Standards and Requirements
Registration
All students register online, using the Online Course Scheduling system, during the period stated in the academic calendar. Failure to submit the electronic schedule worksheet to the faculty adviser by the due date will result in a $50 late registration fee. There will be no charge for course changes made prior to the beginning of the second week of the term, but there will be a $10 fee for each course change made after online registration has ended.
The student’s program is subject to review by the Professional Studies Committee, with particular attention to the distribution of the courses among fields in the curriculum and to the relevance of the individual’s program for vocational objectives.
A student may not enter a course later than the final date of online registration as specified in the academic calendar without the permission of the faculty adviser and the instructor involved. Under no circumstances will students be enrolled in a course after the third week of classes.
Duly enrolled students who expect to continue their studies at the School during the next year are required to record that intention at the Office of the Registrar before April 1, in order to reserve a place in the School. Failure to do so will result in a fee of $25 imposed in September if the student enrolls.
Schedule of Study
The schedule of study at the School normally consists of twelve credit hours each term.
A student must take at least one-half of each term’s work with members of the Divinity School faculty. Courses given by other departments and schools of the University may be taken with approval of the faculty adviser, and with the permission of the instructor of the course. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with and consider relevant courses offered elsewhere in the University. (For regulations governing interdisciplinary study, see Admissions.) Bus service is provided every twenty minutes from the Divinity School through the central campus to the School of Medicine.
Each course in the Divinity School normally carries three hours of credit unless otherwise stated. It is possible to arrange to take courses for more or fewer credit hours. This flexible system of credit permits students to concentrate their efforts or pursue special concerns when advantageous or advisable. Alteration of the announced number of credit hours requires permission of both the instructor and the faculty adviser.
Transfer of Credit
Applications for transfer of credit for work completed at another school may be made after a full term’s work at the Divinity School. Credits are transferred upon authorization by the dean of academic affairs, acting for the Professional Studies Committee. Normally transfer credit will be recorded as electives. After six credits have been transferred as electives, however, a maximum of six additional credits for the M.A.R. degree and eighteen additional credits for the M.Div. degree may become eligible for transfer to the appropriate areas. These credits will be included in the total hours required for an area, but not counted as fulfilling particular requirements within the area. Matriculated students must secure approval in advance for courses they wish to take elsewhere if transfer credit is desired. No more than six hours of credit can be earned each year through summer study.
To be eligible for transfer toward a Yale Divinity School degree a course completed at another school must meet the following requirements:
- 1. The course must have been taken at an accredited institution.
- 2. The course must have been taken at the graduate or professional level.
- 3. The student must have completed a baccalaureate degree before taking the course.
- 4. The course should be clearly relevant to the student’s program at the Divinity School.
- 5. Normally the course must have been taken within the seven years prior to matriculation at the Divinity School.
- 6. Courses credited toward another graduate degree, either received or anticipated, are not normally transferred. Exceptions may be made for some of the courses credited toward a previous full two-year master’s degree.
- 7. No more than twelve hours will be transferred from a nontheological graduate program. If twelve hours are to be transferred, the student will be required to demonstrate to the Professional Studies Committee how the work previously completed is integral to the program of study pursued at Yale Divinity School.
- 8. Courses taken online cannot be transferred for Divinity School credit.
- 9. Intensive courses lasting one week or less cannot be transferred for Divinity School credit.
- 10. The minimum grade accepted for transfer credit is B- (HP-) or its equivalent.
Integrity of Work
The learning environment at YDS is intended to be one of trust. Students are expected to adhere to academic conduct that honors this trust and respects the integrity of the academic community.
- 1. All written work must be the student’s own original work, except as consultation or collaboration or use of other resources is authorized by the instructor.
- 2. All material quoted or paraphrased from other sources must be fully identified, including, where relevant, both secondary and original sources. (Refer to Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgment, published by Dartmouth College, supplied to all entering students.) Plagiarism, whether intentional or inadvertent, is regarded as a serious offense and is subject to severe penalties, as set forth in the Academic Disciplinary Procedures, distributed annually. Cases of plagiarism, together with full documentation of the offense, may be referred to the Professional Studies Committee, which will conduct an investigation of the charges. As part of this investigation, the accused student will be invited to appear before the committee.
- 3. Similar written material may be submitted in more than one course only with the advance approval of all instructors involved.
Suspected violations of academic integrity should be reported to the dean of academic affairs. The procedures followed for dealing with allegations are published and available in the Dean’s Office.
The use of inclusive language is a matter of concern to the Divinity School community. Guidelines for gender inclusive and racially inclusive language are available to faculty and students.
Rights and Representation
Governance
The work of the School is carried on through the Governing Board (tenured faculty), the General Faculty, and the Standing Committees of the Faculty: Admissions and Financial Aid, Community Life, Curriculum, Ministerial Studies, Professional Studies, Spiritual Formation, and Worship. Each committee has an equal number of faculty and students. Faculty members of the committees are appointed by the dean and confirmed by the general faculty; student members are elected by the entire student body except for student members of the Standing Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid, who are chosen by the associate dean of admissions and financial aid.
Discipline
A Committee on Nonacademic Disciplinary Concerns and a Sexual Harassment Grievance Board are appointed by the dean. Printed statements of the membership and established procedures of these committees are available in the Office of the Dean. The Professional Studies Committee addresses issues of academic discipline, like plagiarism. (For information about the work of the committees, see Termination, below.)
Freedom of Expression
Each member of the School shall enjoy the rights of intellectual freedom which are fundamental to the University tradition. Freedom of expression is a necessary condition for exercising intellectual freedom. The purpose of maintaining free speech at Yale, as elsewhere, is to protect the expression of all views. To do so, the University must maintain a community with the requisite order, freedom of access to facilities, and impartiality toward all opinions for free expression.
Statement on Sexual Harassment
The faculty has established a grievance procedure for sexual harassment which authorizes the dean to appoint a grievance board. Specific policies and procedures adopted by the faculty guide the work of the Sexual Harassment Committee. The committee includes representatives of the administration and faculty and two students.
Sexual harassment is antithetical to academic values and to a work environment free from the fact or appearance of coercion, and it is a violation of University policy. Sexual harassment consists of nonconsensual sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature on or off campus when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a condition of an individual’s employment or academic standing; or (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions or for academic evaluation, grades, or advancement; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating or hostile academic or work environment. Sexual harassment may be found in a single episode, as well as in persistent behavior.
Sexual harassment is a matter of particular concern to an academic community in which students, faculty, and staff are related by strong bonds of intellectual dependence and trust. If members of the faculty, visiting faculty, adjunct faculty, teaching fellows and assistants, administrators, staff, or other Yale employees administratively housed at the Yale Divinity School (YDS) introduce sex into a professional relationship with a student or a subordinate, they abuse their position of authority.
In some instances sexual harassment is obvious and may involve an overt action, a threat, or a reprisal. In other instances sexual harassment is subtle and indirect, possibly even unintentional, with a coercive aspect that is unstated. Individuals may find themselves feeling pressure or unwanted attention in a variety of perplexing situations. Harassment by peers is as unacceptable as harassment by faculty or staff of the University.
Harassment can include unwanted touching or fondling; display of obscene objects, photographs, posters, or cartoons in the workplace; implied or overt threats, or punitive employment actions as the result of rejection of sexual advances; repeated taunts or taunting jokes directed at a person or persons by reason of their sex or sexual orientation; sexual assault or attempted sexual assault; or a sexual encounter when one of the persons was not able to give consent. In addition, harassment can include unwanted conversations, or obscene telephone calls or messages. Individuals may be unsure whether an experience is appropriately considered sexual harassment. In such a case, individuals are encouraged to discuss their concerns with a member of the Sexual Harassment Committee, the YDS Title IX Coordinator, or the University’s Office for Equal Opportunity Programs.
In addition to these YDS Sexual Harassment Committee Procedures, other University procedures may be available to a person who believes that he or she has been a victim of sexual harassment. These can be found at www.yale.edu/hronline/forms. Click the “Sexual Harassment—Guide for Faculty, Students and Staff” link under Publications.
Each fall students, faculty, and staff receive a list of members of the Sexual Harassment Committee for the academic year. The full text of the “Statement on Sexual Harassment” approved by the Yale Divinity School faculty is provided as an appendix to the YDS Student Handbook; it is also available at www.yale.edu/divinity/sl/shp.htm.
Grading System
The Divinity School uses the following grading system:
Honors (H) | = Exemplary |
Honors minus (H–) | = Excellent |
High Pass plus (HP+) | = Very Good |
High Pass (HP) | = Good |
High Pass minus (HP–) | = Satisfactory |
Pass (P) | = Acceptable |
Fail (F) | |
Withdrew (W) |
If H, HP, P were to be translated into a traditional grading system on the graduate level, Honors would represent a strong A and A+; Honors minus, A–; High Pass plus, B+; High Pass, B; High Pass minus, B–; Pass, C.
There is also a Credit/No Credit system. The Credit/No Credit option for a course may be chosen by the professor, in which case the entire class will be graded thus. Individual students in such a course may request the professor’s approval to take the course on the regular grading system. Conversely, a student taking a course graded on the regular grading system may request the professor’s approval to be graded Credit/No Credit. Requests for departures from the grading systems under which courses are taught must be made on a form supplied by the Registrar’s Office. Options are elected during the first two weeks of the term and the decision is irreversible.
In both grading systems the W is to be used only under extraordinary circumstances by permission of the dean of academic affairs in consultation with the Professional Studies Committee.
Academic Deficiencies
Warning
The Professional Studies Committee will review the academic performances of students and place them on warning if their record in any term shows a significant decline or reason for concern about the quality of their work, e.g., a course graded Pass (P) or Fail (F). Students placed on warning will be reviewed by the committee following the end of the term, and either removed from warning or placed on probation. The warning notation will not be placed on students’ transcripts. Both the student and the faculty adviser will be notified in writing of the warning.
Probation
The Professional Studies Committee will place on probation students whose academic work is unsatisfactory. In every case the committee will take into account the personal situation of the student, but the following record, accumulated during the course of any one term, will normally result in probation:
- 1. two courses graded Pass, or
- 2. two Incompletes, or
- 3. two Fs, or
- 4. any combination of inadequate or incomplete work in two or more courses.
Students are responsible for knowing at the end of a term whether or not they have completed each course satisfactorily. As information becomes available to the Professional Studies Committee, written notice of probation will be given both to the student and to the faculty adviser, and the notation will be placed on the transcript. Students on academic probation must observe the following conditions when they register for courses:
- (a) during the term in which students are on academic probation they may not take more than twelve hours of course work, and
- (b) they may not take any reading courses.
Students will be removed from probation when they have completed four courses under the following conditions:
- (a) all work for each course must be completed by the end of its term, without extensions;
- (b) all incomplete work from previous semesters must be completed;
- (c) the grade received in each course must be HP or better.
Any student who remains on academic probation for two consecutive terms may be recommended to the faculty for dismissal from the School.
Special Examinations and Extensions
Special examinations, at hours other than those regularly scheduled, will be given only under extraordinary circumstances. Except for unforeseen emergencies, the request for a special examination must be submitted two weeks before the date of the regular examination.
All work for the first term is due by the end of the term, unless the instructor specifies an earlier date. In exceptional circumstances, such as illness or family crisis, the instructor in the course may grant an extension of time into the second term, but no extension can be given beyond the fourth week of the second term. No work from the first term can be accepted by a faculty member after that date. A student may appeal to the Professional Studies Committee for an additional extension. Such an appeal must be made in writing before the end of the fourth week of the spring term on a form provided by the Registrar’s Office. Extensions will be considered by the committee only in exceptional circumstances, such as those indicated above. An Incomplete grade will automatically be recorded as Fail (F), unless a petition for an extension is filed by the end of the fourth week of the spring term.
All work for the second term is due by the end of the term, unless the instructor specifies an earlier date. In exceptional circumstances, such as illness or family crisis, the instructor may grant an extension of time during the summer, but no extension can be given beyond June 30. No work from the second term can be accepted by a faculty member after that date. A student may appeal to the Professional Studies Committee for an additional extension. Such an appeal must be made in writing before June 30 on a form provided by the Registrar’s Office. Extensions will be considered by the committee only in exceptional circumstances, such as those indicated above. An Incomplete grade will automatically be recorded as Fail (F), unless a petition is filed by June 30.
Leave of Absence
A student who wishes or needs to interrupt his or her study temporarily may request a leave of absence. There are three types of leave: personal, medical, and parental, all of which are described below. The general policies that apply to all types of leave are:
- 1. Leave of absence application forms may be obtained by contacting the registrar’s office at the Divinity School.
- 2. All leaves of absence must be approved by the associate dean of academic affairs. Medical leaves also require the recommendation of a physician on the staff of the University Health Services.
- 3. A student may be granted a leave of absence for one, two, or three terms. A student is not normally granted a leave of absence to take on a professional commitment.
- 4. A student on leave of absence may complete outstanding work in courses for which he or she has been granted extensions. He or she may not, however, fulfill any other degree requirements during the time on leave.
- 5. A student on leave of absence does not have to file a formal application for readmission. However, he or she must obtain the approval of the academic dean to return and must notify the registrar in writing of his or her intention to return at least eight weeks prior to the end of the approved leave. In addition, if the returning student wishes to be considered for financial aid, the student must submit appropriate financial aid applications to the Divinity School’s financial aid office to determine eligibility. For returns from medical leaves of absence, see the Medical Leave of Absence section.
- 6. A student on a leave of absence is not eligible for financial aid, including loans, or for the use of any University facilities normally available to registered students. A student is not eligible for coverage by Yale Health Plan (YHP) Basic or YHP Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Coverage terminates the day the leave is granted. In order to secure continuous coverage through YHP, a student must request enrollment in the YHP Affiliate Coverage and pay the premium prior to the beginning of the term for which the leave is taken. If a leave of absence is granted during the term, the student must request YHP Affiliate Coverage enrollment within thirty days of the date the leave is granted. Applications are available from the YHP Member Services Department, 17 Hillhouse Ave. (203.432.0246), or can be downloaded from the YUHS Web site (www.yale.edu/uhs).
- 7. A student on leave of absence who does not return at the end of an approved leave, and does not request and receive an extension, is automatically dismissed from the Divinity School.
Personal Leave of Absence
A student who wishes to interrupt study temporarily because of personal exigencies may request a personal leave of absence with the approval of the associate dean of academic affairs. A student who is current with his or her degree requirements is eligible for a personal leave after satisfactory completion of at least one term of study.
Personal leaves cannot be granted retroactively, and normally are not approved after the tenth day of a term. To request a personal leave of absence, a student must complete the form available in the registrar’s office before the beginning of the term for which the leave is requested, explaining the reasons for the proposed leave and stating both the proposed start and end dates of the leave, and the address (both physical and electronic) at which the student can be reached during the period of the leave.
If the academic dean approves, the leave is granted. In any case, the student is informed in writing of the action taken. A student who does not apply for a personal leave of absence, or who applies for a leave but is not granted one, and who does not register for any term, is considered to have withdrawn from the Divinity School. The general policies governing all leaves are described above, including health coverage.
Medical Leave of Absence
A student who must interrupt study temporarily because of illness or injury may be granted a medical leave of absence with the approval of the associate dean of academic affairs on the written recommendation of a physician on the staff of the University Health Services. A student who is making satisfactory progress toward his or her degree requirements is eligible for a medical leave any time after matriculation. To request a medical leave of absence, a student should complete the form available in the registrar’s office, explaining the reasons for the proposed leave and stating both the proposed start and end dates of the leave, and the address (both physical and electronic) at which the student can be reached during the period of the leave. The final decision concerning a request for a medical leave of absence is communicated in writing from the academic dean.
The Divinity School reserves the right to place a student on a medical leave of absence when, on the recommendation of the director of the University Health Services or the chief of the Division of Mental Hygiene, the dean of the Divinity School determines that the student is a danger to self or others because of a serious medical problem.
A student who is placed on medical leave during any term has his or her tuition adjusted according to the same schedule used for withdrawals. (See Tuition Rebate and Refund Policy.) Before re-registering, a student on medical leave must secure written permission to return from a physician at the University Health Services and must have submitted any and all documentation required by the University Health Services.
The general policies governing all leaves are described above, including health coverage.
Leave of Absence for Parental Responsibilities
A student who wishes or needs to interrupt his or her study temporarily for reasons of pregnancy, maternity, or paternity care may be granted a leave of absence for parental responsibilities. A student who is making satisfactory progress toward his or her degree requirements is eligible for parental leave of absence any time after matriculation.
To request a leave of absence for parental responsibilities, a student must complete the form available in the registrar’s office before the beginning of the term for which the leave is requested, explaining the reasons for the proposed leave and stating both the proposed start and end dates of the leave, and the address (both physical and electronic) at which the student can be reached during the period of the leave. If the academic dean approves, the leave is granted. In any case, the student is informed in writing of the action taken.
The general policies governing all leaves are described above, including health coverage.
Students living in University housing units are encouraged to review their housing contract and the related polices of the Graduate Housing Office before applying to the Divinity School for a parental leave of absence. Students granted a parental leave may continue to reside in University housing to the end of the academic term for which the leave was first granted, but no longer.
Withdrawal and Readmission
A student who wishes to terminate his or her program of study should confer with the associate dean of academic affairs regarding withdrawal. The associate dean will determine the effective date of the withdrawal. The University identification card must be submitted with the approved withdrawal form in order for withdrawal in good standing to be recorded. Withdrawal forms are available in the registrar’s office. Students who do not register for any fall or spring term, and for whom a leave of absence has not been approved by the associate dean, or who do not return from or ask for and receive an extension of an approved leave, are considered to have withdrawn from the Divinity School.
A student who discontinues his or her program of study during the academic year without submitting an approved withdrawal form and the University identification card will be liable for the tuition charge for the term in which the withdrawal occurs. Tuition charges for students who withdraw in good standing will be adjusted as described in the Tuition Rebate and Refund Policy.
A student who has withdrawn from the Divinity School in good standing and who wishes to resume study at a later date must apply for readmission. Neither readmission nor financial aid is guaranteed to students who withdraw. The deadline for making application for readmission is February 1 of the year in which the student wishes to return to the Divinity School. The student’s application will be considered by the Admissions Office.
Termination
A student’s relationship with the School may be terminated for the following reasons:
- 1. Failure to maintain a satisfactory academic record.
- 2. Lack of aptitude or personal fitness for the Christian ministry.
- 3. Behavior which violates generally acknowledged canons and standards of scholarship or professional practice.
- 4. Behavior which is disruptive to the educational process.
- 5. Possession or use of explosives or weapons on University property.
Disciplinary actions are initiated by the Professional Studies Committee, by the Sexual Harassment Committee, or by the Discipline Committee. The student concerned has the right to appear before the initiating committee. The decision to terminate the relationship of a student with the School is made by the general faculty on recommendation of one of these committees. The committees may also impose lesser penalties such as reprimand or probation.
The faculty reserves the right to withhold a degree from a candidate where there is compelling evidence of serious moral misconduct, or while disciplinary actions or criminal proceedings are pending.
Commencement
All candidates on whom degrees are to be conferred must be present at the Commencement exercises of the University, unless excused for urgent reasons by the Dean’s Office.
