Policies and Procedures

Academic Integrity

The educational philosophy of CBUS involves a complete biblical world and life view; therefore, academic integrity is a basic necessity for all CBUS students.  Students are responsible for completion of course requirements such as readings, and are responsible for their own coursework in written assignments and projects.  Exams will be proctored at your location in the presence of a professor, teacher, pastor, administrator, or librarian who is not related to the student. Specific test taking information will be provided in the course package.  Plagiarism and cheating will result in an “F” for the course and disciplinary action from the University, possibly including dismissal.

Grading System

Probation

All undergraduate students in a degree program must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 on the 4.00 scale.  When a student’s GPA falls below 2.00, the student is placed on academic probation, which restricts their academic load.  Academic probation is a safeguard for the student since a 2.00 GPA is required for graduation.  The Academic Committee will advise such students individually.

All graduate students in a degree program must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 on the 4.00 scale. 

Auditing

CBUS offers course auditing; the limit is 2 courses per year.  For those not able to commit to a degree program, CBUS offers various 1-year Certificate programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.  CBUS also recommends the Faith Defenders website ()  for purchasing select materials.  

Transfer Credit

The acceptance of course credit from another institution of higher education to CBUS involves consideration of equivalence of course content, applicability of that course work towards a CBUS degree program, and accreditation of the school. Only grades of a “C” or better (undergraduate) and “B” or better (graduate) are eligible for transfer.  Pass/Fail courses are not eligible for transfer.  All transfer credit is at the discretion of the Registrar and Academic Committee. Students may need to provide college catalogs, course descriptions, and course syllabi for transfer decisions.

The English and Research Writing required as general education must be completed within the first year of enrollment.  Students will not be able to advance into second year studies without having completed the writing requirement.

Nontraditional Credit

The types of nontraditional credit for which a student may apply are experiential learning credits and credit by examination (CLEP & AP). The CBUS institutional code for the CLEP test is #1327. 

CBUS will grant experiential life credit for relevant knowledge or skill that has been acquired through ministry, a professional area, and life experiences.  Appropriate seminars, workshops, and voluntary service are also eligible for credit.  Course petitions   with appropriate documentation of experience and/or testing out of the classes are the standard practices of granting nontraditional credit.  Students aged 30 years and over having worked 10 years in a ministry or profession are eligible for life credit.

All nontraditional credit is granted at the discretion of the Registrar and Academic Committee, is limited to 25% of the degree requirements, and only fulfills lower division course requirements.