Answers to your most popular questions

Why seek a master's degree?

Many seek master's degrees to advance in their fields and to earn raises. Others seek master's degrees to change career fields. For example, let's say that you've earned a bachelor's degree in English, but have decided that you want to become manager: complete a master's degree in Business Administration. A master's degree will allow you to develop expertise in a new area and enter a new career.

Should I attend Graduate School? Is it for me? Should I get some job experience first?

This important decision should be made with much thought and consideration. The more homework you do to investigate your choices and educate yourself, the more capable you will be in making an informed decision. It is never too early to start thinking about graduate school. Speak with a admissions representative, instructors, advisor, and colleagues. Each can provide you with information and personal experience that will be helpful in your decision-making process.

Your decision to attend graduate school should be based on a strong vocational interest, a passion for further knowledge, and a desire to increase your income potential -- not to avoid getting a job or because you're not sure what you want to do. To work or not to work prior to graduate school really depends on your situation and field of study. Some graduate programs strongly encourage people to have work experience. You should explore what is expected in your field of study.

How long does earning a master's degree take?

Typically, its one and a half years beyond the bachelor's degree, but that additional one and a half years open the door to many career opportunities that are personally, professionally, and financially fulfilling.

What Does a Master's Degree Entail?

Master's degree programs entail classes, similar to your undergraduate classes. The professors tend to expect a higher level of analysis in master's classes than undergraduate classes.

What is this required entrance essay?

The application essay is also known as the "statement of purpose" or "personal statement". The essay is used as an indicator of your writing ability, and also to provide an opportunity for you to articulate your goals and reasons for applying to graduate school. Be sure that your essay meets the school's requirements of at least 750 words and submitted on the day of application preferably.

What Are the Days and Times of MBA Classes?

On campus courses are offered Monday through Thursday 5:30 PM – 9:10PM
EMBA courses are Friday 5:30 PM – 9:10 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Online Courses (Distance Learning) are designated as a synchronous delivery.

What is Graduate School?

Graduate school is quite different from undergraduate study. In contrast to undergraduate study which provides a background in a wide range of subjects, graduate school involves concentration in a particular area of study. Graduate school is professional training for a career, not just an extension of undergraduate studies. It can be very rewarding and may lead to the career you want; however, it requires much more in-depth study and research than undergraduate work. It involves more intensive working relationships with faculty and other students and places greater demands on your time and effort.

Graduate study is not just memorizing facts. Instead, it teaches you how to apply your knowledge to a particular problem to obtain a solution or make an appropriate decision. Research is an integral component of this process. You will be required to search through the works of others and then apply what you have discovered to problem situations. You will also extend what you have learned from others to develop your own ideas and contributions to your field of study.

Expectations

The expectations at the graduate level differ greatly from those at the undergraduate level. No longer is rote memorization sufficient but rather individual analysis and decision making must be demonstrated. Students in a graduate program must be able to not only give an answer but also provide a clear and thought out defense of the answer using the tools learned throughout the graduate career. Synthesis of knowledge from various subjects is also expected as you progress throughout the program.

Pedagogy

The Socratic Method is the basic teaching method used by graduate faculty. The Socratic Method is essentially the instructor interacting with the students via the posing of questions in addition to the normal lecture format. This method allows for class participation and also allows the instructor to test the preparedness and understanding of the students.

The second facet of the teaching methodology is a journal-driven education. As students progress through graduate school and toward mastery of a subject matter, they will find themselves at the forefront of the subject. However, it is often the case that many of these concepts are not found in textbooks but rather in professional and academic journals. Additionally, journal articles can provide empirical documentation and/or a defense of the theoretical concepts that have been previously presented. The way to judge theories is to test them against real world evidence and journal articles are often an important source of such evidence.

Students' Rights and Responsibilities

Graduate study should be nurturing and empowering; it should not be exploitative and degrading. The purpose of this section is to define the limits of the student-faculty relationship.

Research

Faculty may not assign non-coursework research projects to students without a written agreement between the student and faculty that:

1. Clearly states the expected purposes(s) and scope of the proposed collaboration; and
2. specifies authorship and ownership of the research and/or intellectual property if it is subsequently published or otherwise distributed. This agreement must be approved in advance by the Dean of the graduate school.

All class exercises, experiments and research must conform to the ethical and procedural standards of The Academy of Management's Human Research-Subjects Committee.

Authorship

Members of the graduate school community may not appropriate the ideas and insights of others as their own and may not represent these ideas in conferences, journals or informational or marketing media. The prerogative to publish one's own ideas and the ownership of one's own intellectual property is inalienable.

Credit for other's ideas when developed in the give-and-take of a class discussion should be acknowledged when submitting papers for publication. Requests for genuine co-authorship of papers must be approved in advance by a full committee of the graduate faculty.

Harassment

Harassment based upon sex, veteran status, race, creed and disability is specifically defined and prohibited in the Sullivan University's Employee Handbook, which governs faculty and staff conduct. The graduate school extends this professional standard to faculty/staff-student and student-student relationships and class decorum.

The graduate school views all forms of harassment (including electronic, visual, audio and print media) as serious violations of trust and standards. Report all incidents to the Graduate Studies Coordinator. Disciplinary action can include expulsion from the University.

Research Papers

Why do research papers?

There is a multitude of reasons why a student should do research papers. This section will focus upon just a few them and the reasons will be presented in no particular order.

Doing research papers provides empirical validity to theories. By collecting data from real world observations, the writer can test the theories that he/she or others have developed.

Research papers allow the student to develop independence. This is a trait that many employers will be searching for in qualified applicants or candidates for promotion. The ability to work independently on a project or assignment shows initiative and creativity. Also, one will develop experience in defending your opinions. One of the most common questions you will hear at the grad school is "why?" and it will often be in response to a student's answer. The research paper allows students to develop some expertise in defending themselves.

Next, research papers can provide and opportunity for the student to do field work. That is, you will have to collect your own data from your own sources as opposed to having it provided to you. In the "real world," if you are assigned the project, you will be responsible for collecting the information, developing and opinion and ultimately defending it. During your graduate school career at Sullivan University, many paper assignments will have a field work component where you collect the data.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the fields you are studying are driven by research papers. Many of the most important theoretical developments and/or empirical findings are often presented in their initial stages in the form of research papers. By presenting your findings at conferences, workshops, etc. you will find yourself at the forefront of the subject maters. Once your peers and colleagues evaluate your research and decide that it is worthy, it will be published in an academic journal and it may find its way into the classroom where others will study and use it.

How do I write research papers?

The first and most important part of the paper is the thesis statement. This is often referred to as the research question. Why are you doing this paper? What are you attempting to address? This statement must appear somewhere close to the start of the papers. The question is often framed in the context of others' work. For example, you have found different results than another researcher or may wish to empirically document someone's theory or perhaps use a better technique.

The second part of many papers is the literature, or "lit," review. What have others found as it relates to your subject mater? Here, you often provide a summary of the previous studies in your topic. This section can be short or quite long depending on your paper. If your paper is mostly empirical work then the lit review is generally short; if you are developing a new or updated theory this section can be rather long.

Primary sources are appropriate for graduate-level papers, projects and theses. However, secondary sources may used:

1. when the secondary source is a translation of a foreign language;
2. when the secondary source is a reference to an unpublished theses or discussion paper;
3. when our library is unable to secure (through Inter-Library Loan) the primary source;
4. at the discretion of the instructor.

Next is often a section devoted to model development and/or selection. You must show the reader that you have selected an appropriate model that will address the topic. This will involve referencing other articles. There may be a multitude of choices available to you in terms of models but you must choose the most appropriate one and provide validity to it.

The empirical results generally follow the model selection. Here the data you are using are addressed, where and how it was obtained, survey methods (if applicable), etc. What did you find? Is it what was expected? Is it consistent with the previous research? Here is your chance to address the importance of your findings in the context of the subject matter.

Finally, your paper should end with a conclusion and bibliography. The conclusion should be a short restatement of what you have attempted to do, what you have found, the importance, etc. The bibliography should include any articles, textbooks, data sources and so on that you used in constructing your paper.

Please note that this discussion of research papers offers only a general guide for how to do a paper and your instructors may or may not ask you to conform to this style depending on the subject matter of the paper.

Ethics

Cheating

Cheating includes, but is not limited to any of the following: copying another's work; using a hand-held device such as a calculator to store notes, formulae, etc. when an instructor does not allow such aid on an exam; using notes and/or other aids that are prohibited on an exam; and any other method by which a student gains an unfair advantage. Cheating can also be in the form of plagiarism. According to the MLA Handbook, plagiarism is defined as using "….one of more person's ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the course…" and "Plagiarism…constitutes intellectual theft and often carriers severe penalties ranging from failure in a course to expulsion from school" (MLA Handbook, p. 26).

Beyond that why is cheating prohibited?

Cheating is unfair to your fellow students. It rewards those who put forth less than a full effort and penalizes those who use only traditional means of preparing for and taking an exam or writing a paper. It is not fair for a student to spend numerous hours preparing for an exam or countless hours in a library writing a paper just to have another student match or outperform that student by cheating.

Consequences of Cheating

The initial consequence of cheating is a zero (0) on the particular exam, assignment, etc. on which cheating was involved. Beyond that, there is some discretion available to the particular instructor. Additionally, he or she may give you an "F" in the class and could forward the case to the Dean for further disciplinary action.

Appeals

If a student thinks he or she was falsely accused and punished, the student may appeal the decision. An appeal must be made to the Dean with seven (7) days of the final judgment of the instructor. If the Dean finds sufficient evidence that warrants further investigation, a committee will be convened where both parties will be heard and a final decision will be made by that committee. This decision is final and binding.

The Graduate School Community

The Graduate Studies Coordinator

The role of the Graduate Studies Coordinator (GSC) is multi-faceted. The primary responsibility of the GSC, for the student's perspective, is to ensure a smooth and successful graduate school experience. The GSC acts as a liaison for the student with the graduate school, and vice versa. The GSC is a student's first stop for scheduling concerns and in seeking clarification of graduate requirements. The GSC will also contact the student when necessary, on behalf o the school or a particular instructor. Students may elect to involve the GSC in the area of student/teacher relations or concerns. If a student thinks that the issue should be handled by the GSC, the student is free to discuss it with the GSC. You can contact Kathy Mattingly at 502-413-8678 or email kmattingly@sullivan.edu.

The Faculty

The faculty functions as the student's strongest ally in their effort to successfully complete their graduate degree. Faculties in the graduate school typically hold terminal degrees and have published numerous research articles and/or presented at professional conferences. The graduate school faculty has numerous years of teaching experience and in some cases industry experience. Since many of the instructors at Sullivan University obtained their degree while working full time jobs in business, industry and the military, this makes the instructors empathetic to what their students are facing.

Students will relate closely to their instructors, in part because of the small class size. It is important for the students to involve their instructors as soon as they become aware of any problems in class, completing a class assignment or getting to class. The more time the instructor has to react to the student's situation, the more options are available to them. The instructors are caring, professional people who want to assist in the student's successful completion of the graduate degree.

You can also read about our faculty under the faculty bio tab.

Cohorts

Increased student success through group study and peer cooperation in learning is well documented. Undergraduates as well as graduates benefit from confronting learning tasks together. The graduate school at Sullivan University employs peer groups and teams in a variety of ways, and students in the program will serve their individual educational goals best by actively participating in assigned and self-selected study and research teams.

Most commonly, professors will require cohort groups of three to five students to produce a researched product. Such cohort groups normally establish their own organized structure to meet the timeline, format standards and specifications (such as APA documentation requirements) which the professor establishes for the project.

All motivated students expect to study individually outside of scheduled class hours, but cohort groups frequently also meet outside of class together, exchange information and data through mutually agreed upon networks and also form up during guided workshops during regular class hours.

Some graduate classes cooperated with community projects, bringing cohort practice to bear on corporate or civic requests for expert managerial knowledge and skill.

Academic Guidelines

Attendance

Attending class is the easiest part of graduate school, as it requires no more effort than getting to class on time and staying for the entire class period. Students who accumulate significant absences in graduate classes may be dropped by the instructor and receive an "F" in the class. There are no excused absences and students will have right to appeal their absences to the appeals committee via the Dean. Students will be permitted to attend classes until the appeals committee has notified the student of its decision and the process shall not take more than two weeks.

Class Schedule

Graduate school classes are typically conducted during the evening from Monday through Thursday and on weekends. Although some instructors are available on "plus Fridays," some of them will be teaching only in the evening and on weekends. In that case, your instructor should be available for consultation before and after your class. Your class schedule for the quarter is generated through the registrar's office and will be accessible on the student portal.

Academic Advising

During weeks 5 through 7 of the quarter, all graduate students are required to consult with an advisor about their next quarter schedule. Announcements will appear in the weekly newsletter, posters, in class instructor announcement, and in online announcement boards. Failure to be advised during this period will result in a $75 late fee to be paid prior to approval of your registration request. This fee is not covered by financial aid. All registrations must be approved by your advisor.

Examinations

A student who misses a regularly announced exam and has a good reason for his or her absence may be given a make-up test. The decision to allow or not to allow a make-up is entirely at the discretion of the instructor and the exam may be given at a time other than the regular class period.

By-pass examinations are not available for graduate level courses.

Grades/Grade Reports

Grade reports will accessible following the completion of each quarter. Questions regarding grades and grade reports should be directed to the Registrar's Office. Grades and grade reports may be held by the University for various reasons which may include but are not limited to: unresolved financial issues, failure to complete disciplinary meeting and/or sanction or for other reasons deemed appropriate and reasonable by the administration of the University. Once the issue initiating the hold is resolved, the grades and grade report will be released to the student. Grades are also available online at the student portal.

Grade Point Average

Grade point averages are calculated by:

1. Multiplying the quality points earned by the credit hours for that course.
2. Summing the total quality points
3. Dividing the sum by the credit hours attempted.

Sample GPA Calculation
Grade Quality Points Credits Total Points
A = 4 x 4 = 16
B = 3 x 4 = 12
C = 2 x 4 = 8
D = 1 x 2 = 2
W = 0 x 0 = 0
    14 38
Grade Point Average = 38/14 = 2.7 GPA

 

Graduate Requirements

A student who is a candidate for graduate degree must:

1) have successfully complete all credits and all specific requirements for the degree;
2) earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0;
3) have earned no more than 2 "Cs";
4) be free from all indebtedness to the University, which includes no library books or parking fines;
5) complete a financial aid exit interview, if applicable.

Incompletes

If a student has missing work at the end of the quarter, the instructor may choose to give him/her an incomplete (I) grade in that course. If the "I" is given, the student will have until the second Friday after the beginning of the following quarter to complete the missing work. Otherwise, at the end of that time, the "I" becomes an "F" on the permanent grade record.

Re-entry

Before re-entering a graduate program after you have left the program, you must meet with a re-entry coordinator. If you are coming back after a suspension, you must appeal the suspension with the GSC who will convene a committee that will make the decision about your re-entry into the graduate school.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Suspension (Academic)

Students will be academically suspended when the aforementioned qualitative standards criteria are not met. In addition, student may find their financial aid suspended should the qualitative criteria go unmet. Refer to the Financial Planning section for more information.

Time Limit

Once a student begins graduate courses (courses numbered 510 or higher), he or she must complete all degree requirements within six years.

Tutoring

Students requiring assistance in a course should first contact their instructor for suggestions on how to improve their performance. Should help be required beyond these efforts, a graduate school tutor is available (check with the graduate school for location/hours) and beyond that private tutors can usually be secured but the student must be prepared to financially remunerate the private tutor.

Transcripts

A transcript is a permanent and official record of a student's university courses and grades. All students receive one copy of their transcript free of charge; additional copies are available at $5.00 each. It is the responsibility of the student to provide Sullivan University with an official copy of any transcript of grades for all classes (secondary and post-secondary) taken prior to attending Sullivan University. These documents should be forwarded from the previous school(s) directly to the Registrar's Office.

Transfer Credits

Students in graduate school may transfer up to 25% of the credit hours of any program. The final decision on transferring courses will be given to the faculty member who holds the expertise in the course(s) the student wishes to transfer. Only courses in which the student received a "B" or better are eligible for transfer credit.

Withdrawal from a Class

Students who wish to withdraw from one or more classes, but not from the University entirely should contact the GSC. Students withdrawing after the seventh week of the quarter will receive a "WF" grade.

Withdrawing From the University Students finding it necessary to withdraw from the University for whatever reason must participate in an exit interview with the Student Advancement Coordinator. Since students who withdraw prior to graduation are not eligible for lifetime graduate employment assistance, careful consideration should be given.

Student Disciplinary Procedures

Disciplinary Sanctions

The following sanctions comprise a range of official Graduate School actions that may be taken as the result of a policy violation or disciplinary issue.

1. Warning and/or Reprimand

2. Suspension

3. Expulsion

4. Suspension and Re-entry

5. Final Expulsion

Disciplinary Sanctions and Appeal Process

Students who fell that inequitable sanctions were issued on an institutional response to a policy violation may utilize the appeals process. To avail oneself of the process, the student must submit, in writing, a letter to the Dean stating all the facts relevant to the situation. The student must submit this letter within five business days. The decision regarding whether or not the appeal will be heard is made by the Dean and will be available within 5 business days following the submission of the appeal. It is the student's responsibility to contact the Dean within the above timeframe to learn of the decision. The Dean's decision is final.

In the event that an appeal hearing is granted, the student will the opportunity to present his or her position before a committee consisting of a minimum of three members that must included at least two graduate faculty members. The Dean makes the appointments to the committee unless he or she is directly involved, in which case appointments are made by the GSC.

Following the hearing, the committee has the option to uphold the original sanction or to recommend and alternative due to mitigating circumstances. Those are the only two options available. The University shall retain an audio recording of the hearing.

Students are advised during the hearing that strict rules of evidence shall not apply. Neither the federal or state rules of evidence apply in student disciplinary proceedings. The hearing shall be closed, except for witnesses.

If the student requesting the hearing fails to appear or provide adequate prior notice and a reasonable excuse, the appeal will be made void.

Grievance Procedure

Sullivan University will always seek to operate the best graduate school possible. However, if students have questions or complaints, they should follow the guidelines set forth below to seek a resolution.

Academic Grievances

Students who feel compelled to issue an academic grievance should consult the Sullivan University Catalog for the most recent grievance procedure.

Address and Name Changes

The Academic Services Office should be notified whenever your address and/or name changes. This is to ensure that you receive important information including your grades and tuition notices.

Bookstore

The Sullivan University Bookstore serves the students, faculty and staff of the entire University community. Bookstore hours change during finals and during the break time when the University is not in session, however, the Bookstore's normal operating hours are as follows:

Louisville Campus:

Monday - Thursday: 7:30 am to 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Lexington Campus:

Monday - Thursday: 7:30 am to 7:00 pm
Friday: 7:30 am to 6:30 pm
Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Students are responsible for purchasing their own books and supplies unless arrangements have been made for purchases through the use of financial aid resources. All books and supplies needed are available in the University bookstore, but students may purchase books from any source they choose. In addition to textbooks, students will find other items such as supplies, toiletries, clothing, logo items, and more.

General Bookstore policies and guidelines are as follows:

 

Textbook Return Policy

 

Career Services (CS)

Sullivan University provides full-time graduate employment professionals to assist graduates in locating employment. Students who cease their studies prior to graduation are not eligible for career employment assistance. Graduates from any Sullivan University program, however, are eligible for lifetime, fee-free graduate employment assistance. Students are encouraged to attend the Career Expo that is sponsored by the CS office each fall and spring. This event attracts representatives from companies across the nation and gives students the opportunity to begin networking and considering various employers in their chosen field.

Part-time jobs are often submitted to the GES office by local agencies and institutions seeking part-time employees. As a service to the student, GES provides job opening boards, which are posted behind glass outside the University's cafeteria.

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