Academic Advising
Students in special non-degree graduate status are assigned an advisor and should consult the advisor before each course enrollment.
Students admitted to a degree program are assigned a departmental advisor at the time of admission. It is essential that students meet early with their advisor to plan their program of study.
The departmental advisor usually serves as a member of the student's thesis committee if the student elects the thesis option, and usually participates on all other committees concerning the advisee's graduate program.
Typical Graduate Academic Loads
The typical load for full-time graduate students is fifteen semester hours. For full-time students who are full-time graduate assistants, the typical load is twelve semester hours and no less than nine semester hours. Full-time students may also hold part-time graduate assistantships.
Students enrolling for six semester hours or less are considered part-time graduate students. For part-time students who are part-time graduate assistants, the maximum load is no more than six semester hours nor less than four semester hours. Part-time students may not be full-time graduate assistants.
Enrollment in Courses
Courses numbered 500-699 will apply on a master's degree program if:
- permission has been obtained from both the departmental graduate advisor and the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies; and
- the number of these credits to be applied to the degree not exceed six semester hours.
Departments may include such hours in the total graduate hours required by the degree or may require those hours in addition to degree credit requirements. No courses below 500 may apply to a master's degree. No 500-699 courses may apply to a Specialist in Education degree.
With the exception of research and independent study, graduate work is taken on the same class schedule as undergraduate study. Courses may be taken during the regular academic year, in summer sessions, in night and Saturday classes, and by extension.
Off-Campus Study
Off-campus study from PSU may be counted toward graduate degrees. Each off-campus course must be approved for inclusion in a degree program by the student's departmental advisor. In order to determine whether a specific course will fit within a degree program, the student should obtain prior approval before enrollment. All regulations of the Graduate School apply to special graduate students taking off-campus study.
Correspondence study may not be counted toward graduate degrees.
Credit by Transfer
A maximum of nine hours of graduate credit may be transferred from another accredited graduate school and applied to a program of study with the approval of the student’s department. Only work graded B or higher may be transferred.
No courses taken for undergraduate credit at Pittsburg State University or from another institution may be transferred to Pittsburg State University to count towards a Master’s degree. Pittsburg State University does not accept graduate-level credit for life/work experience as transfer graduate credit.
For the Specialist in Education degree programs, course work for transfer or waiver must be from an institution offering post-master’s degree study.
Credit Used for a Second Graduate Degree
Students seeking a second graduate degree may be allowed to use a maximum of nine semester credits from a completed graduate degree for courses required in the second degree. If courses from a previous degree are being used to substitute for required courses, the department can assign other courses to be completed or can reduce the number of credit hours required for the degree.
Enrollment in Research Courses
Research courses are of three types: theses, research problems, and research seminars. These courses carry variable credit. Theses and independent research courses proceed at a pace agreed upon by the student and the advisor. At the time of enrollment the terminal date, the course plan, and the final product should be determined. Grades for research courses are not awarded until all research assignments are completed and approved by the individual faculty member or by a faculty committee.
Application of Course Grades to Graduate Degrees
Only grades of A, B, and C are acceptable on a degree program. A cumulative grade point average of (3.0000) is required for grades earned in:
1) All graduate coursework at the 700, 800 or 900 level;
2) Senior-graduate coursework (500 or 600 level) applied
to a graduate degree.
A maximum of six hours of C or pass work may be applied to a student's degree program. If the student receives any grade of C, status in the Graduate School will be reviewed by the advisor and the dean. An extension of no more than six hours credit may be made to the approved degree program in order to achieve the minimum 3.0000 and offset C grade credit.
Courses taken for pass/fail credit may not be applied to the degree program unless the specific pass/fail course has been approved as a degree component by the department which offers the degree program and by the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies.
Incomplete Work
Except for research, incomplete work on the graduate level is subject to the rule that it must be completed in the next enrollment period or, with instructor permission, no later than one year after receiving the incomplete. An incomplete not removed within one year shall be regarded as a failure and the IN grade will be changed to F and included in the computation of the student's GPA.
Repeated Courses
Graduate courses in which a C or lower grade has been earned may be repeated for the purpose of raising the grade.
A total of six hours may be repeated with no course repeated more than once.
When a repeated course is allowed, the grade earned on the second attempt will be used in computing the GPA. The original grade will remain on the transcript but will be marked as repeated.
Students whose grade point average falls below B and who do not raise their grade point averages during the next two terms will be required to withdraw from the program of study.
Academic Standing
A graduate student in good academic standing is a student who has not been academically dismissed and who has maintained a grade point average of 3.0000 in all course work applied to a graduate degree.
Validation of Previous Work
Students requesting to use course work completed more than six years from the time of the student’s last semester before graduating must submit the course for review to their academic department. Departments may choose to accept the course; require validation of the course by interview, test, or other means of evaluation; require the student to re-enroll and repeat the course; or deny the course.
Academic Dismissal and Appeal Process
The Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies, after consultation with the departmental advisor, may terminate a student's graduate status because of unsatisfactory academic performance. This dismissal may be appealed to the Graduate Council. Students who have grievances concerning a course grade, admission to a program, thesis examination, or other academic decision, may file requests with the Graduate Dean to have the grievance reviewed by an independent committee of graduate faculty and graduate students. The Grievance Committee will review the case and make a recommendation.
General Graduate Degree Requirements
The master's degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate study for degrees requiring a thesis and a minimum of 32 to 33 semester hours of graduate study for degrees not requiring a thesis. At least fifteen semester hours must be earned in 800-900 level courses open only to graduate students.
The specialist degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate study beyond the master's degree, of which 21 or more semester hours shall be earned in courses open only to graduate students (800-900 numbers), with at least nine hours in 900-level courses.
Planning the Degree Requirements
At the time of admission into a degree program, students should meet with their advisors to make a tentative plan for their entire degree program. Agreement upon courses to be transferred, waived, or validated should be made at that time. Specific courses and number of credit hours of graduate work taken in special graduate student status that are applicable to the degree should also be determined. Typically, no more than 12 credits taken in special graduate status will apply to a degree.
Admission to Candidacy
Students must apply for candidacy to the degree they are seeking after completing at least nine but not more than eighteen semester hours of the degree program. If the students are in a program of more than 32 hours, the application for admission to candidacy should be completed at least one term before the planned graduation term. Students will not be permitted to graduate during the same term in which they filed for candidacy unless the department has determined that program requirements mandate a different time schedule for all students. In order to be admitted to candidacy, students must have:
- passed the preliminary and/or other qualifying examinations required by the university or the major departments;
- removed all deficiencies for admission to graduate study;
- earned a B average in nine to eighteen credits of course work taken as part of the degree program; and
- planned the remainder of the degree program with their departmental advisor's approval.
Meeting the deadlines for application for admission to candidacy is the responsibility of the graduate student. Admission to candidacy must be obtained at least one term before students can apply for their graduate degree. Students who do not apply for candidacy at the appropriate time in their program may be required to take additional courses prior to being permitted to apply.
Comprehensive Examinations
Candidates for a graduate degree in fall or spring semester must satisfactorily pass a comprehensive examination in the field of their major graduate work not later than four weeks prior to the date on which the degree is to be conferred. For summer term candidates, the examination must be passed not later than two weeks prior to the degree conferment date. This examination may be either oral or written or both. The format is at the discretion of the department which prepares, administers, and evaluates the examination.
Application for Graduate Degree
Each candidate for a graduate degree must file an application for the degree with the Dean of Continuing and Graduate Studies not later than four weeks prior to the date which the degree will be conferred.
If the application is not filed at that time, the student will not be on the list of degree candidates to be approved by the Graduate Council. Thus his/her graduation date may be delayed until the following term.
Awarding of Degrees
Graduate degrees are dated and awarded at the end of fall, spring, and summer terms. Commencement is held in May for students receiving degrees at the end of the spring semester and summer term. A December commencement is held for students graduating at the end of the fall semester.
Scholastic and Academic Honors
Graduate students who have earned a cumulative grade point average of 4.0000 at the time of graduation will graduate with the designation Graduate Dean Scholastic Honors.
The Graduate Dean Scholastic Honors designation will appear on the student's transcript. |
