers and the board or other app on which you are working.
Cell phones and Chromebooks are not acceptable for this purpose. Phones are not adequate to our needs, both because of limited Zoom functionality and limited visual engagement with the class. Chromebooks are not adequate because they cannot run a native Zoom application
In addition to a computer that is new enough, with a screen that is large enough, to fully participate in video conferencing, we also recommend the following software:
The College’s default communication methods are email and Teams chat and audio/video conferencing. Please use your assigned SJC email account for these purposes. If you need technical assistance, you can create an ITS Help Desk ticket by emailing user.support(at)sjc.edu.
