1.1. Policies
Together with the provisions contained in the Bulletin, the following constitute the policies of the Graduate School. This document supersedes college or department regulations or procedures when in conflict.
1.2. Changes in the Policies
Any substantive additions to, deletions from, or changes in the policies of the Graduate School may be effected by a majority vote of the Graduate Council. Graduate Faculty may review, change or rescind any policies enacted by the Graduate Council. Graduate faculty who wish to call a Graduate Faculty meeting may submit to the Graduate Dean a petition electronically signed by 20 or more members of the Graduate Faculty, then a special meeting of the Faculty will be called to discuss and act on the actions in question.
Nonsubstantive changes (e.g., minor alterations in forms) and those that are made to reflect changes in University of Missouri or campus policies do not require Graduate Council or Graduate Faculty approval.
2.1. The Graduate Faculty (Updated 5/30/2018)
The regular Graduate Faculty (GF) shall consist of all tenured and tenure-track faculty. Visiting and part-time faculty will not normally be members of the Graduate Faculty. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis per approval of the Graduate Council. All regular members of the Graduate Faculty may:
(a) teach graduate courses
(b) serve on and chair comprehensive examination and exit project committees
(c) serve on and chair master's thesis committees and doctoral dissertation committees
Term Appointments. Upon recommendation by a college, qualified non-tenure track and adjunct faculty may be approved by the Graduate Council for term appointments to the Graduate Faculty for a period of 1 to 5 years. Term members of the Graduate Faculty may:
(a) teach graduate courses
(b) serve on, but not chair, Ph.D. comprehensive exam committees and exit project committees
(c) serve on, but not chair, master’s thesis committees and Ph.D. dissertation committees
Term graduate faculty who demonstrate scholarship in their discipline may serve on and chair comprehensive exam and capstone project committees for professional doctoral degrees. Upon recommendation of the unit and approval of the Graduate Dean, a term Graduate Faculty member who brings a particular expertise may chair a Ph.D. dissertation committee.
To request a term appointment, the appropriate unit Chair/Dean shall submit a nomination form and CV for the nominee to the Graduate Dean for review and approval by the Graduate Council. A terminal degree is normally required for appointment to the Graduate Faculty. For nominees without a terminal degree, other documented professional accreditation and/or licensure may be used to justify the appointment. Current graduate students at UMSL are not eligible for Graduate Faculty appointment, but under extraordinary circumstances, a current doctoral student may teach a graduate course upon approval of the Dean and the Graduate Council.
Emeritus Appointments. Upon request of the unit, members of the Graduate Faculty who retire or move to a new academic position may be given emeritus status (GFE). Emeritus faculty may continue to teach graduate courses and serve on comprehensive exam committees and dissertation/capstone committees. With the approval of the Academic Dean and the Dean of the Graduate School, faculty transitioning to GFE status my continue to chair any existing doctoral committees, but may not be appointed to chair any new doctoral committees.
Special Appointments. External scholars with relevant specialized expertise may be appointed to replace a member of the graduate faculty on a qualifying exam, thesis, or dissertation committee. The appointment is limited to one committee and does not entitle the appointee to teach graduate courses. Special appointees may not chair a dissertation or qualifying exam committee. Although there is no strict limit on the number of special appointees serving on a committee, in all cases a voting majority of the committee must be members of the graduate faculty.
Each unit with a doctoral program must include in its 5-year review a summary of its policies and practices regarding the methods of assuring the quality of the dissertations in that unit as well as the outcomes of its quality assessment of the dissertations. The Graduate Dean will review the 5-year reviews and confer with the unit and its academic dean regarding the strengths or weaknesses noted.
The Graduate Dean will be the chairperson of the Graduate Faculty.
2.2. The Graduate Council
The Graduate Council shall consist of fifteen members of the Graduate Faculty, with representation in proportion to the number of full-time Graduate Faculty members in each college and division at the start of the fall semester. Each college and division of Arts and Sciences with Graduate Faculty shall have at least one representative. By College or division of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences of the College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Faculty members will elect their representatives to the Graduate Council during normal election processes within the College.
Membership on the Graduate Council shall be for three years, with one-third of the members replaced each year. To implement this, members at the time the policy is enacted shall determine the method for changing members’ terms from two to three years. When a Graduate Council member is to be replaced, the successor shall be chosen from the same college or division of Arts and Sciences.
When a vacancy occurs on the Graduate Council, the Graduate Council shall fill it with a replacement from the same college or one of the divisions within the College of Arts and Sciences. The replacement shall serve for the period of time that the regular member of the Graduate Council is absent.
When members of the Graduate Council cannot be present at a particular meeting, they may designate alternates to attend in their place. With prior electronic notification, alternates shall be allowed to participate in the meeting and they may vote.
The Graduate Dean shall chair the Graduate Council. The Graduate Dean may invite graduate students to attend the meetings of the Council as non-voting members.
The Graduate Council shall appoint such committees as are needed. All committees of the Graduate Council and all committees of the Graduate Faculty shall report their activities to the Graduate Council on a regular basis.
The Graduate Council shall review, add, delete and/or revise the policies of the Graduate School and recommend priorities in new graduate programs to committees of the Faculty Senate and the Chancellor that consider planning and fiscal resources.
Normally, policy proposals must be electronically distributed to the Graduate Faculty at least seven days before they are discussed by Graduate Council. Policies enacted by Council shall take affect no sooner than 30 days after the Graduate Faculty has been notified.
The Graduate Council shall elect a vice-chairperson, who reports the work of the Graduate Council to the Graduate Faculty.
Minutes of the Graduate Council meetings shall be distributed electronically to all Graduate Faculty within 14 days.
2.3. Graduate Program Director
Each graduate program has a faculty member, named by the program unit's administrator, who serves as that program's Graduate Program Director (GPD), The GPDs meet regularly with the Dean of the Graduate School. The GPD is expected to be familiar with Graduate School policies, timelines, and issues and to facilitate communication between the Graduate School and the faculty and students of the program. The GPD is delegated the authority to approve, on behalf of the program unit, the various forms/documents required by the Graduate School. The unit administrator may assign the GPD other duties internal to the program unit.
2.4. Faculty Enterprise Conflict of Interest
The Conflict of Interest (COI) Committee determines whether a faculty member has a conflict regarding student engagement in an enterprise in which the faculty member has an outside interest as defined in the University’s Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR 330.015 B2). Given the diversity of faculty activities, and potential student engagement, the COI Committee may determine:
Concerns regarding student academic progress/success identified by the Student Monitor and/or COI Committee will be addressed with the faculty member within 60 days and may result in removal of the student from the enterprise. Failure of the faculty member to remedy concerns expressed by the COI Committee to adequately protect the academic interest of students could lead to charges of faculty irresponsibility (CRR 300.010 L) and/or violations of standards of faculty conduct (CRR 330.110 D2) for failure to meet their responsibility as “teacher” as defined in CRR 300.010 C2a.
3.1. Admissions (Updated 5/30/2018)
The University of Missouri-St. Louis admits qualified individuals to study for graduate degrees and certificates. Students with a bachelor's degree or the equivalent from an accredited college or university may apply for admission to the Graduate School. Applicants may be denied admission if (a) they do not meet admission standards, (b) there are no available openings, or (c) applications are incomplete at the time of the decision.
Admission to the 2+3 programs occurs in two stages. Students are provisionally admitted as undergraduates. When they are ready to begin graduate courses, they request formal admission. Students who are formally admitted to a 2+3 program will be admitted to the Graduate School prior to their receiving their UMSL Bachelor's degree. Once admitted to the Graduate School, 2+3 students must maintain graduate status until the completion of the program.
To receive graduate credit at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, students must have been admitted to the Graduate School as a a) Degree-seeking, b) Graduate Certificate-seeking, or c) Non-Degree-seeking student.
3.2. Degree-Seeking or Graduate Certificate Students (Rev. 11/04)
Applicants for a degree or graduate certificate program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis must submit an application; official transcript documenting the baccalaureate degree, scores from examinations required by the program; and other evidence of academic and professional preparation required by the program. Such evidence may include standardized test results, letters of recommendation, transcripts of all academic work attempted, and writing samples.
3.3. Non-Degree-Seeking Student (Rev 04/11)
3.3.1.Non-Degree in a Graduate Program. Students may apply for status as Non-Degree-Seeking graduate students in a graduate program. Applicants must provide an official transcript showing completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree, with a G.P.A. of 2.5 or greater. The dean of the Graduate School admits Non-Degree-Seeking students only upon recommendation of the unit.
A Non-Degree Student must maintain a G.P.A. of at least 3.00. A Non-Degree Student wishing to take more than nine hours may be allowed to do so contingent upon departmental recommendation.
Students wishing to change from Non-Degree to Degree-Seeking must submit a new graduate application that will be reviewed and approved or denied by the unit and the dean of the Graduate School.
Course work completed by Non-Degree Students is not regarded as work toward a degree program. The maximum hours of Non-Degree status work that can be applied to a degree program is nine semester hours. No credits taken as Non-Degree status may count as part of the residence requirement for a degree.
Since Education Certification Students take courses for State Department of Education certification, they do not need departmental approval to take more than nine hours. However, all other conditions regarding admission and registration that apply to Non-Degree Students apply to Education
3.3.2. Graduate Study for Lifelong Learning.
Lifelong learners often want to take graduate courses without enrolling in a specific program. They may want to prepare for admission to a graduate degree program at UMSL or elsewhere, explore a new discipline, take courses, workshops, or institutes for career advancement, or simply undertake personal enrichment experiences. Status as a Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner, or graduate post-baccalaureate, allows students such flexibility. A Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner has access not only to some graduate and undergraduate classes but also UMSL’s libraries, laboratories, recreational facilities, etc.
Since graduate programs may limit the availability of their courses to students without full admission to their program, prospective Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner should check the Bulletin for course prerequisites. The graduate program director in which they wish to take courses can give prospective students more information. Programs, and directors are listed athttp://www.umsl.edu/divisions/graduate/programs/masters.html.
The Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner program is administered by the Graduate School, which normally seeks approval from the unit before admitting students.
If a Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner is later accepted to a graduate program, up to 12 hours of credit taken as a non-degree graduate student may be applied to a graduate degree or certificate program upon approval of faculty in that program. Again, communication with the program director is critical.
Applicants who submit a transcript documenting a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a U.S. university or a university in which instruction is in the English language may be admitted to UMSL as Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner.
International students residing in the United States who do not satisfy the above requirement and are seeking admission as a Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner must provide the transcript and the same evidence of proficiency in English as required for international graduate admissions.
Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learners pay graduate educational tuition and fees regardless of whether they take graduate or undergraduate courses.
Non-degree graduate students are not eligible to receive veteran’s benefits or to hold campus-sponsored assistantships. Federal financial aid may be available to some non-degree students for preparatory coursework such as teacher certification; information is available in the financial aid office.
Like all graduate students, Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner must maintain a 3.00 GPA. If the cumulative GPA is less than 3.00, the student will be given one automatic probationary semester. If, after one semester of probation, the student’s cumulative GPA does not reach 3.00, the student may be granted a second probationary semester only upon approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. (Summer sessions are not counted as probationary semesters.) If the student fails to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.00 following the second probationary semester, the student will be made ineligible to enroll as a non-degree or degree-seeking graduate student.
If at any time a student’s term or cumulative GPA falls below 2.00, the Non-Degree Graduate Lifelong Learner will be ineligible to enroll as a non-degree or degree-seeking graduate student.
3.3.3. Changing Status to “Degree-Seeking”
All non-degree graduate students who want to earn a graduate degree (master’s, educational specialist, or doctoral) or graduate certificate must follow the normal application process, except that no additional transcript is needed unless the student has taken hours at another university while also a Non-degree student at UMSL.
To change to Degree Seeking, Non-degree Graduate students
3.4. UM System Visiting Graduate Student and Inter-University Graduate Exchange Students
There are two avenues for students to take graduate courses at UMSL without applying for admission.
(1) UM System Visiting Graduate Students are degree-seeking graduate students at one of the other University of Missouri (UM) campuses. They are admitted at the host institution as a non-degree student.
(2) Inter-University Graduate Exchange students are Washington University and St. Louis University students who enroll on the home campus for courses at UMSL that are not offered on their own campus.
3.5. Unclassified Students
Students who are not qualified for admission to the Graduate School may be considered for admission to UMSL as Unclassified Students. Unclassified Students are considered Post-baccalaureate, are not admitted to the Graduate School, may not take graduate-level courses, and do not receive graduate credit. Credits earned by an Unclassified Student may not later be considered as graduate credits should the student subsequently be admitted to the Graduate School.
3.6. Enrollment in Off-Campus and Continuing Education Courses
Students who have been admitted to the Graduate School may enroll in off-campus graduate courses without further application.
Students holding a baccalaureate degree who have not been admitted to the Graduate School shall simultaneously apply for admission as a Non-Degree graduate student. If admission is not obtained by the end of the semester, graduate credit will not be awarded.
3.7. Admission of International Students (Rev. 3/2014)
International students shall meet the requirements for admission to the Graduate School. In addition, international students whose native language is not English and who have spent less than two of the last three years in an English-speaking country are required to submit scores from an internationally accepted standardized examination before a decision is made on admission
Teaching assistantships will be awarded only to students with demonstrated oral English proficiency.
When it is not possible for a student to take the required examination for reasons beyond personal convenience, the unit to which the student has applied may develop alternate ways for that particular student to demonstrate English language competence prior to admission. The Graduate Dean must approve such alternative metrics. Some programs may require applicants from other countries to provide a course by course report from a professional evaluation organizations in the United States. All students shall provide a statement of their financial situation and of the anticipated form of support for the period of graduate study.
3.8 Dual Enrollment for Senior Undergraduates
With the approval of the divisional and graduate deans, seniors who have a 3.00 cumulative g.p.a. and are within 15 hours of completing graduation requirements for the first bachelor’s degree may dually enroll as an undergraduate and a non-degree graduate student and earn up to six semester hours of graduate credit. For students in education, the 15 hours to complete graduation requirements do not include the hours required to complete undergraduate student teaching.
Courses taken while dually enrolled may not be counted for both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Consult with divisional deans for additional requirements. 2+3 students are not eligible for dual enrollment.
Dual enrollment forms must be completed and approved by the Graduate School prior to registering for the graduate level courses. Dually enrolled students are required to register for the graduate level courses using the graduate career in MyView.
4.0 SUPPORT OF GRADUATE STUDENTS
4.1 Support of Graduate Students Defined
Whenever funds are available, the University will make available scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.
4.2. Graduate Academic Appointments
Graduate students may hold one of four academic appointments: Graduate Instructor, Graduate Teaching Assistant, or Graduate Research Assistant or Graduate Assistant. To hold a graduate academic appointment, students must be admitted to a degree or certificate program and must be enrolled and making satisfactory progress (at least 3.00 GPA) toward the degree. The term for graduate assistantship assignments typically follows the academic term, but the specific dates and duties are determined by departmental needs.
4.2.1. Graduate Instructor
A Graduate Instructor (GI) is an advanced graduate student who holds a master's degree or its equivalent and is completing the last requirements for a doctoral degree, typically the dissertation. The GI has full responsibility for the instructional duties assigned, and teaching assignments are those of a regular faculty Instructor. The GI appointment shall be an annual appointment at the appropriate FTE level. The appropriate academic unit will appoint GIs, with salaries drawn from that unit's instructional budget on the same basis as salaries for faculty Instructors. After completing degree requirements, a student may not continue in university employment as a GI.
4.2.2. Graduate Teaching Assistant
A Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) is a graduate student at any appropriate level appointed to instructional work supervised by a regular faculty member.
GTA appointments are normally halftime appointments, representing approximately two classes or 20 hours of instructional work each week. Appointments may also be made at other part-time levels, with tuition benefits varying accordingly. To comply with federal tax law and University policy, in no case may a GTA be assigned to a full-time teaching position. GTAs are assigned at the 0.25, 0.50, or no more than 0.70 FTE levels, with 10 hours of work per week expected for each .25 FTE.
GTA assignments are normally restricted to introductory level instruction and may not include significant research or service tasks. The appropriate academic unit shall appoint GTAs, with salaries drawn from that unit's instructional budget.
4.2.2.1. International Teaching Assistant
Graduate students for whom English is a foreign language may not be assigned to classroom teaching during their first semester of enrollment at the University of Missouri. The dean of the Graduate School may evaluate exceptions to this policy on an individual basis.
Graduate students for whom English is a foreign language may be assigned as a Teaching Assistant upon confirmation of their ability to communicate orally in English in a classroom setting. Such testing shall be available at the university at no cost to the TAs.
TAs who have not previously lived in the United States shall participate in a cultural orientation in preparation for their teaching appointment.
4.2.3. Graduate Research Assistant
A Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) is a graduate student at any appropriate level appointed as an active participant in the research activity of an academic unit. Such research is normally related to the students' academic program and may serve to fulfill thesis or other research requirements of their degree programs. GRAs are assigned at the 0.25, 0.50, or no more than 0.70 FTE levels, with 10 hours of work per week expected for each .25 FTE. The appropriate academic division shall make GRA appointments, normally drawing stipends from external sources.
4.3. Tuition Scholarships
GRAs, GTAs, GAs, GIs and eligible fellowship recipients may receive tuition scholarships, according to Graduate School procedures. Tuition scholarship recipients are required to pay any special rate tuition such as online or supplemental course fees, and non-educational fee related charges (student activity, health fee, computing fee), any tuition surcharges, and fees for courses not part of the student's degree program plan.
4.4. Summer Appointments
Summer appointments for graduate students follow the same policies as corresponding academic year appointments, with one exception. Individual units may exempt student from enrollment during the summer.
The term for summer appointments is normally limited to a maximum of two and one-half months. The monthly stipend shall be established at the rate of one-tenth the previous academic year's stipend. A stipend rate of one-ninth may be substituted when funded externally and the granting agency is agreeable.
Summer appointments are normally .25, .50 or no more than .74 FTE. The normal maximum course load is three credit hours with .50 or .74 FTE appointments. The dean of the Graduate School may approve exceptions upon the unit's recommendation.
4.5. Graduate Non-Academic Appointments
Graduate students may be awarded non-academic appointments to provide a service associated with the educational process. Nonacademic appointments may or may not necessitate use of knowledge or skills acquired in their academic programs or enhance their knowledge or develop skills for future use in the educational process. Titles of such appointments shall be nonacademic titles such as Animal Caretaker, Shop Technician, Laboratory Storekeeper, Research Technician, Computer Operator, etc.
The Graduate Dean will review requests for Graduate Assistants in non-academic departments on a case-by-case basis. To be approved, the work must be related to the student's degree program. If appropriate, the GA may be eligible for a tuition scholarship.
Non-academic appointments may range from .25 to .74 FTE. Since the maximum workload, including coursework, is 100% FTE, enrollment requirements depend on the FTE of the appointment, with a three-hour course considered the equivalent of .25 FTE.
The appropriate unit makes non-academic appointments at regular pay scales for the job involved, with funds drawn from non-academic or part-time funds allocated to the unit. Students holding non-academic appointments are not eligible for GA tuition scholarships.
4.6. Workload for Graduate Assistants
To assist students on assistantships to move through their graduate programs on a timely basis, a minimum of six credit hours of course work is normally required each semester (except summer) that they hold the assistantship. Individual units may require higher per-semester enrollments for their graduate assistants, and they may also require summer enrollment for summer appointments.
Graduate assistants may be employed outside the university while holding an appointment, provided they have the unit's prior approval and inform the Graduate School of such employment.
4.7. Term Limits
Graduate teaching and research assistantships are major institutional investments that cannot be awarded to the same student for an extended period. Units may establish term limits to assure that awards are available to a greater number of students. Such limits shall be specified in the initial appointment letter.
4.8. Graduate Stipend Supplementation
The Graduate Dean shall be notified of supplementation of stipends from any source through the University payroll. The Graduate School shall maintain documentation to permit auditors or other responsible officers to determine that such practices conform to established policies.
5.1. Enrollment Defined
Students who have been admitted to the Graduate School may enroll in classes in any term within one calendar year after admission.
5.2. Continuous Enrollment
To remain in good standing, students shall enroll for at least one term each calendar year. Students not meeting this enrollment requirement will become inactive and be required to reapply. If students reapply and are readmitted, they will be subject to all regulations in effect at the time of readmission.
After they achieve candidacy, Doctoral students shall enroll each semester.
International students on student visas shall enroll fulltime for each fall and spring semester.
5.3. Fulltime Study
The minimal fulltime course load is nine credit hours.
5.4. Graduate Equivalent Hours (Updated 5/30/2018)
In calculating credit hours for full-time enrollment, students may seek approval for the following semester hour equivalents:
1) Three equivalency hours for holding a 0.5 FTE Graduate Teaching Assistantship or Graduate Research Assistantship; up to two equivalency hours for appointments between 0.25 and 0.49 FTE.
2) Three equivalency hours in the semester the student is preparing for comprehensive examinations. This semester hour equivalency is allowed for a maximum of two semesters.
3) Up to eight equivalency hours for thesis master's students in their final term if (a) all required coursework is either completed or in progress and (b) they are enrolled in at least one hour of thesis research. Should the student fail to graduate, they may receive equivalency credits for one additional term with the approval of their thesis advisor, the Graduate Program Director, and the Dean. No master's student may receive thesis equivalency credits for more than two terms, including summer.
4) Eight equivalency hours after achieving candidacy. This semester-hour equivalency is allowed until the eight-year time limit has expired.
5) Participation in approved required out-of-class experiences in specific programs. Please see Procedures for a current list.
5.5. Overloads
During the regular semester, students may not enroll in more than 12 hours. Normally no more than three credit hours may be taken in any four-week period.
Heavier than normal loads may be permitted by the Graduate Dean, upon recommendation by the unit, for those students a) whose cumulative UMSL G.P.A. is substantially above the program average; and b) in good academic standing for whom an overload of one course will permit them to graduate during the term in which the overload is taken.
5.6. Degree Program Plans
It is expected that graduate students will consult regularly with their advisors to plan a course of study that ensures timely completion of the requirements.
5.6.1. Courses Taken at the University of Missouri-St Louis
At least half of the credits for the master's, educational specialist and doctoral degree plans shall be from 5000-level courses and above.
Within the major department, students normally may not take a 3000-level course for graduate credit. However, outside the department, a 3000-level course may be taken for graduate credit with the approval of the students' advisors. Advisors shall seek approval from the instructor, who may assign additional work commensurate with each student's graduate status.
Courses numbered from 0 to 2999 may not be taken for graduate credit.
5.6.2. Credit for Courses Taken Prior to Enrolling in a Graduate Program at UMSL
No course applied to an undergraduate degree may be allowed in that student’s graduate degree.
Transfer credit shall be granted only for approved graduate courses for which a grade of at least B-, or equivalent, was achieved from an accredited institution.
Degree credit may be allowed for up to three credit hours for institutes, workshops, clinics, and Continuing Education courses only if offered by an appropriately accredited institution of higher education. Only such courses that award a letter grade may be applied to a graduate degree.
Students may transfer up to 18 hours of work on a Graduate Certificate Program Plan to a Master's or Doctoral Program Plan, if the unit granting the degree approves the transfer.
5.6.3. Credit for Courses Taken at Other Universities After Enrolling in a Graduate Program at UMSL
Graduate students admitted to UMSL shall petition in advance to take courses at another institution and apply the credit toward a graduate degree at UMSL.
5.7. Inter-University Agreement
With prior approval, regularly admitted graduate students are permitted to take a course not offered by UMSL at Washington University, St. Louis University, or Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
5.8. Traveling Scholars
Graduate students at any University of Missouri campus may register on their own campus to take an approved course offered at another campus.
5.9. Time Limitation
The maximum time allowed for completion of a master's degree is six years after the first course enrollment. The maximum time allowed for completion of an educational specialist degree is six years after the first course enrollment. The maximum time allowed for completion of a doctoral degree is eight years after the first course enrollment. Graduate work completed outside these time periods may not be included in the degree program except under extraordinary circumstances and then only after petition to and approval by the dean of the Graduate School. An exception to the time limitation may be approved in advance with an authorized leave of absence.
5.10. Leave of Absence
Graduate students who are forced to interrupt their studies for a period of one or more years should request a leave of absence from the university. In consultation with their advisors, students shall define the program modifications that the leave of absence requires. Requests shall indicate the reason for leaving and the expected date of return to the university. Approval of the dean of the Graduate School is required.
The leave of absence is designed to suspend the requirement for continuous enrollment. It does not affect the maximum time limitation set for a degree program unless a specific exception is approved.
5.11. Undergraduate Enrollment in 5000-Level Courses
Under special circumstances, undergraduate students in good standing at UMSL may enroll in 5000-level courses for undergraduate credit. Approvals from the advisor, department chairperson, academic dean, and dean of the Graduate School are required. In rare cases, students subsequently admitted to the Graduate School may petition for graduate credit for 5000-level courses that they took as undergraduates, as long as those courses were not applied to their undergraduate degrees.
6.1. Definition of a Graduate Course
A course is eligible for graduate credit if it requires advanced knowledge in the field. For that reason, all graduate courses shall have prerequisites.
A graduate course not yet approved may be offered only once by permission of the academic dean and the graduate dean. For courses to appear in the Bulletin, a graduate course requires approval by the Graduate Council and the Faculty Senate.
6.2. Workshops, Institutes, and Continuing Education Courses
Graduate workshops or institutes are short-term offerings intended to meet the needs of specialized groups and to provide opportunities to explore new developments and current issues not readily available in existing courses. Workshops tend to emphasize performance and the acquisition of skills and knowledge in a specific area.
A workshop shall provide at least as many hours of instruction and related activities as are required for equivalent credit and maintain the same quality standards as in courses regularly offered for graduate study. Ordinarily, workshops will be offered for either one or two hours of graduate credit.
Graduate workshops shall be numbered at the 4000-level to preclude their being counted as part of the minimum requirement of 5000- level courses.
All courses offered off-campus for graduate credit require approval by the dean of the Graduate School.
7.1. Grades
Faculty teaching graduate courses have complete discretion in assigning grades. S/U and the IP grades may only be used for certain courses (see Sections 7.2 and 7.3).
Point assignments for grades are as follows:
A = 4.0 points
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
F = 0
EX = Excused
IP = In Progress
DL = Delayed
S/U = A or B equivalent
FN = Failure/Non Participation
The Graduate School does not recognize a D grade for a course carrying graduate credit. Therefore, grades lower than C- are recorded as F. The satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) option, which is an option for undergraduate students, is not available in courses for graduate credit except those specified in section 7.3.
7.3 S/U Grades
The satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) option is not normally available in courses for graduate credit. S/U grades may be given only for internship, practica, project, and research courses as requested by a school or college, with prior approval from the Graduate Council. Courses on the S/U grading system will carry no points toward calculation of the grade point average. A Satisfactory grade is defined as a grade of at least B-.
7.4 Delayed Grades
Delayed grades may be given when a student's work is of passing quality but is incomplete because of circumstances beyond the student's control. Delayed grades must be removed within two regular semesters (excluding summer) after the time recorded or they automatically become F grades. In such cases, course instructors may subsequently change F grades to other grades when all work has been completed. A student may not graduate with any delayed grades on their transcript except in research courses required for a subsequent degree.
7.5 Grades and Course Attendance
Students who stop attending classes without officially dropping courses receive grades of F.
7.6 Auditing Classes
Students may enter courses as auditors but may not change from audit to credit or credit to audit after the first week of class. Auditors are charged full fees and receive no academic credit.
7.7. Graduate Grade Appeals
In case of disputes regarding grades, graduate students shall follow the university Grade Appeal Process.
7.8. Grade Point Average (GPA) (Rev. 11/2013)
UMSL calculates three types of G.P.A. At the end of each semester, the term G.P.A. is calculated on the courses attempted that semester. The cumulative GPA on the transcript comprises all courses taken at UMSL for graduate credit including courses that may not be a part of the degree program or certificate. The degree program or certificate GPA includes only the grades of those courses used to meet degree/certificate requirements for that program. Any course work transferred from other universities, including other UM campuses, will not be included in any GPA calculation. The cumulative and degree or certificate program GPA must be at least 3.000 for a student to receive a graduate degree or certificate. UMSL calculates GPA to three decimal places; hence a GPA ≥2.9995 will be rounded up to 3.000. A GPA ≤2.9994 will be rounded down to 2.999, which is not sufficient to graduate.
7.8.1 Course Replacement (Rev. 11/2013)
A student who fails to earn a cumulative GPA of 3.00 may request a recalculation of the cumulative GPA by substituting additional appropriate course work for courses in which a 3.00 was not earned. A maximum of two courses may be replaced during the entire graduate career at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and all courses and grades remain on the student's record. The dean may approve the substitution if recommended by the graduate director of the student's program [C5].
Once a student has completed a master's degree or certificate of advanced study, a final average for that degree or certificate is computed and cannot be modified. For that reason, courses for any graduate degree or certificate may not be repeated, and no final GPA is affected by any subsequent course work completed at UMSL.Repeating courses may affect financial aid; applicants for Course Replacement are advised to contact the Financial Aid office prior to applying for the replacement.
Course Replacement is not available for admission considerations or during a probationary or restricted admission period.
7.9. Probation
Failure to make adequate progress jeopardizes students' potential to complete the degree and puts their financial aid at risk. To provide students notice of inadequate progress at the end of each semester, graduate students with a cumulative GPA below 3.00 will be placed on probation. A program may also recommend placing a student on probation if faculty regard the student's progress as unsatisfactory. The Graduate School shall inform students of their probation by letter, with copies sent to the graduate director of the program, the Graduate Admissions Office and the Financial Aid Office.
If at the end of the probationary semester the cumulative GPA is at least 3.00 and the student is making adequate progress toward the degree, the probationary status is removed. A probationary student who fails to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00 or make progress may, on the recommendation of the program, be allowed a second probationary semester. A student is subject to dismissal upon failure to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00 by the end of the second probationary semester or at any time a semester or cumulative GPA falls below 3.00.
7.10. Dismissal
A student who is on probation for more than two semesters during his/her program of study will be dismissed, unless the dean of the Graduate School approves an exceptional request for continuation from the advisor and/or graduate director. Upon recommendation of the unit, the Graduate School may dismiss any graduate student who does not make adequate progress. The Graduate School is responsible for sending dismissal letters to students, with copies to the graduate advisor, the graduate director of the program, the Graduate Admissions Office, and the Financial Aid Office. Any appeal of the dismissal decision must be made to the Program Director of the program of study that recommended dismissal. The recommendation from the program of study, after consideration of the appeal, will be reviewed by the Dean of the Graduate School, whose decision will be final.
8.0. MASTER’S DEGREES
8.1. Master's Admission
Each master's degree program shall determine any eligibility standards beyond the minimum for admission to the Graduate School.
8.2. Master's Enrollment
All master's degree students shall be enrolled for credit for access to university resources, including advisement, data gathering, or examinations.Full-time status for all graduate students is defined as at least nine credit hours of course work. Individual units may require higher enrollments.
8.3. Master's Credit Requirements
A minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit is required for all master's degree programs. Units may require a greater number of hours for their programs.
8.4. Master's Residence Requirement
The final two-thirds of the courses in a master's degree program must be completed in residence at UMSL.
8.5. Master's Time Limitation
All courses included in a master's degree program, whether taken at UMSL or at another institution, shall have been completed within six years after enrollment in the first course.
8.6. Master's Credit From a Certificate Program
Students who have completed course credits in certificate programs may transfer such credits into a master's degree program with the unit’s consent, as long as the credits fall within the time limitation set for master's degrees. If the master's degree is in a different unit from that awarding the certificate, then no more than one-third of the credits from the certificate program may apply to the master's degree. Multi-disciplinary programs may seek programmatic exceptions to this limit when the program undergoes the approval process.
8.7. 2+3 Programs (Updated 5/30/2018)
Students who are granted Formal Admission to a recognized 2+3 program at UMSL are admitted to the Graduate School prior to the completion of their UMSL undergraduate program. These students must complete all the normal requirements for their Master’s degree. All the coursework used to satisfy the requirements for the Master’s degree must be taken while in graduate status.
Provisional 2+3 students who are still undergraduates can petition to take up to 6 hrs of 4000/5000/6000 level courses for graduate credit, and these credits may be used to satisfy Master’s degree requirements. The petition must be filed at the beginning of the term. Students may not petition retroactively to use courses already completed as an undergraduate to meet the requirements of the Master’s degree.
The number of graduate credit hours that may be applied to the undergraduate degree of a 2+3 student shall be determined by the undergraduate department.
The bachelors and master’s degrees must be awarded simultaneously at the end of the 2+3 program. Graduate students who formally withdraw from the 2+3 program may apply for their Bachelor’s degree. However, the advantage of dual credit is forfeited. No course applied to the Bachelor’s degree may be included in any future graduate degree program.
8.8 Dual Master's Degrees
With approval of the unit and the Graduate School, students who have completed one master's degree may transfer appropriate credits to a second master's degree program. The number of transferable credits may not exceed one-third of the credit hours required by the second program. Subsequent transfers to a third degree are not permitted.
With approval of the units involved and the Graduate School, students may simultaneously pursue two master's degrees under the following conditions:
(a) No more than one-third of the credit hours required by either program may be applied to both programs;
(b) Students must obtain approval of both units before completing 12 hours in either program.
Multi-disciplinary programs may seek programmatic exceptions to the one-third limit when the program undergoes the approval process by addressing specific allowable transfers between those two degree programs.
8.9 The Master's Degree for Doctoral Students
Doctoral students may receive a master's degree in their unit for work they have completed toward a doctoral degree. The unit establishes the requirements for such a master's degree. However, the requirements should, in principle, be similar to those for other master's degrees offered by the unit.
Doctoral and educational specialist students may also receive a master's degree for work they have completed toward to a doctoral or Ed.S. degree in another unit provided (a) they apply no more than two-thirds of the master's degree courses to their doctoral degree program; (b) they have been admitted to the master's degree program; and (c) they have obtained the approval of the advisors from both programs and from the Graduate School. Credit from the master's degree must constitute less than half the total credits required for the doctorate.
Multi-disciplinary programs may seek programmatic exceptions to these limits when the program undergoes the approval process.
8.10 Filing the Master's Degree Program (Rev. 3/2014)
Master's degree students must meet with an advisor within the first semester of the program to design a program plan.
To receive the master's degree, students who have met all degree requirements shall apply for graduation by filing an M4 Graduation Application, which will include the student's Degree Program, no later than the graduation deadline in the semester in which they plan to graduate.
8.11. Master's Comprehensive Examination, Scholarly Paper, or Exit Project
Each unit requiring a comprehensive examination for the master's degree informs the Graduate School of: (a) the number of times the unit will allow its students to take a comprehensive examination, and (b) the period of time that the unit will allow between the first and final attempt to pass the examination.
Graduate Program Directors recommend at least two Graduate Faculty members to serve on committees for capstone projects and examinations. The Graduate Dean shall review and appoint the committee [M2].
Programs that offer alternatives or requirements for capstone projects or examinations are expected to post procedures that have been approved by the department. Graduate program directors shall inform the Graduate School when the department initiates or changes their procedures.
The chairperson of the capstone committee is responsible for verifying that the final project or examination is acceptable to the committee and the Graduate Dean by submitting current Graduate School forms for documenting those approvals. It is the responsibility of the committee chair to grade the project/examination.
8.12. Master's Thesis
The Master's Thesis Committee shall consist of at least three members of the Graduate Faculty who can contribute their expertise to the thesis study. The committee chair and at least one other member shall be faculty in the department offering the degree. The Graduate Dean shall review and approve the committee membership and any changes in membership [M2].
The thesis must be written on a subject approved by the candidate's thesis committee and must be the candidate's own work. The reuse of text from previous papers authored or co-authored by the student shall be evaluated by the committee prior to the thesis defense. In the thesis, the student must clearly and explicitly identify all reused text and the original source(s) of that text. If the source documents involve co-authors other than the student and the faculty advisor, the thesis must include a description of the individual contributions of each coauthor of the original study. A copy of the source documents must be provided to the thesis committee members and the Graduate School. Departments may choose to adopt a uniform policy on the acceptability of reused text for a specific degree program.
Regardless of the extent of any use of text, the thesis must maintain a uniform and consistent formatting style throughout. In matters of style and documentation, the custom of the discipline shall be followed. The student must document permission to reuse any copyrighted material.
The final defense of the thesis is normally open to the public unless the thesis chair requests that the dean of the Graduate School permit a closed meeting on the basis of an embargoed study. Deliberations among committee members may be closed at the discretion of the chair. After deliberating on a defense of the thesis, the Master's Thesis Committee shall vote on whether the defense was successful. The defense shall be deemed unsuccessful if there are two negative votes, even if outnumbered by positive votes. An abstention will be considered a negative vote. A student failing the defense shall have the opportunity for one additional presentation before the same committee. The Master's Thesis Committee shall determine the timing and format of the subsequent defense. The Master's Thesis Committee makes the final decision on the defense, whether pass or fail, and reports the results to the Graduate Program Director, who informs the Graduate School no later than two days after the defense.
Master's degree students shall disseminate the thesis according to current Graduate School procedures. The final copy of the thesis must be typed according to current Graduate School requirements. To be accepted by the Graduate School, the copy must be legible, neat, and paginated correctly. An abstract is required. Students must submit to the Dean of the Graduate School one copy of the thesis by the posted university deadline, normally six weeks before the end of the term in which graduation is sought. The chairperson of the thesis committee is responsible for verifying that the final draft of the thesis is acceptable to the thesis committee and the Graduate Dean by following current Graduate School procedures for documenting those approvals. The chair of the thesis committee shall determine the grade for the thesis.
9.0 DOCTORAL DEGREES
9.1. Doctoral Admission
Each doctoral degree program may determine eligibility standards beyond the minimum for admission to the Graduate School.
9.2. Doctoral Credit Requirements
A minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate credit is required for every doctoral degree program. Units may require a greater number of hours for their programs.
9.3. Doctoral Enrollment
Full-time status is defined as nine credit hours per semester. Units may require higher enrollments than this.
After students achieve candidacy and complete the residence requirement, they must remain enrolled during fall and winter semesters until the degree is completed. Failure to register in any regular semester will result in termination from the Graduate School. If students so terminated decide to reapply and if they are readmitted, they will be subject to all regulations in effect at the time of readmission, and will be required to enroll for at least one credit hour in each semester since their last enrollment.
When doctoral students are enrolled for research credit, the credit amount may vary, but the student must register for all work required, and the credit total may exceed the minimum requirements.
9.4. Classification of Doctoral Students
There are two stages in a student's doctoral degree work:
(1) A pre-candidate is a student who has requirements to fulfill in addition to the dissertation, including course work, language requirements, and/or comprehensive examinations.
(2) A candidate is a student who has met all degree requirements except the completion of the dissertation.
9.5. Doctoral Time Limitation
The maximum amount of time allowed for completion of a doctoral degree will be eight years after the first course enrollment.
A maximum of 12 hours of graduate credit completed as a post-master's-degree student prior to admission to a doctoral program may apply toward a doctoral degree. Inclusion of such course work is subject to unit approval and must have been completed within eight years of the time the doctoral degree is awarded. Exceptions to this regulation shall be justified on academically defensible grounds and approved by the Graduate Dean prior to filing the program.
When doctoral students have earned a master's degree at any institution, appropriate credits may be applied toward meeting the requirement for the doctoral degree, subject to unit approval. Such credits shall constitute less than half of the total credits required for the doctorate. For example, for a doctoral degree requiring 90 hours of work beyond the bachelor's degree, no more than 44 credits from a master's degree may apply to the doctoral degree. Credit for courses taken for a master's degree is exempt from the eight-year time limitation.
9.6. Doctoral Residency Requirement
The majority of credits used to satisfy requirements for a doctoral degree must be completed in residence at UMSL. The residence requirement may be satisfied with dissertation credit hours, graduate institutes, and credit courses taken through Continuing Education, as well as regular courses.
Students who enter the Ed.D. or Ph.D. in Education degree programs with an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree from an accredited university, or with an Advanced Certificate approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, may satisfy the residence requirement by completing one-third of the required credits at UMSL.
Students who enter the DNP degree programs with an MSN degree from an accredited university may satisfy the residence requirement by completing 33 graduate credits in Nursing as part of the DNP degree.
9.7. Doctoral Comprehensive Examinations
Each unit will determine the number of times a comprehensive examination may be taken by a student. The department or school must file with the Graduate School a statement specifying (a) the number of times the unit will allow its students to take a comprehensive examination, and (b) the maximum and/or minimum period of time the unit will allow between the first and final attempt to pass the comprehensive examination.
The Comprehensive Examination Committee will consist of no fewer than three members of the UMSL graduate faculty appointed by the Graduate Dean upon recommendation of the unit.
An oral examination may not substitute for the standard written portion.
9.8. Doctoral Advisors
Upon entering the program, each doctoral student shall have an assigned program advisor who is a member of the Graduate Faculty. As early as possible in a doctoral student's program, but no later than when the student achieves candidacy, the unit shall recommend, in consultation with the student, a doctoral dissertation advisor.
9.9. Application for Candidacy
Doctoral students may apply for candidacy after passing all required comprehensive and language examinations, written or oral, and successfully completing all course work.
9.10. Doctoral Dissertation Committee (Updated 5/30/2018)
The Doctoral Dissertation Committee shall consist of at least four members of the Graduate Faculty who can contribute their expertise to the dissertation study. The committee chair and at least one other member of the committee must be faculty in the Department offering the degree. A recognized scholar from outside the university may serve as a member upon the recommendation of the unit and approval of the Graduate Dean, but the external scholar may not chair the committee. The Graduate Dean shall approve the committee membership and changes in the committee membership.
9.11 Doctoral Dissertation (Rev. 12/11)
All doctoral degrees require a dissertation as a final component of the program. The dissertation must be written on a subject approved by the candidate’s doctoral dissertation committee, must embody the results of original and significant research and must be the candidate’s own work. Text Reuse: The reuse of text will be evaluated by the members of the faculty committee that approves the document. Each committee member, as part of the decision to approve or disapprove the document, will decide whether the reuse presented in the document is acceptable.Departments may choose to adopt a uniform policy on the acceptability of reused text for a specific degree program. In the document, the student must clearly and explicitly identify all reused text and the original source(s) of that text. A copy of the source documents must be provided to the committee members and the Graduate School. Reuse is strictly limited to text from papers authored or co-authored by the student. The student must document permission to reuse any copyrighted material. If the source documents involve co-authors other than the student and the faculty advisor, the document must include a description of the individual contributions of each coauthor of the original study. Regardless of the extent of any reuse of text, the dissertation must maintain a uniform and consistent formatting style throughout.
9.11.1. Dissertation Proposal (Rev. 11/04)
Before a student may conduct substantial research for the dissertation, the dissertation committee must approve a proposal after a formal defense. The student submits the approved proposal for review and approval by the dean of the Graduate School.
An approved dissertation proposal in no way implies a contract between the university and the student. Depending on the outcome of the research, the dissertation may require substantially more work than anticipated when the proposal was approved. The termination of a line of research and the adoption of a substantially new dissertation project requires the preparation, formal defense, and acceptance by the Graduate School of a new dissertation proposal.
9.11.2. Preliminary Dissertation Approval
One copy of the dissertation, certified as complete and provisionally acceptable to the committee, shall be submitted to the Graduate Dean at least six weeks prior to commencement. The Dean of the Graduate School may seek advice and make suggestions to the committee about content and style before approving the dissertation.
9.11.3. Defense of Dissertation
Normally the approved Doctoral Dissertation Committee serves as the Oral Defense of Dissertation Committee. The Graduate Dean may appoint one additional qualified voting member to the Defense of Dissertation Committee from the Graduate Faculty within the University of Missouri System.
After deliberating on the oral defense of the dissertation, the Defense of Dissertation Committee votes on whether the defense was successful. The defense shall be deemed unsuccessful if there are two negative votes, even if outnumbered by positive votes. An abstention will be considered a negative vote. A student failing an oral defense shall have the opportunity for one additional defense before the same committee. The Defense of Dissertation Committee shall determine the timing and format of the subsequent defense.
Final examinations are open to the public. The decision of the Defense of Dissertation Committee is final. The report of the final examination is due to the Graduate School no later than two days after the examination.
9.11.4. Dissertation Abstracts
Two different abstracts are required. UMI requires an abstract of a maximum of 350 words and is published with the announcement of the dissertation defense. The abstract forming the second page of the dissertation should be no more than 600 words.
9.11.5. Dissertation Format
Original copies of the dissertation must be typed on good quality paper, and they must be legible and neat in order to be accepted by the Graduate School. Only high quality copies are acceptable with the following margins throughout: left margin, 11/2 inches; top, bottom, and right margins, 1 inch.
In matters of style and documentation, the custom of the discipline shall be followed.
9.11.6. Official Copies of Dissertation
The chairperson of the dissertation committee is responsible for verifying that all the changes suggested by the Graduate Dean and the dissertation committee have been incorporated in the final draft of the dissertation or have been discussed further with the Graduate Dean or the committee.
Students shall disseminate the dissertation according to current Graduate School procedures.
10. GRADUATE CERTIFICATES
10.1. Admission
Each graduate certificate program may determine eligibility standards beyond the minimum for admission to and enrollment in the Graduate School.
10.2. Credit Requirements
The requirements, including the minimum number of credit hours, for vary among graduate certificate programs. Please visit the web site or contact the program director for more information for the certificate program of interest. All graduate credit earned at UMSL for a graduate certificate that also fulfills the requirements for a MS or doctorate degree may be applied to that degree upon approval of the program director. At least two-thirds of the credits for the certificate must be completed in residence at UMSL.
10.3. Filing the Program Plan
A graduate student enrolled in a certificate program is required to file a program plan with the Graduate School before completing the first two-thirds of the number of hours required in the program. Changes made in a certificate program plan after it has been filed shall be submitted to the Graduate School.
11. EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST DEGREES
11.1. Educational Specialist Admission
The College of Education may determine any eligibility standards for admission to an educational specialist (Ed.S.) degree program that exceed minimums established for admission to the Graduate School.
11.2 Educational Specialist Enrollment
In order to access university resources, including advisement, data gathering, or examinations, students in the Ed.S. program must be enrolled for credit.
Full-time status for all graduate students is defined as at least nine credit hours of course work. Individual units may require higher enrollments.
11.3 Educational Specialist Credit Requirements
A minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate credit is required for all educational specialist degree programs. Individual programs may require a greater number of hours.
11.4 Educational Specialist Residence Requirement
Normally, at least one half of the courses in an educational specialist degree program must be completed in residence at UMSL.
11.5. Educational Specialist Time Limitation
All courses included in an educational specialist degree program, whether taken at UMSL or at another institution, shall have been completed within six years after enrollment in the first course.
When educational specialist students have earned a master's degree at any institution, appropriate credits may be applied toward meeting the requirement for the specialist degree, subject to unit approval. Such credits shall constitute less than half of the total credits required for the educational specialist degree. Credit for courses taken for a master's degree is exempt from the six-year time limitation.
11.6 Filing the Educational Specialist Degree Program
An educational specialist degree student enrolled shall file an approved program plan with the Graduate School. The S-4 must be filed by the posted deadline of the final semester in the program. Students may petition the dean of the Graduate School to change the degree program after it has been filed.
11.7 Ed.S. Comprehensive Examination, Scholarly Paper, or Exit Project
Each program requiring a comprehensive examination for the specialist degree informs the Graduate School of (a) the number of times the unit will allow its students to take a comprehensive examination, and (b) the period of time that the unit will allow between the first and final attempt to pass the examination. Programs recommend Graduate Faculty members to serve on committees for capstone projects. The Graduate Dean shall review and may appoint the committee.
11.8 Educational Specialist Thesis
Units recommend Graduate Faculty members to serve on committees for capstone projects. The Graduate Dean shall review and may appoint the committee.
Educational Specialist degree students who write a thesis must submit to the dean of the Graduate School one copy of the thesis by the posted university deadline, normally six weeks before the end of the term in which graduation is sought. The chairperson of the thesis committee is responsible for verifying that the final draft of the thesis is acceptable to the Graduate Dean and the thesis committee.
Students shall disseminate the thesis according to current Graduate School procedures.
12.1 Professional Doctorates
At the University of Missouri-St. Louis, professional doctoral degrees are rigorous and practice oriented. Professional doctorate students’ academic work focuses on scholarly responses to societal needs within professional contexts. Faculty advisors in professional doctorate programs may be scholar-practitioners who are approved as Professional/Special Appointment Graduate Faculty as well as regular UMSL Graduate Faculty. Both types of graduate faculty may assume all graduate faculty roles throughout the professional doctoral program.
12.2. Admission to the Professional Doctorate
Each professional doctoral degree program may determine eligibility standards beyond the minimum for admission to the Graduate School with the exception that professional doctoral programs may admit exceptional undergraduate students before their baccalaureate is awarded.
12.3. Professional Doctorate Credit Requirements
Each professional doctoral degree program may determine the minimum hours of graduate credit required for the degree program based on professional and/or accreditation/licensing standards.
12.4. Professional Doctorate Enrollment
Full-time status is defined as nine credit hours per semester. Units may require higher enrollments than this. After students achieve candidacy and complete the residence requirement, they must remain enrolled during fall and spring semesters until the degree is completed. Failure to register in any regular semester will normally result in termination from the Graduate School. If students so terminated decide to reapply, and if they are readmitted, they will be subject to all regulations in effect at the time of readmission and will be required to enroll for at least one credit hour in each semester since their last enrollment. When professional doctoral students are enrolled for capstone credit, the credit amount may vary, but the student must register for all work required, and the credit total may exceed the minimum requirements.
12.5. Classification of Doctoral Students
There are two stages in a student's doctoral degree work: (1) A pre-candidate is a student who has requirements to fulfill in addition to the capstone project, including course work, clinical experiences, and/or threshold examinations. (2) A candidate is a student who has met all degree requirements except the completion of the capstone project and any clinical or fieldwork required as a part of the capstone project.
12.6. Professional Doctorate Time Limitation
The maximum amount of time allowed to complete a doctoral degree is eight years after enrollment in the first course. Professional doctoral students who enter with any previous graduate degree or certificate may apply appropriate credits toward the professional doctoral degree, subject to program approval. Credit for courses taken for an advanced degree or post-master’s graduate certificate is exempt from the eight-year time limit.
12.7. Professional Doctorate Residency Requirement
Residency normally requires that doctoral students successfully complete a minimum of 15 hours at UMSL over three consecutive terms, which may include summer. The Dean of the Graduate School may grant exceptions upon recommendation by the program. Students who enter the EdD degree program with an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree from an accredited university, or with an Advanced Certificate approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, may satisfy the residence requirement by completing one-third of the required credits at UMSL.
12.8. Professional Doctorate Threshold Examinations
Each program will determine the type of comprehensive, qualifying, or other threshold examination that is appropriate for the discipline. Units also specify the number of times a student may take a threshold examination and the maximum and/or minimum period of time allowed between the first and final attempt to pass the examination. The program must file information about the requirements with the Graduate School. An oral examination may not substitute for the standard written portion. The Examination Committee will consist of no fewer than three members of the Graduate Faculty, including Professional/Special Appointment Graduate Faculty appointed by the Graduate Dean upon recommendation by the unit.
12.9. Advisors for the Professional Doctorate
Upon entering the program, each doctoral student shall have an assigned advisor who is a member of the Graduate Faculty, including Professional/Special Appointment Graduate Faculty. As early as possible in a doctoral student's program, but no later than when the student achieves candidacy, the unit shall recommend, in consultation with the student, an advisor for the capstone project.
12.10. Application for Candidacy
Doctoral students may apply for candidacy after passing all threshold requirements and successfully completing all course work.
12.11. Committee for the Capstone Project Membership Requirements. (Updated 11/20/2020)
The Committee for the Capstone Project will consist of at least three members of the Graduate Faculty, including Professional/Special Appointment Graduate Faculty, who can contribute their expertise to the study. A recognized practitioner from outside the university may serve as one of those members upon the recommendation of the unit and approval of the Graduate School Director, and this member may serve as co-chair of the committee with a full-time graduate faculty member at UMSL also serving as co-chair. The external co-chair is recognized on the dissertation for their co-chair role on the IRL website. However, for internal processes, including all graduate school forms, the full-time faculty member co-chair must be listed as the chair and must sign the approval. The Graduate School Director will approve the committee membership and changes in committee membership upon recommendation from the program. All members of the Committee for the Capstone Project are involved intimately and participate actively in the activities of the doctoral student at all the stages of the student's career at UMSL. This committee normally also serves as the Oral Defense Committee.
12.12. Capstone Project
At the University of Missouri-St. Louis, all professional doctoral degrees require a capstone project. The project must address a subject approved by the candidate’s committee; have a significant grounding in clinical, translational, or engaged scholarship; and be the candidate’s own work. Programs may permit collaborative capstone projects, but students must be able to document their original contributions to collaborative projects. Programs must submit to the Graduate School and make available for students information about the capstone project (e.g., scholarly paper, dissertation-in-practice, etc.) and all requirements expected for the project to be judged successful. Text Reuse: The reuse of text will be evaluated by the members of the faculty committee that approves the document. Each committee member, as part of the decision to approve or disapprove the document, will decide whether the reuse presented in the document is acceptable. Departments may choose to adopt a uniform policy on the acceptability of reused text for a specific degree program. In the document, the student must clearly and explicitly identify all reused text and the original source(s) of that text. A copy of the source documents must be provided to the committee members and the Graduate School. Reuse is strictly limited to text from papers authored or co-authored by the student. The student must document permission to reuse any copyrighted material. If the source documents involve co-authors other than the student and the faculty advisor, the document must include a description of the individual contributions of each coauthor of the original study. Regardless of the extent of any reuse of text, the dissertation must maintain a uniform and consistent formatting style throughout.
12.12.1. Professional Doctorate Capstone Project Proposal
Before students may begin substantial work on the capstone project, the committee must have approved a proposal after a formal defense. To schedule the defense, students must have approval from appropriate compliance committees (e.g., Human Subjects, etc.). Students submit the approved proposal to the Graduate School for review and approval by the Dean of the Graduate School. An approved proposal does not imply a contract between the university and the student. For example, the project may require substantially more work than anticipated when the proposal was approved. The termination of a line of inquiry and the adoption of a substantially new capstone project requires the preparation, formal defense, and acceptance by the Graduate School of a new proposal.
12.12.2. Preliminary Approval of the Capstone Project
One copy of the final capstone project, certified as complete and provisionally acceptable to the committee, shall be submitted to the Graduate Dean at least six weeks prior to commencement. The Dean of the Graduate School may seek advice and make suggestions to the committee about content and style before approving the project.
12.12.3. Oral Defense of the Capstone Project
After deliberating on the oral defense of the project, the Committee for the Capstone Project votes on whether the defense was successful. The defense shall be deemed unsuccessful if there are two negative votes, even if outnumbered by positive votes. An abstention will be considered a negative vote. A student failing an oral defense shall have the opportunity for one additional defense before the same committee. The committee shall determine the timing and format of a subsequent defense. Capstone examinations are open to the public, although committee deliberations normally take place privately. The decision of the Committee for the Capstone Project is final. The report of the final examination is due to the Graduate School no later than two days after the examination.
12.12.4. Capstone Project Abstracts
Capstone Projects are normally disseminated as PhD dissertations and require two different abstracts. The abstract forming the second page of the Capstone Project report should be no more than 600 words. UMSL’s partner for publishing scholarly projects (currently Proquest) requires an abstract of a maximum of 350 words, which is included with the campus announcement of the defense of the Capstone Project. Upon recommendation by the program, the Graduate Dean may approve exceptions to this method of dissemination.
12.12.5. Format of the Capstone Project
In matters of style and documentation, the custom of the discipline shall be followed. The final copy of the Capstone Project must be legible and appropriate for publication when submitted to the Graduate School. Only high quality electronic submissions are acceptable with the following margins throughout: left margin, 11/2 inches; top, bottom, and right margins, 1 inch. Upon recommendation by the unit, the Graduate Dean may approve exceptions to this method of dissemination.
12.12.6. Official Copies of the Capstone Project
The chair of the Committee for the Capstone Project is responsible for verifying that all the changes suggested by the committee and the Graduate Dean have either been incorporated in the final draft of the project or have been discussed further with the Graduate Dean or the committee.
