Other Credits and Requirements
Life Experience Credits
Students may request credit for relevant college-level experiences acquired from a variety of sources, including: paid employment, military service, volunteer activities, in-service training and non-accredited courses. A maximum of nine credits, to be taken as electives, will be granted for life experiences. For further information, contact the Dean’s Office.
Off - Campus Credits and Study-Abroad Program
The Michigan Jewish Institute recognizes that students may wish to augment their academic studies at this institution with special programs at other recognized colleges and universities, rabbinical schools and Jewish teachers’ seminaries in the USA, Australia, Canada, England, France, and Israel. Accordingly, MJI has special arrangements with many institutions and requires that the student obtain official permission to combine programs. A Study-Abroad program brochure and other appropriate forms and instructions are available from the MJI Office of Academic Administration and on-line at www.mji.edu. NOTE: Only courses with an earned grade of C- or better and have equivalency to MJI courses or are otherwise shown to be of an academic nature will be considered for transfer. Please consult with an academic counselor to ascertain transferability of courses and credits earned elsewhere
College Credit by Examination
The Michigan Jewish Institute believes that students should pursue their studies at their established level of competence. Tests and other evaluative methods may be available to determine the potential for advanced placement when admitted to MJI. MJI encourages prospective students to investigate this possibility with the Dean of Academic Administration.
Advanced Placement Program (APP)
The College Board Advanced Placement Tests (and/or completed AP courses) enable an entering student to be considered for advanced placement and/or advanced standing of up to a maximum of thirty-two semester credit- hours in the areas covered by the tests. Such APP credit is generally restricted to the satisfaction of general education requirements, in accordance with Institute policies. Advanced Placement scores of 4.0 and above automatically qualify a student for credit and advanced placement. APP Grades of 3.0 are evaluated by the Dean, who will determine if credit is to be granted. Under no circumstances will credit be awarded for APP grade scores below 3.0, based on currently published APP standards.
College- Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The contents of these general examinations is similar to the content of those subjects ordinarily included in the program of study required of most general education students during the first two years of college. The CLEP exams are generally end-of-semester tests developed for widely- taught undergraduate courses.
The Michigan Jewish Institute will consider granting credit for superior performance based on the guidelines established by the College Board and the American Council on Education (ACE). Under no circumstanceshttp://collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html. will credit be awarded for scores failing to meet standards published on the Official CLEP Transcript, currently stated as “ACE Recommended Credit-Granting Score. When such credits are awarded by MJI, the maximum number of credits accepted will be limited to the same number of credits awarded by MJI for the equivalent MJI course. CLEP credits do not affect GPA scores. For further information, please consult with the Admissions Department of the Institute or by visiting the College Board web site at
DANTES SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TESTS (DANTES)
DSSTs (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) provide an opportunity for students to obtain college credit for what they have previously learned. The DSST Program is offered by The Chauncey Group International, a subsidiary of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and is used by adult education programs, the United States Department of Defense and two and four-year colleges. Colleges and universities use the DSST program to award college credit to those who demonstrate that they have knowledge comparable to someone who completed the classroom course in the subject.
Because the methods of scoring these examinations changes from time to time, The Michigan Jewish Institute will only consider granting credit for performance based on guidelines established by the ACE, ETS or the College Board that may be provided with a DANTES test score. DANTES credits do not affect GPA scores. For further information, please read the discussion on CLEP examinations (above) or consult with the Admissions Department of the Institute or visit www.getcollegecredit.com.
New York University Proficiency Testing in Foreign Languages
Proficiency testing is available for people wishing to measure their knowledge of a foreign language. The results of the test, which are transcripted by NYU, may be used by MJI to grant academic credit or award advanced placement. Tests are given by NYU and only by appointment. Testing may be administered at off-site locations and even abroad.
MJI students may earn six language credits by passing the NYU 12-point language exam or 12 language credits by passing the 16-point language exam. Before applying for the NYU Proficiency Testing in a Foreign Language you should discuss your plans with your MJI counselor or the MJI Dean of Academic Administration to determine the most advantageous exam for your particular academic circumstances.
Because exam fees vary over time and for the tests taken, you must contact NYU directly to determine the fees that may be applicable for a particular language and test type. For further information, to make a testing appointment or to request an informational brochure on the proficiency testing program you should call NYU at 212-998-7030. Information is also available at the NYU web site, www.scps.nyu.edu/trans.
Service Members Opportunity Colleges (SOC)
MJI is an active member of the Service Members Opportunity Colleges (SOC) group of colleges and universities. If you are a United States service person participating in the SOC program, please consult with your SOC advisor and/or the MJI Dean of Academic Administration for admission to MJI and any of its applicable programs.
Internships/Externships
The goal of the internship/externship program is to provide students with opportunities to test their career interests and develop job-related skills through approved work experiences. Faculty sponsors guide students as they link theoretical knowledge with practical learning gained in part-time or full-time career internships/externships.
Any MJI student in good standing (2.00 GPA) is eligible for participation in this program, provided the student is acceptable to the employer, and obtains the approval of the Dean.
Students may take as many internships/externships as they wish (i.e. CIS 450 and BUS 450), with a maximum of 12 credits applying toward the degree, and no more than six credits applying towards the student’s program concentration. Credit is awarded on the following basis: 45 hours on the job equals one hour of credit. Students may not take more than 6 credit hours of internship/externship per semester.
MJI maintains a list of approved sites, though any student, faculty or staff member at MJI may propose such a site. New sites must be approved by the Dean prior to placement. The Dean will convene an ad-hoc committee or assign a faculty member to review proposed work-sites, monitor the quality of the program, and hear requests for variances from normal policy. A faculty member will determine the academic content of the work experience and monitor student performance. The student internee will have to maintain contact with the faculty supervisor and regularly report to him/her about experiences during the internship/externship. The said faculty member will maintain contact with the on-site supervisor, assess student progress, and grade the experience with a Pass or Fail grade (no GPA points awarded).
For further information about Internships/externships, please see the complete MJI Directed Study policy statement available from the Academic Administration Office or on line at www.mji.edu.
Directed Studies
Directed studies at MJI provide a unique opportunity for students to work one-on-one with a MJI professor or other authorized mentor. Directed studies enable a student to (1) engage in specialized coursework or research under a professor's supervision or (2) complete courses not otherwise anticipated to be covered in regular semester offerings during the student's planned tenure at MJI.
The directed study option is similar to an independent study in which the student contracts with a faculty member to work on a one to four credit hour course that relates either to the student’s General Education Core requirements or to the student’s area of concentration. The student is obligated to work with the selected faculty member or authorized mentor to devise a learning contract, which must be approved by an Academic Dean.
In lieu of exceptional circumstances, directed studies cannot be a duplication of MJI courses ordinarily scheduled within two semesters of the requested directed study. (Some examples of exceptional circumstances include: where the student could otherwise graduate prior to the usual offering of the duplicated course; or, irreconcilable scheduling conflicts.)
All directed studies taken are noted as such on students’ transcripts. Directed studies are generally not available to guest students at MJI. For further information about directed studies, please see the complete MJI Directed Study policy statement available from the Academic Administration Office or at www.mji.edu.
Changing a Declared MJI Program
Students at MJI are permitted to change their declared academic program at any time by contacting the Registrar’s office and indicating their desire to change from their current MJI program to another MJI program. For example, a student who initially requested entry into the MJI Judaic Studies program may decide to change their declared program to CIS. Please call the Registrar’s Office to request such a program change (1-888-INFO-MJI (463-6654) ext. 100). However, any student wishing to make such a change is strongly urged to speak to a MJI counselor to determine how the change might impact on credits previously earned toward their final degree requirements.
