|
Graduate students are governed by the Academic Rules and Regulations in place at American University for the conduct of graduate education in academic programs housed in Schools and Colleges other than the Washington College of Law. Graduate students in the Washington College of Law are governed by the academic rules and regulations specific to the Washington College of Law, except in those instances when they are enrolled in a joint program between another unit at American University and the Washington College of Law. When enrolled in a joint program, students must satisfy the Academic Rules and Regulations that relate to both units in which their degree is housed. Based on a compelling rationale, an appeal may be made with respect to a specific graduate academic regulation by a graduate student or faculty member. Students filing appeal requests should begin with a written request to their academic advisor. The complete Graduate Academic Rules and Regulations may be found at www.american.edu/provost.
Academic Load and Enrollment Status
Full-time student status is defined as registration for nine semester credit hours during both the fall and spring semesters, or by enrollment for four semester credit hours during the summer semester. Enrollments in all summer sessions during a calendar year will be added to determine the total summer enrollment. Half-time student status is defined as registration for five semester credit hours during both the fall and spring semesters, or by enrollment for two semester credit hours during the summer semester. Students who are registered for more than a half-time credit load in any semester, but less than a full-time credit load for that semester, will be considered half-time students.
Graduate students must remain registered for a full-time course load under specific conditions that include: holding a half-time Graduate Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant award; holding a University Graduate Fellowship; having particular types of student loans; and, having international student status. Associate Deans of academic units will contact the Office of the Registrar each semester following the end of the drop/add period to obtain enrollment information to check the full-time status of graduate students who are required to be enrolled full-time. It is the responsibility of individual graduate students to understand how changes in course load or full-time status may have an impact on payment schedules or other conditions of their obligations to entities providing them with educational loans.
Good Academic Standing
Graduate students are considered to be in Good Academic Standing when they are achieving Satisfactory Academic Progress toward the degree requirements of their program and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students are making Satisfactory Academic Progress when, in addition to being in Good Academic Standing and meeting any higher standards for the GPA that individual programs might set, they are: meeting on time the defined milestones in their Program of Study and they have received credit in at least two-thirds of the courses which they have attempted. For master’s students, such milestones include, but are not limited to, completing the required coursework and completing the capstone experience satisfactorily. For doctoral students, milestones include, but are not limited to, completing the required coursework, passing the comprehensive examination(s) or equivalent, defending the dissertation proposal, completing the dissertation, and defending the completed dissertation.
For students writing a thesis or dissertation, it is the collective responsibility of the student and the student’s Thesis Advisor or Dissertation Committee Chair to ensure that Satisfactory Academic Progress is being maintained. This process is coordinated by the student’s Thesis Advisor or Dissertation Committee Chair, and oversight authority rests with the Graduate Program Director. Thesis Advisors and Dissertation Committee Chairs are required to review annually all students conducting theses or dissertations to determine that they are making Satisfactory Academic Progress, and to (1) inform the student, and (2) inform the Graduate Program Director, who will communicate the finding to the Associate Dean of the Academic Unit. Students may request of the Graduate Program Director, at least once each semester, that their Thesis Director or Dissertation Committee Chair meet with them to discuss progress on the thesis or dissertation.
Academic Integrity Code
Students are bound by the University’s Academic Integrity Code, which ensures that all work done in pursuit of a degree whether graded or ungraded, formal or informal, meets the highest standards of academic honesty. The baseline sanction for a first-time offense for graduate students violating the code is suspension from the university, although academic dismissal is also a common sanction. Suspension and academic dismissal are permanently recorded on the transcript as a violation of the Academic Integrity Code. For more information, see Academic Integrity Code .
Academic Probation, Warning, Dismissal
Students Enrolled in a Graduate Degree Program
The University Registrar will place students enrolled in a graduate degree program on Academic Probation when, after attempting at least 9 credit hours of coursework, their cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 or when students fail to receive credit in at least two-thirds of the courses they attempt. The University Registrar will inform the students of their probationary status in writing. This notification will inform the students that they cannot receive an incomplete grade while they are on Academic Probation status. Students will be placed on Academic Probation for the time it takes them to attempt 9 additional credits or three enrolled semesters, whichever is shorter. After the Academic Probation period is completed, students who fail to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.00 or fail to raise their course completion rate will be academically dismissed from the University by the Registrar. If at any point while a student is on Academic Probation status, it becomes mathematically impossible to raise his or her cumulative GPA to 3.00 within the allotted 9 credits from the onset of Academic Probation, the student will be academically dismissed.
If the Program Director or Associate Dean of an academic unit determines that a student is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress for any academic reason, the Dean or Dean’s designee may decide either to issue an Academic Warning or place the student on Academic Probation. The Dean may also academically dismiss the student without Academic Probation or Warning. The academic unit must notify the Registrar of the decision to apply a sanction. The Registrar will notify each student of the decision and the reason for the decision. In the case of either an Academic Warning or Academic Probation notice, the Registrar must also inform the student in writing of the period for the warning or probation and of the conditions that must be met for the student to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress status. Students who are on an Academic Warning status for one semester may be subject to Academic Probation or be academically dismissed in subsequent semesters if the terms of the Academic Warning are not fulfilled.
Academic Dismissals are permanently recorded on the transcript. Academic Warnings and Academic Probation are not.
Students Enrolled in a Graduate Certificate Program
The University Registrar will place students enrolled in a graduate certificate program on Academic Probation when, after attempting at least 6 credit hours of coursework, their cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 or when students fail to receive credit in at least two-thirds of the courses they attempt. Students will be placed on Academic Probation for the time it takes them to attempt 6 more credits or two enrolled semesters, whichever is shorter. If at any point while a student enrolled in a graduate certificate program is on Academic Probation status, it becomes mathematically impossible to raise his or her cumulative GPA up to 3.00 within the allotted 6 credits from the onset of Academic Probation, the student will be academically dismissed. All other regulations concerning Academic Warning, Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal for students enrolled in a graduate certificate program are the same as those for students enrolled in a graduate degree program.
Graduate Non-degree Students
All regulations concerning Academic Warning, Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal for graduate non-degree students are the same as those for students enrolled in a graduate degree program.
Incompletes and Academic Probation
If a student who is not placed on Academic Probation is assigned an Incomplete grade and the final assigned grade brings the student’s cumulative GPA to below 3.00, the student will be placed on Academic Probation at the end of the semester when the grade was converted to the final assigned grade.
If the Program Director or Associate Dean of an academic unit determines that a student is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress for reasons other than failure to maintain GPA and course completion requirements, the Dean may decide to either issue an Academic Warning, place the student on Academic Probation, or academically dismiss the student. The Dean must notify the University Registrar of the decision to apply a sanction. The Registrar will notify each student of the decision and the reason for the decision. In the case of either an Academic Warning or Academic Probation notice, the Registrar must also inform the student in writing of the period for the warning or probation and of the conditions that must be met for the student to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress status. Customarily, students who are on an Academic Warning status for one semester are subject to Academic Probation in subsequent semesters, and students who remain on Academic Probation in a subsequent semester are subject to Academic Dismissal.
Academic Dismissals are permanently recorded on the transcript. Academic Warnings and Academic Probation are not.
Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees
American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. For more information, see Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees .
Continuous Enrollment
Once enrolled in a degree program, graduate students must maintain continuous enrollment at American University by registering for at least one semester hour of credit each fall and spring semester, or maintaining matriculation through authorized 0-credit courses, until the degree objective is reached. Students who fail to register and who have not requested and received a temporary leave (see Temporary Leave for more information) will be dismissed from the University at the end of the academic term for which they failed to register.
Credit Requirements
Criteria for Graduate Academic Credit
Course numbers 600-800 are reserved for graduate courses. Required core courses that have key content in the discipline for graduate degrees at both the master’s and doctoral degree are customarily at the 600 level. Courses at the 700 level are customarily advanced courses for master’s programs, while courses at the 800 level are reserved for Ph.D. students. Graduate students will not receive credit for courses below the 500 level unless the course is an AU language course that is necessary for language proficiency levels for the graduate degree and is a graduate program requirement. Classes at the 600-800 level courses may not meet jointly with 100-, 200-, or 300-level courses. A 500-level course may be used for fulfillment of general master’s degree requirements for courses of general importance to the discipline (e.g., elective courses), but, ordinarily, not for required core courses for master’s or doctoral degrees. No undergraduate students may take 600-level courses except when (a) they are seeking a combined master’s/bachelor’s degree, (b) when the courses are cross-listed with undergraduate courses under an undergraduate number at the 400 level, or (c) by special permission of the Associate Dean of the academic unit. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted as fulfilling the requirements of the Program of Study but will be calculated in the cumulative GPA. Individual programs may set higher standards.
Transfer Credits
Students may request to transfer credit for courses taken at an institution outside of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, prior to their admission to a graduate program at AU. They must receive prior approval from their Graduate Program Director within the first semester of their program and the courses must be included in their Program of Study. Students must give the Graduate Program Director an official transcript of the course and a course syllabus for each course requested for transfer. Courses must be completed with a grade of B (3.0) or better and must be completed no later than five years prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is admitted to a graduate program. Graduate programs may require that courses requested to be transferred be completed more recently than this and may limit the number of credits that may be transferred beyond the university limit.
The number of total credits transferred, shared between non-concurrent AU graduate degrees, or completed via a Permit to Study for a single degree program may be no greater than six credits, but in all cases the number of allowable transfer credits is limited by residency requirements. In no case may graduate credit be given for coursework designated as solely undergraduate by the institution where the coursework was completed. Courses proposed for transfer cannot have been used as credits toward a completed degree in the same field at another institution. Decisions by Graduate Program Directors with regard to allowable transfer credits may be appealed to the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Research.
In Residence Credit and Residency Requirements
Courses are considered in residence when they are taken at American University, through an AU-coordinated off-site or on-line program, or through any member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Courses considered not in residence include those transferred from another institution into AU. Courses that are not taken in residence are not included in the computation of the GPA.
Both master’s and doctoral degrees require a minimum of 18 semester credit hours of in residence graduate course work, while enrolled in a degree program, exclusive of 797, 898, or 899. Students in the Dual Degree option must complete a minimum of 36 semester credit hours of in residence coursework at American University, with at least 50 percent of the credits unique to each degree. Individual program requirements may require more than 18 credit hours for either or both degrees. Courses used to satisfy residence credit requirements for an undergraduate degree may not also be used to satisfy parallel requirements for a dual master’s degree.
Repetition of Courses
Graduate students may repeat only once a course they have previously completed and failed or from which they have withdrawn. They may repeat only two courses in this fashion during a graduate program of study. Grades for each attempt are shown on the transcript and are used to compute the overall GPA, but credits for only one passed course are included in the credits required for the graduate degree.
Grading System
Grade Point Average
The grading scale and the grade calculations used in the graduate GPA are equivalent to those used for undergraduate students (see Grading System for more information).
Included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA for graduate students are all graduate-level courses taken at AU and courses taken from the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area while a student is enrolled in a degree program or a certificate program, or as a non-degree student. If a student is admitted after having earned a graduate or undergraduate degree at AU, the cumulative GPA does not include grades from the earned degree unless coursework is shared. Credits accepted as transfer credit from other institutions or earned during a permit to study at another domestic or foreign institution are included in the total number of credit hours applicable to degree requirements, but grades earned in such courses are not recorded on the transcript at American University and are not used in the calculation of the GPA needed for graduation. Determination of the cumulative GPA for graduate students, and the notification of graduate students regarding any deficiencies in GPA is the responsibility of the Office of the University Registrar.
A graduate student must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 in order to be awarded a degree or certificate.
Pass/Fail
Graduate students may not choose the pass/fail option over the letter-grade option in courses that are part of their Program of Study. Courses that can only be taken pass/fail may be included as part of a student’s Program of Study. A grade of Pass for a graduate student indicates performance of no less than a B which indicates at numeric equivalent of 3.0. Neither Pass nor Fail grades are used to compute the GPA. Graduate students may register for courses with an audit grade option that are not part of their Program of Study.
Satisfactory Progress (SP)/Unsatisfactory Progress (UP)
Thesis (797) and dissertation (898, 899) course credits are graded as Satisfactory Progress (SP) or Unsatisfactory Progress (UP). With grades of either SP or UP, students receive credit for these courses but the grades earned are not used in computing the GPA. These grades do not change upon the completion of the thesis or dissertation, and neither thesis nor dissertation credits may be retaken to change a previously assigned UP to an SP.
Incomplete Grades
The instructor of record may assign an Incomplete status for a grade when extenuating circumstances prevent a student, who has otherwise completed the majority of the work in the course, from completing all work during the stated instructional period. Students on probation may not receive an Incomplete (see Incomplete Grades for more information).
Audit
Graduate students may register for courses with an audit grade option that are not part of their Program of Study. Faculty will establish standards for class participation and/or attendance for auditing students.When auditing students fail to meet those standards, the instructor will assign the grade of ZL (administrative withdrawal from audit). Tuition for courses registered for an audit grade option will be billed at the same rate as courses registered for academic credit (see Tuition for more information).
Graduate Research Assistantships (RA)
A research assistant (RA) is a graduate student who assists a faculty member with academic research. Research assistants are not independent researchers and are not directly responsible for the outcome of the research. They are responsible to a research supervisor or principal investigator.
The work assignments for RAs must be significantly more academically substantive than administrative. Requirements for RA awards are typically fulfilled with 600 hours of work per academic year, often with a 20-hour assignment per week over two traditional semesters, but may be fewer hours per week for a longer period, with proportional reductions in the amount of the associated monthly stipend. The Vice Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies can, in cases where a compelling rationale exists, authorize a graduate student with an RA award to work more than 20 hours per week.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (TA)
A teaching assistant (TA) is customarily a graduate student who assists an instructor with instructional activities. TA responsibilities vary greatly and may include the following: tutoring; holding office hours; assisting with grading homework or exams; administering tests or exams; assisting an instructor with a large lecture class by teaching students in recitation, laboratory, or discussion sessions. Students who assist with grading may not grade assignments or exams for students at their own or higher degree level; e.g., a doctoral student may assist with grading master’s and undergraduate work; a master’s student may assist with grading undergraduate work. Advanced doctoral students who are awarded teaching assistantships may also be the instructor of record for an undergraduate course.
The work assignments for TAs must be significantly more academically substantive than administrative. Requirements for TA awards are typically fulfilled with 600 hours of work per academic year, often with a 20 hour assignment per week over two traditional semesters, but may be fewer hours per week for a longer period, with proportional reductions in the amount of the associated monthly stipend. The Vice Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies can, in cases where a compelling rationale exists, authorize a graduate student with a TA award to work more than 20 hours per week.
Independent Studies
With the approval of their Graduate Program Director, students making Satisfactory Academic Progress may register for an independent study. The independent study must be identified as a course in the Program of Study. Before registration, the student and the supervising faculty member must agree upon and document the title, objective, scope, credit value (1 to 6 credit hours), and the method of evaluation for the independent study. The instructor must notify the Graduate Program Director of the agreement for the independent study. Students will not have more than 9 Independent Study credit hours in any graduate program. Individual programs may set lower limits.
Internships
Graduate students may enroll in credit-bearing, paid, or unpaid work assignments (internships) with a significant academic component under the guidance of a faculty member. The work for the internship may be no more than 15% administrative in nature, and instructors must weigh the academic component as at least half of the course grade. The internship must be identified as a course on the Program of Study. Internships may be taken for variable credit. With the approval of the Director of the Graduate Program, students may enroll for 1 to 6 credits. Over the 14 weeks of a traditional semester (or the equivalent for summer or special term classes), a student will work typically an average of 7 hours per week for 1 internship credit, 10 hours for 2 credits, 14 hours for 3 credits, 18 hours for 4 credits, 22 hours for 5 credits, and 26 hours for 6 credits. Customarily, students will not have more than 6 Internship Study credit hours in any graduate program. Individual programs may set lower limits.
Program of Study
The Program of Study is an individualized, formal plan describing the program requirements a student must meet to complete a specific degree, including the dates by which each requirement is expected to be completed. Students must meet with a designated advisor to outline their Program of Study by the end of their first semester in the program, and earlier as appropriate. Thereafter, students are expected to meet as needed with their designated advisor or Program Director to monitor their status related to Good Academic Standing and Satisfactory Academic Progress and to update the Program of Study as needed.
Graduate Program Directors may approve course substitutions in a student’ Program of Study based on students’ previous academic records and experiences. Substitutions do not reduce the number of credits required for the degree and must be recorded on the students’ Programs of Study.
Research Assurances and Research Ethics Training
Graduate students at American University who are conducting independent research are responsible for obtaining the appropriate research assurances for research that involves: human participants, animal subjects, recombinant DNA, infectious materials, select or toxic agents, or human materials. For application forms and guidelines, please see AU’s Research website (www.american.edu/research). Copies of research assurances must be presented to the Doctoral Program Director with the completed dissertation proposal at the time of the defense of the dissertation proposal.
Appropriate protocol review and oversight of faculty and student research is an essential component of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training on campus. All graduate students who are conducting research in partial fulfillment of a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation are required to participate in RCR training. Documentation of RCR training must be presented to the Doctoral Program Director with the completed dissertation proposal at the time of the defense of the dissertation proposal.
Data resulting from research projects, including thesis and dissertation research projects that do not receive a protocol review when appropriate from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) cannot be used to fulfill degree requirements, cannot be published and must be destroyed. A research protocol cannot be reviewed and approved retrospectively by an IRB, IACUC, or IBC. Willful avoidance of the oversight functions of University research review committees can result in a charge of research misconduct.
Submission and Publication of Thesis/Dissertation
Dissertations and theses must be submitted to the University Library in electronic format after final approval of the dissertation or thesis by the Examining Committee. Dissertations and theses submitted to the University through the ETD process will also be deposited in the AU Library’s online electronic archive, the American University Research Commons (AURC), as well as ProQuest’s Digital Dissertations. The submission of the thesis or dissertation to the University in fulfillment of degree requirements grants the University the one-time, non-exclusive right to publish the document in the American University Research Commons. Distribution is subject to a release date stipulated by the student and approved by the University. As the owner of the copyright of the thesis or dissertation, students have the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, make derivative works based on, publicly perform and display their work, and to authorize others to exercise some or all of those rights.
Time Limits to Degree
Students are expected to complete their degree within the time frame specified below. Programs may set lower limits for all students or for individual students in their program. Time limits must be included in the Program of Study. The time to degree may be extended by the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Research for a compelling reason. Approved separations and leaves of absence do not count toward the time limits, but cannot be used for the sole purpose of extending the time to degree.
Master’s students are expected to complete all degree requirements in no more than six years after the date of first enrollment in the degree program. Doctoral students are expected to complete all degree requirements in no more than nine years after the date of first enrollment in the degree program. Each semester, the Registrar will identify students who will exceed time limits to degree at the end of the current academic year and inform the students of the potential status change.
Courses completed more than six years before finishing a master’s degree or certificate and more than nine years before finishing a Ph.D. may not fulfill degree requirements. Individual academic units and programs may set lower thresholds. Exceptions are allowed if the Graduate Program Director can justify that the content of these courses aligns with current knowledge and practices and the Associate Dean of the academic unit approves.
Time Extensions
Under compelling circumstance, doctoral students may apply for one-year extensions beyond the expected time to degree, for a maximum of three extensions. Students must petition the Graduate Program Director for each one-year extension. Petitions must include a timetable listing specific goals from the Program of Study to be accomplished during the extension. Each extension must be approved by the Associate Dean of the academic unit and the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Research. Additional extensions will not be approved.
Study at Another US Institution
Permit to Study at Another US Institution
Students in good academic standing who wish to take courses at another US institution that would not be considered in residence courses must receive prior approval by their Program Director and Associate Dean. Students will not be granted a Permit to Study at an institution in the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area; the Consortium process should be followed. Students who want to apply a course to their graduate program of study must receive teaching unit or equivalent approval. Students must secure approval from the academic unit prior to registering for the course and such approval is granted only for specific courses. Customarily, students may transfer up to a maximum of 6 credits during the span of approved study at another US institution. Grades for courses taken during a Permit to Study at another institution are not recorded on the AU transcript and are not computed in the GPA, although they will count toward the total number of credits needed for graduation. However, students must meet the GPA requirements of American University for individual courses taken at other institutions as required for their graduate Program of Study. Students must satisfy any additional requirements provided on the Permit to Study form.
Permit to Study Abroad
Students in good academic standing who wish to study at any foreign university not partnered with AU must receive prior approval of their Graduate Program Director and the Associate Dean. Permission for such study is granted only when the student can demonstrate that the academic opportunity offered by the foreign university cannot be met through study at any one of AU’s existing partner universities. Grades for courses taken during a Permit to Study Abroad are not recorded on the AU transcript and are not computed in the GPA, though they will count in the total number of credits needed for graduation. However, students must meet GPA requirements of American University for individual courses taken at other institutions as required for their graduate Program of Study. Students must satisfy any additional requirements provided on the Permit to Study Abroad form.
|
