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Introduction
Graduate studies at Fairmont State University (Fairmont State) are designed to give students advanced knowledge in a special field of study, higher levels of professional competence, an understanding of and respect for scholarly research and a sophisticated knowledge of the techniques of continued, lifelong intellectual growth. These goals are achieved through specialized programs of study, investigation and professionally mentored practical experiences that are carefully planned by each individual student in consultation with his or her graduate faculty advisor.
Fairmont State, a comprehensive, selective institution offers a quality education in a supportive learning environment that fosters individual growth, professional and career development, lifelong learning, global understanding, and a commitment to excellence in academic and community pursuits. In keeping with its tradition of academic excellence, the University promotes graduate education by offering select graduate programs.
Fairmont State is closely identified with its community. Partnerships with business and industry, public schools, government agencies and other organizations contribute to the economic, cultural, and social development of the region and enrich our programs and the experience of our students.
Vision, Mission, and Objectives
Vision
Fairmont State aspires to be nationally recognized as a model for accessible learner-centered institutions that promote student success by providing comprehensive education and excellent teaching, flexible learning environments, and superior services.
Mission
The mission of Graduate Studies is to ensure graduates acquire the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind necessary for intellectual growth, full and participatory citizenship, employability, and entrepreneurship in a diverse and changing environment.
Objectives
Fairmont State offers an expanding number of competitive graduate degree programs that seeks to
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Provide high quality graduate degree programs in fields in which there are needs for people with such qualifications, for which there are prospective students seeking such advanced qualifications, and to which the University can devote the requisite human and material resources;
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Provide advanced educational opportunities, beyond the baccalaureate, for professionals and others who are not seeking a graduate degree, or who already have a graduate degree, but who need to develop new knowledge and skills to meet changing conditions, or to continue to keep current with advancing knowledge in their specialties;
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Enhance the academic environment of the University by attracting qualified students to the campus, by giving faculty the opportunity to teach their specialties at an advanced level, and by fostering research and creative activity among graduate students and faculty;
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Assure that the graduate student’s experience in Fairmont State’s programs is a coherent experience of intellectual growth, enabling each student to meet reasonable academic, intellectual, and professional goals.
The Graduate Studies programs support the mission and goals of Fairmont State through graduate education. Based on experiential learning and interdisciplinary study, Fairmont State offers select yet comprehensive high-quality graduate programs. These programs strive to foster core competencies, cutting-edge technologies, and critical thinking. Committed and competent faculty prepare eager and reflective individuals for life and work in an increasingly complex, diverse, and global society. Fairmont State graduate students receive personal attention as they work closely with faculty in small classes. Graduate programs at Fairmont State are responsive to the needs of the external community, and in turn provide the most innovative and highest caliber graduate education in the region.
A student undertakes graduate study in order to gain a deeper knowledge in a particular academic discipline and to become able to demonstrate to the faculty and practitioners in the field the attained mastery of knowledge. Consequently, graduate study cannot be defined primarily in terms of semester hours of coursework beyond the baccalaureate, even though minimum coursework requirements are commonly specified for graduate degrees. Minimum requirements set the lower limit for an integrated plan of study.
Graduate students are expected to become participating members of the University community and are encouraged to attend the lectures presented by visiting scholars, to listen to academic discussions of their faculty, and to study with their fellow graduate students.
Graduate Programs & Certificates
Choosing to pursue a Master’s Degree program at Fairmont State represents a commitment to excellence, personal growth, and lifelong learning. Our graduate programs are committed to a student-centered learning environment that emphasizes concrete experiences, intellectual discourse, and critical reflection in both face-to-face and online learning environments. Fairmont State is small enough to allow each graduate student opportunities for interaction with fellow students and distinguished faculty members, yet large enough to provide challenging and diverse areas of study.
Fairmont State offers the following graduate degrees and certificates:
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Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
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Master of Arts in National Security and Intelligence (M.A.NSI.)
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Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)
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Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
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M.Ed. in Digital Media, New Literacies and Learning
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M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
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M.Ed. in Exercise Science, Fitness & Wellness
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M.Ed. in Multi-Categorical Special Education with Autism
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M.Ed. in Professional Studies
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M.Ed. in Reading Specialist
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M.S. in Criminal Justice
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M.S. in Engineering Management
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M.S. in Healthcare Management
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Certificate in Cybersecurity Management
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Certificate in Healthcare Management
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Certificate in Human Resource Management
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Certificate in Project Management
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Certification in Educational Leadership: Principalship
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Certification in Educational Leadership: Superintendency
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Certification in Reading Specialist
Graduate Education Outcomes
Graduates from all of the Fairmont State Master’s Programs should have the ability to think logically and consistently; integrate and synthesize knowledge; access up-to-date knowledge and information within the discipline; communicate in a clear, consistent, and logical manner, both orally and in writing; understand the interrelationships between their discipline and others; be aware of and prepared to deal with ethical dilemmas within their profession; apply their knowledge of the discipline to real-life situations; increasingly, adapt to the dynamic requirements of their profession and their workplace.
Graduates of a Master’s program at Fairmont State are expected to demonstrate:
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Critical Analysis: Adapting and applying new knowledge and skills in critical analysis of changing conditions in the field;
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Scholarship and Research: Critically analyzing and conducting research in the field;
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Creative Productivity: Engaging in creative, productive activity in the field;
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Application of Standards: Based Professional Knowledge: Apply advanced standards-based professional knowledge and skills in the context of the field;
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Professional Communication: Demonstrating effective and appropriate verbal, nonverbal, written, and media communication techniques in the profession.
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Professional Development: Engaging in critical self-analysis and articulation of professional goals;
These learning outcomes are shared by all programs and distinguish graduate studies at Fairmont State.
Catalog Policy
It is the responsibility of students to be knowledgeable of official Fairmont State policies and to meet all requirements in the Catalog. It provides the best possible current information on practices and academic policies of the institution. Fairmont State does however, reserve the right to change provisions or requirements at any time to reflect curricular changes and/or administrative regulations and procedures. The Catalog is not considered a binding contract between the student and the institution; it is for informational purposes only.
Students should keep informed of current degree, curriculum and course requirements. Academic advisors and appropriate administrative offices of Fairmont State may be consulted for further information or guidance.
A student who enrolls at Fairmont State shall follow the degree provisions of the catalog in use at the time of admission or any subsequent catalog, providing the entire subsequent catalog is adopted.
A student who changes degree programs or majors while enrolled at Fairmont State may follow the degree provisions of the catalog in use at the time of admission or any subsequent catalog, providing the entire catalog is adopted. Because curricular changes frequently occur in subsequent catalogs, the student should consult with an advisor in the new degree program or major for assistance in determining which catalog to adopt.
Students who have interrupted their schooling for two or more regular academic semesters (not including summer) will be readmitted under the most current catalog and degree requirements.
Please note that academic policies can change each year and apply to all students regardless of when they began their studies. Please refer to the current catalog for the most recent academic policies and procedures.
Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action
Fairmont State is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Institution. The University is subject to the Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Equal Pay Act; the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974; Federal Executive Order 11246; and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), all as amended; and other applicable laws and regulations. The institution provides equal opportunity to all prospective and current members of the student body, faculty, and staff on the basis of individual qualifications and merit without regard to race, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression/association, national origin, age, height, weight, religion, creed, genetic information, disability or veteran’s status, as identified and defined by law in employment, admissions, and educational programs and activities. Fairmont State neither affiliates knowingly with nor grants recognition to any individual, group, or organization having policies that discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression/association, national origin, age, height, weight, religion, creed, genetic information, disability or veteran’s status, as identified and defined by law in employment, admissions, and educational programs and activities. Fairmont State will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because such employee or applicant has inquired about, discussed, or disclosed the compensation of the employee or applicant or another employee or applicant.
Further inquiries may be directed to the Director of Affirmative Action, who is the Section 504, Title IX Coordinator, located in Room 208 A Hardway Hall, (304) 367-4389, or the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, located in the Turley Student Services Center, (304) 367-4686.
Disability/ADA Services
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, students with disabilities are due reasonable accommodations in their academic pursuits. A student’s disability should not unfairly interfere with his or her learning process or evaluation and grading.
The primary mission of the Fairmont State Disability Services Office (DSO) is to provide leadership and facilitate equal access to all institutional opportunities for students who have disabilities, so they may achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals in preparation for responsible citizenship. DSO provides institutionwide advisement, consultation, and training on disability-related topics, including legal and regulatory compliance, universal design, and disability scholarship. We identify and work to remove barriers to foster an all-inclusive campus, and provide individual services and facilitate academic accommodations to students with disabilities. Our staff collaborates with students, instructors, staff, and community members to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable by:
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Advocating for students with disabilities to have access to the same level of service from campus offices as is available to non-disabled students and to receive from DSO only those services not provided elsewhere by the institution.
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Fostering the development of a campus culture that values the diversity of disability and that values disability as a core component of diversity.
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Encouraging the design of campus environments that welcome students with disabilities and advocating for inclusion of a commitment across institutional departments.
Through guidance and technical assistance to the institution on disability-related laws and regulations, DSO fosters academic experiences that are as similar as possible to the experiences of non-disabled students by:
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Providing guidance, advice, and technical assistance that informs and enables the institution to meet applicable laws and regulations.
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Apprising key administrators of emerging issues relative to disability and access that may impact the institution.
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Ensuring that students with disabilities receive reasonable and appropriate accommodations, aids, and services to have equal access to all institutional programs, services, and activities.
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Collaborating with others across the institution in ways that benefit students.
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Providing guidance to faculty members in providing reasonable and effective accommodations, and by consultation and training for faculty members on disability related topics.
The Disability Services Office is located in 316 Turley Student Services Center and can be reached at (304) 333-3661. For more information please visit our website www.fairmontstate.edu/access.
Family Rights Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) provides students with the right to inspect and review information contained in their educational records, to challenge the contents of their educational records, to have a hearing if the outcome of the challenge is unsatisfactory, and to submit explanatory statements for inclusion in their files if they feel the decisions of the hearing panels are unacceptable. Students wishing to review their educational records must contact the campus official in charge of the office in which the records are located. Students may not inspect records to which they have waived their rights of inspection and review.
Within the Fairmont State community, only those members, individually or collectively, acting in the student’s educational interest are allowed access to student education records. These members include personnel in the offices of Admissions and Records, Student Services, Financial Aid, Business, academic colleges and schools, departments, academic advisors, and athletic departments. These school officials have a legitimate educational interest in the student’s education record if the school official requires such information to: fulfill his or her responsibility or duty to the University; perform tasks within the scope of his or her employment or within the scope of a contract with the University; perform a task related to a student’s education; perform a task related to the discipline of a student; provide a service or benefit relating to the student or student’s family, such as health care, counseling, job placement, pastoral counseling, or financial aid; or maintain the safety and security of the campus.
At its discretion, the institution may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of the Act to include: student name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of members of athletic teams. Students may withhold directory information by notifying the Student Services Center in writing.
Fairmont State may disclose academic information to parents of students by having parents establish the student’s dependency as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Section 152. Dependency status may be established by the presentation of a certified copy of the parents’ most recent federal income tax form listing the student as a dependent.
Drug-Free Awareness Program
in compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989, Fairmont State has a Drug-Free Awareness Program designed to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees. Further inquiries arising from employment issues or concerns may be directed to the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources; student issues or concerns may be directed to the Vice President for Student Services.
Compliance with Military Selection Service
State law provides that a male person who has attained the age of 18 years may not enroll in a state supported institution of postsecondary education unless he is in compliance with the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S. Code, Appendix 451, et seq. and the amendments thereto). Also, a male person may not receive a loan, grant, scholarship, or other financial assistance for postsecondary higher education funded by state revenue, including federal funds or gifts and grants accepted by this state, or receive a student loan guaranteed by the State unless he is in compliance with the Military Selective Service Act. Selective Service Act registration information should be available at all United States Postal Service facilities and may be available at some high schools. The Selective Service System also provides information through a web site at https://www.sss.gov.
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