Graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA and make satisfactory progress in all other aspects of their degree programs in order to continue as students. Academic standing reflects the student’s level of accomplishment with regard to these aspects. The Graduate College monitors cumulative and semester graduate GPA and time limits, and graduate programs monitor all other aspects of academic progress. There are three categories of academic standing: Good academic standing, academic warning (not in good academic standing), and dropped.
Minimum GPA
Campus policy requires a student to maintain a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 2.75 and a semester GPA of 2.25 in order to continue in an advanced degree program, and to have a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 2.75 to graduate. Many departments, however, require a higher for the cumulative graduate GPA. The Graduate College enforces the department’s minimum based on the calculated graduate cumulative GPA. Students enrolled in joint degree programs must meet the minimum GPA requirements of both degree programs in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress and to graduate.
Minimum GPA requirements by program. All graduate students must meet the minimum degree GPA specified by their degree program in order to have the degree certified and to graduate. Students admitted in an earlier term may have a different requirement. Students should see the academic catalog for their term of entry to determine their minimum required GPA.\
GPA Computation
The graduate GPA includes all hours and grades for all courses taken while enrolled as a graduate student. The GPA component of academic status is calculated at the end of each semester. At the point of calculation, graduate students must have a cumulative graduate GPA at or above their program’s minimum and must have a semester GPA of at least 2.25 to be in good standing.
Academic Forgiveness
Students who are applying for re-entry to the Graduate College and who are returning after at least two years with a GPA significantly below their department minimum may petition the Graduate College for Academic Forgiveness. If granted, the student’s GPA for graduation will be calculated based on previously taken coursework as identified in the re-entry process and the courses taken upon return. All courses will remain on the student’s transcript.
Academic Standing
The Graduate College monitors minimum program cumulative and semester GPA and time limits for certain degree requirements, and failure to meet these requirements in any term can result in the student being not in good academic standing or dropped from the Graduate College. Other factors that determine satisfactory academic progress are monitored by the student’s program, and failure to meet these requirements can result in the program recommending to the Graduate College that the student be not in good academic standing or dropped from the Graduate College. All graduate students must meet the minimum program GPA specified by their program in order to have the degree certified and to graduate.
Good Academic Standing
Good academic standing requires more than an acceptable cumulative and semester GPA. Graduate students must make satisfactory progress in all aspects of their program in order to continue as students and to graduate. Good academic standing can also be referred to as full graduate standing, which is the normal status of graduate students with no holds (Chapter 2.3 Registration Deadlines and Holds) or limited status (Chapter 1.4 Admission Status) or academic warning status at the university.
Academic Warning (Not in Good Academic Standing)
Academic warning due to GPA. Students who are not in good academic standing due to GPA have one semester to improve their standing to good academic standing, or they will be dropped from the Graduate College. A student who has a cumulative graduate GPA below the degree program’s minimum and/or a semester GPA below 2.25 at the end of any semester of enrollment will be placed on academic warning status. A student who has no cumulative graduate GPA recorded at the end of a fall or spring semester will be placed on academic warning status. Once a student has been placed on academic warning, the student must raise the cumulative GPA to their program’s minimum by the end of the next semester of enrollment and must earn a semester GPA of at least 2.25 in the next semester of enrollment, or be dropped from the Graduate College.
Academic warning due to exceeded time limit. Students who have exceeded the time limit to complete their master’s degree or doctoral degree must successfully petition the Graduate College to continue in their academic program. A student will be placed on Academic warning after one calendar year has passed from their initial time-to-degree limit.
Students who are not in good academic standing (academic warning) due to having exceeded the time limit to complete Stage II of their doctoral degree will have a fall or spring semester to improve their standing to good standing or will be dropped from the Graduate College.
Once a student is not in good academic standing due to an exceeded time limit, the student must complete that degree stage by the end of the warning period or be dropped from the Graduate College.
Academic warning based on program recommendation. Programs monitor the academic progress of their students. Factors that a program may use to assess academic progress include, but are not limited to, performance in course work; satisfactory and timely completion of all milestones as determined by the program; satisfactory progress in research; overall graduate and/or program GPA; and performance on qualifying, preliminary, and other examinations. Failure to meet these requirements can result in the program recommending to the Graduate College that the student be not in good academic standing or dropped by the Graduate College. The Graduate College will review the recommendation. If it is determined that the student will be placed on academic warning status, the Graduate College will communicate the length of the warning period and requirements for returning to good academic standing.
Admission on limited status due to low GPA or no comparable bachelor’s degree. Students who are admitted to the Graduate College on limited status because of no comparable bachelor’s degree or low GPA are admitted on academic warning status (see Chapter 1.4 Admission Status for more information). If these students do not meet the minimum GPA for their program in the first fall or spring semester of graduate work, they will receive a notice of drop status from the Graduate College.
Drop Status
A graduate student placed on academic warning status who fails to improve their academic standing by the end of the warning period will receive a notice of drop status from the Graduate College. This action prohibits the student from registering and drops any courses for which the student has pre-registered. The student may request reinstatement to the Graduate College through the petition process. The Graduate
College will consider petitions containing strong support from the academic program they wish to pursue and strong justification based on other factors pertinent to the program’s determination of satisfactory academic progress.
GPA for Graduation
All graduate students must meet the minimum degree GPA specified by the degree program in order to have their degree certified and to graduate.