Before registering, graduate students should obtain approval of their proposed schedule from their adviser(s).
If students elect to fulfill the old requirements but find that necessary resources (e.g., courses, instruction in particular skills) are no longer available, they may make reasonable substitutes with the approval of the Dean of The Graduate School upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies.
In the event that students interrupt their work on a graduate degree (i.e., not enrolled) for one calendar year or more, the Dean of The Graduate School shall determine, upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies, whether the old requirements or the new requirements shall apply. In the event students have not completed the requirements for the graduate degree five years after the effective date of a change in degree requirements, the new requirements shall apply unless determined otherwise by the Dean of The Graduate School.
The Director of Graduate Studies in the student's major program should be consulted concerning course requirements, any deficiencies, the planning of a program, and special regulations. Programs may have degree requirements that are not listed in the Bulletin.
It is to be noted that the Dean of The Graduate School interprets the Graduate Bulletin. Only the Graduate Council may waive requirements stated in this Bulletin.
Questions concerning this law and the University's policy concerning release of academic information may be directed to the Registrar's Office.
Courses numbered at the 800 or 900 level are normally not accepted for credit toward a graduate degree. Exceptions can be made if permission is granted by the Graduate Council to a program to offer specific professional courses as part of its academic program. Prior approval to take a course must be obtained from the Director of Graduate Studies, the Dean of The Graduate School and the dean of the professional college. Without such approval, professional courses may not be counted toward satisfying degree requirements. Courses numbered at the 600 or 700 level should be taught by members of the Graduate Faculty or by such other instructors as are approved by the Dean of The Graduate School.
Students satisfactorily completing nine course credits, or equivalent, of graduate level work during a semester, are classified as full-time students by the University. Students satisfactorily completing five course credits, or equivalent, during a summer term are classified as full-time. Those completing less than these amounts are classified as part-time. For the student who is a full-time teaching assistant or whose service to the University requires approximately 20 hours per week, the academic load shall not exceed 10 hours. This maximum may be increased to 12 hours for students with lighter service loads upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies and approval of the Dean of The Graduate School.
Full-time students who fall below the minimum full-time equivalent as the result of failing or dropping one or more courses are reclassified as part-time students for that semester or term.
Master's candidates working on their theses may register for up to 12 credits of course number 768 in the appropriate department. Plan A master's degree candidates who are in residence and receiving financial support from the University and/or utilizing University resources while working on the thesis must be enrolled in The Graduate School. Candidates not enrolled in course work to meet degree requirements must be enrolled in their department's course number 748 or 768 each semester.
The grading in graduate courses is done according to the following scale:
A-High achievement |
4 grade points per credit |
B-Satisfactory achievement |
3 grade points per credit |
C-Minimum passing grade |
2 grade points per credit |
E-Failure |
0 grade points per credit |
I-Incomplete |
See explanation following |
S-Satisfactory |
See explanation following |
D grades are not awarded to graduate students. Graduate courses (400G-799) may not be taken Pass/Fail.
A grade of I (incomplete) may be assigned to a graduate student if a part of the work of a course remains undone and there is a reasonable possibility that a passing grade will result from completion of the work. All incompletes (I grades) must be replaced by a regular final letter grade within 12 months of the end of the academic term in which the I grade was awarded or prior to the student's graduation, whichever occurs first. If an I grade has not been replaced within the allowable period, the University Registrar shall change the I grade to a grade of E on the student's permanent academic record and adjust the student's grade point standing accordingly, unless otherwise approved because of exceptional circumstances by the Dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies in the student's program.
Instructors who assign an I grade must file with the student's Director of Graduate Studies information which includes 1) the name of the student, 2) the course number and hours of credit, 3) the semester and year of enrollment, 4) specific information on the work to be completed before a final grade can be assigned, and 5) the time frame in which the specific requirements are to be met (not to exceed 12 months). Graduate students should consult with their Director of Graduate Studies concerning procedures relative to the awarding of I grades and the conditions under which they may be removed.
A grade of S (satisfactory work in progress) may be recorded for students in graduate seminars, independent work courses, and research courses which extend beyond the normal limits of a semester or summer term. The grade may not be given to a student in a course carrying credit if the student has done unsatisfactory work or failed to do a reasonable amount of work. The project must be substantially continuous in its progress. All S grades must be removed except for those given in Residence Credit 748, 749, 768 and 769, or in graduate courses which carry no credit.
An overall average of B (3.0) on all graduate work in the program must be attained before an advanced degree may be awarded. Graduate-level courses (numbers 400G-799) are computed in the graduate grade-point average, with the exception of 400G courses in the student's program (see Repeat Option).
Once a grade other than an I or S has been reported to the Registrar's Office, it may not be changed unless an error was made at the time the grade was given and recorded, and then only upon the written unanimous approval of the instructor, the Registrar, and the Dean of The Graduate School.
Students who have been dismissed from The Graduate School for this reason may apply for readmission to The Graduate School after two semesters or one semester and the eight-week summer term. Readmitted students will have one full-time semester or the equivalent (9 hours) to remove the scholastic probation by attaining a 3.0 average.
Exceptions to this policy can be made only by the Graduate Dean.
Students placed on scholastic probation are not eligible for fellowships nor for tuition scholarships.
Instructional standards for off-campus and short courses should be the same as those established for on-campus and regular courses. A comprehensive final examination will normally be required to assess the student's capability for scholarly thinking in the subject matter area. Practicum or laboratory short courses should require other experiences of comparable rigor.
Visiting Student status may be granted only to a student who is in good standing in a degree program.
Master's/Specialist Degrees. Activities used to satisfy degree requirements must be completed within eight years preceding the proposed date of graduation. Extensions of time will be considered by the Graduate Council only upon written recommendation by the appropriate Director of Graduate Studies. No activity completed more than 12 calendar years preceding the proposed graduation date will be considered for graduation.
Doctoral Degree. All degree requirements for the doctorate must be completed within five years following the semester or summer session in which the candidate successfully completes the qualifying examination. In the event that all degree requirements are not met during the five-year period, degree candidates who provide evidence of the likelihood of completing the degree during an extension of time may be granted such an extension by the Graduate Council. Requests will be considered only upon written recommendation of the the appropriate Director of Graduate Studies after the candidate has again successfully completed the qualifying examination process as currently administered by the program. (Note: Failure to pass the re-examination will result in the termination of degree candidacy; a second re-examination is not permitted.) An extension of no more than five years may be granted.
Appropriate academic costume must be worn.
The thesis and dissertation fees cover the cost of binding of the thesis or dissertation, microfilming, and copyright (see Copyright section). Authorization forms to pay dissertation fees are issued in Room 351, Patterson Office Tower. Diplomas will not be released from the Registrar’s Office until the fees have been paid.
To be eligible for a degree, a student must file an application in The Graduate School within 30 days after the beginning of the semester (15 days in the summer session) in which they expect to complete their work.
