NYMC > School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP) > SHSP Academics > Academic Regulations

Academic Regulations

Enrollment Status

The programs in Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology enroll only full-time students.

For the MS in Biostatistics and Public Health programs, the number of credits taken establishes a student’s enrollment status, which is determined each term. Students are considered to be full-time when enrolled in 8 or more credits during any Fall or Spring semester. During the summer session, 4 credits constitute full-time enrollment. Students with fewer credits are considered part-time. To be eligible for financial aid and/or loan deferment, during the Fall and Spring semesters, a student must take at least 4 credits.

Student Category Definitions:

Matriculated Student – Applicants who have received a bachelor’s degree with A GPA of 3.0 from an accredited undergraduate institution and have met the other admissions requirements may, at the discretion of the Admissions Review Committee, be accepted as a matriculated (pursuing a degree) student.

Conditional Admissions Student - Applicants whose undergraduate GPA is under 3.0, may, at the discretion of the Admissions Review Committee, be accepted as conditional admissions students. Upon completion of a minimum of 6 and maximum of 9 credits with a grade point average of 3.0 (grades of B) or higher, the status of conditional admissions students will be reviewed and the committee may remove the conditional status and hold on the student’s continued registration. Financial aid is available per federal guidelines. If the student does not meet the 3.0 GPA criterion, earn grades of B or better in all courses, demonstrate required skills and competencies for each course, and uphold the Code of Academic Integrity, he/she will be prohibited from enrolling in any further coursework and will be administratively withdrawn from the school.

Non-Matriculated and Certificate Students - Applicants to “stand-alone” credit-bearing graduate certificate programs are accepted as non-matriculated students, and remain in this status for the duration of the program, even if the total number of credits exceeds nine. Non-degree applicants taking 3-9 credits may be considered as non-matriculated students. No financial aid is available per federal guidelines.

Transcripts and Release of Information
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, prohibits the release of educational records by institutions without the specific written consent of the student or alumnus/a. Instructions on requesting an official transcript. 

Student Grade Reports
Students enrolled in classes may view final grades and print an unofficial copy of their transcript in the TouroOne Portal.

System of Grades
The system of grades and points assigned to each grade is as follows:

Grade Point
A= 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
F = 0.0 Failure

A student who ceases to attend classes but does not officially withdraw from a course will automatically receive a failing grade. Other designations are:

INC - Incomplete
AUD - Audit
W – Withdrawal
WF – Withdraw/Failing 
GNR - Grade Not Reported
MT - Multi-term
P - Pass
H - Honors (for thesis only)

Calculating Grade Point Average (GPA)
Each credit earned generates a specific number of quality points according to the letter grade earned. The grade point average is determined by dividing the total number of a student’s quality points by the total number of credits for which a grade has been assigned.

Example:
Credit Hours Grade Point Quality Points
3 x 4.0 (A) = 12.0
3 x 3.3 (B+) = 9.9
3 x 3.0 (B) = 9.0
30.9 ÷ 9 = 3.43
The GPA for this student is 3.43.

A grade for transferred credits is not calculated in the student’s grade point average. However, transferred credits are applied toward the completion of degree requirements.

Course Evaluations
Course evaluations are a course requirement.
The School of Health Sciences and Practice requires each student to complete a course evaluation for each course taken.

Incomplete Coursework
A student who has completed a substantial portion of the course requirements but is unable to complete a course for reasons of health, change of job location, a family emergency, or other exceptional circumstance, must submit a written request to the course instructor for an “Incomplete.” If the reason is deemed appropriate, the student will receive the grade “INC” (Incomplete) for the course. Failure to complete the work by the end of the Fall or Spring semester following the term in which the course was taken will result in a grade of “F.”

Both the student and the instructor are notified by the Registrar that an “INC” has been converted to an “F.” Upon receipt of this notice, the instructor may request an extension, subject to the Chair’s approval, not to exceed one additional fall or spring semester. Any extension beyond two consecutive fall or spring semesters must be requested by the Dean as an exceptional case since the passage of time often brings changes to course content.

Course Audit
No audits of Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology courses are permitted. Students who do not wish to receive credit for a Public Health course may register as auditors. Such students must formally register and pay tuition and any fees associated with the course. However, they are not required to take exams or submit assignments.

A student may change from credit to audit status (or vice versa) for a course through the add/drop period. A written request from the student, signed by the Dean, must be made to the Office of the Registrar.

Withdrawal from a Course or Withdrawal from the School
After the drop deadline, students may withdraw from a course through the 10th week of a 15-week term and through the sixth week of an eight-week term. Withdrawal from a course is indicated on a student’s transcript by a grade of W (withdraw) or W/F (withdraw, failing).  The W/F grade is recorded if the student is failing the course and more than 50% of the final grade has been determined. To officially withdraw from a course, students must submit the Course Withdrawal Form

Students who stop attending a course but do not officially withdraw will receive an “F”. Before dropping a course, it is highly recommended that a student discuss the matter with the instructor and/or the appropriate program advisor.

Students who receive a “W” or “W/F” may retake the course for credit provided they reregister and pay to take the course again.

Students who wish to withdraw entirely from the School of Health Sciences and Practice must submit the change of status form, found on the Registrar's Form webpage.

View our refund policies located on the NYMC Bursar's refund information webpage

Repeating Courses
Students who do not meet a minimum grade requirement in a core or concentration course may be required to repeat the course. Similarly, students may wish to repeat a course in which a grade of “F” was received in order to remove that grade from the calculation of the GPA.

When a student repeats a course, the transcript will reflect the repetition and each letter grade. The higher of the two grades will be calculated in the student’s grade point average. Credit for the course will be given only once.

Satisfactory Academic Progress and Good Academic Standing
Students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards a degree at all times. The School of Health Sciences and Practice SAP Policy is available on the SHSP Policies webpage.

Change of Program
A matriculated M.P.H. student who wishes to change his/her degree or certificate program of concentration should send a request to the Chair or Program Director of the new program, along with a form,  and a new personal statement for review and approval.

If the Chair/Program Director agrees to accept the student into the new program, he/she will sign the form and forward it to the Chair of the student’s former program for signature. The Chair of the student’s former program will forward the form to the Dean’s Office for final approval or denial. The Vice Dean will sign the form and forward it to the Registrar.

Transfer of Credits
A matriculated public health student who has completed graduate courses at another accredited institution may be permitted to transfer earned credits.  Applicants must have earned a minimum grade of B, course credits must not have been applied toward a degree that was granted at another institution, courses must be appropriate to the student’s program at the School of Health Sciences and Practice, and have been completed within the past 5 years. For M.P.H. degree candidates, a maximum of 9 credits are transferable. For DrPH degree candidates, a maximum of 12 credits are transferable. Students must submit the Transfer Credit application. The chair/chief is responsible for making the final determination of acceptance or denial of transfer credit(s). The Policy on Transfer of Credits is available on the SHSP Policies webpage.

Leave of Absence, Maintenance of Matriculation and Reapplication
A student may be allowed a leave of absence for a period of up to one year following the semester of last attendance. Leaves for all matriculated students must be approved by the Department Chair and the Vice Dean. Leaves for non-matriculated students in the Public Health programs must be approved by the Vice Dean. To request a leave of absence, complete the form found on the Registrar's Form webpage.

A student must obtain permission from the Department Chair before taking a leave of absence in the semester preceding graduation.

A matriculated public health student who is not on a leave of absence and who is not registered for course credits must maintain academic standing by registering for maintenance of matriculation and by paying the maintenance of matriculation fee (the cost of one-half credit) for a period of time not to exceed four consecutive semesters. The matriculation fee is only charged during the fall and spring semesters. During the summer the fee is $0. An activity fee is not required, but a network access fee is required. This and the maintenance of matriculation fee entitle the student to the services of the library, the computer center, and academic/thesis advising.

Students who are not on a leave of absence and do not pay the Maintenance of Matriculation fee over the course of one year will be considered to have withdrawn from the School. It will be necessary for them to reapply to continue their studies.

Individuals who have previously applied to the School, but never registered and wish to attend must repeat the admission process if more than a year has elapsed since the original application. Also, a student who has not been enrolled for more than one year must reapply. This involves the submission of all documents and the payment of all fees required for admission. Students will then adhere to the policies and course requirements that are current at the time of readmission.

New York Medical College’s policy for working with deployment and other military deferments is a simple process of informing the program advisor assigned to each student. Accommodations are made and the student may drop classes with no penalties. The readmissions policy allows Service members and reservists to be readmitted to a program if they are temporarily unable to attend class or have to suspend their studies due to service requirements. No additional reapplication is needed so long as the student hasn't matriculated elsewhere since their leave began. 

Change of Address
Continuing students should notify the Office of the Registrar in writing of any changes of address or phone numbers.

Application to Graduate
A student (candidate) who wishes to receive his/her degree at Spring Commencement must submit a completed application to the Office of the Registrar no later than December 1st of the previous year. All degree requirements, except courses in which the candidate is currently enrolled, must be completed by April 1. Students will be permitted to graduate only after they have fulfilled all academic requirements and financial obligations to the College.

Student Code of Academic Integrity and Professionalism
Academic integrity is essential in any educational endeavor and it is expected at all times from both students and faculty. By accepting admission to New York Medical College, students commit to the ideals, ethics and conduct of their profession and of the institution. The Student Code of Academic Integrity and Professionalism outlines responsibilities and expected behaviors. Suspected violations of the Student Code of Academic Integrity and Professionalism are investigated in accordance with established Procedures as well as the guidelines of the relevant academic program and may lead to dismissal from the school.

Student Grievance Procedure
A student who believes that he or she has not received equitable treatment by a member of the faculty may register a formal grievance. Grievances concerning course grades are appropriate only when the grade constitutes one of a number of factors that, together, may represent a pattern of inequitable treatment of the student. In all cases, course instructors have final responsibility for assigning course grades. View the Student Grievance Procedures.