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Academic Standing - Graduate Student

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Good academic standing indicates that students are meeting university and program requirements and are making satisfactory progress towards their degree. The definition of satisfactory performance and progress toward completion of the degree may differ among degree programs; therefore, it is imperative that each graduate program have these requirements in writing in their graduate handbook and distribute them to graduate students when they matriculate into the program.

Progress Toward Degree Completion

All graduate students are expected to meet university and program requirements, and to make systematic progress toward completion of their degree. This progress includes satisfying the conditions listed below and achieving the requirements set by the individual degree program.

Students who fail to satisfy the requirements of their degree program and/or the conditions outlined below may be dismissed from the program.

  1. Students must maintain their status as degree-seeking student by registering for at least 1 graduate credit hour that contributes to their degree requirements as determined by their graduate program each year (defined as three consecutive terms, including summer as one term) or by taking an approved leave of absence. Courses taken for audit and course withdrawals will not be counted as fulfilling the minimum enrollment requirements. Meeting this minimum enrollment requirement does not guarantee students will meet the minimum requirements of other programs, offices or agencies.
  2. Students are expected to maintain a minimum 3.000 grade point average (GPA).1 A graduate student who receives more than 8 credit hours of grades lower than B or more than 4 credit hours of grades lower than C is subject to dismissal. Some programs impose higher standards
  3. Doctoral students must, comply with the time limits for passing candidacy (five years from first enrollment) and for passing the final oral examination (five years from candidacy). Individual degree programs may have shorter time limits.
  4. Students must comply with the time limits for graduation (six years from first enrollment for master’s students and 10 years from first enrollment for doctoral students). Individual degree programs may have shorter time limits. Students in the College of Podiatric Medicine must successfully complete graduation requirements within six years of their first enrollment. Exceptions to this time limit must be approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education.

In addition to the performance and progress made upon the conditions listed above, individual degree programs will review student performance in the fulfillment of the degree program’s requirements. Consideration may include, but is not limited to, such factors as performance during informal coursework and seminars, research capability and performance, professional standards of conduct and the number of grades of AU (Audit), IN (Incomplete), IP (In Progress) and W (Withdrawal) on a student’s record.

Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for any graduate degree, but are counted in the graduate GPA. Credit hours earned in undergraduate courses are not counted toward completion of any graduate degree and are not counted in the graduate GPA. A change by a graduate student from one department or program to another does not remove from the student’s GPA the grades that were earned in the first enrollment. Refer to the Grading Policies and Procedures in the University Catalog for information on grades and administrative marks and their application to the GPA.

Review of Academic Performance

Each graduate program should review the academic performance and progress of its students, according to university and program requirements, at least once per academic year. Reviews may result in one of four outcomes (six outcomes for students in the College of Podiatric Medicine2):

  • Dean’s list
  • Good standing
  • No action
  • Warning
  • Probation
  • Dismissal

DEAN’S LIST

Full-time students in the College of Podiatric Medicine who have a minimum 3.500 current GPA for the fall and spring semesters and earned no grade below a C or S (Satisfactory) in all course/rotation work will be cited on the Dean’s List at the end of each semester. Only students taking a full course load will be eligible for the Dean’s List.

GOOD STANDING

Students in the College of Podiatric Medicine are considered to be in good standing if they are meeting course and/or program expectations and have not failed any requirements.

NO ACTION

If a student’s performance and progress are satisfactory, the program may provide the student with written communication regarding the student’s satisfactory performance and progress in the degree program.

WARNING

A warning may be issued to a student if the student’s performance and/or progress falls slightly below expectations (e.g., failure to make timely progress on thesis or dissertation; overall GPA is 3.000 or higher, but term GPA is below 3.000).

The department chair, school director or program coordinator administrating the program will provide the student with written communication regarding the warning, including expectations for future performance and a timetable for the correction of deficiencies. Warnings are documented by the graduate program and may be communicated to the college dean, or designee.

PROBATION

Review of a student’s performance and progress may result in probation.3 Probation may be issued for a student who deviated suddenly and substantially from program expectations, for a student who was previously issued a warning and did not correct the deficiency that caused the warning, or for a student who was previously issued a warning and corrected the deficiency but failed additional performance requirements. A graduate program may issue multiple semesters of probation for a student, but only one semester may be issued at a time. Students in the College of Podiatric Medicine will have the probation noted on their student record, including the official transcript.

The department chair, school director or program coordinator administrating the program will provide the student with written communication regarding the probation including expectations for future performance and a timetable for the correction of deficiencies. Probations are documented by the graduate program and communicated to the college dean, or designee.

A student on probation will be reviewed by the program at least once each semester. The review may result in return to good academic standing, continued probation or dismissal from the program. To return to good academic standing, the student must have corrected the deficiency that caused the probation decision, as well as continued to meet other program and university requirements. Coursework used in raising the student’s grade point average must be a part of normal degree requirements and must be approved in advance by the program. The department chair, school director or program coordinator must notify the college dean, or designee, of the review outcome.

ACADEMIC DISMISSAL

Review of a student’s performance, progress and adherence to professional standards in a graduate program may result in a recommendation for academic dismissal. Refer to the Dismissal and Appeal–Graduate policy in the University Catalog for more information.

1

Refer to the College of Podiatric Medicine’s section in the University Catalog for GPA expectations for students seeking the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree.

2

College of Podiatric Medicine students are ranked at the end of each semester according to their overall grade point averages. Ranking is done on an individual basis by class year.

3

A student on an official leave of absence cannot be issued probation. A student may not be appointed or reappointed as a graduate assistant while on probation.