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College of Human Development, Culture, and Media

Departmental Policies

Academic Grievance Procedure Concerning a Grade

The following concerns itself only with a departmental process for student grievances over grades. It is not intended to address the issue of grade disputes unless the student files a formal grievance through the department chair. Click here to view the department Academic Grievance Procedure.

Academic Integrity & Dishonesty

According to the Graduate Bulletin, "all forms of dishonesty whether by act of omission, including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and knowingly furnishing false information to the University are prohibited and may elicit University sanctions of suspension or expulsion." Students suspected of being academically dishonest in a PPFT course will be contacted by the professor and reported to the Chair of the Department and, if applicable, the Director of Training.

Disability Services Statement

Students at Seton Hall University who have a physical, medical, learning or psychiatric disability, either temporary or permanent, may be eligible for reasonable accommodations at the University as per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Dissertation Defense Policy

The Dissertation Defense Policy below was adopted by department faculty on April 8, 2003 for all doctoral students entering the department beginning with the fall 2003 semester, and as an optional policy for students entering doctoral programs in the department prior to the fall 2003 semester.

The dissertation defense in the Department of Professional Psychology and Family Therapy is divided into two parts. The first part is a convention style presentation by the defending student to the community at large. The community at large is defined as any interested party, including family members, who wish to participate in this public dissemination of scholarly information. The public presentation will last no more than 30 minutes and will include a brief opportunity for the audience to ask questions. The dissertation committee members will not be involved in the question and answer portion of the public presentation. Immediately following the public presentation, the defending student will attend a closed dissertation defense with his/her dissertation committee. No individuals other than the defending student and the dissertation committee are allowed to attend the closed portion of the dissertation defense. The closed portion of the defense will last approximately one hour.

Policy on Independent Study

  1. The professor teaching an Independent Study course/project will typically be a fulltime faculty member.
  2. Adjunct faculty, who have taught for the department in the past and are recommended by student's Training/Program Director, may teach an Independent Study.
  3. Students should initiate requests for an Independent Study to the faculty member with the expertise in the content area, after consulting with their advisor/mentor and Training/Program Director.
  4. Under no circumstances will an Independent Study/Project be offered in a semester, in which a section of the course is running, unless, the enrollment numbers are such that the course is not jeopardized, or full/pro-rated summer pay is not reduced for the professor teaching the regular section.
  5. Similarly, an Independent Study will not be offered in the semester/summer before the regular offering of a course, unless, as in 4 above, enrollment numbers are not a concern, since the course typically has strong (over 12) enrollments.
  6. The decision to offer an Independent Study is a voluntary choice to be made by the individual faculty member.
  7. Students will know from the start that a grade of incomplete will only be approved in the event of serious unforeseen events.
  8. The Chair will review the application for an Independent Study, which will require signoffs by the Training/Program Directors, indicating that the proposed course/project is in accord with items 1. through 6. above.

Plagiarism/Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity is an important basic responsibility that is taken by all students in higher education. An integral part of academic integrity is honesty and the freedom to express oneself without using the work of someone else and calling it one's own. Within the American Psychological Association (APA) a breach of academic integrity constitutes a serious offense and members of the University community are obliged to report all cases to the appropriate faculty including the Department Chair and the Dean. Click here to view the department Plagiarism/Academic Integrity Policy.

Policy on the Retention and Remediation of Students

The purpose of this policy is to clarify the areas of competence and professional behavior expected of each student and the procedures for identifying and addressing problematic behaviors, incompetence, and/or ethical violations that occur during the course of their graduate education. Click here to view the department Policy on the Retention and Remediation of Students.

Pre-IRB Review Approval Procedures

Students involved in research should review the requirements of the Seton Hall University Institutional Review Board (IRB). All research involving human subjects requires IRB approval, except class projects that will not be submitted for publication. Also, students should be aware that effective September 1, 2003, all research proposals will require a pre-IRB review to ensure scientific merit of the study. For dissertation research, each student's dissertation committee will review the proposal and attest to its scientific merit. The Department Chair, Dr. Bruce Hartman, will certify the scientific merit for non-dissertation student research and for faculty research. Content area specialists will be enlisted to assist the Chair as needed.

Student Disclosure

As part of their professional training, students are expected to be reflective in relation to themselves, their own families or origin, and to other systems with which they interact. Further, it is expected that students will engage in appropriate self-disclosure during classes, training, and supervision. This is for the purpose of increasing awareness, knowledge, and skills as family therapists, counselors, and psychologists.

Summer Registration

The Faculty Senate at its May 3, 2002 meeting passed a resolution stating that no student may take more than one three-credit course in the May session, and students taking a course in the May session may take an additional 12 credits in the remainder of the summer sessions.

Transfer Credit Policy

  • A minimum of 30 graduate credits toward the M.A. degree in Psychological Studies, regardless of the student's concentration area, must be earned at Seton Hall.
  • A minimum of 39 graduate credits toward a combined M.A./Ed.S. degree must be earned at Seton Hall.
  • A minimum of 39 graduate credits toward the M.A. degree in Counseling (Seton Worldwide) and M.A. degree in School Counseling must be earned at Seton Hall.
  • A minimum of 21 graduate credits toward an Ed.S. degree must be earned at Seton Hall.
  • A minimum of 45 graduate credits toward the Ph.D. degree must be earned at Seton Hall.

For transfer credit to be considered, a student must have received a grade of B or better in the particular course, and the course must be equivalent in subject matter, scope, depth, and level to a particular course offered in the degree program at Seton Hall. Only those courses which contribute directly, significantly, and substantially to the sound preparation of mental health professionals can be considered. All courses must have been taken within the last 5 years and students must provide documentation from that course following admission but preceding first enrollment (e.g. course syllabus, course text). If there is a significant update or change in professional standards within those five years, then the student will need to demonstrate competence (e.g., read a current text in ethics or complete a refresher course with the latest revision of a psychological instrument).

The applicability of previously earned graduate credits to a program is determined by the respective program director, whose written signature is required before any credit can be accepted as part of a student's program. If your decision to enroll in a program is based upon a certain number of transfer credits being approved, be sure to have such courses evaluated in advance of enrollment.

The University requires that students complete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree within eight years of the date of admission, six years for the M.A. and Ed.S. degrees.

Zero Credit Internship and Financial Aid

Doctoral students should be aware that while they are on 0-credit internships (CPSY9788, CPSY9789, CPSY9877, CPSY9878, CPSY9884, or CPSY9885) they are not eligible for financial assistance from the Federal government, which requires at least half-time student status. During doctoral internships only, students who require continued financial assistance or loan deferment may meet the half-time requirement by enrolling in at least one 3-credit course per semester. Doctoral students receiving Federal financial aid should plan their course schedules with this in mind, and they should consult with their advisors/mentors well in advance of applying for internship training. Further, students relying on financial assistance from other sources should carefully review the terms of their grants and loans, to ensure that they are able to meet the eligibility requirements during internship.