Elective Credit Policy

The participant, with Program Director/Advisor approval, will identify and successfully complete coursework in subject matter related to his/her professional practice. All elective courses (LEAD and non-LEAD) must meet minimum eligibility requirements and must be approved by the Program Director/Advisor. The majority of participants begin elective coursework once the core program of study has been completed.

Minimum Elective Course Requirements:

• Credits must be taken for graduate credit (5000-level or above) from a regionally accredited institution
• Credits must have documented objectives or outcomes that are consistent with graduate level learning (higher order thinking skills)
• Credits must be academic in nature (not internship, practicum, continuing education, etc.)
• Credits must be assigned a letter grade of "B" or higher
• Credits cannot have been used for a previously conferred degree
• Credits must be approved by the Program Director/Advisor

Transfer Credit Policy:

• Any transfer credits cannot exceed 15 graduate hours (5 courses) and are limited to elective credit
• Previous transfer credits must have been taken within 5 years of entrance into the program.
• Any transfer credit requests for previous course work should be submitted to the Program Office during the initial Spring semester (by March 1), along with course syllabus(i) from the semester the course was taken, for review by the Program Director/Advisor. Any approved transfer credits will be documented as part of the Program of Study, which is typically filed during the third semester of core course enrollment.
• Any additional transfer credit must be approved in advance and requests must be accompanied by a course syllabus (the most recent version available, no more than one year old) and an official transcript must be submitted upon completion of approved courses

The following types of courses will not be accepted as elective credit toward the doctoral program:

• Courses designed as bridging or leveling work for Master's programs (Foundations of Accounting, Concepts in Economics, etc.)
• Courses that are very similar in scope to core coursework (Principles of Instructional Design, Organizational Effectiveness, etc.)
• Courses offered at the undergraduate level (4000) with a graduate (5000) option

To Request Elective Credit for Prior Coursework

1. Review the LEAD elective credit policy above. An official updated transcript must be on file for any non-UTC coursework.

   Transcript Mailing Address:
   UTC Graduate School
   Attn: Mark Fairchild
   615 McCallie Avenue
   103 Race Hall, Dept. 5305
   Chattanooga, TN 37403

   Transcript Email Address:
   [email protected]
    

2. Review your academic transcripts (post-Master’s coursework only; credits used for a previously conferred degree cannot be transferred).
    
3. Review the syllabus(i) from the semester the course(s) was/were taken for applicability to the Learning and Leadership elective credit policy criteria.
    
4. Submit course syllabus(i) from the semester the course(s) was/were taken to the Program Office at [email protected] during the initial Spring semester (by March 1). The syllabi will be forwarded to the Program Director/Advisor for review.
    
5. If the elective course(s) is approved by the Program Director/Advisor, the LEAD Program Office will facilitate the addition of the course to your doctoral Program of Study, which is typically filed during the third semester of core coursework. An official updated transcript must be on file for any non-UTC coursework.

   Information regarding the elective review/approval process during coursework is available in the Course Registration Process section (link: Course Registration Process).

Proposing an Individual Studies Project (LEAD 7997r)       

1. The participant will develop a proposal for an individual studies project and, in discussion with the Program Director/Advisor, will determine appropriate instructor(s) with graduate faculty status who is willing to supervise the project. This should be completed at least 14 days prior to the start of the term (link: Academic Calendars).

          Project details to be addressed in the syllabus:
          Instructor(s)
          Term to be offered
          Number of graduate credit hours (1-9)
          Unique course title
          Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
          Relationship to Program Competencies (Comprehensive Assessment)
          Required Readings
          Deliverables
          Course Schedule/Calendar

2. The participant will complete the Individual Studies Syllabus form in consultation with the Program Advisor and the Instructor(s) (link: Individual Studies Syllabus form).
    
3. The participant will submit the Individual Studies Syllabus form to the Program Advisor and Instructor(s) for review.
    
4. Once approved, the Instructor(s) will forward the Individual Studies Syllabus form to the Program Office for review by the Program Director/Advisor. The Program Office will monitor the review status and will request the CRN for the course.
    
5. The LEAD Program Office will provide the participant with instructions to submit the Individual Studies Contract Form (online dynamic form).
    
6. Once the Individual Studies Contract is electronically approved by the participant, Instructor(s), and department head via workflow, the participant will receive an email from the Registrar’s Office ([email protected]) confirming the registration process has been completed. Online registration via MyMocsNet is not permitted due to the contract requirement. 
    
7. All LEAD Individual Studies courses will employ the UTC Learn LEAD course shell framework, including: course syllabus, deliverables, course materials, and discussions for consistent and regular progress reporting.