Graduate Study
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http://www.umsl.edu/divisions/graduate/ The Graduate Faculty sets Graduate School policies in the Bulletin. Students should be aware that their programs might create rules and policies that are above these minimum university-wide requirements. Admissions To receive graduate credit at the University of Missouri-St. Louis students must have been admitted to the Graduate School as either Graduate Certificate or Degree-seeking or Non-Degree seeking. Students Seeking a Degree or Graduate Certificate Applicants for a degree or graduate certificate program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis shall submit an application, official transcripts of all baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate work, scores from examinations required by the program, and other evidence of academic and professional preparation required by the program. The TOEFL test is also required of international applicants whose native language is not English. When there are openings for new students in a program, applicants are normally admitted given official evidence for (a) a baccalaureate or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education, (b) an undergraduate grade point average (G.P.A.) and major field G.P.A. of 2.75 or above, (c) an acceptable score on each requisite examination, and (d) satisfactory additional materials required by the particular program. The dean of the Graduate School may approve applications, given a positive recommendation from the unit. A unit may recommend restricted admission for students who do not meet the minimum standards but who have G.P.A.s of at least 2.5 and provide strong supporting evidence. The admitting unit shall also specify the conditions under which the restrictions may be lifted. A restricted graduate student may acquire no more than 12 credit hours. When the restrictions are met, the student may move from restricted to regular status. The dean of the Graduate School may approve the change given a positive recommendation from the unit. Students who are unable to provide all materials required for admission may be admitted provisionally. An approved provisional student may enroll for one semester or summer term only. The courses taken provisionally will apply in the regular way to a degree or certificate program. When all admission materials have been received, the unit may recommend regular or restricted admission or denial to the dean of the Graduate School. Because admission to doctoral studies is limited to those of demonstrably superior academic ability, doctoral students normally are not admitted as restricted. Non-Degree-Seeking Student 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 for review and approval 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 Certification Students. Traveling Scholars and Inter-University Graduate
Exchange Students (1) Traveling Scholars are graduate students at one of the other University of Missouri (UM) campuses. (2) Inter-University Graduate Exchange students are Washington University and St. Louis University students who enroll on the home campus for courses at UM-St. Louis that are not offered on their own campus. Degree-seeking graduate students at the UM-St. Louis campus may also participate in these programs. Unclassified Students 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. Admission of International Students Teaching assistantships will not be awarded to students whose TOEFL scores are below 570. When it is not possible for a student to take the TOEFL 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. Applicants from other countries shall provide a summary
of their educational experience as a basis of comparison of their backgrounds
with those of Once enrolled in the Graduate School, international students holding a student visa must enroll full-time. Enrollment To remain in good standing, students shall enroll for at least one term each calendar year. Students not meeting this enrollment requirement will be dismissed from the Graduate School and required to reapply. If students so terminated reapply and if they 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. Fulltime Study Graduate Equivalent Hours Three equivalency hours for hold 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. 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. Eight equivalency hours after achieving candidacy. This semester hour equivalency is allowed for a maximum of eight semesters. Participation in approved required out-of-class experiences in specific programs. Advisors have the current list. Overloads Heavier than normal loads may be permitted by the Graduate Dean, upon recommendation by the unit , for Students whose cumulative UM-St. Louis G.P.A. is substantially above the program average: Students 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. Degree Program Plans At least half of the credits for both master’s 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 1999 may not be taken for graduate credit. No more than three hours of credit may be allowed for institutes, workshops, clinics, and Continuing Education courses, if approved when filing the degree program plan. Only such courses that award a letter grade may be applied to a graduate degree. 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. 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. Graduate students admitted to UM-St. Louis shall petition in advance if they request to take courses at another institution and apply the credit toward a graduate degree at UM-St. Louis. With prior approval, regularly admitted graduate students are permitted to take a course not offered by UM-St.Louis at Washington University, St. Louis University, or Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Time Limitation Leave of Absence 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. Undergraduate Enrollment in 5000-Level Courses Class Attendance Preregistration Maximum Course Load Graduate students who are employed full time may not register for more than six hours. Students employed part time must adjust their course loads according to the number of hours employed. Students may either work full time or carry a full-time load of courses, but not both. Graduate assistants may not work full time. Petitioning Into or Out of a Course Entering a Course in Progress Dropping a Course Transcripts Requests for transcripts by organizations either financially supporting a student or with fee compensation programs are not honored unless the student has filed a consent form with the registrar, authorizing the release of such records. Transcripts are not issued to or for students who have financial obligations to the university until those obligations are paid in full. Academic PolicyGrades Point assignments for grades are as follows; A = 4.0 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 is not available in any courses for graduate credit. 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. Delayed grades may be given when a student’s work is incomplete but otherwise worthy of credit. Delayed grades must be removed within two regular semesters after the time recorded or they automatically become F grades. In each case, course instructors may subsequently change F grades to other grades when all work has been completed. Delayed grades recorded for courses in thesis or dissertation research are left as delayed grades until the instructor reports the final regular grades. Students may not graduate with any delayed grades on their transcript for course work required for that degree. Students who stop attending classes without officially dropping courses receive grades of F. Graduate Grade Appeals Grade Point Average (GPA) UM-St. Louis 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 includes all courses taken at UM-St. Louis for graduate credit figure, including courses that may not be a part of the degree program. The degree program GPA includes only the grades of those courses that are part of the degree program. The degree program GPA must be at least 3.0 for a student to receive a graduate degree. Any course work transferred from other universities, including other UM campuses, will not be included in any GPA calculation. Probation Probation lasts for one semester, during which time the unit formally monitors the student’s progress. After one semester the student may be removed from probation, continued on probation, or dismissed. Dismissal Master’s Degree RequirementsAdmission Enrollment Full-time status for all graduate students is defined as at least nine credit hours of course work. Individual units may require higher enrollments. Credit Requirements Residence Requirement Time Limitation Credit From a Certificate Program Dual Master’s Degrees 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. Master’s Degree for Doctoral Students Doctoral students may also receive a master’s degree for work they have completed toward to a doctoral 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. Filing the Degree Program Comprehensive Examination, Scholarly Paper, or
Exit Project Units recommend Graduate Faculty members to serve on committees for capstone projects. The Graduate Dean shall review and may appoint the committee. Master’s Thesis Master’s degree students who write a thesis must submit to the dean of the Graduate School one copy of the thesis at least 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. Application for Master’s Degree To receive the master’s degree, students who have met all degree requirements shall apply for graduation by the end of the fourth week of classes during the fall or spring term or by the first day of the eight-week session during the summer term. Doctoral Degree RequirementsAdmission Credit Requirements Enrollment 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. Classification of Doctoral Students (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. Time Limitation Doctoral degree will be eight years after the first course enrollment. The 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. Residence Requirement 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 UM-St. Louis. Residency also requires that doctoral students successfully complete a minimum of 15 hours over two consecutive terms, which may include summer. Comprehensive Examinations The Comprehensive Examination Committee will consist of no fewer than three members of the UM-St. Louis graduate faculty appointed by the Graduate Dean upon recommendation of the unit. An oral examination may not substitute for the standard written portion. Advisors Application for Candidacy Doctoral Dissertation Committee Proposal The dissertation proposal must be accepted by the Graduate School before a student completes the sixth semester of study, or before the student takes more than four hours of dissertation credit, whichever comes later. Students who have taken no more than four hours of dissertation credit by the end of the sixth semester may extend the deadline for submitting the proposal to the time when they enroll in their fifth dissertation credit. 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, oral defense, and acceptance by the Graduate School of a new dissertation proposal. Preliminary Approval Defense of Dissertation 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. Dissertation Abstracts Dissertation Format In matters of style and documentation, the custom of the discipline shall be followed. Official Copies Graduate Certificate ProgramAdmission Credit Requirements Filing the Degree Program |