ACADEMIC STANDARDS
The following two academic progress requirements are evaluated for “All Students” at the end of each semester. Students who are receiving or have applied for Financial Aid are subject to additional requirements, which may be found in the Catalog under Financial Aid.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) – QUALITATIVE MEASURE
Students must maintain a specific cumulative GPA for all semesters of attendance at AAMI based on the number of credits a student has attempted.
| Credits Attempted | Cumulative GPA Required |
| 0 – 17 | 1.70 or higher |
| 18 – 35 | 1.80 or higher |
| 36 – 53 | 1.90 or higher |
| 54 or more | 2.00 or higher |
PACE OF COMPLETION (PACE) – QUANTITATIVE MEASURE
Students must earn a grade of ‘D’ or better in 66.67% of credits attempted. Pace is determined by dividing the number of earned credit hours by the number of attempted credit hours. A grade of ‘D’ or better includes grades of ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘NCP’, ‘-R’, and ‘P’. For a full listing of grades, please see the Catalog.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
AAMI is committed to creating a learning environment that supports educational excellence and endorses academic integrity. All students are required to sign the Academic Integrity Statement that will be in force throughout the student’s entire program at AAMI.
TESTS AND EXAMINATIONS
(SEE STUDENT HANDBOOK)
Students should be prepared for an intensive program of study with frequent written, oral and practical tests given during the semester along with a final semester examination given in each course.
In sequential courses (for example: Anatomy I, Anatomy II, Anatomy III, etc.) subsequent testing generally includes the work of previous semesters. Final examinations are usually comprehensive, concerning all of the subject matter of the course; this procedure aids the student in preparing for National Board and licensure examinations.
Students are required to take all tests and examinations at the scheduled dates and times.
THE GRADING SYSTEM
Grade reports are issued at the end of each semester in accordance with the following system:
| Grade | Descriptive Equivalent | Numerical Equivalent | Quality Points |
| A | Excellent | 90-100 | 4 |
| B | Very Good | 80-89 | 3 |
| C | Satisfactory | 75-79 | 2 |
| D | Passing | 70-74 | 1 |
| F | Failure | below 70 | 0 |
| F* | Failure due to non-attendance | ||
| NCP | No Credit Passing | ||
| NCF | No Credit Failing | ||
| W | Withdrawal without penalty | ||
| WP | Withdrawal with penalty | ||
| TR | Transfer credit | ||
| -R | Repeat course | ||
| P | Pass | ||
| I | Incomplete | ||
| IP | In Progress | ||
| AU | Audit |
ONLY credits earned at AAMI are used in computing the student grade point average.
A grade point average is computed each semester by dividing the total number of quality points achieved by the number of semester credits attempted, including a grade of “F” but not grades of “W” “TR” or “P.” After 6 months an Incomplete converts to an F.
ACADEMIC HONORS
Both academic excellence and improvement are encouraged during the college year by means of the Highest Honors List, the High Honors List and the Honors List.
To qualify for Highest Honors, a student must take a minimum of 8 credits and achieve a semester Grade Point Average of 3.80-4.00.
To qualify for High Honors, a student must take a minimum of 8 credits and achieve a semester Grade Point Average of 3.50-3.79.
To qualify for Honors, a student must take a minimum of 8 credits and achieve a semester Grade Point Average of 3.20-3.49.
To graduate with honors, a student must achieve the following Cumulative Grade Point Averages for all courses taken at the Institute:
Summa cum Laude 3.90 – 4.00
Magna cum Laude 3.75 – 3.89
Cum Laude 3.50 – 3.74
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In order to qualify for graduation, the student must meet the following requirements:
- Satisfactory completion of all required courses.
- An earned cumulative grade point average of a minimum of a 2.0.
- Satisfactory record of attendance (as described elsewhere on the website and the Student Handbook).
- All indebtedness to AAMI to be paid in full.
- Satisfactory compliance with regard to financial aid and/or student loans.
- Students receiving any form of Title IV federal financial aid must participate in an exit counseling session with the Financial Aid Officer.
- Successfully complete all requirements of the Clinical Embalming Program and be certified by the Clinical Embalming Instructor as minimally technically competent in embalming at the entry level.
- Attend and actively participate in the Comprehensive Review Course and the end of semester National Board Review.
- Take AAMI’s Comprehensive Examination and pass with a grade of 75.
Note: For students unfamiliar with computerized testing or who wish to experience the NBE testing format, AAMI strongly recommends that students take the Practice National Board Exam during their final semester at AAMI.
The graduation ceremony is held once a year in August.
CREDIT ASSIGNMENT POLICY
FEDERAL DEFINITION OF CREDIT HOUR
The federal definition of “credit hour” is based on the Carnegie unit of academic credit and is defined in 34 CFR 600.2 (and further modified in 34 CFR 668.8 (k) and (l)) as “an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
- “one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time;” or
- “at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”
NEW YORK STATE DEFINITION OF CREDIT HOUR
The Regulations of the New York State Commissioner of Education further state in NYCRR 52.2 “Standards for the Registration of Undergraduate and Graduate Curricula” under the section on “Curricula and Awards”
“(4) A semester hour of credit may be granted by an institution for fewer hours of instruction and study than those specified in subdivision (o) of section 50.1 of this Subchapter only:
- when approved by the commissioner as part of a registered curriculum; or
- when the commissioner has granted prior approval for the institution to maintain a statement of academic standards that defines the considerations which establish equivalency of instruction and study and such statement has been adopted by the institution.”
AAMI’s PROGRAM
Note: The minimum requirement for maintaining full-time undergraduate student status is 12 credits per semester and 6 credits per semester for half-time undergraduate student status. Undergraduate student status is monitored every semester by the College’s Registrar and the Office of Financial Aid, as well as by the Program‘s Director. (See AAMI’s Academic Progress).
Specific types of AAMI’s program courses include tutorials, independent study, practicum, and clinicals. In instances where enrollment falls short of the minimum requirement for a course that is necessary for a student to take to progress in his/her academic program, an individual faculty member may work with the student in arranging meeting times that do not coincide with the published semester schedule. In all such instances, however, such courses must offer the minimum instructional time and minimum out of class student work per week in keeping with the credit hour definitions above, and the instructor must keep records documenting the same. Independent study refers to a faculty member regularly meeting with the student and directing his/her research progress within a specific period of time. Minimum credit hours are determined based on contact time with the instructor and time the student spends out of class doing research work, again calculated in keeping with the credit hour definition cited above. The instructor must keep records documenting the same.
AAMI offers 3, 2 and 1 credit courses. External documentation consisting of a written description or external evaluation by someone in a supervisory capacity are also required in order to earn credit for specific course work, such as Funeral Directing Practicum and Clinical Embalming. Online Courses are weighted and equated by credits in virtual time relative to the program’s fixed time campus program.