Air Force ROTC
Through cooperative programs with Wilkes University, Misericordia University students can take part in Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. The Air Force ROTC program is based at Wilkes University. Students who participate in ROTC at this institution do so without penalty to their full-time academic status at Misericordia University. Free elective courses are awarded by the university for ROTC participation. Tuition for ROTC courses is paid directly to the institutions offering the programs. More information about ROTC may be obtained from the Director of Admissions at Misericordia University and the ROTC Office at Wilkes University by phone at 570-408-4860 and by email at [email protected] mailto:. More information can also be found online at http://www.wilkes.edu/rotc.
Army ROTC Military Science
Misericordia University offers students the opportunity to participate in Army ROTC at King’s College in nearby Wilkes-Barre through the Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) Reserve Officer Training Corps Royal Warrior Battalion.The primary objective of the Reserve Officer Training Program is to develop leadership capabilities in all students and to train future officers for the active Army, US Army Reserve, Army National Guard, and leaders for the country.
The King’s College Company and the Royal Warrior ROTC Battalion continually ranks in the top 10% of all ROTC programs nationwide and was ranked third in the Eastern United States in 2011. The Battalion has recently celebrated sixty years of commissioning outstanding officers for the Army.
The Army ROTC program can be tailored to fit any student’s schedule, particularly in the freshman and sophomore years. Military Science instruction is offered at King’s College with two, three, and four-year programs leading to a commission as an officer in one of the three components of the United States Army. Any King’s College student may participate in any basic Army ROTC course without cost or obligation for the first two years.
To be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, students must pass a physical examination and complete at least the final two years of the ROTC program of Military Science courses. Students normally take one course per semester during their normal four-year course of study, although there are numerous means to meet each student’s academic needs.
All students receiving ROTC scholarships as well as sophomores, juniors and seniors who are contracted with the Army receive a tax-free monthly stipend to cover living expenses. For students contracted prior to August 15, 2018 the stipend starts at $300 per month during the freshman year, increases to $350 during the sophomore year, $450 during the junior year, and $500 during the senior year. For students contracted after August 15, 2018 the stipend is $420 per month for all four years. The stipend is paid directly to the student each month that they are in school or participating in Army ROTC summer training.
The Army ROTC Department provides all uniforms, equipment, and textbooks required for the classes. In addition to the academic classes, students may also participate on a voluntary basis in many additional training opportunities such as physical training and hands-on equipment training each week. Each semester there is a military social event and at least one weekend training session that includes such events as military marksmanship, cross-country orienteering, military rappelling, leadership application courses, and obstacle/confidence courses.
During breaks and vacations students can volunteer for active Army training such as military parachute operations, helicopter operations, military mountain climbing, and training with active army units in the United States and overseas. There are also numerous opportunities for academic internships with state and federal agencies through Army ROTC. New to ROTC are language and cultural immersion programs offering incentives for language classes taken on campus as well as funded study abroad and summer foreign exchange internships to thirty countries. All training is cost-free to the student, and students are paid for some summer training courses. The ROTC program consists of two programs, the basic courses normally taken during the freshman and sophomore years consisting of MIL 211/212, MIL 221/222 and MIL 251/252. The advanced courses normally taken during the junior and senior years consist of MIL 231/232, MIL 241/242 and MIL 251/252.
Students who have completed basic training in any U.S. service may qualify for placement in the advanced course. Additionally, students who have not completed the ROTC basic course may qualify for the advanced course by attending a paid four-week long Leadership Training Course conducted each summer at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Incoming freshmen, transfer students, and all enrolled King’s students can compete for one- to four-year ROTC scholarships that pay full tuition and fees regardless of cost and $1,200 per year for books in addition to the monthly stipend. Special five-year scholarships may be available for qualifying Physician Assistant majors. The Army will commission successful graduates as a second lieutenant with a starting salary of over $38,000 per year plus housing allowance, food allowance, and medical and dental benefits, as well as 30 days paid vacation per year.
For more information on the Army ROTC program at King’s College contact the Army ROTC Department at (570) 208-5900 ext. 5305 or ext. 5301.
Center for Adult and Continuing Education
Misericordia University offers a variety of educational options for non-traditional students: those students who attend part-time, those who did not go to college right after high school and those with some prior college experience.
The Center for Adult and Continuing Education is sensitive to the alternative needs of students with families, full-time jobs, or both. Evening classes are held every semester and during the summer. Many non-traditional students find weekend, accelerated evening and online classes convenient. All of the university’s academic and student services facilities are available to students. Similarly, such students must comply with the university regulations. The adult learner can access a variety of academic and support services including individualized academic assistance; various computerized career guidance tools to help students determine vocational paths that best suit their work values, interests and abilities; periodic workshops on topics such as study skills, job search, and interview techniques; free tutoring on campus and a free online tutoring and writing assistance service, Smartthinking; and a variety of credit options outside of the classroom (see Credit Option Outside the Classroom).
Part-time, Evening and Online
Flexible scheduling enables many students to work towards a degree without giving up full-time work or family care.
ARCH Accelerated Undergraduate
The ARCH Accelerated Undergraduate Program is an accelerated, bachelor’s degree completion program designed for adult students who have prior college credits and relevant work or life experience. Classes are held at Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) in Nanticoke one evening per week. Classes are also held in Nanticoke every third Saturday. Online classes are also available. Classes are scheduled in five-week, seven-week, and full semester formats. Students in the ARCH Accelerated Undergraduate Program are limited to 12 credits per 15-week semester (with the exception of those enrolled in a required lab science course, who are limited to 13 in that semester). This program is also available for students who want to earn a second bachelor’s degree or a certificate.
For further informaton on distance education courses, please refer to the Student Identity Verification Procedures and Distance Education and Guidelines for Instructional Time Equivalencies Across Formats/Assignment of Credit Hours policies, under the Undergraduate Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalog.
ARCH Accelerated Undergraduate faculty are professionals within a field of expertise and have been carefully selected and trained to facilitate adult learners in this innovative learning environment.
Weekend College Classes on Campus
Weekend College is a special accelerated educational model for adult learners in select programs who must balance family and career responsibilities while pursuing their education. Students earn credit toward a degree by attending classes every other weekend. The program emphasizes independent, self-motivated study. Weekend College classes meet on Saturdays and/or Sundays (8 am-noon).
For further information contact the Center for Adult and Continuing Education at 570-674-6450.
Non-credit Programs
For individuals interested in professional and personal development, the Center for Adult and Continuing Education offers a variety of credit-free programs, classes and workshops.
The Fun and Fitness Program offers special programs, camps, non-credit courses and workshops for children, students, employees, alumni, and the community.
For further information, contact the Center for Adult and Continuing Education at 570-674-6289.
Consortium Programs
Students at Misericordia University may register for courses with members of the CIC online consortium, King’s College, and/or Wilkes University, providing that those courses are not offered by Misericordia, no equivalent courses can be found at Misericordia, or that Misericordia’s course sections have reached full capacity in any given term or semester. The registered courses are reciprocal (cross-registered). Cross registration is available to all undergraduate students in good academic standing who meet specific course prerequisites, and who have received permission from their department chair / program director to participate in the program in order to complete degree requirements. Cross-registered courses are considered part of a student’s regular course load; no additional tuition fees are charged and courses carry full academic credit and grade value. Please refer to the section of this catalog titled “Off Campus Courses” for additional eligibility requirements. (updated 11/5/2021)
Credit Options Outside the Classroom
Misericordia University recognizes that significant, meaningful learning often occurs in settings other than structured, university-sponsored courses. For adult students who would like to receive credit for knowledge they have already acquired, Credit by examination (see “Credit by Examination” in the Undergraduate Admissions section of the catalog) and Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) permit them to translate their learning into college credit. No more than a total of 40 credits may be earned through credit options outside the classroom.
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Credits - Graduate Programs
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credits provide students the opportunity to validate their relevant learning in a written document called a portfolio. The portfolio information is organized to correspond as closely as possible to comparable courses from Misericordia University inventory of graduate offerings. Emphasis is placed on the satisfactory presentation of the student’s knowledge relative to each course’s learning objectives.
Eligibility for PLA application will be determined by the appropriate program director who will select a faculty assessor from the involved department. The assessor will review the portfolio according to the following criteria: the learning will be demonstrated to be college level; the learning is current, particularly in quickly-changing fields; the learning must be able to be generalized and transferred, i.e., it can be applied outside of the specific context or situation in which it was acquired; the learning must be measurable; the learning must have a theoretical as well as a practical component; credits will be awarded for competence and actual learning outcomes, not merely the experience; the credits awarded will not duplicate other earned credits.
Students who request assessment of their prior learning must:
- Be matriculated at the university with a declared major;
- Limit requests for assessment to those course areas that will fulfill degree requirements in their declared graduate major;
- Have had all transfer credits officially evaluated prior to attempting this credit option;
- Submit the designated fee for each PLA assessment being evaluated made payable to the department assessing the PLA portfolio(s).
Students who have been awarded prior learning assessment credits at another institution will not automatically be awarded such credit in transfer. Students have the opportunity to present their portfolios, with updated information, to the appropriate program director for consideration.
In no case may the number of PLA credits brought into a graduate program at Misericordia University after matriculation exceed twelve (12), nor can the combination of PLA credits and/or transfer credits exceed twelve (12).
The PLA decision of the department is final.
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Credits - Undergraduate Programs
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credits provide students the opportunity to validate their relevant learning in a written document called a portfolio. The portfolio information is organized to correspond as closely as possible to comparable courses from Misericordia’s inventory of undergraduate offerings. Emphasis is placed on the satisfactory presentation of the student’s achievement relative to each course’s learning objectives.
For challenged courses, a faculty assessor from the involved department will be selected by that college’s dean. The assessor will review the portfolio according to the following criteria: the learning will be demonstrated to be college level; the learning is current, particularly in quickly-changing fields such as computer science and business; the learning must be able to be generalized and transferred, i.e., it can be applied outside of the specific context or situation in which it was acquired; the learning must be measurable; the learning must have a theoretical as well as a practical component; credits will be awarded for competence and actual learning outcomes, not merely the experience; the credits awarded will not duplicate other earned credits. (This includes transfer, CLEP, and/or completed course credits, ACT, PEP exams, etc.)
Students who request assessment of their prior learning must:
- Be matriculated at the university with a declared major;
- Limit requests for assessment to those course areas that will fulfill degree requirements in their declared major;
- Have had all transfer credits officially evaluated prior to attempting this credit option.
- Submit the designated fee for each PLA assessment being evaluated made payable to the Center for Adult and Continuing Education.
Students will not be required to have any previously earned university credits; thus there will be no minimum GPA requirements. Students who have been awarded prior learning assessment credits at another institution will not automatically be awarded such credit in transfer. Students have the opportunity to present their portfolios, with updated information, to the appropriate department chair for consideration.
The option for prior learning assessment will be available only during fall and spring semesters. The PLA decision of the department is final. For more information contact the Center for Adult and Continuing Education at 570-674-6450.
Honors Program
The honors program is an interdisciplinary community of undergraduate students and faculty working together to create an intellectually stimulating and challenging environment for learning. Honors students take a common sequence of core curriculum courses, participate each semester in the Honors Explorations Seminar, and produce a professional quality paper or project as part of the Honors Capstone. The honors program also sponsors a variety of extra-curricular programs, such as travel to local and regional historical venues and cultural events, opportunities for presenting original research, and participation in conferences sponsored by the National Collegiate Honors Council and other colleges and universities. Program-related decisions are made and activities are planned with input from both honors faculty and students. Honors students also receive recognition on their transcript, at university awards ceremonies, and at commencement.
The academic portion of the honors program consists of three components. The first is an alternative 36-credit core sequence in the humanities and social sciences. All students must complete a core curriculum, but honors students take humanities and social sciences classes with a special emphasis on written responses (science and math requirements are taken as part of the regular core). Honors classes are not necessarily harder, but approach course material in different ways. They tend to be small and interactive, emphasize discussion and critical analysis, and use primary sources in addition to textbooks. Additionally, honors courses are interdisciplinary, linked by common principles and ideas. All honors core courses are listed as “Section HR” in each semester’s schedule of classes. In combination they include: two semesters of English, fine arts, history, philosophy, and religious studies, plus one semester of psychology and either sociology or economics. Elective honors courses in math, the natural sciences, and the health sciences also may be offered. A minimum of eight honors section core courses is required to graduate with honors.
The second academic component requires student participation in the non-credit Explorations Seminar (HNR 300 ), which meets three times per semester. Within this seminar, students and faculty together explore a theme or topic that often relates to issues being explored in the honors courses. While the seminar may take different forms, such as a debate, a roundtable, or a guest lecture, it always involves discussion among students and faculty.
The final academic component of the program is the Capstone Project (HNR 401 ) in which students create a professional-quality project that advances their research and presentation skills. Students develop their projects after a process of self-directed research and writing under faculty guidance. The final projects are presented in a public forum to the university community.
Students are admitted to the honors program by application only. Admission decisions for first-year students are based on high school academic record, involvement in extra-curricular activities, evidence of intellectual curiosity, and overall “fit” with the program. Application materials may be requested by any qualified, interested high school senior. In addition, current and transfer students can determine their eligibility for admission to the program by contacting the program director. To remain in the honors program, students must maintain a 3.15 GPA in their first and sophomore years, and a 3.35 GPA subsequently.
All honors courses are open to non-honors first-year students and sophomores with a 3.0 GPA or higher, and to juniors and seniors with a 3.25 GPA or higher, with the professor’s approval and assuming space is available.
For information contact Honors Program director Brian Carso, JD, PhD.
Pre-Professional Programs
The University has a number of pre-professional programs that offer high-quality, rigorous course work that prepares graduates for their next level of education. Please refer to the Pre-Professional Programs web page for further information.
Service-Learning
Service-Learning is a structured learning experience that provides students with the opportunity to meet academic objectives through service to the local community. Students work with community partners to develop and implement projects to meet the needs of the community, develop their own skills and learning, and reflect on the experience from a community and interpersonal perspective.
Guided by our institutional mission, service-learning is a catalyst that fosters lifelong civic engagement, community service leadership, and strengthens connection to our four charisms of mercy, service, justice, and hospitality. Through the application of academic knowledge to community needs, service-learning engages students in an enriched learning experience expanded beyond the classroom, making a lasting positive impact on our local community and beyond.
For further information, please contact the Office of Service-Learning at 570-674-6203
Office of Summer Studies
The Office of Summer Studies, located in the Center for Adult and Continuing Education, in collaboration with the deans and department chairs, manages the summer undergraduate and graduate course offerings for both current and visiting students. The Center hosts and facilitates summer conferences and institutes and assists with special programs, camps, non-credit courses, and workshops for children, students, employees, alumni, and the community.
Office for Students With Disabilities
Misericordia University is committed to creating an environment where all are welcome and does not discriminate in the recruitment, admission, educational process, or treatment of students. In the spirit of hospitality and justice, we comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended. In order to receive services, students must self-identify their disability and provide documentation from a healthcare professional. Eligibility for accommodations such academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aides is determined through an individualized, interactive process in the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD).
The OSD is located in the SSC, on the lower level of Alumnae Hall. Individuals seeking accommodations may call 570-674-6408 or email Kristen Ricardo, Assistant Director SSC/Office for Students with Disabilities at [email protected].
Alternative Learners Program
The Alternative Learners Program (ALP) is a fee based program for services offered in addition to those Misericordia University is required to provide students under Section 504 and other applicable laws. ALP services include an eight-week course in Learning Strategies and individualized support provided by a program coordinator on a weekly basis. See the university fee schedule for more information.
Women with Children Program
The Ruth Matthews Bourger Women with Children Program is designed for academically qualified single mothers and provides the opportunity to live on campus with their children while attending classes.
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