Academic Progress Policy

Academic Progress Policy

SIPA maintains standards for satisfactory academic progress for federal aid recipients to ensure that only students meeting those standards receive federal aid. SIPA’s SAP standards include assessment of both qualitative and quantitative measures. Monitoring satisfactory academic progress is a shared responsibility of the Offices of Financial Aid and Student Affairs.

SIPA’s SAP standards for federal aid are the same as those used for academic progress required for continuation in the degree programs and are described and communicated on the SIPA website with the following text:

Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students must maintain the following to be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP):

  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 for all courses applicable to the MIA or MPA degree.
  • No more than two incomplete (IN) grades in a semester.
  • Full-time enrollment, which is defined as a minimum of 12 credits per semester.*
  • Complete at least 67% of attempted courses.
  • Maximum timeframe: Degree completion within 150% of the program length.
  • The total number of attempted credits toward the degree should not exceed 90 credits.
  • Advanced Standing/Transfer credits do not impact the cumulative GPA but count as both attempted and completed credits.
  • Adherence to the academic advisor's instructions by registering for required core, concentration, or specialization courses in the appropriate sequence.

 

SIPA Policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress for Federal Student Aid Recipients

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for all courses applicable to the MIA or MPA degree. A student whose performance does not meet these standards may not be permitted to continue to enroll in the degree program, and the school will take appropriate action. If, at the end of a semester, a graduate student fails to meet the GPA requirement, accumulates two or more INC (Incomplete) grades, or otherwise fails to meet the standards for progress, the student will receive a written warning concerning the lack of academic progress. The student must remedy the problem within one semester. The only exception to this is a part-time EMPA student who will be given two terms to meet SAP. Failure to re-establish satisfactory academic standing may result in dismissal from SIPA, subject to review by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. A dismissed student must wait at least one calendar year from the date of dismissal before applying for readmission to the graduate program.

Satisfactory academic progress for a full-time student is defined as a minimum GPA of 3.00 and completing a minimum of 9* credits per term toward the degree. Full-time students who do not earn this minimum number of credits will have a Dean's Hold placed on their registration.

A Dean's Hold prevents a student from registering for classes and from receiving the degree. Students with two or more 'IN' or 'UW' grades or one or more grades of 'F' will have their registration placed on Dean's Hold. In serious cases of unsatisfactory performance, a Dean's Hold may result in dismissal from the school, upon recommendation by the Committee of Deans. Students placed on Dean's Hold must obtain permission to register from the Associate Dean.

Students must complete all the MIA or MPA degree requirements within five years of the first semester of matriculation at SIPA. (Effective Fall 2011)

The total number of attempted credits toward the degree should not exceed 90 credits.

Advanced Standing/Transfer credits do not impact the cumulative GPA but count as both attempted and completed credits.

Students enrolled in the part-time Executive MPA Program (EMPA) are required to complete an average of 6 credits per term, as opposed to the 9 credits required for full-time students.

Uniform SAP Standards for All Students

  • SIPA’s academic progress requirements are identical for all students, regardless of financial aid application or eligibility status.
  • The Office of Student Affairs reviews progress for all students once per academic year after the spring semester (students in some programs that begin in the summer, as well as those who begin in January and do not enroll in the summer, are reviewed at the end of the fall, their second semester; students in the EMPA program are reviewed at the end of the summer term unless they are not enrolled for the summer, in which case they are reviewed at the end of the spring) and does not differentiate between aid applicants/recipients and non-applicants/recipients. All students not meeting SIPA’s SAP standards are reported to the Financial Aid Office, which then identifies those who have applied for aid or have previously applied for it.

Consistent Application of Policy by Degree Program

  • SAP standards apply uniformly to all categories of graduate students across all SIPA programs. Below is a detailed breakdown by program.

Regular Evaluations

All SIPA programs

  • Master of International Affairs (MIA)
  • Master of Public Administration (MPA)
  • MPA in Development Practice (MPA DP)
  • Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA)
  • Master of Public Administration Global Leadership (MPA GL)
  • Master of Public Administration in Economic Policy Management (MPA EPM)
  • MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA ESP)

The program's annual period is defined below

  • MIA, MPA, and MPA DP: Fall and Spring Terms*
  • EMPA: Summer, Fall, and Spring Terms
  • MPA GL, MPA ESP, and MPA EPM: Summer and Fall Terms

The evaluation by the Offices of Student Affairs and Financial Aid to determine financial aid eligibility by SAP standards will be performed annually.

*NOTE: The Office of Student Affairs will conduct an additional academic progress review after the first semester to identify academic concerns. This review is not the standard SAP review.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements

SIPA mandates a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the school’s qualitative measure of SAP. The Office of Student Affairs will notify the Financial Aid Office annually of any continuing students with a grade point average below 3.0. The Financial Aid Office will mark that student’s record as not meeting SAP standards and notify them of the implications to their application for financial aid.

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for all courses applicable to the MIA or MPA degree. A student whose performance does not meet these standards may not be permitted to continue to enroll in the degree program, and the school will take appropriate action.

For information on the grading scale, please visit this page.

Credit Completion and Timeframe Standards

Students must complete all the MIA or MPA degree requirements within five years of the first semester of matriculation at SIPA and by attempting no more than 150% of the total number of credits required to complete the SIPA portion of any degree, including dual degrees. Students are expected to complete at least 67% of their registered applicable courses per term.

Addressing Non-Standard Courses

Impact of Incomplete Grades on SAP

  • Two or more grades of Incomplete (INC) will automatically trigger academic action, and the student will be considered not to be making SAP.
  • INC grades are not calculated in the cumulative GPA. However, credits for courses with INC grades still count toward the maximum number of attempted credits required for the degree.
  • SAP will be re-evaluated depending on whether a passing or failing grade is awarded when a resolution of the INC grade is granted.

Impact of Course Withdrawals on SAP

  • Students who withdraw from a course receive either a W (withdrawal) or UW (unofficial withdrawal) grade.
  • Two or more UW grades will automatically trigger academic action, and the student will be considered not to be making SAP.
  • UW grades are not calculated in the cumulative GPA. The credits for courses with UW grades count toward the maximum number of attempted credits.
  • W grades are not included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. The credits for courses with W grades also count toward the maximum number of attempted credits.

Impact of Repeating Courses on SAP

  • If a student repeats a course, only the original grade counts toward the GPA. SIPA does not allow a course to be repeated simply to improve the grade.
  • Repeated grades count toward the maximum number of attempted credits toward the degree.

SAP Considerations for Dual Degree Students

  • Students’ maximum time frame for completing the degree may vary depending on the specific dual-degree program. The cumulative GPA for dual degrees will be based on the semester(s) they are in residence at SIPA. A dual-degree student has a maximum of 30 additional credits (above the minimum required) to complete the SIPA portion of the dual-degree program.

Impact of Advanced Standing and Transfer Credits

  • Advanced Standing does not impact the cumulative GPA but counts as both attempted and completed credits.
  • Transfer credits do not affect the cumulative GPA but are counted as both attempted and completed credits.
  • Not all SIPA programs accept transfer credits. The 2-year MIA/MPA programs allow up to 12 points (1 residency unit) of transfer credit (referred to as Advanced Standing).
  • The Executive MPA allows up to 6 transfer credits.
  • PEPM students may apply to transfer up to 9 credits from a prior graduate degree in economics or a related discipline.
  • The MPA in Environmental Science and Policy and the MPA in Development Practice do not accept transfer credits.
  • Courses transferred must be applicable to the degree, have an earned grade of B or better, and are not factored into the SIPA GPA.

Impact of Changing Degree Programs

  • Only students making SAP are allowed to change their program. They are held to the same standards as those who originally matriculated in the program.

Impact of Pass/Fail Grading

  • In a pass/fail semester, SIPA assigns no quality points to a grade of “pass,” but failing grades are treated as an “F.”
  • If a student had a prior GPA of 2.9 or higher and receives all “pass” grades in a pass/fail term, they are considered to be making SAP.
  • If the entire SAP assessment year is pass/fail, a student with all “pass” grades meets the SAP requirements. A failed course indicates that the SAP requirement is not met.
  • Students with a GPA under 2.9 before or after a pass/fail term may not be meeting the SAP requirements, particularly if any course was failed.

This policy applies to institution-wide shifts to pass/fail grading and does not apply to individually elected pass/fail courses under a standard grading policy.

SAP Adjustments Due to Disasters or Emergencies

  • In the event of a declared disaster or exceptional disruption, SIPA may exclude credits attempted but not earned from the pace of completion calculation for groups of students similarly impacted.

Manual SAP Adjustments for System Limitations

  • If SIS or other systems misrepresent academic progress due to technical limitations, the Office of Financial Aid will accept determinations made by Student Affairs advisors.

SAP Definitions and Statuses

  • SIPA does not use Financial Aid Warning status. SAP is only evaluated annually unless a student is on Financial Aid Probation.

Financial Aid Probation and Appeals

  • If a student fails to meet SAP at the annual evaluation, they may be placed on Financial Aid Probation after a successful appeal.
  • Appeals must be supported by an academic plan that both the advisor and the student have signed. SAP is re-evaluated at the end of the probationary semester.
  • Failure to meet the terms of the academic plan results in loss of federal and institutional aid eligibility.
  • EMPA students registered part-time may have up to two probationary semesters.

Academic Plans

  • The academic plan must detail the required credits and courses for the probationary term, be signed by both the student and the advisor, and be submitted to the Director of Financial Aid for review.

Appeal Process for SAP

Students who have lost financial aid eligibility due to SAP failure may appeal by completing the following steps:

  1. Request and submit the SAP Appeal Form with documentation explaining the failure and what has changed to support future success.
  2. Submit a signed Academic Plan Form in consultation with an academic advisor.
  3. If the appeal is approved, students have one semester to meet the plan's terms to remain eligible for future aid.

Restoring Financial Aid Eligibility

  • Students may regain eligibility by appealing or by demonstrating SAP in a subsequent academic year.
  • Following a year of ineligibility, academic progress will be reviewed again after the spring semester per normal procedure.

Notifications

  • Students will be notified via their Columbia email of any SAP-related decisions or appeals. Comments will be recorded in PowerFAIDS, and all appeals and plans will be saved in the student’s file.