Academic Life
2.1. Academic Programs
All required courses must be successfully completed, and a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 (B) or above must be attained for graduation. Each intensive course is worth 5 ECTS, but the pre-reading, attendance, paper writing etc. may be expected to take up 150 hours of actual time, shown in detail on the course syllabus.
A failed course must be re-taken the following year, or when it is offered again, and completed successfully. The only exception to this would be in the case of an elective, where another course could be chosen, but the normal course fee would apply.
2.1.1 Academic Year
The academic year at ETS begins on 1st September and runs to 30th June the following year. It is divided into two semesters. Without express agreement, all fees should be paid and course work should be completed before the start of the next semester.
2.1.2 Master Degree (3-year program)
There are two options for study at Master Degree level: MA Marriage and Family Studies and MA Pentecostal and Charismatic Theology, both of which are 90 ECTS courses. The MA has a 20 ECTS thesis component, with a 5 ECTS Research and Writing component preceding the 15 ECTS Thesis itself. Entry into postgraduate courses requires an accredited Bachelor degree (EQF Level 6). Masters courses are normally offered as one week intensives during the academic year, though part-time courses my be offered over one or even two months, as agreed by the tutor and the students. The official academic catalog for the Master degree programs is located at www.leeuniversity.edu.
2.1.3 Syllabus Distribution
The official syllabus for each course in the Master's Programs can be found in the Module Handbook on the website under https://kms.ets-kniebis.de/. All essential information concerning specific assignments, due dates, etc. shall be distributed to students on Moodle and via E-Mail at least four weeks before the respective intensive week.
2.2 Accreditation
Lee University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, masters and education specialist degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Lee University. In Germany the degrees are accredited by Evalag, www.evalag.de.
2.3 Credit Transfer
Graduate students may apply for a maximum of 10 ECTS (normally two courses with a grade of B or better) achieved at another accredited college or university to be transferred to Lee University. Approval must be given by the ETS Academic Dean and Program Co-ordinator at Lee University.
2.4 Academic Calendar
The academic calendar for the next two years of the graduate program is published on the website and all efforts are put into ensuring that the course dates, titles and teachers are adhered to. Unavoidable changes to these dates or courses will be announced at the earliest opportunity and communicated to all registered students.
2.5 Record Keeping
Graduate Students of Lee University can have confidence in data protection. They will have their personal files stored at ETS in locked cupboards and on the server with restricted password access; This also applies to the Lee University campus where the information of the master students is sent. An individual student has the right of access to his/her grades through the on-line Portico system. Regarding the release of information to third parties, the privacy policy of the student's home country will be applied, except in cases of grave injustices and crimes.
2.6 Attendance Policy
Each student is expected to attend regularly and punctually all classes in which he/she is enrolled. Students are expected to participate fully in the class. Absence of more than one day of an intensive course would require the course to be retaken.
When a student is unable to attend class due to reasons beyond his/her control (e.g. illness, accident), the school should be notified immediately as to the reason for his absence and probable length of the absence. If the student notifies the school orally, he/she must provide a written statement upon return or within one week.
A leave of absence from classes is possible in individual, justified, exceptional cases. The recognized reasons for a leave of absence are important personal reasons (e.g. death in the immediate family; extreme illness in the student’s household).
2.7 Examination and Grading Policy
2.7.1 Grading System
The Lee University graduate programs use the following system of grading and quality points for all graduate-level courses. These letter grades are assigned grade point values as follows:
100-95 A 4.0 quality points 1
94-92 A- 3.7 quality points 1-
91-89 B+ 3.3 quality points 2+
88-86 B 3.0 quality points 2
85-83 B- 2.7 quality points 2-
82-80 C+ 2.3 quality points 3+
79-77 C 2.0 quality points 3
I Indicates the student’s work was incomplete
P Passing Credit (no quality points)
IP In Process
W Student officially withdrew from the class without penalty
A grade of “I” indicates the student’s work is incomplete. The grade becomes “F” if the work is not completed within six weeks after the end of the semester, unless a written extension has been approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. A grade of “I” is given only to students who encounter some personal difficulty such as a severe illness or an extreme family emergency near the end of the semester. The “I” grade is not given in order to allow students additional time to complete assignments.
A grade of “W” (withdrawal) is assigned to a student who, for any reason, officially withdraws or is withdrawn by the official semester date. This “W” is assigned without quality point penalty to the student.
The quality point system allows for a computing of the academic standing of the student by multiplying first the quality points obtained in a course by the respective number of semester hours of the respective course and then by dividing the total number of quality points obtained by the total semester hours attempted by the student. The grade point average will be based on the following scale: 4.0 - 3.5 excellent; 3.49 – 3.0 good; 2.99 -2.0 (average).
2.7.2 Grade Reviews and Academic Probation
Scholastic records of each student are reviewed at the end of each semester by the Dean. Students falling below the 3.0 GPA will be notified and may be placed on academic probation. Students who have not submitted all the required work at the end of the first academic year may be warned and prevented from taking further classes until all outstanding work has been submitted.
2.7.3 Transcripts
A transcript of academic credits will be issued by the Office of Records upon written request of the student. Forms are available in the Office of Records or online at www.leeuniversity.edu (Current Students, “Request a Transcript”). By law, the transcript cannot be released until the office has received the student’s signature granting permission to release his/her record. If requesting a transcript to be sent to another institution or other authorized person or agency, an official transcript is required. Official transcripts cost 10€/$5 each. Requests for transcripts, diplomas, and/or verification of degrees will be fulfilled only when all the student’s financial obligations to the university are met.
2.7.4 Cheating and Plagiarism
As a Christian community of scholarship, we at Lee University are committed to the principles of truth and honesty in the academic endeavor. As faculty and students in this Christian community, we are called to present our academic work as an honest reflection of our abilities; we do not need to defraud members of the community by presenting others’ work as our own. Therefore, academic dishonesty is handled with serious consequences for two fundamental reasons: it is stealing – taking something that is not ours; it is also lying – pretending to be something it is not. In a Christian community, such pretense is not only unnecessary; it is also harmful to the individual and community as a whole. Cheating should have no place at a campus where Christ is King because God desires us to be truthful with each other concerning our academic abilities. Only with a truthful presentation of our knowledge can there be an honest evaluation of our abilities. To such integrity, we as a Christian academic community are called.
2.7.5 Diploma
A diploma is conferred after the successful completion of all courses, thesis or examinations whether academic or practical. A student is cleared for Graduation when all fees have been paid, all Library materials returned and a cumulative G.P.A of 3.0 or above has been earned.
ETS will also suppy a Diploma Supplement at graduation to indicate information as required by the European Quality Framework (EQF Level 7).
2.7.6 Evaluation
Students are required to evaluate individual teachers before the end of each intensive course. These evaluations will be summarized and the teacher and Dean of the program informed.
Each individual course syllabus outlines the Learning Outcomes expected to be attained by students. These are examined annually by the Program Coordinator at Lee University against the established Program Outcomes.