General Academic Information

Course Codes

Courses are designated by an alphanumeric symbol consisting of two letters and four numbers. The first two letters designate the academic department, committee or group that offers the course and are defined as follows:

Course Credit Value

Following the course designator are two numbers in parentheses separated by a hyphen, which indicate the hours of instruction per week in the classroom and in the laboratory, respectively. When calculating quarter-hours for the credit value of the course, laboratory hours are assigned half the value shown. Thus a (3-2) course, having three hours lecture and two hours of laboratory, will be assigned a credit value of four-quarter-hours.

Courses are assigned numbers in accordance with their level of academic credit:

Course Descriptions

For the most up to date course descriptions, access the online catalog at www.nps.edu/admissions/catalog. The online catalog is updated quarterly.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree and the Master of Science Degree

The master's degree may be awarded for successful completion of a curriculum which has the approval of the Academic Council as meriting the degree. Such curricula shall conform to current practice in accredited institutions and shall contain a well-defined major.

General Naval Postgraduate School minimum requirements for the master's degree are as follows:

• 32 quarter-hours of graduate level credits of which at least 20 quarter-credits must be earned from NPS*.
• A thesis or its equivalent is required.

*NPS generally allows a maximum of 12 graduate-level, quarter-credits to be transferred for purposes of earning a graduate degree. However, an additional 12 quarter-credits may be transferred from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in Dayton, Ohio. This is in addition to the normal transfer allowed (12), bringing the total to a maximum of 24 quarter-credits transferable from AFIT to NPS. Permission to transfer a specific course to serve as a substitute for a degree requirement will be determined by the Department Chairman or equivalent person responsible for nominating candidates for degrees at NPS and must be pre-approved in a coherent plan of study for the student. Regardless of transfer credits allowed, all NPS master's degrees still require at least 20 quarter-credits be earned directly from NPS.

To be eligible for the master's degree, the student must attain a minimum average quality point rating of 3.00 in all of the 3000 and 4000 level courses in his/her curriculum a 2.75 in all courses of the curriculum.

Thesis Format Requirements

The Thesis/Dissertation/MBA Project Report and Joint Applied Project Preparation Manual provides formatting and procedural guidance for preparing and processing electronic thesis/dissertation/reports at the Naval Postgraduate School. It covers both unclassified and classified theses/reports. All references to "theses" also refer to Dissertations, MBA Professional Reports and Joint Applied Projects. The document is on the web at www.nps.edu/research/documents/thesis_prep_manual.doc

Dual Degree Programs

Students who wish to pursue a dual degree program must satisfy QPR and other curricular/departmental requirements, as set forth in the Academic Policy Manual.

A dual degree program is one in which a student pursues two distinct master's degrees simultaneously. Any program which can lead to the award of two master's degrees is, in its entirety, a special program that must be approved by the Academic Council.

A student is qualified to enter a dual degree program if the Program Officer and Academic Associate certify that the student possesses a Total Quality Point Rating (TQPR) which is at least 3.75 and in the top 25% of the TQPRs of the students in the last four graduating sections of his/her curriculum.

The special dual degree program will be terminated if the student does not maintain a performance which places him within the top 50% of each program. The Program Officers and Academic Associates will monitor the student's performance each quarter and will report to the Academic Council if such a performance is not being maintained.

The program which leads to two graduate degrees must satisfy the requirements of both degrees. Course validations early in the program will allow the student to take the additional 3000 and 4000 level courses as required for the dual degree program.

A single thesis may be used to satisfy the requirements of both departments provided it shows relevance to and mastery of both fields, is permitted by the policy of both departments, and is coadvised by a member of each Department.

The dual degree program must satisfy the enrollment limitations cited in the Academic Policy Manual. If a student requires waivers for enrollment limitations, the request for waiver must be included in the application for the special program.

The Academic Council requires a written endorsement of the dual degree program from the student's sponsor or a written attestation by a Department Chair, Academic Associate, or Program Officer that the sponsor has been notified of the student's proposal and approves of the program.

Educational Skill Requirements

The majority of NPS curricular programs are developed based on Education Skill Requirements (ESRs). Education Skill Requirements define the fundamental concepts required in the graduate education curriculum as directed by each curriculum sponsor and Subject Matter Expert (SME). These ESRs represent the criteria essential for successful performance in billets requiring each subspecialty.

The Program Officers and academic staff at the Naval Postgraduate School coordinate biennial curriculum reviews with the curriculum sponsors for each curriculum. These reviews are conducted to ensure that the ESRs are current and relevant to the needs of the military, that programs meet the knowledge, skill and competencies of the ESRs, and that the changing needs of the sponsors are reflected in each curriculum. The ESRs for each curriculum offered at Naval Postgraduate School are included in this catalog at the end of each curriculum listing as applicable.

Curriculum content is continually updated to maintain pace with changes in each field of study. The Naval Postgraduate School Program Officers and faculty maintain a continuous dialogue with curriculum sponsors and Subject Matter Experts. These dialogues culminate in the biennial curriculum reviews. Curriculum sponsors and SMEs are active in each curriculum in areas such as providing current and relevant material and speakers for classes, forwarding potential thesis topics that are of interest to the military, and providing opportunities and financial support for student experience tours and travel.

These partnerships between the Naval Postgraduate School and the curriculum sponsors ensure that the educational needs of each subspecialty community are continually met through relevant education in each curriculum at NPS.

Six-Week Math Refresher

This is a sequence of courses developed specifically to provide a refresher of subject material pertinent to the curriculum to be studied. The number and types of courses, which comprise the technical refresher, are developed by the Program Officer and Academic Associate for the student's primary curriculum. The purpose of the technical refresher is to reacquaint students with technical material and at the same time help them build good study habits.

The Six-Week Math Refreshers begin during week one or week seven of the quarter and typically consist of:

Math Refresher I (weeks 1-6)

MA1113

MA1115

Math Refresher II (weeks 7-12)

MA1114

MA1116

Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Program Officer regarding the specifics of their particular Six-Week Technical Refresher course sequence.

Technical Refresher Quarter

This is a sequence of courses developed by the Program Officer and the Academic Associate to better prepare incoming students for entering a technical curriculum.

This course sequence is designed for prospective students who:

1. have an APC that indicates a deficiency in mathematics and/or scientific and technical subject matter (i.e., their APC does not qualify them for direct entry to a technical curriculum),

   or

2. in completing their review of the prospective student's academic record, the Program Officer and Academic Associate have concluded that sufficient time has expired since the student's most recent college experience and as such, the student would benefit from the Technical Refresher Quarter.

For some students, this may also include courses from the Six-Week Math Refresher.

The refresher sequence is normally twelve weeks in length; however, there are occasions when a student may be assigned two quarters of refresher prior to entering a technical curriculum.

Typical course sequences for refresher quarters are shown in these examples:

Space Systems Operations

MA1113

MA1114

PH1001

PH1102

Operations Analysis

MA1113

MA1114

MA1025

OA1600

Mechanical Engineering

EC1010

MA1113

MA1114

PH1121

Computer Science

CS1100

MA2025

MV1000

NW-3230

Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Program Officer regarding the specifics of their particular refresher course sequence.

Grading

Student academic performance is evaluated in terms of quality points assigned to the letter grade achieved in a course. Based on the level of achievement associated with each letter grade, the corresponding quality point values range from a maximum of 4 to a minimum of 0 as follows:

Letter designations for which no quality points are assigned are given as follows:

The grade of Incomplete is given when an identifiable portion of the course remains unaccomplished at the end of the quarter. One additional quarter is granted to submit the delinquent work. If the "I" is not removed within the twelve weeks following the end of the term in which it was assigned, it becomes an "X."

A student may withdraw from a course up to the end of the second week of the quarter without any record of it showing on the transcript. Subsequent withdrawals may be made up to the end of the eighth week of the quarter, but a grade of "W" is entered for the course on the transcript. No withdrawals can be made after the eighth week.

Courses may be designated for "P" and "F" grading when approved by the Academic Department and the Academic Council. A student in a degree program who wishes to take courses not in his or her normal program may also elect to take them in the Pass/Fail mode. Approval must be granted by the student's cognizant Program Officer and Department Chairman. It is the responsibility of the student to exercise the P/F option by informing the instructor in writing at the time of enrollment that a P/F grade is desired. A copy of the approval request shall be forwarded to the Registrar. Students electing to receive the P/F grade in letter graded courses may not apply the hours toward the degree and curriculum requirements of any program.

Quality Point Rating (QPR)

When the quarter-hour credit of a course is multiplied by the point value of the student's grade, a quality point value for the student's work in the course is obtained. Example: A student receives a grade of B in a course with three hours lecture and two hours lab. The course credit value of four quarter-hours is multiplied by the point value assigned to the grade of B, resulting in 12.0 quality points for the course.

The sum of the quality points for all courses divided by the sum of the quarter-hour credit of these courses gives a weighted numerical evaluation of the student's performance, termed the Quality Point Rating (QPR). A student achieving a QPR of 3.0 has maintained a "B" average in all courses undertaken with a proper weight assigned for course hours.

Pass/Fail Grading

Courses may be designated for "P" and "F" grading when approved by the Academic Department and the Academic Council. A student in a degree program who wishes to take courses not in his or her normal program may also elect to take them in the Pass/Fail mode. Approval must be granted by the student's cognizant Program Officer and Department Chairman. It is the responsibility of the student to exercise the P/F option by informing the instructor in writing at the time of enrollment that a P/F grade is desired. A copy of the approval request shall be forwarded to the Registrar. Students electing to receive the P/F grade in letter graded courses may not apply the hours toward the degree and curriculum requirements of any program.

Withdrawing from a Course

A student may withdraw from a course up to the end of the second week of the quarter without any record of it showing on the transcript. Subsequent withdrawals may be made up to the end of the eighth week of the quarter, but a grade of "W" is entered for the course on the transcript. No withdrawals can be made after the eighth week.

Course Registration and Credit

Each student must be registered in each course in which he/she is a candidate for credit not later than the tenth school day the quarter (holidays excluded). No student will receive credit for a course unless registration in that course has been approved by one of the following: the student's Program Officer or Academic Associate, the Chairman of his/her doctoral committee or the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs.

Repetition of Courses

A student may repeat a course for the purpose of improving a grade provided such course repetition is offered by the Naval Postgraduate School. Approval must be granted by both the Program Officer and the Department or Group Chairman concerned and the Registrar is to be notified.

For record purposes, both the original and the repeated courses are to be shown on the transcript. For Quality Point Rating computation, the credit hours of the course shall be counted once, using the grade received from the most recent time that the student enrolled in the course.

Overload

Without special permission, a student may enroll for no more than 17 total credit hours or more than four 3000-level and/or 4000-level courses per quarter.

A student may enroll in more than 17 and less than 21 total credit hours with explicit permission of the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and for more than 21 hours only with explicit permission of the Provost.

If an established degree program's course matrix includes a quarter with more than 17 hours, the students in the program need not apply for a course enrollment limitation waiver. This limit is automatically waived in these cases.

Auditing

Eligible persons will be allowed to audit courses on a space-available basis with the approval of the professor teaching the course. When approval is obtained to audit, students may attend classes, but they have no entitlement to submit papers, questions, or tests for grading nor consume the instructor's time outside of class. Auditors will receive no grade for the course, no credit toward graduation, and no formal recognition of accomplishment for courses they have audited.

Credit by Examination

The award of credit solely on the basis of examination for any 1000- or 2000-level course is permissible. Grades for such courses shall be awarded on a Pass/Fail basis.

Validation

A student with the appropriate background may validate a course that is required for his/her curriculum. Validation will allow the student to omit that course from the program of study; however, no credit will be granted for a course that has been validated. The basic purpose of course validation is to make optimal use of the student's time at the Naval Postgraduate School. Every validation must be justified by documented evidence of prior work in the area of the course to be validated.

The validation of a course must be approved in writing by the Chairman of the department offering the course or a designated representative. Specific criteria for validation (e.g., review of the student's transcripts or examination on the material of the course) are left to the discretion of the cognizant Department Chairman.

After validating one or more courses, it may be possible for a student to complete the program in less than the maximum time allowed.

Transfer of Credits

Upon entry to the Naval Postgraduate School, each student's academic record will be evaluated for possible transfer of credit or for exemption from portions of the curricular program by validation of course work previously completed. Students may utilize knowledge gained through self-study or experience of service-related education to seek validation. They may also take a departmental examination to gain credit for curricular courses.

Twelve hours of graduate-level courses previously completed may be accepted for transfer credit. These include graduate-level courses taken after completion of the baccalaureate degree and those taken in the last term before award of the baccalaureate if certified to be in excess of degree requirements.

NPS generally allows a maximum of 12 graduate-level, quarter-credits to be transferred for purposes of earning a graduate degree. However, an additional 12 quarter-credits may be transfer from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in Dayton, Ohio. This is in addition to the normal transfer allowed (12), bringing the total to a maximum of 24 quarter-credits transferable from AFIT to NPS. Permission to transfer a specific course to serve as a substitute for a degree requirement will be determined by the Department Chairman or equivalent person responsible for nominating candidates for degrees at NPS and must be pre-approved in a coherent plan of study for the student. Regardless of transfer credits allowed, all NPS master's degrees still require at least 20 quarter-credits be earned directly from NPS.

Questions on transfer credit should be directed by letter to the appropriate curricular Academic Associate as listed in this catalog.

Academic Counseling

The Naval Postgraduate School provides academic counseling services to assist officers in developing individual educational plans. Officers who have chosen specific curricula or who have been selected or detailed for graduate education in programs at Naval Postgraduate School, are advised to contact the appropriate Program Office listed in the Program Offices and Programs section of this catalog. Other prospective students seeking general information about the curricula offered at the school or the fully-funded graduate education selection process are advised to contact the Director of Admissions (Code 01C3), Naval Postgraduate School, or telephone (831) 656-3093, DSN 756-3093, email: grad-ed@nps.edu.

Medical and Operational Military Absences

The academic record of a student may be deleted completely for a given term when the student is absent for a portion of the term for medical or operational reasons. The transcript will show, "Excused for the term for medical reasons" or "for operational military reasons." The student shall not be permitted to delete only a portion of the courses for this reason. The grade "W" shall be used when it is necessary to withdraw from only a part of the student's program. Such excusals shall be requested by the Program Officer and approved by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs.

Honor Code

NPS students are expected to uphold the highest standard of honesty and integrity and must follow the academic honor code at all times. Plagiarism, fraud, cheating, and verbal or written misrepresentation constitute violations of the Academic Honor Code. Instructor-authorized group activities/projects should rightly acknowledge the efforts of all respective participants. Unless faculty clearly state that consultation/cooperation in an assignment or course is permissible, all work must be exclusively from the student(s) listed on the document for all graded work. Any restrictions placed by the instructor on the materials that may be used by a student in preparation for and performance of all graded work, must be followed.

While no single list can identify and define all types of academic honor code standards, the following are cited as examples of unacceptable behavior:

1. Cheating - Using unauthorized notes, study aids, or information on an examination; looking at another student's paper during an examination; altering a graded work after it has been returned, then resubmitting it for re-grading; allowing another person to do one's work and submitting it under one's own name; taking a longer time period than was authorized to complete a take-home exam.
2. Plagiarism - Submitting material that in part or whole is not entirely one's own work without attributing those same portions to their correct source. Student shall ensure all references are properly cited.
3. Fabrication - Falsifying or inventing any information, data, or citation.
4. Obtaining an Unfair Advantage - Gaining access to examination materials prior to the time authorized by the instructor; unauthorized collaboration on an academic assignment; possessing, using or circulating previously given examination materials where those materials clearly indicate that they are to be returned to the instructor at the conclusion of the examination.

Appropriate disciplinary action may include disenrollment, fitness report comments, and a letter to appropriate government agencies or official service branches. Individuals suspecting Academic Honor Code violations are required to inform the appropriate academic/curricular officials.

Grievance Procedures

Complaints of discrimination and sexual harassment require the continual attention of the President on how they are handled by the chain of command. A complaint consists of issues or concerns related to race, religion, sex, national origin, age, or retaliation brought to the attention of the proper authority related to the known, suspected, or probable offense under UCMJ, a violation of civil law, or other inappropriate conduct. A complaint may be made orally or in writing with the Command Deputy Equal Opportunity Officer or Dean of Students. Any service member, officer or enlisted, may initiate a complaint.

The procedures an individual must follow to present a complaint are divided into three categories:

1. Informal
2. Formal
3. Alternative avenues

All procedures for each of these courses of action are located in the NPS Military Equal Opportunity Policy Guidance and Discrimination Grievance Procedure Manual available from the Office of the Dean of Students.

Transcript Requests

Naval Postgraduate School alumni may request transcripts of their course work from the Registrar's Office by:

1. E-mail to transcripts@nps.edu. E-mail requests will receive a confirmation of mailing.

2. Mail:

Naval Postgraduate School

Registration and Scheduling

1 University Circle, Room 022

Monterey, CA 93943-5113

If enclosing a check, please make it payable to the U.S. Treasury.

3. Fax to (831) 656-2891

4. Picking them up in person at the Registrar's Office, Herrmann Hall, Room 22.

Requests must include your full name, last four digits of your Social Security Number, last year attended and mailing address. Please provide a billing address.

Official transcripts (printed on security paper and sealed in an envelope) are $5 each. Unofficial transcripts (printed on standard white office paper) and official transcripts sent to military institutions are free.

A bill will be sent along with the transcript. We accept cash, check or money order only.

Turnaround time is 1-3 days from receipt of request. Transcripts are sent via The U.S. Postal Service. Sorry, we cannot provide expedited services.