6.6.1 Credit by Examination
(Approved November 16, 1994)
The award of credit solely on the basis of examination for any 1000 or 2000 level course is permissible. Grades for such courses shall be awarded on a pass/fail basis.
6.6.2 Validation
(Approved November 16, 1994)(Amended January 25, 2012)(Amended June 12, 2024)
A student with the appropriate background may validate a course that is required for his/her curriculum. Validation will allow the student to omit that course from the program of study. However, no credit will be granted for a course that has been validated. The basic purpose of course validation is to make optimal use of the student's time at the Naval Postgraduate School. Every validation must be justified by documented evidence of prior work in the area of the course to be validated.
The validation of a course must be approved by the Chair or their designee of the academic unit offering the course. Specific criteria for validation (e.g., review of the student's transcripts or examination on the material of the course) are left to the discretion of the cognizant academic unit Chair or their designee.
After validating one or more courses, it is permissible for a student to complete his or her program in less than the maximum time allowed, to include additional elective courses in the program, or to devote additional time to thesis research with the concurrence of the Academic Associate and Program Officer.
6.6.3 Transferring Credit
(Approved November 16, 1994)(Amended January 17, 2007)(Amended January 25, 2012)(Amended September 15, 2021)
- Course Transfers within NPS
When a student changes curricular programs, credit towards graduation for courses taken as part of the former program may be granted by the Program Office, Academic Associate and Chair of the receiving academic unit, or his/her agent, responsible for the new program.
The receiving Program Officer will advise the Registrar upon approval to transfer course hour credits.
- Course Transfers from Another Institution applied to NPS Bachelor's
The Naval Postgraduate School is not currently admitting students for or awarding Bachelor’s degrees.
Courses completed at another accredited institution with a grade of "C" or better may be considered for credit toward a baccalaureate degree at the Naval Postgraduate School. Such course hour credits must be acceptable as applying directly to meeting degree requirements or as being appropriate electives.
A maximum of 108 quarter-hours of transfer credit may be allowed of which, at most, 18 quarter-hours will be accepted as upper division course hour credits. Not more than 90 quarter-hours will be transferred from a junior college; such course hour credits will be accepted as 1000 level course hour credits.
Appropriate courses taken at another accredited institution with a grade of ``B'' or better after receipt of a baccalaureate degree may be considered for transfer for credit toward a graduate degree at the Naval Postgraduate School provided the course was not used to meet requirements for an awarded degree from that or any institution.
Comparability of the nature, content, quality, and level of transfer credit, and the appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned to NPS programs must be determined by the academic unit responsible for the program towards which the credit will be applied. This information may be obtained from catalogs, course syllabi, and other materials, and from direct contact between knowledgeable, experienced faculty and staff at both NPS and sending institutions. Justification of comparability will be submitted to the Academic Council.
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Course Transfers from Another Institution applied to NPS Master's
Graduate credit for courses completed more than three years prior to admission to a graduate degree program will not be awarded on the basis of transcripts alone. Credit for such courses can be granted upon successful passage of a departmental examination. This procedure is distinct from course validation, where no course credit is granted.
Courses taken at another accredited institution before receipt of an undergraduate degree may be considered for transfer for credit toward a graduate degree provided:
The courses are the equivalent of courses numbered 3000 and above at the Naval Postgraduate School. The courses proposed for transfer are not necessary to meet the bachelor's degree requirements. The student has earned a "B" grade or better in such courses.
No more than 25% of the minimum course credits required for the graduate degree may be received as transfer credit. The Registrar shall transfer credit from another institution only upon approval from the Academic Council. Transfer credits based on courses completed at another institution shall not be used in computation of quality point rating.
A special dispensation exists for students in the Cooperative NPS/Test Pilot School program. Students in this program may be granted 12 hours of 4000 level credit upon graduation from the Test Pilot School phase of the program. Students whose course of study includes programs at the Test Pilot School and NPS are also eligible for this benefit.
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All coursework for an Academic Certificate must be NPS courses.
6.6.4 Withdrawal from a Course
(Approved November 16, 1994) (Amended January 17, 2007)
Each student will receive a grade in every course in which the student is registered. If a student drops a course after registering in it, the mark will be ``W'' if the professor considers that the student was passing at the time of withdrawal, and ``X'' if the student was failing. A mark of ``W'' will not have any effect on the student's scholastic standing. A grade of ``W'' may not be assigned after the end of the eighth week of a quarter.
6.6.5 Repeating Courses to Improve Grades
(Approved November 16, 1994)
Students may retake a course to improve their grade in that course. The repetition must be taken at the Naval Postgraduate School and is subject to the approval of the Program Officer, Academic Associate, and the academic unit Chair concerned. The Registrar is to be notified at the beginning of the retaken course via a memo from the student. For the purpose of records, both the original and the repeated courses are to be shown on the student's academic transcript. For the purpose of computing QPRs, the credit hours of the course shall be counted once, using the grade received from the most recent time that the student enrolled in the course.
6.6.6 Incomplete Courses
(Approved November 16, 1994)
Students who are enrolled in a course but do not complete all of the assignments or the final examination may, at the discretion of the instructor, be granted a grade of incomplete, "I."
A grade of incomplete is removed by the instructor when all requirements are satisfied. The instructor notifies the registrar of the course grade at this time. If the incomplete is not resolved within one quarter, it transforms into a failing grade of "X." Requests to extend the time limit for resolving grades of incomplete must be submitted to the Curricula, Certificate and Degree Requirements Committee of the Academic Council.
6.6.7 Extended Absences
(Approved November 16, 1994)
The academic record of a student may be deleted completely for a given term when he/she is absent for a portion of the term for medical reasons, military duties, family tragedy, or other extenuating circumstances. The transcript will show "Excused for the term.'' Such excusals shall be requested by the Program Officer and approved by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, or designee.
6.6.8 Course Enrollment by Non-matriculated U.S. Students
(Approved August 15, 2018)
U.S. Students eligible for enrollment to NPS, who are not currently admitted to a degree or certificate program, may register in individual courses as non-matriculated or exploratory students. Students must meet institutional admission criteria as outlined in Section 4.2 and secure the approval of the assigned instructor and the department or academic unit associated with the course they wish to take. Individual departments and academic units may establish additional criteria for single course enrollment students in courses they offer.
Non-matriculated U.S. students may accumulate up to twelve NPS transcript credits, after which further course registration is restricted pending admission into a degree or certificate program.