The School of Graduate Studies

Mission of the School of Graduate Studies

The mission of the School of Graduate Studies at North Carolina Central University is to provide world-class education and to produce leaders that are culturally sensitive and engaged in their respective fields of study. The School of Graduate Studies aims to develop independent study, originality, and competence in research and/or in the application of critical thinking to professional problems and this defines student success for the unit.

Responsibilities of the School of Graduate Studies

Graduate study at North Carolina Central University is designed to provide qualified individuals seeking advanced degrees with a broader, deeper, and more thorough acquaintance with scholarship and research in a chosen field. The School of Graduate Studies is the principal academic unit of North Carolina Central University for graduate and professional education. Through the colleges and schools, the School of Graduate Studies provides administration for the development and creation of new graduate degree programs, admissions to graduate school, and assistantship funding.

The Graduate Dean, Graduate Council, and Graduate Faculty provide the organization by which the Office of the School of Graduate Studies discharges its responsibilities for graduate education at North Carolina Central University.

The duties of the Office of the School of Graduate Studies include the following:

• Reviews applications for admission to the Graduate School for compliance with academic standards.
• Upholds academic and admissions standards for graduate programs.
• Admits all graduate students to graduate programs.
• Administers all University policies that affect graduate education.
• Reviews and approves all new graduate programs.
• Establishes qualifications for and approves membership in the Graduate Faculty.
• Establishes qualifications necessary for graduate faculty to serve on and to chair thesis and dissertation examining committees.
• Sets policy that governs the composition of the thesis and dissertation examining committees and the conduct of the examinations.
• Oversees the process of submitting approved theses and dissertations, preservation of and access to the documents via online digital services such as ProQuest.
• Provides leadership in the recruitment retention of graduate students.
• Provides orientation programs, advising, and other support services that contribute to the successful matriculation, retention, and graduation of graduate students.

Graduate Dean

The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies has the responsibility for implementing the policies and actions of the Graduate Council and the Graduate Faculty and for administering the School of Graduate Studies so that it is effective in implementing and responding to those policies. Additional responsibilities of the Graduate Dean are included in the following:

• Allocates annual assistantship funding to the colleges and schools and monitors the application and academic impact of assistantships.
• Sets policy for and allocates annual graduate tuition remission awards.
• Supports and advises the Graduate Student Association.

Graduate Council

The Graduate Council develops and recommends necessary rules, regulations, policies, and guidelines that govern academic programs leading to advanced degrees. The Graduate Council reviews, evaluates, and provides recommendations to the University on proposals for new graduate programs, and on existing graduate programs; promotes quality in graduate programs; and promotes the general welfare of the graduate students and faculty. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies serves as chairperson of the Graduate Council.

The Graduate Council membership includes the associate dean and graduate faculty representatives from each college or school that sponsors advanced degree programs, plus one representative from the Graduate Student Association. The Graduate Council membership will include the following:

• College of Arts and Sciences will have its associate dean and two (2) of its graduate faculty members,
• College of Behavioral and Social Sciences will have its associate dean and two (2) of its graduate faculty members,
• School of Business will have its associate dean and one (1) of its graduate faculty members,
• School of Education will have its associate dean and two (2) of its graduate faculty members,
• School of Library and Information Sciences will have its associate dean and one (1) of its graduate faculty members,
• School of Law will have its associate dean and one (1) of its Law faculty members,
• The Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences (INBS) Program will have the INBS Director as member,
• One representative of the Graduate Student Association, and
• Ex-officio member, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Graduate Faculty

The Graduate Faculty are responsible for teaching classes restricted to graduate students, designing the academic content of graduate degree programs, and supervising the writing and defense of graduate student research in the form of internship reports, projects, theses, and dissertations.

Graduate Faculty can have Full or Adjunct Status. In addition, there also are Special Members to the Graduate Faculty who are scholars with no affiliation with the University.

Graduate Faculty with Full Status

Graduate Faculty with Full Status shall consist of tenured or tenure-track faculty members from academic departments which offer graduate degrees. Graduate Faculty with Full Status qualify based on their academic credentials, scholarly achievements, and abilities in graduate education and research. 

Recommendation for appointment as Graduate Faculty with Full Status is initiated by the chairperson of the academic department responsible for the particular graduate program and the dean of the college or school, as appropriate. Recommendations for appointments to the Graduate Faculty with Full Status are approved by the Graduate Council. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies authorizes the Graduate Faculty with Full Status appointment approved by the Graduate Council. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies may execute exceptions to the procedures described and report such to the Graduate Council. 

All Graduate Faculty with Full Status may teach any graduate course designated for them by the department in which they serve; supervise and advise graduate students on theses, projects, or internships; and serve as the chair or a member of graduate students’ Thesis Committees.

All Graduate Faculty with Full Status appointments will be reviewed annually and continuation of this appointment after a period of five years is subject to re-affirmation by the chairperson of the academic department and/or dean of the college or school, as appropriate, to the Graduate Council. The Graduate Faculty with Full Status appointment is terminated upon resignation or retirement.

Graduate Faculty with Adjunct Status and Special Members of the Graduate Faculty

Graduate Faculty with Adjunct Status may come from the ranks specified in the following categories:

• Research faculty
• Clinical faculty
• Emeritus faculty
• Visiting faculty
• Adjunct faculty
• Part-time faculty
• Other special categories of qualified faculty such as writers-in-residence or artists-in-residence  
• Other qualified non-teaching university professional staff members

Recommendation for appointment as Graduate Faculty with Adjunct Status is made by the chairperson of the academic department responsible for the particular graduate program and/or the dean of the college or school, as appropriate, based on the nomination from Full Members of the Graduate Faculty in the department. Recommendations for appointments to the Graduate Faculty with Adjunct Status are approved by the Graduate Council.

Special Members of the Graduate Faculty are scholars who may come from the following categories:

• Tenured and tenure-track faculty members from other universities
• Qualified professionals external to the university

Nomination for appointment as Special Member to the Graduate Faculty is made by the chairperson of the academic department responsible for the particular graduate program, on the recommendation of the Full Members of the Graduate Faculty in the department. Nominations for appointments as Special Member to the Graduate Faculty are approved by the Graduate Council.

The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies authorizes the Graduate Faculty with Adjunct Status and the Special Member to the Graduate Faculty appointments approved by the Graduate Council. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies may execute exceptions to the procedures described and report such to the Graduate Council.

All Graduate Faculty with Adjunct Status and Special Members to the Graduate Faculty may teach graduate courses designated for them by the department in which they were recommended and serve as a member of graduate students’ Thesis Committees. Graduate Faculty with Adjunct Status and Special Members to the Graduate Faculty may not serve as the chair of graduate students’ Thesis Committees.

All Graduate Faculty with Adjunct Status and Special Member to the Graduate Faculty appointments will be effective for periods of up to five years and may be re-approved for periods of up to five years based on appropriate review and on recommendation of the chairperson of the academic department to the Graduate Council. Both of these types of appointment are terminated upon resignation or retirement.

Graduate Student Association

The North Carolina Central University Graduate Student Association (GSA) is an advocacy organization composed of graduate and professional students at North Carolina Central University. GSA representatives exist to provide a voice for North Carolina Central University’s entire graduate and professional student body. The organization represents graduate students at formal University sponsored meetings and provides a forum for dialogue between graduate students and other campus units, including University faculty and administrators. NCCU GSA organizes academic, professional, and social events designed to foster intellectual growth and interchange within the graduate community.

Graduate and Professional Education at NCCU

Graduate programs at NCCU at the Master’s degree level may be research-based, project-based, or practicum-based. The Master’s degree programs at NCCU have Thesis or Non-thesis options and generally require from 30 to 36 credits hours to complete.  Some professional programs such as Public Administration and in the School of Business and School of Education have higher credit hour requirements ranging from 45 to 62.  Graduate students take 5000-level courses in their Master’s degree program. Thesis options require a substantial research component, and Non-thesis options require project, practicum, or coursework. The Master of Music degree has the Performance option and the Composition/Arrangement option. In addition, requirements to complete the Master’s degree program usually include satisfying a foreign language requirement, passing a comprehensive examination, and passing an oral examination. The oral examination is typically the student’s defense of the written thesis, project paper, or practicum portfolio.

The PhD Degree in Integrated Biosciences at NCCU is a research degree. Coursework is at the 8000-level for PhD students. The PhD degree is awarded on the basis of achievement in a wide range of course work; a qualifying examination (written and/or oral) evaluating the breadth and depth of background knowledge; intensive research experience during which the candidate demonstrates ability to initiate, perform, and analyze original academic research; a written dissertation; and defense of the dissertation through a final oral examination.

The Juris Doctor degree is offered through the School of Law at NCCU. The School of Law handles all admissions and academics for Law: http://law.nccu.edu/

Graduate Program Accreditations

North Carolina Central University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees, the Ph.D. degree, and the first professional degree of Law. NCCU graduate programs also have specialized accreditations which include the following:

Business: Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBS); Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Chemistry: American Chemical Society (ACS)

Child Development (Family & Consumer Sciences): National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Communication Disorders: Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

Counseling: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Criminal Justice: North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission (NC CJETSC)

Dietetics (Family & Consumer Sciences): Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE)

Education: Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP); North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)

Law: American Bar Association (ABA); North Carolina State Bar Council (NCBC)

Library & Information Sciences: American Library Association (ALA)

Physical Education & Recreation: National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)/ American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR)

Social Work: Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

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