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2010 Graduation Ceremony
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies graduates (July 2009 - May 2010) and Doctor of Liberal Studies are invited to participate in two celebrations during Commencement Weekend. The School of Continuing Studies Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 22, at 5 PM in Gaston Hall . The Commencement will be followed by a reception in the Leo O'Donovan Hall, SW Quad .
The Baccalaureate Mass for all Georgetown University graduates is on Sunday, May 23 at 9:00 a.m. on the Healy Lawn and will be followed by a buffet breakfast in the Grand Ballroom of the Leavey Center.
Graduation invitations will be mailed in mid-March or given to students upon completion of their thesis. Students are allowed to bring up to 10 guests to the ceremonies. Caps and gowns will be on sale in the Georgetown University Bookstore the week prior to Commencement. More information regarding degree completion and commencement will be sent to students in the Spring.
Credits
Doctor of Liberal Studies degree candidates must earn 36 credits of coursework, pass both the written and oral sections of the comprehensive examinations, and successfully complete and defend a doctoral thesis, to earn the Doctor of Liberal Studies degree. Six to nine hours of transfer credit or advanced standing may be awarded as determined by the Liberal Studies Director in consultation with the Director of Doctoral Studies. Such credits must be from graduate-level academic work acquired at Georgetown University or other approved universities. Of the 36 credits, 12 will come from four required foundational courses. Students may select the remaining 24 credits from Liberal Studies courses developed for the Doctor of Liberal Studies degree; other Liberal Studies courses; selected graduate courses from other departments at the University; and Directed Reading/Tutorial courses.
Grading System and GPA Requirements
A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students will not be allowed to register for additional courses beyond the 27 required course credits in order to raise their GPA.
The Liberal Studies Program does not allow students to audit classes; therefore students must be officially registered in order to attend class. Registered students will receive one of the following letter grades:
| A |
4.00 |
| A- |
3.67 |
| B+ |
3.33 |
| B |
3.00 |
| B- |
2.67 |
| C |
2.00 |
| F |
0.00 |
| I |
Incomplete (Graduate notation) |
| W |
Withdrawal |
| S |
Satisfactory (A grade of B or better in a pass/fail course) |
| U |
Unsatisfactory (Any grade below a B in a pass/fail course) |
Please note that while the grades of S and U are not included in the calculation of a student's GPA, a U is treated as an F for the purpose of reviewing academic performance leading to academic dismissal.
Academic Ineligibility
Master's Degree Candidates earning grades of two "C's" or lower are academically dismissed. All grades, including "F's," are calcualated in determining the cumulative GPA. An "F"=0. At the completion of 8 courses (24 credits attempted), a student must have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA. If the student's GPA is below a 3.0, he/she is dismissed from the Program and further course registration or enrollment in the Thesis Proposal Workshop is canceled.
Required Courses
Through the required foundational courses in the humanities, specifically philosophy, theology, history, art, literature, and the social sciences, the doctoral program establishes the intellectual and scholarly context needed to carry out serious interdisciplinary study and research. In the fall semester of the first year, all DLS students must enroll in “Introductory Colloquium: Liberal Studies as Perspective and Method” and the following spring, students take “The Rise of the Modern Spirit.” In the fall semester of the second year, students take “The Challenge of Postmodernism,” and in the spring semester of the second year, they take the last foundational course “Approaches to Art and Literature, and Historiography.”
Schedule
Since this degree is particularly designed for non-traditional students who have professional and other responsibilities, all the required courses are offered in the evening. Electives from other departments may be offered at other times, in the day or evening.
Advising
Drawn from the faculty in the Liberal Studies Program, the Director of Doctoral Studies serves DLS students from their entry in the Program to the completion of their degree. Specifically, the Director of Doctoral Studies assists DLS students with all course selections; manages students’ progress through the degree program; recommends to the Executive Committee two to three faculty members to assist in the preparation and reading of the student’s Written Comprehensive Exam; and recommends three faculty members to constitute a Doctoral Thesis Committee for each candidate. In addition, the Director of Doctoral Studies advises the Director of the Liberal Studies Program on course/faculty selection for the doctorate.
For more information on grades, grade changes, and grade appeals, please refer to the Liberal Studies Degree Handbook
Posting of Grades
Faculty members post grades directly to MyAccess. Therefore students are able to access their grades before or as soon as the administrative office. Grades are not due until several weeks after the term ends. Students who need to know their grade sooner (for employee reimbursement, for example) should contact their professor directly.
Final Paper/Test Pick-Up
While some professors return papers in class or via email, many prefer to drop final papers off at the Liberal Studies office where they are stored for two semesters. Students may pick up their paper during office hours at Suite 225, ICC.
