Dear LDT World campus Students,

Welcome back! I hope you all had a restful and joyful break. As the semester begins, I wanted to draw your attention to a few important reminders.

Dropping/Withdrawing: You may drop one or more courses in LionPATH, however LionPATH will not allow students to drop all courses during a term after the term has started. If you will be dropping all of your courses in a current term (below 3 credits), you must submit a withdrawal from semester form to the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services.  Please refer to this page for additional information about withdrawing: https://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/a-z-index/withdrawing-from-the-semester.

Tuition Adjustment Fee: Each course has an established Regular Drop Period during which a student may drop a course without penalty. Dropping a course or withdrawing from the term after the Regular Drop Period may incur a significant financial penalty. The typical Regular Drop Period is the first few days after a course officially starts. Please refer to the following link for information regarding the Bursar Office Tuition Adjustment Policy: https://bursar.psu.edu/tuition-adjustment-policy. Overall, know that a decision to take a course must be made very soon after the course opens or else a tuition adjustment fee will be assessed.

For Certificate Students: Completion of the Certificate

When you have completed 15 credits (five courses) of eligible courses in the certificate program, please contact Ms. DeShong or Dr. Kim to initiate the process of verifying and issuing your certificate. Please note that certificates are not generated automatically and we must hear from you to initiate the process.

For Masters Students: Completion of the Degree

You will complete the M.Ed. in LDT degree when all of the following have been certified by the program coordinator:

1. Completion of 30 credits (10 courses) of coursework

1. 1. LDT 415A, LDT 467, and LDT 527 are required
   2. No more than four total 400-level courses may be counted toward the degree
   3. 18+ credits completed in courses at the 500- or 800-level
   4. Cumulative GPA as a graduate student of 3.00 or higher

2. SARI Training Requirement

2. 1. Learn more about the program’s SARI Training here: https://ldtonline.psu.edu/sari-training/ , and note the following:

2. 1. 1. You must complete the LDT Program’s specific SARI training program. Do not complete the CITI Training or RCR requirements that may be expected of other graduate programs across the university.
      2. The LDT Program’s SARI Training is available as part of two options: (1) online as a 3-week group-based asynchronous experience available only in the Fall and Spring terms, (2) (New starting SP2022) enrollment and completion of LDT 561 or LDT 843. The fulfillment of the SARI requirement through completion of LDT 843 and LDT 561 is a new option approved starting Spring 2022. As such having completed these courses prior to SP2022 would not fulfill the SARI requirement.

3. Capstone Portfolio

3. 1. The Capstone Portfolio will be supervised by your assigned faculty academic advisor and completed near the end of your coursework in the M.Ed. in LDT degree program. See the Documents page for current guidelines.

4. Intent to Graduate

4. 1. At the beginning of the term when you intend to graduate you must notify the university in LionPATH of your intent to graduate. This initiates the comprehensive review process that ultimately certifies that all requirements have been satisfied and that your degree may be conferred at the end of the term.

Important Dates for Spring Semester:

Intent to Graduate – Activation Period

Sunday, January 2 – Monday, January 24

Regular Drop – Deadline ²

Saturday, January 15 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

Regular Add – Deadline ²

Sunday, January 16 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

Late Drop Begins ²

Sunday, January 16

Late Registration Begins ²

Monday, January 17

All the Best,