West Virginia Code of State Rules
Agency 126 - Education
Title 126 - PROCEDURAL RULE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Series 126-163 - College Hours or Comparable Training in a Trade or Vocational School (5301)
Section 126-163-3 - Definitions
Universal Citation: 126 WV Code of State Rules 126-163-3
Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 38, September 20, 2024
3.1. Accredited institution of higher education - A college or university accredited:
(1) by the official accrediting agency of the
state in which the institution is located, and;
(2) by one of the regional accrediting
agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA),
OR by one of the National Faith-Related Accrediting Organizations recognized by
CHEA and the United States Department of Education, OR by the Accrediting
Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, to award degrees at a stipulated
level, i.e. associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, and/or
doctorate degree.
3.2. Approved trade, vocational, technical, business or similar institution - An institution approved by a state or national institutional or specialized accrediting agency or the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, U.S. Department of Labor.
3.3. College hours or comparable training in a trade or vocational school shall be defined to include any combination of the following:
3.3.a. Semester hour - An hour of college
credit from an accredited institution of higher education on the semester
system.
3.3.b. Quarter hour - An
hour of college credit from an accredited institution of higher education on
the quarter system. One quarter hour is equivalent to two-thirds of a semester
hour.
3.3.c. Comparable credit
obtained in a trade or vocational school - Each fifteen contact hours of
training obtained in a post-secondary program from an approved trade,
vocational, technical, business or similar institution shall be equivalent to
one semester hour of college credit. Comparable credit for such contact hours
should still be granted even if the contact hours are also counted towards
meeting annual professional development requirements.
3.3.d. The term "associate degree" means an
associate or "two-year" degree earned from an accredited institution of higher
education.
3.3.e. The term "BA"
means a bachelor's degree earned from an accredited institution of higher
education.
3.3.f. The term "BA+15"
means a bachelor's degree earned from an accredited institution of higher
education plus fifteen hours of undergraduate or graduate work also earned from
an accredited institution of higher education. The undergraduate hours must
have been completed after the bachelor's degree was awarded.
3.3.g. The term "MA" means a master's degree
earned from an accredited institution of higher education approved to do
graduate work.
3.3.h. The term
"MA+15" means a master's degree earned from an accredited institution of higher
education approved to do graduate work plus fifteen hours of undergraduate or
graduate work also earned from an accredited institution of higher education.
This classification requires 45 semester hours including a master's degree, of
which 15 may be undergraduate hours completed after the bachelor's degree was
awarded.
3.3.i. The term "MA+30"
means a master's degree earned from an accredited institution of higher
education approved to do graduate work plus thirty hours of under-graduate or
graduate work also earned from an accredited institution of higher education.
This classification requires 60 semester hours including a master's degree, of
which 15 may be undergraduate hours completed after the bachelor's degree was
awarded.
3.3.j. The term "MA+45"
means a master's degree earned from an accredited institution of higher
education approved to do graduate work plus forty-five hours of undergraduate
or graduate work also earned from an accredited institution of higher
education. This classification requires 75 semester hours including a master's
degree, of which 15 may be undergraduate hours completed after the bachelor's
degree was awarded.
3.3.k. The term
"MA+60" means a master's degree earned from an accredited institution of higher
education approved to do graduate work plus sixty hours of undergraduate or
graduate work also earned from an accredited institution of higher education.
This classification requires 90 semester hours including a master's degree, of
which 15 may be undergraduate hours completed after the bachelor's degree was
awarded.
3.3.l. The terms
"doctorate" means a doctor's degree earned from an accredited institution of
higher education qualified and approved to confer such a degree.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. West Virginia may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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