Graduation Policy
Exit Exams
BA students will take pass all courses through examinations and term papers. A demonstration of basic proficiency in reading and translating Quranic Arabic texts will be required.
MA students must also complete approved projects/thesis and/or ten courses with exams. A demonstration of basic proficiency in reading and translating Quranic Arabic texts will be required.
PhD students will have the option to write a 200 page thesis and defend it before a committee of professors or they can undertake 5 post graduate level courses and produce and defend a 100 page thesis.
Grading System
The amount of work accomplished by a student is expressed in semester hours. In general, one semester hour represents one hour of class a week for a semester. The quality of the student’s work is evaluated according to the following scale:
| GRADE | DEFINITION | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| A (93-100) | Excellent | 4.0 |
| A- (90-92) | 3.5 | |
| B+ (87-89) | Good | 3.3 |
| B (83-86) | 3.0 | |
| B- (80-82) | 2.7 | |
| C+ (77-79) | Average | 2.3 |
| C (73-76) | 2.0 | |
| C- (70-72) | 1.7 | |
| D+ (67-69) | Poor | 1.3 |
| D (60-66) | 1.0 | |
| F (59-below) | Failure | 0 |
| P | Pass | 0 |
| I | Incomplete | 0 |
| W | Withdraw | 0 |
F Grade and Repeated Courses
A course in which a grade of ‘F’ is earned may be repeated only once. A student may retake any course, once, if he/she received a final of C, D, or F. When a course is repeated, only the higher grade is computed in the grade point average.
Credit can be earned only once for a given course. If a grade of ‘F’ is earned in a required course, it must be repeated. An incomplete course cannot be repeated.
Policy on Incompletes
Students who receive incomplete grades must complete their work by the deadline indicated on the academic Calendar. Failure to meet the deadline will result in the assignment of an ‘F’ grade for the course.
Requests for an extension of a deadline for completion of an “I” grade are subject to the instructor’s approval.
A student can only have two “I” grades on the transcript. There is no credit for an “I” grade.
Withdrawal from All Courses/Leave of Absence
A student who withdraws from all courses during or at the end of the semester, or plans a leave of absence, must complete a Withdrawal or Leave of Absence Form, which can be found in the Registrar’s office. An honorable release in granted to students whose academic record makes them eligible to continue, or return to the University and it states that they have met all obligations to the University.
Credit by Examination
Any student in good standing in the University may receive credit for any IUM course for which he/she demonstrates superior achievement by passing an examination in the subject matter. Students can receive credit by examination in any number of courses. The fee per credit is the same even for credit by examination.
Grade Point Average
A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 must be maintained in the BA program for a student to remain in general ‘good standing’. Additionally, all students in the BA program are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in their obligatory Core requirements in Islamic Studies. A student maintaining an overall GPA of 3.5 or above, and having no D or F grades on their records, may be nominated for honors by their academic advisors. Such honors will be noted on the official record.
Academic Dishonesty, Dismissal, and Appeal
The faculty and administration of IUM agree that this institution will not tolerate academic dishonesty. Students have an obligation to maintain a high degree of academic integrity and to have behave honestly and fairly with other students, their property members of University community, University guests and University property. Any violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action ranging from warning to expulsion from the university.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when one:
- Uses another’s work without proper citation
- Takes another’s work and passes it off as his or her own
- Takes exact wording without proper citation
- Paraphrases another’s work without proper citations
Plagiarism can result in a failing grade, academic suspension, or even expulsion from the University.
In cases where it is believed that the student did not take proper care in following standard academic protocols relating to the correct usage of citations, then the supervising faculty member must see to the student’s correction and the student must correct such mistakes. There are a number of handbooks on how to properly cite academic work. One can find these sources online or in the University library.
Probation
The academic records of all students are reviewed at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. Any student who has a GPA falling below 1.5 in any semester or whose cumulative average falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. Probationary status can be removed if a student achieves a semester GPA of 1.5 or a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
A student must seek assistance and counseling from an advisor and/or the instructor as soon as he/she experiences academic difficulties. As noted above, students on probationary status may lose eligibility for financial aid or scholarships from the University.
Confidentiality of Student Records and Information
Islamic University of Minnesota has strict confidentiality policy and respects student private and academic information. No student may access another’s file. Students must display their student ID when requesting access to their student files.