Academic Policies
The academic policies at Tysons Institute help students understand enrollment requirements, grading standards, attendance expectations, academic progress rules, and graduation requirements. These academic policies support student success and promote consistent educational standards across all programs. In addition, students should review related information on the Academic Programs page and the Admissions page.
Academic Policies for Enrollment Classification
Full-Time Study Academic Policies
Students enrolled in two or more courses per quarter qualify as full-time students. Full-time students pay full-time tuition and fees. However, the Registrar’s Office grants full-time certification only to students actively engaged in full-time study.
Part-Time Study Academic Policies
Students enrolled in fewer than two courses per quarter qualify as part-time students. Therefore, part-time students pay tuition based on the number of enrolled courses.
Academic Policies for Student Overloads
Students may request overload courses beyond the standard full-time schedule. However, students must maintain a satisfactory GPA before requesting additional courses. In most situations, students may not enroll in more than five classes per term.
Continuous Enrollment Academic Policies
All students must maintain continuous enrollment until they complete their programs. However, the Institute may approve official leaves of absence in qualifying situations.
Academic Policies for Enrollment Agreements
The Enrollment Agreement becomes effective once the Admissions Office receives the signed document. Students may cancel the agreement before the term begins or before the Add/Drop deadline.
In addition, the Institute may withdraw students who fail to respond to formal written notices for more than three consecutive weeks. Tuition refunds follow the policies described in the academic catalog.
Students should also review guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education and Federal Student Aid.
Academic Policies for Academic Advising
Academic advising helps students plan educational and career goals. Advisors assist students with course selection, registration, academic progress, and GPA improvement. Furthermore, students receive guidance related to graduation requirements and career planning.
Before classes begin, new students are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor. During the advising session, students review:
- Program requirements
- Academic records
- Course recommendations
- Career opportunities
- Academic improvement plans
Faculty members also remain available during orientation and throughout the academic year. Therefore, students can request additional advising support when needed.
Academic Policies for Instructional Materials
Faculty members select textbooks and instructional materials in consultation with the Academic Dean. In addition, instructors consider both educational quality and affordability.
Whenever possible, instructors include library research, current media resources, and supplemental handouts in their courses. Furthermore, faculty teaching the same course use the same textbooks and related materials.
The Institute’s IT Department maintains all educational software used in classrooms and labs. As a result, students receive access to updated learning technologies throughout their programs.
Academic Policies for Grades and GPA
The grades of A, B, C, D, and S are passing grades. Grade “F” is a failing grade. The grade of “I” (Incomplete) is given to a student whose work has been of passing quality but who has, for compelling reasons, been unable to complete all of his or her required course work by the end of the quarter. The quality of performance in any academic course is reported by a letter grade. These grades denote the character of work and are assigned grade points as follows:
| Percentage | Letter Grade | Grade Points | Cumulative GPA (CGPA) | Academic Standing |
| 100-90 | A | 4.0 | 4.0 | Excellent |
| 89-80 | B | 3.0 | 3.0 | Good |
| 79-70 | C | 2.0 | 2.0 | Satisfactory |
| 69-60 | D | 1.0 | 1.0 | Passing |
| 59and below | F | 0 | 0.0 | Failure |
| — | S* | — | — | Satisfactory (non-credit) |
| — | I | — | — | Incomplete (see below) |
Symbols: The following symbols may appear next to a grade or in the grade column:
R: Repeat Course TC: Transfer-in Credits
W: Withdrawn X: Audited Course
IP: In-Progress (*): Course not applicable to current programs
Academic Policies for Incomplete Grades
Students may receive an incomplete grade when they cannot finish coursework because of verified circumstances. However, students must complete all remaining assignments by the sixth week of the following quarter.
Incomplete grades count toward attempted credits for satisfactory academic progress calculations. If students fail to complete coursework within the required timeline, the Institute automatically changes the incomplete grade to an F
Academic Policies for Repeat Courses
Students may repeat courses to improve academic performance. In these situations, the Institute calculates the GPA using the higher grade only. However, both attempts remain on the academic transcript.
Repeated courses also count toward attempted credits and satisfactory academic progress calculations.
Academic Policies for Transfer Credits
Transfer credits from approved institutions appear on transcripts as “TC.” These transfer credits satisfy graduation requirements but do not affect GPA calculations.
Students requesting transfer credit must submit official transcripts during the admissions process. In some cases, the Institute may also require course descriptions or syllabi.
Generally, transfer students must complete at least 50% of program requirements at Tysons Institute. Furthermore, transferable credits must carry a minimum grade of “C.”
Tysons Institute does not award academic credit for previous work experience.
Students can learn more about higher education standards through the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
Academic Policies for Attendance Requirements
Tysons Institute requires attendance at all class meetings. Therefore, students should arrive on time and remain for the entire class session.
Students must notify instructors before absences whenever possible. In addition, students must contact instructors after returning to class to arrange make-up assignments.
Students with approved excused absences may complete missed work for full credit. However, instructors determine make-up deadlines.
Faculty members track attendance for every course. Students must maintain at least 80% attendance throughout their programs.
Academic Policies for Grade Appeals
Students who believe a final grade is unfair may submit a written appeal to the instructor within two weeks of receiving the grade. If the issue remains unresolved, students may appeal to the Academic Dean.
The Academic Committee reviews appeals and issues final decisions according to Institute academic policies.
Academic Policies for Graduation Requirements
To graduate from Tysons Institute, students must:
- Complete all academic requirements
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress
- Meet attendance requirements
- Fulfill financial obligations
- Submit a graduation application
Students who satisfy these academic policies receive a certificate of completion from Tysons Institute.
Transferability of tysons institute certificate
Transferability of the Institute’s certificates or courses/credits earned at the Institute are determined by the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether an institution will accept certificate from the Institute. Therefore, the Institute does not guarantee the transferability of its certificate to any other institution unless there is a written articulation agreement with that institution.
Add/drop a course
After registration, a student may add a course at any time before the deadline specified in the Academic Calendar. Adding a course after the last day to add a course requires proof of extenuating circumstances and the written approval of both the course instructor and the Academic Dean. Under no circumstances may a course be added after three (3) calendar days beyond the last day to add a course. Students wishing to drop a course must do so before the last day to drop a course. A course that is dropped before the specified date will not appear in the student’s academic record. To add or drop a course, the student must fill out a Course Add/Drop/Withdrawal Form (available from the Registrar’s Office).
Academic Policies for Satisfactory Academic Progress
Tysons Institute monitors satisfactory academic progress throughout each program. These academic policies include GPA standards, completion percentages, and maximum time frame requirements.
Students who fail to meet academic standards may receive academic warnings, probation, or dismissal. However, the Institute provides advising and support services to help students improve academic performance.
Students interested in career-focused technology education can also explore the Cybersecurity Program and other Academic Programs.
All registered hours, at the end of the add/drop period will be counted in the MTF determination. In addition, all transfer credit hours accepted from other institutions will be counted in the Maximum Time Frame, hence reducing the MTF to graduate. All courses attempted will be included in the calculation regardless of its pass or fail status. Therefore, courses resulted in an incomplete grade, repeated courses, and non-punitive courses are also counted toward the MTF.
The MTF is 1.5 times the Normal Program Length (NPL) which can be formulized as MTF = 1.5 x NPL. For example:MTF = 360 hours x 1.5 = 540 hours (maximum time allowed for a “Certificate” in Database Programming).
| Program of Study | NPL in hours | MTF Allowed in hours* |
| Certificate in Web Design | 360 Hours | 540 Hours |
* MTF includes hours attempted at Institute and transferred to Institute from other institutions and beyond the program prerequisites (if any)
If a student is unable to complete the program within one of the aforementioned time periods, the individual will not be eligible to receive the original credential (i.e., certificate).
Required Minimum Completion Percentage
The Institute will evaluate the successful course completion percentages for all enrolled students at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the Maximum Time Frame above to determine whether the student is maintaining specific qualitative and quantitative minimums in order to avoid probation or dismissal.
| Evaluation Points(% of MTF attempted) | Required Minimum Completion %(all credits attempted) |
| At 25% of MTF | *55% |
| At 50% of MTF | **60% |
| At 75% of MTF | **65% |
| At 100% of MTF | **70% |
* A student not meeting standards does not have to be dismissed; probation is required.
** Probation is not allowed at this point and academic dismissal is required.
In practice, this means that when the attempted credits are 25% of the MTF, the student must successfully complete 55% of all credits attempted with a grade of D or above in certificate or undergraduate level programs. Failure to meet this requirement will result in academic probation. Academic probation is permitted at this point only. Failure to meet the minimum completion percentages at 50%, 75%, or 100% renders the student ineligible for probation and the student must be dismissed. All courses, including withdrawals and retakes, will be included in credit hours attempted. Therefore, withdrawals and retakes will have an impact on the minimum completion percentage. The completion percentage is calculated at the end of each quarter.
Required Minimum CGPA
The third requirement of acceptable satisfactory academic progress is to meet the minimum CGPA requirement at each evaluation point of the MTF.
Institute uses a 4.0 scale grading system and GPAs are calculated at the end of each term. Withdrawals are not included in GPA calculations. However, in the case of retakes, only the highest grade is included in the GPA calculation. The required minimum CGPA for undergraduate programs are show below table.
| Evaluation Points(% of MTF attempted*) | Required Minimum CGPAfor all undergraduate Programs | |
| Probation Point | Dismissal Point | |
| At 25% of MTF | CGPA < 1.25 | No dismissal is allowed. Probation is required. |
| At 50% of MTF | CGPA < 1.50 | CGPA < 1.25 |
| At 75% of MTF | CGPA < 1.75 | CGPA < 1.50 |
| At 100% of MTF | No probation is allowed. Dismissal is required. | CGPA < 2.00 |
* If these evaluation points fall during the middle of a term, the evaluation will be conducted at the end of the previous quarter. The Institute will not wait until the end of the next quarter to monitor the satisfactory academic progress of its students.
In practice this means that, for an undergraduate student, when attempted credits are 50% of the maximum time frame, a GPA below 1.50 but greater than or equal to 1.25 will result in probation. A CGPA below 1.25 will result in dismissal.
At 100% of the MTF, or graduation, whichever occurs sooner, the student must have completed all of the program requirements with a CGPA of 2.0 or higher in a certificate program. The student who falls below the statutory minimum is not considered to be maintaining satisfactory progress, no probation is allowed at this point, and the student will be dismissed from the program. The student cannot receive the original credential.
Academic Warning
Any student who:
- Fails to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all undergraduate programs; or
- Who receives an “F” or incomplete “I” grade; or
- Who engages in academic dishonesty as defined in the Academic Catalog below
will receive an academic warning at the end of that quarter. The student will continue to receive warnings until the situation improves. The Registrar has the authority to place on academic probation any student who receives warning letters for three consecutive quarter.
Academic Probation
Students who fail to maintain the required CGPA and successful course completion percentage minimums at 25%, 50%, and 75% of the Maximum Time Frame (MTF) at the end of each quarter will be placed on academic probation as shown in the table below:
| Evaluation Points(% of MTF attempted*) | Probation Periodfor all undergraduate Programs |
| At 25% of MTF | CGPA < 1.25 |
| At 50% of MTF | 1.25 < CGPA < 1.50 |
| At 75% of MTF | 1.50 < CGPA < 1.75 |
| At 100% of MTF | No probation is allowed. Dismissal is required. |
Students who do not maintain satisfactory academic progress will be placed on academic probation for one quarter. The student on academic probation will be counseled and given assistance, if needed, in order to improve his/her CGPA. The statement “Placed on Academic Probation” will be entered into the student’s permanent record. The academic probationary period is normally one quarter, except under mitigating circumstances. The student is considered to be maintaining satisfactory academic progress while on probation.
If a student fails to attain a minimum GPA of 2.0 at the end of the academic probationary period, the student will be dismissed and the statement “Academic Dismissal” will be entered into the student’s permanent record.
Academic Dismissal
Students who do not maintain at least a 2.0 GPA at the end of the academic probationary period, and who cannot meet the minimum CGPA requirement at the evaluation points shown in the table below, will be dismissed from the Institute.
| Evaluation Points(% of MTF attempted*) | Dismissal Pointsfor all undergraduate Programs |
| At 25% of MTF | No dismissal is required. |
| At 50% of MTF | CGPA < 1.25 |
| At 75% of MTF | CGPA < 1.50 |
| At 100% of MTF | CGPA < 2.00 |
The statement “Academic Dismissal” will be entered into the student’s permanent record. Academic dismissal normally is permanent unless, with good cause, students reapply and are accepted under special consideration for readmission by the Institute. (See “Reinstatement as a Regular Student” policy below.)
EVALUATION OF PROGRAM PROGRESS
We use our Campus Effectiveness Plan (CEP) which is also required component for the accreditation process during the self-study stage process, in order to collect and analyze data, and develop an implementation plan. The CEP will outline how continuous improvements are going to be made to improve or enhance the following five significant elements at Institute:
- Student Retention Rates
- Student Placement Rates
- Level of Graduate Satisfaction
- Level of Employer Satisfaction
- Student Learning Outcomes
The data that the Institute utilizes to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan include:
- The number and percentage of graduates in each program
- The frequency distribution of Grade Point Averages (GPAs) among graduating students
- Final examinations or projects to assess student achievement
- Graduate Satisfaction Survey
- Orientation Survey
- Employer Satisfaction Survey
- Alumni Survey
- Exit Survey/Interview
- Graduate Thesis where applicable
Tysons Institute – Private IT Training School in Virginia
Tysons Institute is a private vocational technical college certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). As a career-focused IT training school, Tysons Institute provides education designed to help students quickly enter or advance in technology careers.
Tysons Institute serves both public and private sector clients. For example, clients include U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies. In addition, the institute works with financial institutions, investment firms, banking organizations, corporations, professional associations, and foreign embassies. These partnerships reflect the strong industry relevance of Tysons Institute training programs.