2017-2018 College Catalog 
    
    Mar 19, 2024  
2017-2018 College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Graduate and Continuing Education Programs



Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions is responsible for the recruitment, outreach, and admission for graduate and undergraduate degree completion programs, summer school, non-credit professional training/development programs. Dual enrollment at Mount Aloysius College is also managed and operated from Enrollment Management with strong collaboration between the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions and the Office of Freshmen Admissions Division Chairs and applicable Department Chairs assume all academic functions of programs once students enroll.

Programs include associate, bachelor and master level degrees designed for working adults, credit courses such as ACT 48 seminars for practicing educators, and non-credit training and continuing professional education courses. Summer school consists of credit courses offered on campus, online or at one of our off-campus locations. The Dual Enrollment program allows high school students to earn college credit while in high school. Online certificate programs in Business, Criminal Justice Addictions Professional, Finance, and Medical Coding.

Graduate Programs

Mount Aloysius College offers graduate degrees in a variety of academic areas that enable area professionals to deepen their mastery of their chosen subject, develop heightened competence in their chosen career, and to pursue graduate work while still maintaining work and personal commitments. Faculty in graduate programs at Mount Aloysius College hold advanced degrees in their field and also bring many years of professional experience to the classroom.

Accelerated Undergraduate Degree Completion Program

While some undergraduate programming is offered on campus, most GCE academic programs are offered off-campus or online for the convenience of area professionals who desire to complete their college education in a time frame and format geared toward working adults. The Accelerated Degree Completion Program at Mount Aloysius College addresses the needs of adults with busy schedules who wish to complete a degree on a part-time basis. The College offers an associate degree completion program in Early Childhood Education and Business Administration as well as bachelor degree completion programs in Business Administration and Nursing. These degrees can be completed in two years to two and a half years. The bachelor degree completion programs in Business Administration and in Nursing are also available in a fully online format. Employees of area businesses may have access to reduced tuition rates and a tuition deferment payment plan through specially-negotiated agreements with Mount Aloysius College.

Graduate and Continuing Education also offers associate degrees in Medical Imaging/Radiography via a combination of videoconferencing classroom based instruction and online courses. These programs are taught in cooperation with the DuBois Regional Medical Center in DuBois, PA.

Features of the GCE programs include:

  1. accelerated classes offered at select community locations as well as online;
  2. classes that meet only one night a week for eight weeks;
  3. a curriculum that is adult learner-focused;
  4. classroom learning that is related to the real-life work experiences of working professional;
  5. free online access to library resources;
  6. opportunities to receive college credit for prior learning outside the classroom; and
  7. the ability to take classes face-to-face, online, and blended formats for maximum convenience.

Programs of Study

Bachelor of Science

Business Administration (CBNB/CBNBO)
Information Technology (CINFB)
Nursing/RN-BSN (CBSN/CBSNO/CBSNM)
Medical Imaging (CMBSO)

Associate of Science

Applied Technology (CAT)
Business Administration (CBNA/CBNAO)
Information Technology (CINFA)
Medical Imaging (CMI)

Certificate Programs

Business Certificate (CBNCO/CBNCT)
Certified Professional Coding Certificate (CCDON)
Finance Certificate (CFNCO/CFNCT)

Online Programs and Courses

Mount Aloysius College is approved by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education to offer online programs. The College offers an increasing variety of undergraduate degree completion and certificate programs online as well as a wide array of core course requirements for the associate and bachelor degrees. For the most current list of online programs and courses, go to the GCE web site at www.mtaloy.edu/gce.

Drop/Withdrawal Policy for Online Courses

The date an online course is scheduled to begin is considered the first day of class. Students have until 4:00 p.m. on the fourth day after the class has started to drop the class from his/her schedule with no financial penalties. Beginning on day five, the process is not a withdrawal and financial penalties will incur. The class will remain on the student’s transcript with a grade of “W”.

Act 48 Credits

Mount Aloysius College is an approved provider of college credit courses for Act 48 requirements. As such, any Mount Aloysius credit course can be used to fulfill Act 48 requirements. Mount Aloysius College offers week-long, three-credit summer seminars for K-12 teachers and administrators seeking Act 48 credit. These seminars emphasize Teacher Renewal And Inquiry-Based Learning (T.R.A.I.L.) that familiarizes educators with contemporary trends, techniques and problems faced by modern educators. Educators learn about subject matter in ways that can be used in the classroom. Participants will create an “idea suitcase” to take with them from the course.

Foundation Courses and Capstone Seminar - GCE Programs

Graduate and Continuing Education students, in associate and bachelor degree programs, may have complete three foundation courses and the capstone seminar provide Mount Aloysius College students with opportunities to experience interdisciplinary instruction, familiarize themselves with the College and our Mercy values, improve their critical thinking and writing skills, and explore and reflect upon the implicit and explicit values of self and the contemporary world.

A student who has earned a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited university or college shall be exempt for completing LA 201 - Connections II: Self and Learning  and LA 301 - Connections III: Self and Vocation . The student will still be required to complete LA 101 - Connections I: Self and Community  to ensure he or she is introduced to the institution’s academic expectations, resources, and traditions of Mount Aloysius College. A student who has completed a bachelor’s degree should contact the Registrar’s Office to ensure the waiver is applied to his or her academic record. A student may still choose to take these courses as electives to improve critical thinking, writing, and communication skills.

LA 101 : Connections I is a one-credit course designed and required for all new and first-year students. The purpose of this course is to integrate new students into the community of thinkers and learners. Students are challenged to enhance their intellectual potential, understand their academic and moral responsibilities, appreciate diversity, and develop their critical thinking, learning, and communication skills.

LA 201 : Connections II is a one-credit course designed and required for all sophomore students. One must successfully complete Connections I to enroll in this course. The purpose of the course is to develop the critical reading, thinking and writing skills of the second-year student. Students who successfully complete this course will improve their reading comprehension, oral communication, and expository writing skills.

LA 301 : Connections III is a one-credit course designed and required for all junior students seeking a baccalaureate degree. Students in continuing education program must successfully complete LA 202  to enroll in this course. The purpose of the course is to review and strengthen skills in critical reading, the conventions of academic writing, and the formulation of a research question in preparation for the senior capstone experience. Additionally, students will examine the Mercy values in the context of their discipline.

The Capstone Seminar is required for all students seeking a baccalaureate degree. One must successfully complete Connections I, II, and III to enroll in this course. The capstone seminar should be taken in one’s senior year. It provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate the mastery of their discipline and the ability to integrate and synthesize the liberal arts and Mercy values in a research project that includes a 20-page paper.

Together the Mount Aloysius College foundation courses and capstone seminar will foster and develop students’ critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. The interdisciplinary approach in each will enable students to make connections between their liberal arts education, their vocation, Mount Aloysius College, and the Mercy values.

Mount Aloysius College Dual Enrollment Program

The Dual Enrollment program allows high-achieving high school students in the central Alleghenies region to earn college credit for courses taken at their high school.

Through special arrangements with some fifty-four area high schools, high school upperclassmen may take selected courses at their high school for both high school and Mount Aloysius College credit at deeply discounted tuition rates. Interested high school students in this part of Pennsylvania should consult with their high school administration office to inquire whether their high school participates in this program.

For more information on any of these programs, please contact the Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions at (814) 886-6406 or GCE@mtaloy.edu. Prospective students may also learn more about GCE’s programs by visiting the website at www.mtaloy.edu/gce.

Academic Calendar for Graduate and Continuing Education Programs

Programs offered through GCE do not always follow the published Academic Calendar because of the unique nature of accelerated programs and courses. As a result, course may be held on days where courses are not held for on-campus based programs (i.e. fall break, spring break). GCE publishes an academic calendar for its programs on its website.

Withdrawal from the College

**Before withdrawing from the College, ask a Financial Aid Officer how it will alter your financial aid and the Billing Office how it will alter you bill.

When a student officially withdraws from the College before completing the period of enrollment for which they were charged, a loss of financial aid may create a balance due on the student’s account. In certain circumstances the student may be entitled to receive a partial credit of tuition and fees.

A withdrawal is considered official only after the completed withdrawal form has been processed.

Students will be advised to meet with the Office of Student Success and Advising prior to withdrawing and all withdrawal forms must be completed through the Registrar’s Office. Official withdrawal forms must be retained in the student’s permanent file located in the Registrar’s Office. Non-attendance does not constitute an official withdrawal.

Students who withdraw from Online or Degree Completion Programs prior to the first class will receive a 100% refund, prior to the second class, 95% refund; prior to the third class, 90% refund; prior to the fourth class, 50% refund; fourth class or after, no refund.

Proration for students who withdraw from summer courses will follow the summer catalog.

Withdrawing from Modules (8-week sessions)

Students enrolling in modules who will be using financial aid must sign up for all classes they will be taking for all of the sessions. If a student signs up for all sessions, they are expected to attend and complete all sessions. If the student ceases to attend a course for which they were scheduled to attend, and they are not enrolled in any subsequent modules/sessions, the student will be considered a withdrawal and a Return to Title IV Funds calculation will be performed (see additional information.)

Return of Title IV Funds

When a student who receives Title IV financial aid (Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, Perkins Loan, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, and PLUS loans) withdraws, either officially or unofficially, before completing the period of enrollment for which they were charged, a return of Title IV funds may be required.

  • First, the net amount of Title IV aid that was and could have been disbursed is calculated.
  • Second, a calculation must be performed to determine the percentage of Title IV aid earned. The number of days attended by the student is divided by the number of days in the payment period. This equals the percentage of Title IV aid earned. If the percentage of Title IV aid earned is greater than 60 percent, the student is eligible for 100 percent of the aid.
  • Third, if the amount of aid disbursed equals the amount of aid earned, no further calculation is required.
  • Fourth, if the amount of aid disbursed is greater than the amount of aid earned, the difference must be returned to the appropriate Title IV agencies.

The College will return Title IV monies as follows: Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Direct Subsidized Loan, Perkins Loan, Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG and others.

The student’s account will be debited for all monies returned to the Title IV agencies. The student will be responsible for paying any outstanding balance due to the Controller’s Office. Questions regarding the Return of Title IV funds should be directed to the Financial Aid Office.