W. Va. Code R. § 126-163-3

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 126-163-3 - Definitions

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.

W. Va. Code R. § 126-163-3