Academic

Academic Course Load

To complete a degree or certificate program, students are enrolled in classes in the method associated with their degree level as follows:

Bachelor Level Students
Students are enrolled in one academic course for the first term. This equates to a maximum of three credit hours in the first academic course. After the first term, students can take two courses within a term with minimum G.P.A. of 2.0. and up to three courses within a term as long as the student has a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0. Students in their first term of enrollment at ACE are not eligible to submit a Multiple Course Request.

Master Level Students
Students will automatically be enrolled in one academic course per term. This equates to a maximum of three credit hours in an academic course. This can be coupled with a non-academic course, capstone or independent study.

Students are enrolled in one academic course for the first term. This equates to a maximum of three credit hours in the first academic course. After the first term, students can take up to three courses within a term. 

Students may not request additional courses while simultaneously taking an EL internship course. 

Students, in the first term requesting multiple courses, must meet one of the following requirements: 

• Previous undergraduate work at the minimum G.P.A. for full admission (Note: Courses that are not scheduled, will not be offered to accommodate multiple course requests. Multiple courses can be very challenging, in which students will be expected to meet the deadlines for all submissions. Work that is not submitted on time will be graded following the late submission policy. If a student finds that courses need to be dropped, please review the policies outlined in the catalog regarding deadlines and course requirements. No appeals will be approved for drop requests after the deadline.)

• Previous graduate course work (G.P.A. of 3.0 or better on the transcript)

• Any previous ACE courses completed (G.P.A. of 3.0 or better on the transcript) 

Doctoral Level Students

Students are enrolled in one academic course for the first term. This equates to a one-credit hour in the first academic course.  

Students in the first term requesting multiple courses, must meet one of the following requirements: 

• Previous graduate course work (G.P.A. of 3.0 or better on the transcript) 

• Any previous ACE courses completed (G.P.A. of 3.0 or better on the transcript) 

After the first term, students are enrolled in a maximum of ten credit hours per term, after the first term. 

Academic Integrity

American College of Education expects students to exhibit academic integrity throughout their educational experience and to avoid all forms of academic dishonesty. 

Academic dishonesty, which includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, abuse of resource materials, fabrication, conspiracy to plagiarize, publicly posting or utilizing unauthorized publicly posted work on ACE systems or third-party websites or domains, or cheating on an examination or other academic work, is subject to disciplinary action.    

Student work created for a specific assignment in a course will be subject to plagiarism sanctions if reused for any other purpose.  

Exception: If a student retakes a course, the student is required to meet all course requirements, including current discussion board postings. If the student has not received credit for the previous course, the student may resubmit assignments from the previous attempt. All submitted coursework in the retaken course will be reevaluated, which may result in a higher or lower assignment grade. The student is responsible for communicating with the instructor about the re-submission of assignments. 

For questions regarding self-plagiarism, students should visit the College’s Writing Center for assistance.

Students are allowed to reference course materials while taking quizzes and tests due to their emphasis on application; however, exams must be taken independently.

Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence

The American College of Education (ACE) acknowledges the role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in enhancing learning experiences. Moreover, learning to use AI-based tools thoughtfully and strategically may help students develop their skills, refine their work, and prepare for their future careers.

Within academic integrity, ACE generally supports using AI tools for tasks such as brainstorming, generating ideas, finding background information on a topic, clarifying research questions, drafting an outline, and checking grammar and style. These and other uses of AI tools are acceptable if they align with an assignment’s requirements and intended learning outcomes.

When using AI-generated material in an assignment, it must be cited appropriately and with the required citation style for that course. Students are encouraged to visit the Writing Center in Student Commons to access APA Style Resources. In addition, the ACE Library provides an AI Subject Guide for students and faculty, which includes information pertaining to academic integrity, citations, and copyright.

If students have any questions about whether using artificial intelligence is permitted, they should check with their course instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they use AI tools ethically and in accordance with academic integrity principles.

Academic Integrity Alleged Violations

All alleged violations of academic integrity must follow these steps:   

1. The faculty member will enter a grade of zero in the gradebook and a comment that the assignment has been flagged for a potential academic integrity violation. The faculty member will also ask the student to provide any explanation they might have to include in the documentation submitted for review. The faculty member will update the grade once the investigation is complete. 
2. The faculty member will submit documentation of the suspected violation including the student’s response. The program or department designee (PDD) will determine whether the report is to be dismissed or considered for an informal or formal warning based on the severity of the violation and the student’s previous record. If the student has had a previous violation, an automatic formal warning will be issued. All formal warnings are issued by the College Support Services. 
3. Suggested grading information will be provided to the faculty member as part of the response from the PDD. 

If a student receives a second formal warning of violating the academic integrity policy, the following steps will occur:  

1. The PDD will notify the student of the problem immediately, providing documentation of the offense and stating the issue is being escalated to the department’s committee (DC) for review. 
2. After the student is notified of DC referral, the committee chair will contact the student via email to provide them the opportunity for due process by submitting a written statement to address the violation.
3. The DC will review the offenses along with the student’s response and determine the appropriate academic and disciplinary sanctions. 

Academic and disciplinary sanctions will be based on the seriousness of the situation and may include, but not be limited to the following:   

1. Documented counseling by faculty members, department chairs, program directors, representatives from Student Services or the College Support Services or any college official or administration, 
2. A reduction of a grade in the course, 
3. Administrative Withdrawal from the course with a grade of F, 
4. Dismissal for a specified period of time, 
5. Permanent dismissal from the institution, 
6. Filing of criminal charges. 

Appeals   

Because disciplinary sanctions are imposed at the program/department level, the appeal process for disciplinary issues for students begins at Step 2 of the Appeal and Complaint process , which is the College level review. Students have the right to appeal the department committee’s (DC) decision in accordance with this level of review in the Appeals and Complaint process. 

Capstone Information and Requirements

Components of the Capstone Experience

The capstone experience is a culminating project in which a student leverages the knowledge and skills gained throughout their program. The capstone involves both reflective and forward-looking components.

All the capstone components will be completed within the time frame of the capstone course; no preparation is needed other than a continual reflection on the next steps in a student’s journey.

Some programs include additional assignments and requirements for the completion of the capstone. Details for additional components will be shared during courses throughout a program or within the capstone course.

Maximum Number of Enrollments in a Capstone

Due to unforeseen circumstances, times may exist when a student cannot complete their capstone prior to their intended graduation date/end of program. If a capstone is not completed, a student can be re-enrolled in the course as long as they do not exceed the maximum number of enrollments. A student can take the (5-week course) Capstone course no more than five times (25 weeks of course time) during their enrollment at ACE. If a student is not successful after the designated number of course enrollments, they will be administratively withdrawn from the college.

RN to MSN and BSN to MSN Capstone Experience

RN to MSN

The RN to MSN program has a capstone course at both the bachelor’s level (NUR4093) and master’s level (NUR5094 or NUR5194).  Specific information can be found in Nursing Toolbox located in the Student Commons.

BSN to MSN

The BSN to MSN program has a graduate-level capstone experience at the master’s level (NUR5094 or NUR5194). Specific information can be found in the Nursing Toolbox located in the Student Commons and in the MSN Graduate Capstone/Practicum Handbook.

The following components are required for completion of the Capstone Experience for RN to MSN and BSN to MSN:

Original Contribution-Change Project

The Original Contribution is an evidence-based change project that grows out of a student’s interest in a specific patient population, professional nursing role, and/or healthcare setting. In the Original Contribution, students will identify a need or problem in a healthcare setting and implement and evaluate a plan to resolve the problem. In addition, a student will have the opportunity to share how their leadership practice has grown and will continue to grow because of program completion.

Clinical Practicum Hours 

A 200-hour practicum is embedded in the RN to MSN and BSN to MSN programs and is required for program completion.  To avoid disruption in course sequencing, the following must be completed before enrollment in subsequent term(s) or enrollment in the capstone/practicum course can occur: 

• Clinical practice site and preceptor approval must occur three (3) terms before beginning the practicum experience; and  
• Any required documents, which may include, but are not limited to, liability insurance, background check, drug screening, immunizations, proof of health insurance, evidence of HIPAA training, and current CPR certification, must be submitted no later than 30 days before beginning the practicum experience. 

Course Addition Request

ACE recognizes circumstances may exist when a student determines he or she would benefit from taking an additional course(s) that are not a part of his or her program. Students can be approved to take course(s) outside of his or her program if the following conditions are true:

• Student is in good academic standing (2.0 GPA for Bachelors and 3.0 GPA for Masters or Doctoral).
• Student has completed at least one course successfully at ACE prior to approval.
• The additional course(s) are at the same or lower degree level than the student’s program of enrollment (i.e. Masters level students can be approved to take masters level or bachelors level courses but cannot be approved to take doctoral level courses).
• The requested course(s) are available during a term prior to the student’s expected graduation date.

The student will be assessed tuition and fees associated with the added course(s). Furthermore, the additional courses will be factored in the student’s GPA and extend program completion time. 

To request an additional course, submit a Course Addition Request form (located in the MyACE Portal). 

Course Numbering

Course numbers are set by a defined, consistent system for course identification aligned with higher education standards and readily understood on transcripts. The course numbering system uses a prefix, unique course number identifier and credit hour value.

• The prefix consists of 2-4 alphabetic characters for the subject area designation. It may include a 2-letter state code for courses specific to a particular state. Course numbers begin with the course level designation as follows:
  • 3000-4000 level courses designate baccalaureate level courses.
  • 5000 level courses designate Master’s level courses.
  • 6000 level courses designate Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) or Doctoral level (Ed.D.).
• Course numbers end with the number of semester credits the student earns by successfully completing the course.
  • A course that ends in a “1” (i.e. LEAD6001) signifies a one (1) credit hour course.
  • A course that ends in a “3” (i.e. LEAD6003) signifies a three (3) credit hour course.

Course Registration

It is the practice of ACE’s registration office to schedule new enrollments for their first class immediately upon enrollment. This first class, in all degree programs, is a dedicated first class and is listed as such in the College’s catalog.

After a new student matriculates past the first week of class, future classes are scheduled by the registration office. The goal is to provide students with the most optimal progression to complete their program in the shortest amount of time possible. For bachelor’s and master’s level students, a schedule for the remainder of the program will be produced for the student. For doctorate students, a schedule for the next term will be provided.

Students will see scheduled courses in the MyACE Portal. In Canvas, students will see these as future courses until the Friday before the term starts.

If a student wishes to make a change to this schedule, they are required to seek approval through the registration office. If the change can be made without impact to prerequisites, time to completion, or benchmark requirements, the change will be made for master’s and bachelor’s level students.

If a doctoral student wishes to either add or drop a course, they can do so by completing the Doctoral Schedule Change Request form.

Credit Hour Requirements

American College of Education assigns and awards credit hours in accordance with accepted practices in higher education. The College employs the federal definition of the credit hour in the assignment and awarding of credit hours as stated in the following policy:

At ACE a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement, an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than: 

1. One (1) hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two (2) hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester.
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practicum, studio work, and other academic work leading toward to the award of credit hours. [Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 34, Part 600.2]

One credit hour consists of at least 15 hours of lecture, discussion, seminar, or colloquium as well as 30 hours of student preparation, homework, studying, and application.

All of the coursework at American College of Education is completed asynchronously over the Internet, facilitated by qualified faculty. Some programs may also include a face-to-face internship, student teaching, or other field experience.

Lecture/Seminar Courses
Credit hour policy is consistent with the standards of courses offered through face-to-face instruction, although some or all of content and faculty-student interaction occurs through one or more forms of distance education.

Student Teaching, Internships, and Field Experiences
Require at least 45 hours of professional practice for one credit hour, or the combination of such with required coursework.

Independent Study Courses
Credit hour policy is consistent with the standards of courses offered through face-to-face instruction, although some or all of content and faculty-student interaction occurs through one or more forms of distance education.

Capstone Courses
Credit hour policy is consistent with the standards of courses offered through face-to-face instruction, although some or all of content and faculty-student interaction occurs through one or more forms of distance education.

General Education Competency (Undergraduate)

General education competencies are assessed through the undergraduate student’s completion of authentic assessments aligned to at least one GEC area in more than one course during the completion of program requirements. Identified GEC assessments are evaluated with a rubric that has been aligned to the Indiana College Core to demonstrate an individual or group of students meeting expectation of the GEC content area. Collection and analyses of these identified assessments provide the opportunity to review data and make appropriate changes to curriculum relating to general education competency.  

General Education Requirements (Undergraduate) 

American College of Education requires students enrolled in programs where a bachelor’s degree is conferred to complete thirty general education credits aligned with Indiana College Core. General education courses may be completed at ACE, transferred from an approved educational institution, or by proficiency exam.  The established framework for the Indiana College Core includes two categories: “Foundational Intellectual Skills” and “Ways of Knowing.” Each category includes three competency areas as depicted in the chart below. Indiana College Core requires for students to earn a minimum of 3 credits in each of the competency areas (18 credits) and complete a minimum of 30 credits in the defined competencies. ACE has defined the additional credit hours needed to fulfill general education requirements as listed below:

ACE students can complete general education credits prior to enrolling at ACE or while attending ACE. All credits are required to be fulfilled prior to degree conferral unless required as a prerequisite in a course as listed in the College Catalog.

*RN to MSN and RN to BSN students are required to have 3 credits in statistics. 

Maximum Number of Attempts in Courses

This policy limits the number of times a student can take any course with ACE. Students can take courses no more than three times during a registration at ACE.  If a student is not successful after three attempts, they will be administratively withdrawn from the College. Exception for EL5981 - an attempt with a grade of PR will not count toward a student’s three allowed attempt(s). 

Registration will schedule students according to program progression.  Students-At-Large may not register for the same course more than three times. Registration will count as the first registration for the course. If a student does not receive a passing grade after that attempt, they will be required to retake this course per progression.  This process will continue until one of the following occurs:

• Student receives passing grade and matriculates in program accordingly.
• Three graded attempts are reached.

After three attempts students will be administratively withdrawn from the college and notified accordingly.

If a student is administratively withdrawn, they will be subject to the Re-Entry policy.

A student has the right to appeal this decision per the appeal process.

Multiple Course Requests

Students seeking to take a course load exceeding the amount listed above may complete the Multiple Course Request Form for consideration. Students may request no more than 3 courses per term and must have a current 3.0 GPA.

Multiple course request decisions will be dependent on course availability, pre-requisite requirements, and student academic standing. Some programs or courses have restrictions on multiple course requests. Requesting additional courses during a term may result in a gap in the student’s program for courses not offered every term.

Prerequisites and Corequisites

The American College of Education defines a course prerequisite is any requirement an academic program identifies as necessary for a student to complete successfully before taking the course. A course corequisite is any requirement an academic program identifies as necessary for a student to satisfy concurrently with the course (a corequisite may be satisfied prior to the course as well as concurrently). Prerequisites and corequisites typically are other courses but may also be some other requirement.

Course prerequisites and corequisites are published in the course descriptions within this catalog. Students are ultimately responsible for knowing and adhering to course prerequisites and corequisites requirements. Failure to follow such requirements may delay a student’s progress and/or place a student at academic risk.

Registration Hold

If a student is not in Good Standing with the College, the College reserves the right to place a hold on the student’s registration for the next available term(s) (i.e. registration hold) until the student returns to Good Standing status.  

The student may remain on a registration hold for up to four five-week terms. If the student is still not in Good Standing at the end of this time, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the College in the manner outlined in the College’s Administrative Withdrawal Policy.  Conversely, if the student returns to Good Standing during the registration hold period, they will be scheduled for the immediate next term in the manner outlined in the College’s Registration Policy.   

If a student repeatedly is not in Good Standing with the College, the College may administratively withdraw the student earlier than the end of the fourth five-week term.

Repeating a Course

If a student repeats a course, both grades will appear on the student’s transcript. However, only the highest grade will be reflected in the student’s cumulative GPA.

Students who do not receive the required grade in a course for degree completion requirements will be automatically rescheduled to retake the course.  Should a student wish to retake a course for reasons other than degree requirements, they must formally request approval through the Registration Office.

Repeating a course will slow a student’s completion time and will involve additional costs. 

Per the Maximum Number of Attempts in Courses policy, a student will be administratively withdrawn from the college after three unsuccessful attempts at a course.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Academic Achievement Standards & Satisfactory Academic Progress

To graduate from American College of Education, each student must achieve a standard of academic achievement as defined by their cumulative grade point average (GPA). This standard is determined based on the degree level of the student. Undergraduate students must earn a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA; graduate students and Nursing students (RN-MSN, RN-BSN, and BSN-MSN) must earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Students must also complete their program in a specified amount of time:

• Undergraduate, RN to MSN, and master’s students are required to complete their program within 1.5 times the length of the program (without stop-outs).
• Specialist students must complete their program within 7 years.
• Doctorate students within 10 years (with or without stop outs).

A course in which a grade below a “C” is earned will not be counted toward graduation requirements and must be retaken. When the course is retaken, each course and grade will appear on the transcript, but only the highest grade will be reflected in the student’s cumulative grade point average.

To ensure students are tracking towards successful degree completion, students are required to maintain the academic achievement GPA.

If a student’s GPA does not meet the academic achievement level or if the student has been provisionally admitted, the following statuses and rules will apply:

Provisional Admission

If an applicant is ineligible for full admission due to GPA, rubric results, or as the result of an admissions appeal, the applicant will be allowed to enroll as a provisionally admitted student. The student will be placed on Academic Probation for their first two terms at the College.

Graduate and Nursing (RN-MSN, RN-BSN, and BSN-MSN) students cannot earn a grade below a “B” in either of the first two courses at the Master’s and Doctoral Level. Undergraduate students cannot earn below a “C” in either of their first two courses.

Undergraduate students must have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and graduate and Nursing (RN-MSN, RN-BSN, and BSN-MSN) students must have earned a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the end of their second course in order to be removed from Academic Probation status and be considered in good standing with the college.

Students who earn below a B (graduate and all Nursing (RN-MSN, RN-BSN, and BSN-MSN) students) or C (undergraduate) in either of their first two courses or do not earn the required GPA by the end of their second course will be dismissed from the College.

Academic Warning
Academic Warning is assigned when a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below a 2.0 for undergraduate and 3.0 for graduate and all Nursing (RN-MSN, RN-BSN, and BSN-MSN) students. The status is assigned for two terms to provide students the opportunity to raise their GPA. If the GPA is not raised to the required GPA at this time, they will be placed on Academic Probation. While placed on this status, graduate and Nursing (RN-MSN, RN-BSN, and BSN-MSN) students are required to earn a grade of “B” or better in each course; undergraduate students are required to earn a grade of “C” or better in each course. If these grades are not received, the student will be dismissed. 

Academic Probation
Academic Probation is assigned to a provisionally admitted student or when a student on Academic Warning does not meet the GPA requirements within two terms (2.0 for undergraduate and 3.0 for graduate and/or Nursing programs).  The Academic Probation status is assigned for two terms to allow students to raise their GPA. If the GPA is not raised to the required GPA during this time, they will be Dismissed. While placed on this status, graduate and RN to MSN students are required to earn a grade of “B” or better in each course; undergraduate students are required to earn a grade of “C” or better in each course. If these grades are not received, the student will be dismissed. 

Dismissal
A graduate-level, Nursing (RN-MSN, RN-BSN, and BSN-MSN), or provisional admit student on a SAP status, may be dismissed if they receive a grade of “C” or below in their courses. The one exception is if a student receives a “C” and this grade results in raising their GPA to a 3.0 cumulative GPA, they will not be dismissed. An undergraduate student on a SAP status may be dismissed if they receive a grade of “D” in their courses.

Students who have been academically dismissed are restricted to one petition for Re-Entry or Readmission to the College. The dismissed student is required to wait four standard 5-week terms prior to being allowed to re-enter (See Re-Entry or Readmission procedures).

Students who have been academically dismissed two times are not eligible to return and are expelled.

Re-Entry after Dismissal or Withdrawal 
A student who leaves ACE for any reason while on an Academic Warning or Academic Probation status will return under this same status if he or she is granted Re-Entry or Readmission.

Expelled
Students who have been academically dismissed two times will be expelled and are not eligible for re-entry or readmission. 

State Specific Course

It is the American College of Education’s policy to schedule students solely in courses listed in the course list for the program that corresponds to their student information. Specifically, some ACE programs list specific courses to be taken based on the state of residence for the student. ACE does this to ensure that key state components for potential licensure are covered during the student’s time at ACE. To meet this practice, the ACE registration team schedules students based on the state entered in the student’s record.

ACE recognizes there may be circumstances where students may live in one state or country; however, will be seeking licensure in a different state. To accommodate this scenario, students can be approved to be registered in state specific courses that differ from their state/country of residence if any of the following conditions are true:

• Student has a valid teaching certificate in the state for the request (i.e. Student lives in Iowa but has an Illinois teaching certificate).
• Student has current proof of employment in the state for the request (i.e. student lives in Indiana but is presently teaching in Ohio).
• Student lives overseas presently but will be returning to the United States and has proof of teaching certificate in a specific state.

If one of the above conditions apply, students can request to be enrolled in a course associated with a different state. To do so, submit the State Specific Course Request form and provide appropriate documentation. 

Transferability of ACE Credits

American College of Education is regionally accredited, but it does not guarantee or allege coursework taken at the College will be accepted for transfer to other institutions. The acceptance of transfer credit is entirely at the discretion of the receiving institution according to its policies. Students are responsible for contacting the receiving institution about their transfer credit policies related to coursework taken at American College of Education.