International Open University

> Postgraduate Requirement

Postgraduate Graduation Requirement Old

A student will receive a degree or diploma from the International Open University upon meeting all university and academic requirements, as well as the program's performance standards.

  • Complete the minimum required credits of the program within the stipulated study time frame.
  • Satisfy the community work and social engagement requirement of the program, where specified and applicable, and
  • Any other stipulation(s) as published by the Senate.

For more information please visit the link here. (link it with the Pre Spring 2024 batch )

Postgraduate Graduation Requirement- Revised and New Programs

To earn the Postgraduate degree, students are required to meet the following:

  • Complete the minimum 240 credits of the program within the minimum study period of 2 years.
  • Satisfy the research requirements of the degree: complete a minor dissertation that demonstrates the candidate’s mastery of a scholarly field of inquiry in the chosen stream.
  • Satisfy the community work and social engagement requirement of the program, where specified and applicable, and
  • Any other stipulation(s) as published by the Senate.

The final awarding of degrees will comply with the university’s requirements:

Pass/Fail Status Marks/Code Letter Grade/Description Grade Point Average
Distinction 90-100 A+ 4.00
80-89.99 A 3.85
Pass 75-79.99 B+ 3.67
70-74.99 B 3.33
65-69.99 C+ 3.00
60-64.99 C 2.67
55-59.99 D+ 2.33
50-54.99 D 2.00
Fail Below 50 F 0.00
  CW Course Waiver Received  
  CT Transfer Credits Received  

For more details and information please visit here. ( New/Revised Postgraduate Program tab)

Degree Verification by the Registrar’s Office

The Registrar’s Office at the International Open University (IOU) is responsible for verifying the awarded degrees and transcripts. Our commitment is to provide this essential service for the benefit of our valued students and alumni at no cost.

Verification Details:
The service includes confirmation of degree(s) awarded, date conferred, grades attained, and other relevant details.

Processing Time:
Normal processing time for degree verification is 1 – 3 business days. Please allow for additional processing time during peak periods, such as the end and beginning of semesters.

Processing Fees for Physical Document Requests:

A processing fee will be applicable for requests requiring a physical copy of the document.

Contact Us for Assistance:

For degree verification purposes, please reach out to us at any of the following email addresses:
graduation.office@iou.edu.gm
associate.registrar@iou.edu.gm
registrar@iou.edu.gm

We are here to ensure a seamless and efficient verification process for you.

The International Open University courses are structured as three-credit-hour courses. They consist of recorded lectures by the instructor and supplementary sessions by the faculty members. A student will earn three credit hours after successful completion of each course.

i. Bridge Diploma to MA in Islamic Studies Course Credit Requirement

To obtain a Higher Diploma in Islamic Studies (Bridge Diploma to M.A. in Islamic Studies), a student needs to complete a total of 16 courses or 48 credit hours of academic courses.

To obtain a Higher Diploma in Arabic (Bridge Diploma to MA in Arabic), a student needs to complete a total of 10 courses or 30 credit hours of academic courses.

The Required Curriculum
PROGRAM NAMECOURSE LIST
Bridge Diploma in Islamic Studies (Bridge Diploma to M.A. in Islamic Studies)Bridge Diploma in Islamic Studies (Bridge Diploma to M.A. in Islamic Studies) Course List
Bridge Diploma in Arabic(Bridge Diploma to M.A. in Arabic)Bridge Diploma in Arabic (Bridge Diploma to M.A. in Arabic) Course List
ii. Master of Arts in Islamic Studies Credit Requirement

To obtain an M.A. in Islamic Studies, a student needs to complete a total of 16 courses or 48 credit hours of academic courses including the M.A. thesis.

Note: the requirement of the first batch scheduled to graduate in Fall 2016 semester is to complete a total of 19 courses or 57 credit hours of academic courses including the M.A. thesis, Muslim Minorities (DHD 501), Tafseer Soorah Mulk (TAF 503) and Educational Administration (EDU 501).

iii. PhD in Islamic Sciences Graduation Requirement

Please refer to the details of the completion and evaluation requirements of PhD in Islamic Sciences program at IOU here.

i. Higher Diploma Community Service Hours Requirement

To obtain a Higher Diploma, a student needs to complete a total of 108 hours of community service.

ii. Master’s Program Community Service Hours Requirement

To obtain an M.A., a student needs to complete a total of 144 hours of community service.

To successfully complete each course, a student needs to obtain at least 50% marks, which must include the final exam score. No course is considered complete without appearing the final exam at an IOU approved center where the identity of the student can be confirmed by his or her ID.

1. Higher Diploma Course Score Requirement

To obtain a Higher Diploma in Islamic Studies (Bridge to M.A. in Islamic Studies), a student needs to complete a total of 16 courses or 48 credit hours of academic courses. The passing score for each course is minimum 50% including the final examination score.

To obtain a Higher Diploma in Arabic (Bridge to M.A. in Arabic), a student needs to complete a total of 10 courses or 30 credit hours of academic courses. The passing score for each course is minimum 50% including the final examination score.

2. Master of Arts Course Score Requirement

To obtain an M.A. in Islamic Studies, a student needs to complete a total of 16 courses or 48 credit hours of academic courses. The passing score for each course is 50% including the research paper and/or final examination score.

To obtain an M.A. degree, a student needs to successfully complete an M.A. thesis and obtain a minimum passing score of 50%.

A thesis is not a graduation requirement for the Bridge to M.A.I.S. programs.

Clearance from the Admission Office

The successful completion of all categories of degree/diploma program includes successful receipt of the attested (notarized) documents at the IOU admissions office in Gambia.

Documents that are mandatory to be sent via airmail are the following:

  1. An attested photocopy of bachelor’s or higher degree—bearing a notary stamp and a signature.
  2. A photocopy of passport. In case of passport unavailability, any other official photo ID may be accepted by the admissions office (national identity card, driver’s license, etc.)

Please mail your documents to the following address:

International Open University
21 Kanifing Mosque Road,
P.O. Box 2340,
Kanifing South, KMC, Banjul
The Gambia.

The following documents are required to be sent in case of credit transfer/course waiver received:

  1. Photocopies of university transcripts bearing proof of successful completion of relevant courses against which transfer credits have been received. Each document must bear notary stamp and a signature.
  2. Supporting documents (photocopy of university transcripts, etc.) bearing proof of successful completion of relevant courses against which courses have been waived off. Each document must bear notary stamp and a signature.
Clearance from the IOU Payments Department

The graduation requirement for all categories of the degree/diploma programs includes receiving “No Dues” clearance email from the IOU payments department.

The following list includes some of the university dues that require clearance:

  • Semester registration fee
  • Course drop fee
  • Credit transfer fee
  • Grade transfer fee
  • Late examination center registration fee
  • Provisional transcript (hard copy) fee
  • Provisional transcript (e-copy) fee

Any outstanding balance with IOU, i.e., dues, must be cleared prior to the graduation.

Upon completion of the program, all students,whether registered full-time or part-time are required to pay a flat fee of $200 USD as degree/higher diploma processing fee.

The fees cover attestation of the IOU accredited degree or diploma and the postal charges. This should be paid prior to the graduation.

Dual Program students must meet all of the following graduation criteria individually for each of the enrolled programs:

  • Course credit requirement for all the courses
  • Community service hour requirement for the M.A. and Higher Diploma programs.
  • Score requirement for all the courses
  • Thesis requirement for all M.A. students
  • Clearance from the admissions office and the IOU payments department
  • Payment of graduation fees

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