Student Course Load

To be considered full-time, a student must register for at least nine (9) semester hours of graduate work per semester; the maximum load is fifteen (15) semester hours of graduate. Any deviation from this regulation requires the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. The maximum student course load during a summer term is six (6) semester hours. Those students who hold graduate assistantships, are employed either full or part-time, or have extended responsibilities in the home or community may be restricted to a course load of no more than nine (9) semester hours per semester.

Full-Time Student Status When Working On Thesis/Dissertation

In general, Graduate students enrolled in nine or more credit hours per semester are considered full time; however, the following exceptions apply:

Masters Degree Program

After completing all required course work and qualifying exams, a master’s student may be considered full-time while enrolled in a 3 credit hour thesis course. This full time status can be maintained for two semesters of uninterrupted enrollment without skipping a regular semester (Fall or Spring).

Doctoral Degree Program

After entering candidacy status, a doctoral student may be considered full-time while enrolled in a 3 credit hour dissertation course. Doctoral candidates may maintain full-time status via this enrollment option provided that (i) enrollment is uninterrupted without skipping regular semesters (Fall or Spring); and (ii) until completion of the total number of dissertation credit hours designated by their program and included on their degree plan.

International Graduate Students

In addition to the above requirements, International students must have completed all course work (masters or doctoral) and must have a signed and dated letter of approval/support from their academic advisor for each semester of such enrollment. A copy of the letter must be forwarded to the International Programs Office and the Graduate School.

Please note that this enrollment option cannot be used to extend the time to degree completion as stipulated for the graduate degree program.

Repeated Courses

When a course is repeated, the semester hours attempted and the grade and quality points earned in the course when last taken shall be counted toward satisfying graduation and/or certification requirements unless the course is designated in the bulletin as one that may be taken more than once for credit. When a course is repeated, the semester hours attempted and the grade and quality points earned in the course when it was taken prior to the last time shall be disregarded for graduation or certification requirements.

Substitution of Courses

Reasonable and logical substitutions (within a department and within an area) may be made when authorized by the advisor and the head of the major department and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. The Dean shall transmit approved substitutions to the Registrar. All petitions for substitutions must be submitted through appropriate officials not later than six weeks before the candidate’s date of intended graduation.

Waiving of Courses

No graduate course requirements will be waived.

Class Attendance Regulations

All students are required to be present for all class meetings of any course in which they are enrolled. Students are responsible for learning about, becoming knowledgeable of, and complying with the attendance policy stated in the catalog and/or faculty syllabus. Faculty members will provide details on the rules for attendance in their classes in their course syllabi. Faculty members will keep students’ attendance records.

Record keeping

A record of excused and unexcused absences will be maintained by faculty members. When requested by the student, teachers must inform the student who has been absent whether or not make-up work is allowed and whether or not absences jeopardize the student’s standing in a class.

Nonattendance

Students who register for courses for a particular semester must attend their classes starting on the first day of class. Students who have not attended classes up to the 12th day of classes will be reported to the Registrar’s office for nonattendance. A student who is reported for nonattendance will be dropped from those classes which he or she has not attended. Students who have supporting documentation offering explanation for their absence(s) must present their documentation to the instructor who reported them for nonattendance. The instructor may evaluate their supporting documentation and hear their case. If the request for consideration is denied, the student will have to reregister for the course as early as the next semester the class is available. If the instructor approves the student for reinstatement, the instructor shall submit a written request for the student’s reinstatement to the Dean of the School or College offering the course. If the Dean approves the request for reinstatement, he or she will submit a written request to the Registrar’s Office for the student’s reinstatement.

Change of Program

A student in a graduate department of the University who can satisfy admission requirements of another graduate department may transfer to it with the approval of the department chairs concerned.

Changes in Class Schedule (Adds, Drops, and Withdrawals)

A student may make changes in class schedules with the approval of his faculty advisor and of the department in which the course is offered. A service fee is charged for each change in program.

Course changes must be made in person under the following conditions:

Adding courses. In adding courses, the student must obtain the approval of his or her faculty advisor and the department in which the course is offered.

Dropping courses. A student may, for good cause, drop a course with the approval of his or her faculty advisor and the department in which the course is offered under the following provisions:

During the first twelve days of any semester or the first four days of a summer term, a student may drop a course without having a grade recorded for the course.

After the twelfth or fourth class day, a student may drop a course without penalty prior to the published deadline. A grade of W will be recorded.

After the published deadline, a student will be permitted to drop a course only upon approval of the student’s Dean and only for urgent and substantiated nonacademic reasons acceptable to the Dean.

Withdrawal

To insure his or her possible future standing with the University, a student has the right to withdraw officially. A student wishing to withdraw from the University for the remainder of a session should apply to the Dean of his or her school or college for permission. Having secured the Dean’s permission, the student may receive honorable dismissal through the Registrar’s Office after he or she has returned all library books, surrendered his or her activity books, and cleared himself or herself with all offices at the University. A student failing to do these things will not be eligible for restitution of any fees.

Reinstatement

Students who are administratively withdrawn from their classes because of non-payment of tuition and fees may petition for reinstatement if and only if extraordinary circumstances prevail. Students may obtain the prescribed form in the Registrar’s Office and must return the petition with evidence of suitable payment options. The Registrar’s Office reviews all such petitions on a case- by-case basis. All approved petitions are subject to a late payment fee and a reinstatement fee.