Academic Information

Credit Hour

One semester credit hour represents the equivalent of one hour of lecture or two hours of laboratory work each week. Class lecture or laboratory time combined with outside classwork or studying is expected to equal approximately three hours per credit each week. An equivalent amount of work is required for studio work, practicums, internships, and classes that do not meet on the semester schedule.

Students who transfer credits from non-English-speaking countries are responsible to provide a certified translation of course descriptions. This certification may be made by (1) a commercial certifying organization or (2) an individual with appropriate credentials in the country where the student attended college.

Experience Credit

Graduate credit is not granted for work or life experience.

All students taking a course, regardless of classification, are expected to attend all scheduled classes.

Accumulation of absences may affect grades or ability to remain enrolled in the course. A course withdrawal may affect residency status based on the number of credits taken, and the final grade may be recorded as Withdrawn Passing or Withdrawn Failing based on grades earned at the time of withdrawal.

See Graduate Student Handbook for details.

Students wanting to take a class for personal benefit may audit a course with approval from the Registrar. A course may not be changed from audit to credit or from credit to audit after the course has started.

Any course with insufficient enrollment may be canceled.

Registration

Students must be registered for a course to be eligible to earn credit for it. Registration dates are listed on the Calendar of Events.

Students registering late must pay a Late Registration Fee.

Plan for Learning

A yearly program of instruction is offered in which the 15-week fall and spring semesters are divided by a 5-week Interterm and a summer term.

Course Changes

Additions: During the drop/add period each semester, students may add a course to their schedule and register the change with the Records Office. A $10 change of course fee will be charged.

On-Campus Drops: To drop an on-campus course, students must get approval from the Registrar. A $10 drop fee will be charged. Courses may not be dropped after week 15. The course grade is recorded as follows:

Week 1	No record on transcript
Weeks 2–9	W—Withdrawn
Weeks 10–15	WP —Withdrawn Passing or WF—Withdrawn Failing

Online-Learning Drops: Students may drop an online-learning course by submitting a written request to the Online Learning Office. A $10 drop fee will be charged. Tuition and fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable once registration ends. The course grade is recorded as follows:

Week 1	No record on transcript
Week 2—week before term ends	W—Withdrawn
Last week of term	WP —Withdrawn Passing or WF—Withdrawn Failing

Irregular Scheduling

The Seminary and College cannot schedule courses for the convenience of individual students who cannot or who do not take courses in their regular sequence.

A baccalaureate degree from a recognized college is required before a student may be considered for admission to any seminary or graduate program. The course of study supporting the applicant’s baccalaureate degree should be substantially similar to that required of Pensacola Christian College undergraduates. Individuals not holding a standard degree should contact the Seminary-Graduate Studies Office regarding bachelor equivalency requirements for seminary programs.

PTS and PCC reserve the right to withhold recognition of credits received at any seminary, university, or college that does not, in the opinion of the administration, meet reasonable academic standards.

Academic Admission Requirements

• Graduate certificate requires a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 2.00 cumulative GPA.
• Master’s degree requires a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA (2.00 for M.Div.).
• Specialist degree requires a master’s degree with a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA.
• Doctoral degree requires a master’s degree (M.Div. or equivalent for D.Min.) with a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA.

Specific degree programs may include additional admission requirements. Applicants who do not meet minimum academic admission requirements may be considered for provisional acceptance by the Academic Admissions Committee. Students accepted on a provisional basis must earn at least a 3.00 GPA (2.00 for Master of Divinity) upon completing 9 credits of graduate courses to continue in the program.

First-Time Students

If you are attending for the first time, use the following checklist to apply:

1. Completely fill out the Application for Admission.
2. Pay the Application Fee. Payment may be made by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. The application cannot be processed until this fee is received.
3. Request the institution of higher education that granted your bachelor’s degree to send a complete transcript to the Director of Admissions. We must also have transcripts of all graduate-level work.

New International Students

Complete the above requirements under First-Time Students.

International students should allow a minimum of six months to complete application procedures. PCC is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant alien students. It is required by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement regulations that international students submit to the Seminary/College all application forms, academic records, and proof of financial responsibility before the Form I-20 can be sent. In addition, the College requires international students attending the fall or spring semester to submit one month’s payment for tuition, room and board, and fees, and one-way transportation charges from the College to the student’s home before the Form I-20 will be sent. All payments must be in U.S. currency. International students’ accounts will be charged any handling fees assessed by a foreign bank (e.g., transfer funds, etc.).

Transcripts from non-U.S. institutions must be evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). Start your evaluation at ece.org. Choose the Course-by-Course evaluation and follow the steps required. PTS/PCC must receive the evaluation report before your file will be reviewed for final acceptance.

Students whose primary language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Have your TOEFL scores sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to the Director of Admissions as soon as possible. This is done automatically if you specify our college TOEFL number 5970 when you register for this test. Scores must be received before your file will be reviewed for final acceptance.

A minimum score of 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL (20 per section) is required for entrance into the graduate programs. Applicants whose TOEFL composite score is below the standard may be considered for provisional acceptance by the Academic Admissions Committee. Students accepted on a provisional basis must earn at least a 3.00 GPA (2.00 for Master of Divinity) upon completing 9 credits of graduate courses to continue in the program.

Continuing Students

If you have previously attended PTS or PCC graduate studies and the next course you are applying to take is within 12 months of the last course you took, you are a continuing student. Contact the Seminary-Graduate Studies Office to indicate which sessions or terms you plan to attend.

Reenrolling Students

If you have previously attended PTS or PCC graduate studies and the next course you are applying to take is more than 12 months from the last course you took, you are a reenrolling student. Completely fill out an Application for Admission and pay the Application Fee.

Bible College Graduates

Bible school, Bible institute, or Bible college graduates must have earned a baccalaureate degree of a quality and type commonly recognized as representing the culmination of a liberal arts education. Under certain conditions, students with a Bible diploma may attend the undergraduate program of Pensacola Christian College and transfer their Bible school education into a baccalaureate degree before going on to do seminary or graduate work.

Changing Program of Study

Acceptance under one seminary or graduate program of study does not guarantee acceptance under another program of study. Students who want to change their program may need to complete a new application for that major (and include the Application Fee). Contact the Seminary-Graduate Studies Office for details.

Student Standing

A regular student is one who is currently enrolled and maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward completion of a degree.

A provisional student is one who is admitted with less than the minimum academic entrance requirements or who is presently under Academic Probation status.

A non-degree student is one who meets the qualifications to take graduate courses and is merely enrolling in courses for teacher certification, transfer, continuing education, or personal benefit.

A full-time student is one who is enrolled for 9 credit hours or more per semester.

A part-time student is one who is enrolled for fewer than 9 credit hours per semester.

All courses except Continuing Dissertation/Major Project Services, approved PTS/PCC Online Learning, and Independent Study courses must be taken on campus. Specific residence requirements are given under each program of study.

The student must take required courses in the sequence predetermined by the Seminary or College. A student taking courses out of sequence may require more time to complete a degree than the standard residence options require.

Students who want to take less than the normal load may do so and thereby extend the period of time required to complete their program of study. Students who do not take a course within 12 months may be subject to any changes in degree requirements.

A normal full-time seminary or graduate load is 9 to 15 credits, depending on the program in which a student is enrolled. A maximum load is 16 credit hours during a semester or summer term, including online courses.

Residence hall students must be classified as full-time or be taking a minimum of 6 credits when fewer than 9 credits are offered for their program of study.

Time Limits

All work for graduate degrees must be completed within seven years (six years for the D.Min. and five years for the Ed.S. ) prior to completion of degree requirements may not be counted toward graduation.

Students who interrupt their enrollment for more than 12 months may have the time limit extended to exclude the time they were not enrolled but are subject to any changes in degree requirements and may be required to repeat courses with content that has changed significantly since the time the course was taken.

Extensions beyond the time limit for a particular degree (no more than two years) may be granted at the discretion of the Graduate Committee. Students must make their request in writing and submit it to the Seminary-Graduate Studies Office stating the reasons for the extension and the expected date of degree completion.

Final grades are issued at the end of each term. For summer sessions, grades are issued at the end of each course. Students have 60 days after the end of term to report grade discrepancies to the Registrar.

The following 4.00 grading system is for all students:

Grade	Grade Points Per Hour
A (Excellent)	4
B (Good)	3
C (Passing)	2
D (Unsatisfactory)	1
F (Failing)	0

For example, a student receives four grade points per credit hour for each “A.” Students may determine their grade point average by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of GPA hours. (Students who have taken a course more than once should see Repeating a Course.)

Other codes that may appear on the grade report and/or transcript are:

I	Incomplete
W	Withdrawn
WA	Withdrawn auditing
WF	Withdrawn failing
WP	Withdrawn passing
P	Passed
AU	Audit
NG	No grade
CR	Credit

Coursework in courses with a grade of “Incomplete” must be made up before the end of the seventh week of the following semester. Coursework not completed before the beginning of a semester is included in the student’s academic load for that semester.

The Rebekah Horton Library is housed in a 6-story complex with more than 105,000 square feet, designed to hold a collection of up to a half-million volumes. With seating space for more than 900, this facility provides open stacks, study carrels, a makerspace, audio/visual materials, computer lab, music library, student study rooms, conference rooms, wireless internet access, and spacious study areas.

The library’s website allows students and faculty to locate research materials easily. Present library collections include more than 500,000 physical and electronic books as well as nearly 150,000 journals, periodicals, and newspapers and a wealth of other academic resources in the library and through online databases. Interlibrary loan service also enables patrons to request items from other libraries nationwide.

The library also exhibits historical and educational materials in an old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse classroom setting. The Bible manuscript collection contains rare Bibles and other materials that give evidence of Bible preservation through the centuries. The collection holds early editions of the English Bible, Old Testament scrolls, and famous Bible reference works.

All major projects and papers prepared as part of the requirements for seminary and graduate degrees automatically become the property of Pensacola Theological Seminary or Pensacola Christian College and may not be published or reproduced without the written consent of the Seminary or College.

Many PTS and PCC Graduate Studies courses are offered online to allow students to learn from home while still receiving the same quality instruction as on-campus students. You must have final acceptance into the Seminary or PCC Graduate Studies prior to your first time registering for a course.

Online-learning courses are offered during the fall, spring, and summer terms (see term dates), and up to three courses may be taken in one term. Register online.

The following degrees may be completed entirely online: M.A. in Bible Exposition, Biblical Languages, and Ministry; Master of Divinity; Doctor of Ministry; Master of Business Administration; M.B.A. Information Technology Management specialization; M.S., Ed.S., and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership; M.S., Ed.S., and Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction—Elementary, English, History, and Science specializations; and M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, Mathematics specialization. PTS offers five graduate certificates (12 credits each) which also may be completed entirely online. Other seminary and graduate degrees may allow you to earn one third or more of your degree through online learning.

Although PCC does not accept state or federal financial aid, the institution voluntarily abides by the general guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) as they apply to the release of educational records. This privacy policy is extended to all enrolled students, whether taking courses onsite or through online learning.

Under this policy, educational records may be provided to the following without a student’s consent:

• PCC officials with a legitimate educational interest
• Accrediting agencies
• Parties to legal actions through subpoenas and/or court orders
• Federal or state agencies, or organizations performing audits or official studies
• Financial aid officers
• Appropriate authorities in an emergency situation

In addition, student recruiting information may be given to military recruiters and the following directory information may be disclosed to the public without a student’s consent unless a student has requested through the Records Office that the information be kept confidential: name, student ID number, hometown, photograph, major, minor, dates of attendance, classification, participation in officially recognized sports and activities, statistics of Eagle’s athletes, honors, awards, scholarships, anticipated graduation date, degrees earned, and date degrees were conferred.

Requests for any other personally identifiable information contained in students’ educational records will only be granted with a signed release from the student.

Students may repeat courses in which they did not earn a passing grade. All grades earned by students become a part of their permanent record and will show on any transcript issued by the Seminary or College; however, when a course is repeated, the highest earned grade is used in computing the grade point average, and the credit hours are only counted once. A student’s grade point average will improve providing the repeated grade is higher than the previous grade.

Students may repeat up to two courses with a grade of “C-” or above to improve their grade point average. With approval of the Seminary or Graduate Committee, students lacking grade points may take additional courses to make up the grade-point deficiency.

No student may repeat a course more than twice. Students must secure the permission of the Registrar any time a course is repeated.

To remain in good academic standing, students are expected to maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA in graduate studies (2.00 for M.Div. and M.Min. ).

A student who falls below a 3.00 cumulative GPA (2.00 for M.Div. and M.Min. ) after completing 9 credit hours may be placed on Academic Probation, which will be noted on the student’s permanent record.

If at the end of the following term the student’s cumulative GPA is at least 3.00 (2.00 for M.Div. and M.Min. ), the student will be removed from Academic Probation.

Students on Academic Probation who do not raise their cumulative GPA to at least 3.00 (2.00 for M.Div. and M.Min. ) at the end of the next term may be subject to Academic Dismissal, which will be noted on the student’s permanent record.

A student who has completed at least 9 hours and has less than a 2.00 cumulative GPA (1.00 for M.Div. and M.Min. ) may be subject to Academic Dismissal.

A student with a term GPA of 2.00 or lower (1.00 for M.Div. and M.Min. ) may be placed on Academic Probation, even if the student’s cumulative GPA remains 3.00 or above (2.00 for M.Div. and M.Min. ). A student with a term GPA of 2.00 or lower (1.00 for M.Div. and M.Min. ) for two consecutive terms may be subject to Academic Dismissal.

Appeal for an extension of Academic Probation or Dismissal status must be made in writing to the Academic Vice President.

A student academically dismissed from one graduate program may apply for admission to another graduate program.

Students wanting a copy of their transcript must submit an official request. There is a $10 fee for each transcript request. The Records Office will not issue any transcripts of a student’s record for any student whose account is not paid in full.

Credits earned from an approved or accredited college or university will be considered for transfer. Courses that are acceptable for transfer must be completed prior to enrollment and be similar in content to those replaced in the chosen program at PTS or PCC. Only courses with a grade of “A” or “B” are considered for transfer (“C” or higher for M.Div.). Transfer credits are excluded from a student’s grade point average. At least 50 percent of the total credits required for a graduate degree must be completed at PTS or PCC.

After students have enrolled in the Seminary or College, any action that would cause them to leave the Seminary or College before routine completion of the semester (voluntary or involuntary) will be considered a withdrawal.

Students whose circumstances force them to withdraw from the Seminary or College must have a withdrawal form properly executed. Contact the Seminary-Graduate Studies Office to initiate this process. Course grades recorded for withdrawals, whether voluntary or involuntary, will follow the same policy as dropping a course, with the exception that withdrawing from all courses during week 1 will result in grades being recorded as W—Withdrawn.

Whenever students withdraw and owe money on their account, the money is due upon withdrawal. Interest of one percent per month (12% APR) will be charged on the unpaid balance beginning 30 days after the withdrawal until the debt is paid in full.

Should students leave the Seminary or College for any reason after having paid more than the amounts outlined above, a refund is made for any overpayment, but no refund is made to students for any other reason. No refunds are issued on students’ accounts until after the third week of school has been completed.

For students to withdraw from a class, they must obtain permission from the Registrar.

On Campus
Students are entitled to a full refund of tuition prior to commencement of instruction.

Fall and Spring:
Students who have a withdrawal officially approved and the departure is before the end of the first three weeks of the semester owes the semester’s tuition according to the following schedule:

Students also owe fees and room and board (if a residence hall student) at a prorated amount based on the length of their stay.

When students are accepted for the fall semester, they are expected to remain a student at the Seminary or College for both the fall and spring semesters of that academic year. Reservations are automatically carried over from the fall semester to the spring semester within a given school year. Therefore, if students withdraw at the end of the fall semester, they must notify the Seminary-Graduate Studies Office in writing.

Summer:
Students who attend class but withdraw before completing the session are responsible for full tuition and fees for the course that session (exception: students taking 2 courses each day or courses carrying a load of more than 3 credits—see the Business Office Supervisor).

Online:
To withdraw with official approval, students must have a withdrawal form properly executed by the Registrar’s office.

Students are entitled to a full refund of tuition prior to the end of registration. After registration concludes, students are obligated to pay all tuition and fees whether or not they complete course requirements.