2008-2009 Undergraduate Catalog - Kettering University

18 / Kettering University
International Baccalaureate Credit
Upon application to the University, students seeking International Baccalaureate (IB) credit should have an official IB transcript sent directly
to Kettering's Office of Admissions. No credit will be granted for passes at the "IB Standard Level (SL)"; credit will only be issued for passes
at the "IB Higher Level (HL)". (See chart in Enrollment Management section of this catalog.)
Proficiency Examination
Students may petition the Department Head responsible for a given course to receive earned hours by examination for that course. If the
department head deems it appropriate and acceptable, the student will be given the means to demonstrate knowledge and performance of the
course material at a level no less than an average student enrolled in the course. If such demonstration is successful, the course credit hours
will be awarded to the student as earned hours by examination and will be indicated on the student’s transcript. Students who withdrew or
failed the course or took a proficiency exam in the same course at an earlier date, are not eligible. A $50 non-refundable fee is assessed for
each proficiency examination attempted after a student’s second academic term.
Accelerated Pace to Graduate
It is possible to complete the academic portion of most Kettering degree programs in eight academic terms. Students who are interested in
pursuing this possibility should contact their academic department to obtain an individualized accelerated plan and to determine if it is
appropriate for them.
THESIS
The Senior Thesis is a unique aspect of a Kettering University education. Students become eligible to begin the Senior Thesis when they
have earned a minimum of 88 credit hours. The Senior Thesis project is completed during two terms of employment, commonly the two
following completion of the required number of co-operative education terms. The purpose of the thesis is for students to perform a
comprehensive project from its inception to its conclusion. The focus of this project may be a product or system. The student must produce
a technical document, the Senior Thesis, reporting on the student’s performance and project outcomes. The project may be industrial or
academic. There are 4 credit hours awarded for the Senior Thesis. Details on the thesis process and associated deadlines may be obtained
from Thesis Services. Thesis Services is responsible for the overall thesis process at Kettering University.
Projects with the Student’s Employer
The most common route to completing the Senior Thesis requirement is for the student to perform a project for his or her co-operative
education employer. The student and employer advisor together develop the project. A proposal for the project, the Proposed Thesis Assignment
(PTA), is submitted by the student to Kettering University. The employer advisor must approve the PTA prior to submitting it to Kettering
University. After the employer advisor has approved the PTA, it is sent for evaluation by a faculty member. The faculty member may accept
the PTA, accept the PTA with conditions, reject the PTA, or decline to advise the student. In the event a faculty member declines to advise
a student, then the PTA will be reviewed by another faculty member. The faculty member approving the PTA becomes the student’s faculty
advisor.
Once the PTA has been approved, the student may begin work on the project. The role of the employer advisor is to provide company
resources and expertise to the student. Kettering University requests that employers make the thesis project at least half of the student’s
workload during the two thesis terms. The final product and report are the property of the employer. Copies of all non-confidential theses are
maintained in the Thesis Digital Archive.
The role of the faculty advisor is to be available for the student as an academic resource and mentor. Faculty members often point students
toward technical resources and provide feedback on ideas. Students are strongly encouraged to invite their faculty advisors to visit them at
their workplaces. Kettering University funds faculty for these visits. Visiting students at work allows faculty to better understand student
thesis projects, which normally aids in evaluating the thesis. Faculty members are solely responsible for the academic review of theses and
assigning thesis grades.
Academic Thesis Projects
A student is eligible to pursue an Academic Thesis if the employer cannot provide an acceptable thesis topic, the student is unemployed, or
the student is seeking a different track of study. Students intending to complete this alternative option must first define a project with a
faculty member. Then a PTA must be submitted for the project. The faculty member will act as both the employer advisor and the faculty
advisor on the project. Faculty members are not obligated to provide thesis topics or financial support for students pursuing academic theses
or for the thesis projects.
A minimum of two terms must be devoted to the development, writing, and revision of the thesis to satisfy thesis graduation requirements.
Students approved for this option will be subject to appropriate tuition and fees. The final product and report are the property of Kettering
University. Copies of all academic theses are maintained in the Thesis Digital Archive.
Students wishing to pursue the academic thesis option are required to complete an “Academic Thesis Project Form,” which is available from
Thesis Services. Completion of the “Academic Thesis Project Form” requires obtaining signatures from their degree granting department,
Cooperative Education Office, Thesis Services, and the Registrar’s Office constituting agreement that the pursuit of this plan is necessary and
appropriate.