CBE Student Resources
welcome to the SHSU CBE Student Resources Hub
The SHSU CBE Student Resources Hub is your central resource for navigating competency-based education at Sam Houston State University. Whether you are just getting started, working through your courses, or looking for academic and student support, you can return here for information and resources to help you succeed.
There is nothing to complete here. No grades, no deadlines, and no required order. Browse what you need, bookmark what is useful, and come back anytime.
What Is Competency-Based Education?
In a traditional college course, every student starts on the same day, follows the same weekly schedule, and finishes at the end of the semester, regardless of what they learned. The course duration is fixed. Learning is variable.
Competency-based education (CBE) flips that. In CBE, the learning is constant and the duration is variable. You are expected to demonstrate mastery, not just complete a calendar. If you already know the material, you move quickly. If you need more time, you take it.
This model traces back to Robert Utz and Leo Leonard's 1971 operational framework, and it remains the foundation of competency-based programs recognized by the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) today.
The basic cycle:
- Goal setting activity: reflect on your prior experience and set clear, personal goals for the course ahead
- Learning activities: engage with the content
- Assessment: demonstrate your level of mastery
- If needed: revisit the content and reattempt the assessment
- Advancement: move forward once mastery is confirmed
Why This Matters for You
CBE recognizes that students bring different experiences, knowledge, and skills to their education. Rather than requiring every student to move through a course at exactly the same pace, CBE allows you to demonstrate mastery and progress as you are ready, while still meeting the academic expectations and learning outcomes of your course.
Key Terms
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Competency
An unambiguous description of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and intellectual behaviors needed to demonstrate mastery of a subject area.
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Learning Outcome
The specific knowledge, skills, abilities, or attitudes presented and assessed within a course.
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Mastered with Distinction
The highest level of demonstrated achievement of a competency. Mastered with Distinction carries 4.0 grade point quality.
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Mastered
Demonstrated achievement of a competency at the required standard. Mastered carries 3.0 grade point quality.
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Not Yet Mastered
The competency standard has not yet been met. Not Yet Mastered carries 0 grade point quality. Students should review feedback, revisit course content as needed, and follow the course requirements for reassessment.
What Makes a Successful CBE Student?
- Self-motivation: you set your own pace; no one pushes you forward on a weekly schedule
- Time commitment: plan for 4 to 15 hours per week per course, depending on your prior knowledge
- Communication: when you're stuck, speak up, no one is watching you struggle in real time
- Writing ability: most of what you submit is written; strong writing is a core professional skill in this field
- Technology access: reliable internet and a working computer are non-negotiable
- Resilience: CBE is more flexible, not easier; flexibility requires discipline
A Note About CBE
CBE offers flexibility, but flexibility requires active participation and planning. Successful CBE students establish a consistent routine, communicate with their instructors and advisors, monitor course expectations, and ask for help when needed.
Grades and Mastery in CBE Courses
SHSU CBE courses use three mastery levels that reflect a student’s demonstrated level of competency. These mastery levels carry grade point quality for purposes of the student’s academic record:
MASTERED WITH DISTINCTION = 4.0 grade point quality
MASTERED = 3.0 grade point quality
NOT YET MASTERED = 0 grade point quality
There are no letter grades in CBE courses. Students demonstrate mastery of course competencies through the assessments established for each course. If a competency has not yet been mastered, students should review instructor feedback, revisit the course content as needed, and follow the course requirements for reassessment.
Tracking Your Progress in Blackboard
Use your Blackboard course to monitor your progress toward mastery, review completed and remaining work, and view feedback from your instructor. Check Blackboard regularly and contact your instructor if you have questions about your progress or mastery of course competencies.
SHSU CBE programs
Sam Houston State University offers competency-based education programs designed to provide students with a flexible way to earn a degree while demonstrating mastery of clearly defined academic competencies.
CBE programs are offered through SHSU’s academic colleges and may differ in admission requirements, curriculum, transfer opportunities, prior learning options, and degree requirements.
Explore CBE Programs at SHSU
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Criminal Justice (CBE)
Credit for Prior Learning
Some SHSU programs may recognize college credit, professional training, certifications, military education, or other prior learning toward degree requirements.
The types of prior learning that may be considered and the amount of credit available vary by academic program.”
Action Item:
Talk with your academic advisor to determine whether you may be eligible for credit based on previous college coursework, professional training, certifications, military education, or other prior learning.Your CBE Support Team
Your instructor facilitates course content, provides feedback, evaluates your work, supports your progress toward mastery, and serves as your primary academic contact for the course. Review your syllabus for communication expectations and response times.
Your academic advisor helps you understand degree requirements, plan your enrollment, and navigate academic policies and requirements. Your advisor can also help connect you with other university resources when needed.
Navigating Blackboard
- Content: modules, readings, and assignments organized sequentially
- Grades: your grade record for submitted work
- Announcements: messages from your instructor; check regularly
- Communication Tools: email and messaging within Blackboard
- Zoom: virtual office hours and conference links
- Tutor.com: free tutoring available to all enrolled students
- Navigate to Content and find the relevant module
- Click the assignment title to open the submission page
- Review instructions and rubric before writing
- Upload your document in .docx or .pdf format
- Click Submit and confirm you receive confirmation
Important! Once you click Submit, you cannot retrieve your file. Review your document first. If you submitted in error, contact your instructor immediately.
- Use a reliable internet connection
- Close other tabs and applications before starting
- Read each question carefully
- Check instructions for attempt limits specific to that quiz. If you experience a technical issue during a quiz, take a screenshot and contact your instructor immediately.
Use the communication tools in Blackboard or the contact information provided in your syllabus to reach your instructor. Review your course syllabus for communication expectations and anticipated response times.
For additonal student resources, click the button below.
Policies
CBE students are SHSU students and are subject to applicable university and state academic policies. The information below highlights several policies students should be familiar with.
Undergraduate students are limited to no more than 6 course Q-drops during the entire academic career at any Texas public institution. This is a lifetime limit, not per-school or per-year.
A Q-drop is when a student drops an individual course after the census date but before the Q-drop deadline, resulting in a grade of Q on the transcript.
- Q-drops count toward the limit of six.
- Withdrawals from a full semester do not count.
- Drops at any Texas public institution count, not just SHSU.
- Q-dropped courses count as attempted hours for the Texas Excess Hours Rule.
Warning! If you are close to your 6-drop limit, talk to your advisor before dropping any course.
If you attempt the same course three or more times, out-of-state tuition is required for that course starting on the third attempt. Drops and withdrawals after census date count as attempts.
Texas residents entering college in Fall 2006 or later are limited to 30 excess credit hours beyond degree requirements before being charged out-of-state tuition on the excess. Drops and withdrawals count toward attempted hours. Working with your advisor on a clear plan helps you avoid this.
- Plagiarism: submitting another person's work as your own
- Cheating: using unauthorized materials on an assessment
- Self-plagiarism: resubmitting prior coursework without authorization
- Multiple submissions: submitting the same work for credit in more than one course without approval
Using AI writing tools to generate content and submitting it as your own is academic dishonesty unless your instructor specifically authorizes documented use. When in doubt, ask before you submit.
- Students with an SHSU overall GPA below 2.0 are placed on academic probation.
- Students who earn a term GPA of 2.0 or higher in the following term but remain below a 2.0 SHSU overall GPA are placed on continued probation.
- Students on probation or continued probation who earn an SHSU overall GPA below 2.0 are placed on academic suspension.
Reinstatement from Suspension:
Academically suspended students must be approved for readmission by the college's academic dean to which the student will enroll at the time of their readmission.
Support and Resources
Newton Gresham Library
Peer-reviewed journal articles are the gold standard for sources in this program. Wikipedia is not acceptable. Course materials and lectures are not acceptable as cited research sources.
- Log into your SHSU student portal
- Navigate to the library link in student resources
- Search for articles, books, and databases
- Filter results by 'Peer-Reviewed' to narrow to scholarly sources
Tutor.com
Available directly through Blackboard in every course. Free, on-demand tutoring in writing and a range of academic subjects, often available in the middle of the night, which is when working officers tend to study.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Complete your FAFSA at studentaid.gov to determine eligibility. Contact SHSU Financial Aid with questions about how CBE enrollment structure affects your aid.
Scholarships are free money. One hour spent on applications can return more than an hour of paid work. Your advisor can point out SHSU-specific opportunities.
Loans: If you borrow and don't complete your degree, you still owe the money. Make a plan, understand your repayment terms, and talk to Financial Aid before you borrow.
Counseling and Mental Health Services
Law enforcement is one of the highest-stress professions in the country. SHSU provides counseling services to support student mental health and well-being. Reaching out for support is not weakness, in this program, you'll study officer wellness as a competency. Practice what the research recommends.
ACADEMIC WRITING AND CITATION SUPPORT
Writing expectations and citation styles may differ by course and academic discipline. Always follow the requirements provided by your instructor, syllabus, assignment instructions, and grading rubric.
WRITING SUPPORT
SHSU’s Writing Center provides support to help students strengthen their academic writing at any stage of the writing process, from planning and organization to revision and citation.
RESEARCH AND CITATION SUPPORT
The Newton Gresham Library provides research assistance, databases, scholarly sources, and citation resources to support your coursework.
Questions? We're Here to Help.
For questions about your CBE program, including advising, degree requirements, enrollment, or academic support, contact the academic program or College offering your degree.
CBE Programs at SHSU
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Criminal Justice (CBE)