Vision for Herring Center for Continuing, Graduate, and Professional Education
Our vision is to be recognized nationally for enriching and transforming the lives and careers of our students across all life stages and environments through innovative, high quality education programs, which proactively advance the Furman Advantage and the rich history of engagement with the Greenville community.
Mission for Graduate Studies
Our mission is to demonstrate the relevance and value of a liberal arts education and to establish Furman as a model for transformative student experiences for learners that include rigorous undergraduate and graduate courses, certificate, and degree programs that transcend the traditional model for student learning by expanding the experience into the real and virtual worlds.
Graduate Studies Curriculum
Furman first offered the Master of Arts degree in 1852. Today, Furman offers graduate programs in chemistry, education, community engaged medicine, and strategic design, though additional degree programs are being planned. The Office of Graduate Studies is housed in the lower level of the Herring Center for Continuing, Graduate, and Professional Education. Furman’s graduate programs contribute significantly to the improvement of quality of life in the larger “community” of which Furman is a part.
Course Credits and Designations
Furman University offers courses for semester credit, ranging from one-credit courses and workshops to the more standard three- and four-credit courses. Undergraduate courses are numbered 100-599 and usually generate four credits upon successful completion; graduate courses are numbered 600-999 and usually generate three credits. 600-level courses are typically foundation and introductory courses. 700-level are intermediate and pedagogy-related courses. 800-level courses are advanced, content courses. 900-level course designations are reserved for practica and internships and are typically offered at the end of a program after prerequisite courses have been completed. With approval by the graduate advisor and the appropriate department chair, upper-level courses numbered 300 or greater may be completed for graduate credit.
The standard credit hour is understood to be the equivalent of fifteen instructional hours, plus two or more out-of-class study hours. For example, a class that meets three times per week for 50 minutes each session, for fifteen weeks, and requires two hours of outside student work per meeting would be assigned three credits according to the standard definition. Variance from this standard is allowed for flexibility, so that different kinds of classes can be accommodated. For example, laboratory classes are not primarily seen as lecture courses, so the policy needs to be able to accommodate such instructional methods by relying on a suitable comparison to a standard credit hour in terms of overall student work and/or learning outcomes.
This policy pertains to the granting of graduate credit by Furman University. Academic credit provides a means of measuring and valuing the amount of engaged learning time expected of students enrolled not only in traditional classroom settings, but also in laboratories, studios, internships/practica, independent study, thesis, research and writing, experiential learning, and blended or hybrid learning environments. Academic credit may also help to quantify the level and academic rigor of student learning.
Enrollment Status
Furman University’s graduate program in Education is geared toward part-time candidates who are full-time, professional educators. Graduate programs in Teaching (MAT), Chemistry, Community Engaged Medicine, or Strategic Design are designed for full-time graduate students who may be enrolled in day, afternoon, or evening courses. Full-time status in the graduate program at Furman is 6 or more credits per term (Fall, Spring, Summer). Half-time status is considered as 3 credits per term.
Academic Year and Calendar
The academic year at Furman consists of three terms. The fall and spring semesters are comprised of fourteen instructional weeks. Summer sessions span ten instructional weeks but may be subdivided depending upon the program. During the fall and spring semesters, evening classes in the graduate program in education generally meet once weekly. Courses in Teaching (MAT), Chemistry, Community Engaged Medicine, and Strategic Design may meet two to three times per week or more during the day or evening. The summer term at Furman consists of one or two sessions depending upon the degree program. Courses for graduate students are offered in a variety of formats. Course meeting information is published prior to registration for the upcoming term.
Program Accreditation
The Educator Preparation Programs offered through the Office of Graduate Studies are fully accredited by CAEP, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The Chemistry Department is a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The Office of Graduate Studies is a member in good standing of the Council of Graduate Schools and the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools.
Graduate Fields of Study
- Chemistry, M.S.
- Community Engaged Medicine, M.S.
- Education, Early Childhood Education, M.A.
- Education, Literacy, M.A.
- Education, School Leadership, M.A.
- Education, Special Education - Learning Disabilities, M.A.
- Education, Special Education - Emotional & Behavioral Disorders, M.A.
- Education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, M.A.
- Education, Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)
- Master of Arts in Teaching, MAT
- Strategic Design, M.A.
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