Academics

Enrollment & Registration Policies

UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT AND COURSE REGISTRATION

ACADEMIC YEAR

The American Kings University operates on a July 1 through June 30 calendar.

DEFINITIONS

“Credit” means a measure of college or university level instruction that is evaluated by duly qualified faculty; it is also the same as “unit” or “unit of credit. Credit at the University is earned in semester credit units. Nine hours (50 minute hour) of lecture each week for 5 weeks is to be accompanied by 2 hours of home study for each hour of lecture, or an estimated 27 hours of study each week. In the absence of formal lectures, the equivalent study requirement is 27 hours per week for 5 weeks in a 3 semester-unit course offered by the university’s online learning format.

“Full time study” means the equivalent of, if measured in credit hours, 24 semesters or trimester units to be completed within 30 weeks of instruction.

“Part time study” means the equivalent of, if measured in credit hours, less than 24 semesters or trimester units to be completed within 30 weeks.

“Semester” means at least 15 weeks of instruction or its equivalent.

“Tuition” means the cost for instruction normally charged on a per unit or per hour basis. It does not include the cost of textbooks, supplies, transportation, or equipment.

ENROLLMENT

The University accepts students on a continuous enrollment basis. Applications for admission are available through the Admissions office and may be submitted at any time during the year.

New applicants who wish to apply for admission to the University, the documents listed above must be submitted to the office of admissions. All application materials become the property of the university upon receipt.

After all documents have been completed and all test results and transcripts received, the student will be presented with an Enrollment Agreement to sign electronically.

EVALUATION PROCESS

The evaluation process begins when the applicant has submitted the application has talked to an advisor and has an academic plan, all transcripts have been received and all testing requirement have been met. The applicant has six (6) months to collect the necessary materials. (See Nullification of Application below). The applicant’s completed package is given to the academic acceptance committee for evaluation. The acceptance committee may request additional material if they think it is necessary. The committee will then either accept or deny the application. The applicant will be notified by email. It is very important that all materials be supplied as incomplete packages will not be processed.

NULLIFICATION OF APPLICATION

An applicant's file remains open for six (6) months. If an application is not complete within six (6) months of submission of the application form, the application will be nullified. To be reconsidered, the applicant must then reapply for admission, pay the registration fee in effect at the time of the reapplication, and submit all transcripts of any academic work completed at another institution subsequent to the original applicant date, together with transcripts from the original submission, letters of reference, and a new Statement of Academic Intent, if required.

TRANSFER CREDIT

Your courses from regionally accredited post-secondary institutions will normally transfer to The American Kings University if they are comparable to courses offered for academic credit here or would earn academic credit if they were offered.

In general, college-level courses in which passing grades have been earned are acceptable for transfer to the University; some departments may require at least a "C" grade for a specific course to be applied to the degree program.

Evaluation of transfer credit is two-step process:

When you apply, the Office of Admissions reviews your course work taken at another institution to determine whether the courses are acceptable for transfer. A Transfer Credit Evaluation form indicating which courses have been accepted for transfer will be sent to you with your offer of admission letter.

You should contact an academic adviser in your major as soon as possible after receiving the transfer credit evaluation to discuss how the credits accepted for transfer apply to your degree program.

Each department determines which transfer credits meet requirements for its degrees.

We will accept:

Up to 60 college credits from a regionally accredited community or junior college, including online courses. Credits taken at a recognized junior institution outside of the United States will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

A maximum of 90 credits from a regionally accredited senior college or university (including online courses), with the exception of those senior college credits previously applied toward a two-year program or an associate degree. Credits taken at a recognized senior institution outside of the United States will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

A grade of C- or above for any course transferred toward a bachelor’s degree.
A grade of B or above for any course transferred toward a master’s degree.
A grade of A for any course transferred toward a doctoral degree.

PRIOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ASSESSMENT

“Prior experiential learning” or “college level learning experience” means learning of a postsecondary nature as documented learning from a related profession, college level equivalent tests, military training or other college level equivalent experience.

(1) The university may grant credit to a student for prior experiential learning only if:

The prior learning is equivalent to a college or university level of learning;
The learning experience demonstrates a balance between theory and practice and;
The credit awarded for the prior learning experience directly relates to the student's degree program and is applied in satisfaction of some of the degree requirements.

(2) Each college or university level learning experience for which credit is sought shall be documented by the student in writing.

(3) Each college or university level learning experience shall be evaluated by faculty qualified in that specific subject area who shall ascertain

(1) to what college or university level learning the student's prior experience is equivalent and

(2) how many credits toward a degree may be granted for that experience.

(4) The faculty evaluating the prior learning shall prepare a written report indicating all of the following:
The documents in the student's record on which the faculty member relied in determining the nature of the student's prior experience;
The bases for determining that the prior experience

(i) is equivalent to college or university level learning and

(ii) demonstrates a balance between theory and practice; and The bases for determining

(i) to what college or university level the experience is equivalent and

(ii) the proper number of credits to be awarded toward the degree for that experience.

 

(5) (A) the institution shall designate at least one administrator to be responsible for the review of faculty determinations regarding the award of credit for prior experiential learning.

(B) The administrator shall document the institution's periodic review of faculty evaluations to assure that the faculty written evaluations and awards of credit comply with this section and the institution's policies and are consistent.

(6) The amount of credit awarded for prior experiential learning shall not be related to the amount charged the student for the assessment process.

(7)     (A) Of the first 30 semester credits awarded a student in an undergraduate program, no more than 15 semester credits may be awarded for prior experiential learning.

(B) Of the second 30 semester units (i.e., credits 31 to 60) awarded a student in an undergraduate program, no more than 15 semester credits may be awarded for prior
Experiential learning.

(C) Of the first 15 semester credits awarded a student in a graduate program

(D) Of the second 15 semester credits (i.e., credits 16 to 30) awarded a student in a graduate program, no more than 3 semester credits may be awarded for prior
Experiential learning.

(E) No credit for experiential learning may be awarded after a student has obtained 30 semester credits in a graduate program.
Prior Learning Assessment
Prior Learning Assessment is the process of earning college credit for college-level learning acquired from other sources, such as work experience, professional training, military training, or open source learning from the web.

Did you know that you may earn half of your credits toward your associate’s or bachelor’s degree, at less than half of the cost-per-credit? University of Phoenix allows you to apply relevant learning, work and life experiences toward college credits through the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process.

Save Time and Money by Applying Your Past Experience toward a Degree

You may be able to fulfill some elective, interdisciplinary and/or general education courses by going through the PLA process. In order to be eligible for PLA credits, you must be an undergraduate student who has already been accepted into University of Phoenix. In addition, you must have submitted your transcripts to the University and you must have remaining general education or elective credits required to earn your degree.
Before submitting an application, we suggest that you contact your Academic Advisor to discuss whether or not PLA would be beneficial to you, and how credits can be applied to your degree program.
PLA credits cannot be applied to Associate and Bachelor degree programs in Education.
PLA credit costs
There is a one-time submission fee, and a fee per credit assessed and applied to your program. The one-time submission fee is $150, and the fee per credit assessed is $75 (state taxes may apply).
Application to the PLA process does not guarantee credits will be applied, so please read the qualifications carefully. Speak with your Academic Advisor about whether your experience can qualify for university credit.
Get Credit for Your Experience

Professional training, such as seminars and courses provided by employers may be eligible for PLA. Licenses, certificates and transcripts from colleges and institutions may also be eligible. Certain types of experience may be eligible through writing an experiential learning essay.

Bachelor’s degree students can earn up to 60 PLA credits (30 for professional training and 30 for Experiential Essay).
Graduate degree programs are not eligible for PLA credits.
Contact the Registrar’s Office for more information.

ACCEPTANCE BY THE AMERICAN KINGS UNIVERSITY

As a prospective student, you will be given a Catalog and are encouraged to review this Catalog prior to signing an Enrollment Agreement.
Once the completed Enrollment Agreement and the required items mentioned above have been completed, the applicant will be informed of their acceptance or denial. If the school does not accept an applicant, all fees paid by the applicant to the school will be refunded.

COURSE REGISTRATION

Student’s university enrollment is based on course registration. When a student has been accepted the next step is to register for the course(s) they want to take. Each student should use the academic plan as a guide and enroll in courses in the order they appear on the academic plan. Many courses have prerequisites that must be met prior to registering. Your academic plan should have an order of what to take when. Register for the course(s) you wish to take online following the instructions of the course registration system. The maximum number of semester units that an undergraduate can enroll in is for each semester is 15.

COURSE NUMBERING

Each catalog number represents a unique course and is an indicator of the level of learning for that course, as follows:
Numbers beginning with 1 and 2 represent lower-division undergraduate courses.
Numbers beginning with 3 and 4 represent upper-division undergraduate courses.
Numbers beginning with 5 and 6 represent master’s-level graduate courses.
Numbers beginning with 7 and 8 represent doctoral-level graduate courses.
Numbers beginning with 9 represent comprehensive examination and dissertation courses.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR
CHANGING ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Students may elect to change from one academic program to another. The college Dean s Office that offers the new program determines whether or not that student is eligible to make the change and the semester the change goes into effect. Eligibility for admission to a new academic program is based primarily on the following criteria: academic credit earned;

A student may add or change their academic program at any time, provided the new program does not require a separate admission application. If a student has completed 60%, or more, of their academic program, they will not be allowed to change. Cumulative GPA; and the availability of space (quota) in the program.
Changing your current program may affect your eligibility for financial aid and/or veteran educational benefits.
Communications regarding your requested program change will be sent to your email address.
It is a requirement before your change your academic program application is approved, that you discuss with your academic advisor the reason for wanting to change.
Graduate students will have a significantly more difficult time to change their academic program. Discuss with the Dean of your school the requirements.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

A student may petition the dean of the school for a leave of absence, generally not to exceed 3 months in a 12-month period. Such leaves of absence should be separated by 6 months of active academic work.

Written requests for Leaves of Absence should be presented to the Academic Dean (or designee) any time during any module/term the student wishes to take a Leave of Absence.

The commonly acceptable grounds for a Leave of Absence are: medical emergency (including pregnancy), military service, and course scheduling.

Students failing to return from a Leave of Absence as scheduled will be dropped from the program. Students that are not making satisfactory academic progress are not eligible for a Leave of Absence.

SEPARATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY

Separation from the university may occur if the student does not show satisfactory progress in the program, if the grade point average falls below that required for graduation, if the student does not comply with the requirements accompanying academic probation, if courses are not completed within university time limits. If tuition and fees, as listed in the catalog, are not paid, if the student violates the university code of conduct, or if the student engages in plagiarism or submits coursework or examinations for credit that are falsified.

BACKGROUND CHECKS
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND HONESTY

The principles of academic integrity encompass simple standards of honesty and truth. Each member of the University community has a responsibility to uphold standards and to take action when others violate them. Faculty members have an obligation to educate students about the standards of academic integrity and to report violations of these standards Students are responsible for knowing what the standards are and for adhering to them. Students also should bring any violations of which they are aware to the attention of their instructors. Any breach of academic integrity is a serious offense that may result in disciplinary consequences.

Plagiarism is a violation of the integrity of the academic community. Representing someone else’s work as one’s own is a serious academic offense and may result in failure, suspension, or dismissal.

ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
ACADEMIC STANDING

Undergraduate Students:

If an undergraduate student has a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, they are in “good academic standing”. If during the current term the student’s grade point average is below 1.5 or falls below 2.0 while on academic probation, the student is subject to dismissal from the University. If the student’s cumulative grade point averages fall below 2.0, the student is placed on academic probation.

Honors at Entrance are granted to selected graduates of accredited Undergraduate or Graduate Programs. Students, who must apply for the honor, must have achieved an overall grade-point average of 3.50 or above. The student must be enrolled in the University full-time and must apply for the honor by the deadline date. If granted, it is recorded when the student has completed one semester.

Dean’s Honors List is published each semester. It includes all students whose semester grade point average is 3.50 or higher, with a grades in 12 or more units.

Administrative Honors are awarded to graduates who have completed at least 30 units at the University and who have achieved a grade-point average of 3.67 or above in work at the University and in all work attempted.

Valedictorian Award recognition is given to the graduate(s) with the highest grade-point average among the recipients of Administrative Honors.

Graduate Students:

If an undergraduate student has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, they are in “good academic standing”. The University, like most graduate schools, accepts As and Bs for graduate credit. The range of passing grades is A to B-, thus providing two specific steps with which to demonstrate a student's progress within a course. No more than two grades of Bare acceptable, including transfer credit, and no transfer credit is permitted for courses rated C+ or lower. For the student, to graduate, he/she must achieve a grade-point average (GPA), including transfer credit, of at least B (3.0). Should a student receive more than two B- grades,