Graduate College Policy Manual

Graduate

College

Policy

Manual

Graduate policies

and procedures

2023-24

08/17/2023

Arizona State University

Graduate Policies and Procedures

for Academic Year 2023-24

Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 5

Academic Integrity ........................................................................................................................... 5

Notice of Non-Discrimination ........................................................................................................... 5

Graduate College Diversity and Anti-Racism Statement ................................................................... 6

Graduate Student Responsibilities ................................................................................................... 6

Communications with the Graduate College..................................................................................... 6

Expressing Concerns and Resolving Conflicts ................................................................................. 7

Graduate and Professional Student Association .............................................................................. 7

Ombudspersons .............................................................................................................................. 7

Application ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Submission of an Application ........................................................................................................... 8

Application Deadlines ...................................................................................................................... 8

Application Fee ................................................................................................................................ 8

Application Requirements ................................................................................................................ 8

Academic Credentials ...................................................................................................................... 9

Additional International Requirements .............................................................................................. 9

International Applicants ................................................................................................................. 9

English Language Requirement .................................................................................................. 10

Non-Degree Seeking Applicants .................................................................................................... 11

After Applying ................................................................................................................................ 12

Admissions ........................................................................................................................................ 12

Upon Admission ............................................................................................................................ 12

Admission Requirements ............................................................................................................... 12

Admission Deferrals ....................................................................................................................... 12

International Student Admission ..................................................................................................... 13

cademic Renewal ........................................................................................................................ 13

Registration and Enrollment ............................................................................................................. 13

Enrollment Verification Guidelines .................................................................................................. 13

Enrollment Guidelines for Graduate Students ................................................................................ 13

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Registration for Students Holding Graduate Appointments ............................................................. 14

Maximum Course Load .................................................................................................................. 14

Continuous Enrollment ................................................................................................................... 14

Leaves of Absence ........................................................................................................................ 15

Voluntary Withdrawal from ASU ..................................................................................................... 15

Voluntary Withdrawal for Choosing a New Program ....................................................................... 16

Medical/Compassionate Withdrawal ............................................................................................. 16

Academic Progress ........................................................................................................................... 16

Satisfactory Academic Progress .................................................................................................... 16

Grade Point Averages ................................................................................................................... 16

Academic Dismissal by the Graduate College ................................................................................ 17

Graduate Program Requirements ..................................................................................................... 17

Determination of Academic Requirements ..................................................................................... 17

Master’s Degree Programs .......................................................................................................... 17

Doctoral Degree Programs .......................................................................................................... 18

Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS) ..................................................................................................... 18

Coursework ................................................................................................................................... 18

Petitions ........................................................................................................................................ 19

Pre-Admission Credits ................................................................................................................... 19

Graduate Credits Earned by ASU Undergraduate Students ......................................................... 20

Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Credit ................................................................................. 20

Repeating ASU Courses ................................................................................................................ 20

Graduate Foreign Language Examination (FLE) ............................................................................ 21

Master’s Degree ................................................................................................................................. 21

Master’s Degree Plan of Study (iPOS) ........................................................................................... 21

Master’s Degree Minimum Credit Hours ........................................................................................ 21

Master’s Degree Maximum Time Limit ........................................................................................... 21

Master’s Degree Supervisory Committee ....................................................................................... 21

Master’s Thesis/Thesis Defense .................................................................................................... 22

Other Master’s Culminating Experiences ....................................................................................... 22

Master’s Comprehensive Examination ........................................................................................... 22

Doctor of Philosophy Degree ........................................................................................................... 23

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS) ............................................. 23

PhD Degree Minimum Credit Hours ............................................................................................... 23

PhD Degree Maximum Time Limit .................................................................................................. 23

Supervisory Committee .................................................................................................................. 24

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Supervisory Committee Roles and Responsibilities ....................................................................... 24

PhD Comprehensive Examination .................................................................................................. 25

PhD Prospectus Defense ............................................................................................................... 26

PhD Candidacy ............................................................................................................................. 26

PhD Dissertation/Dissertation Defense .......................................................................................... 26

Professional Doctorate Degree......................................................................................................... 26

Professional Doctorate Degree Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS) .................................................... 26

Professional Doctorate Degree Minimum Credit Hours .................................................................. 26

Professional Doctorate Degree Maximum Time Limit ..................................................................... 27

Supervisory Committee .................................................................................................................. 27

Professional Doctorate Degree Culminating Events ....................................................................... 28

Other Graduate Educational Opportunities ..................................................................................... 28

Graduate Certificates ..................................................................................................................... 28

Certificate Admission................................................................................................................... 28

Certificate Requirements ............................................................................................................. 28

Awarding of a Graduate Certificate .............................................................................................. 28

Completing Degree Programs Concurrently ................................................................................... 29

Pre-approved Concurrent Degree Programs .................................................................................. 29

Non-Degree Programs ................................................................................................................... 29

Master’s in Passing (MIP) .............................................................................................................. 30

Accelerated Master’s Programs ..................................................................................................... 30

Thesis/Dissertation............................................................................................................................ 30

Thesis/Dissertation Research ........................................................................................................ 30

Research Involving Human and Animal Subjects ........................................................................... 30

Thesis/Dissertation Defense .......................................................................................................... 31

Scheduling and Holding the Defense ............................................................................................. 31

Passing the Defense ...................................................................................................................... 32

Format Review .............................................................................................................................. 32

ProQuest ETD Submission ............................................................................................................ 33

Graduate-level Disestablished Programs ........................................................................................ 33

Degree Conferral ............................................................................................................................... 33

Graduation .................................................................................................................................... 33

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Introduction

The Graduate College admits students into programs leading to both professional and research-

oriented advanced degrees and certificates beyond the bachelor’s degree. The master’s and

doctoral degrees are awarded to students completing programs that culminate in research and

creative endeavors. The doctoral degree is the highest university award, conferred on candidates

who have proven their ability as scholars and original researchers.

Students are admitted, therefore, both to their academic programs and to the Graduate College of

Arizona State University. This Policy and Procedures Manual outlines those policies and

procedures that apply across the board to all graduate students who matriculate at Arizona State

University, from application to graduation. Graduate College policies supersede all academic

program policies, although units may impose stricter policies. The Graduate College Dean has final

authority in matters of Graduate College policy and procedure.

Academic Integrity

The highest standards of academic integrity and compliance with the university’s Student Code of

Conduct are expected of all graduate students in academic coursework and research activities. The

failure of any graduate student to uphold these standards may result in serious consequences

including suspension or expulsion from the university and/or other sanctions as specified in the

academic integrity policies of individual colleges as well as the university.

Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: cheating, fabrication of data,

tampering, plagiarism, or aiding and/or facilitating such activities. At the graduate level, it is

expected that students be familiar with these issues and that students assume personal

responsibility in their work. Toward this end, the Graduate College makes available an online

Academic Integrity Tutorial, which all newly admitted graduate students are expected to complete

within their first semester of coursework. This Tutorial appears under “Priority Tasks” in their

ASU screen.

Additionally, graduate students pursuing research that is funded by external sponsors are

responsible for understanding and undertaking the trainings necessary to ensure the responsible

conduct of such research. It is very important that students check with their thesis/dissertation

advisor well in advance of data collection to ensure compliance with university regulations, and may

seek further assistance from the university’s Office for Research Integrity Assurance

. It is very

important that students check with their thesis/dissertation advisor well in advance of data collection

to ensure compliance with university regulations regarding the collection of research data. Please

see the section of this guide titled “Research Involving Human and Animal Subjects.”

Notice of Non-Discrimination

ASU prohibits all forms of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. To view ASU’s policy please

see asu.edu/aad/manuals.

Title IX protects individuals from discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity

operated by recipients of federal financial assistance. As required by Title IX, ASU does not

discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that we operate, including in

admission and employment. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the

Title IX Coordinator or to the U.S. Department of Education, Assistant Secretary, or both.

Contact [email protected] or 480-965-0696 for more information. Office located at 1120 S.

Cady Mall, INTDSB 284. For information on making a report please go to asu.edu/reportit/.

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Graduate College Diversity and Anti-Racism Statement

As part of the ASU community, the Graduate College upholds, values, and enacts the ASU Charter

on behalf of its graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Our commitment to just and equitable

treatment starts with our policies, continues with our processes, and imbues our practices in all we

do, from admissions to alumni relations.

That means treating every graduate student and postdoctoral fellow fairly and justly, adopting a

holistic approach toward assessing their academic achievement and potential for contributions to

their chosen field, whatever their culture or circumstance, and regardless of race, religion, gender,

sexual identity and preference, disability status, or socioeconomic background.

It means supporting them, in collaboration with their academic units, along their academic and

postdoctoral journeys with targeted mentoring, professional development and networking

opportunities. And it means listening deeply to the voices and perspectives of graduate students

and postdoctoral scholars on all matters affecting their academic and professional progress, and

working together to effect change. Nurturing a culture of inclusive excellence is an ongoing

endeavor, by which the actions of each contribute meaningfully to lasting equity for all.

Ensuring inclusivity and the success of those we include means we must also recognize and

condemn systemic racism as a reality. We actively fight against both overt and covert racism in all

our policies, practices, and initiatives across the college.

Our commitment to anti-racism manifests in our unflinching support for graduate research aimed at

uncovering the roots of institutional racism and the routes it takes throughout society, as well as for

programs offering just and equitable visions of justice, equity, and success within our own

institution, the communities we serve, and the world at large.

We approach anti-racism as an active orientation to institutional transformation and social justice.

Toward this end, over the years, the Graduate College has instituted specific actionable measures,

initiatives, and impactful reforms to fight racism and racial discrimination in its multiple

manifestations in our policies, processes, and practices.

The Graduate College also understands that facing and combatting racism is a lifelong endeavor.

We commit to the ongoing evaluation of our progress in the battle against racism, discrimination,

and other kinds of prejudice and injustice, with the objective of making our campus more inclusive,

inviting, and safe for all members of our community.

Now and in the future, the Graduate College remains committed to the fight against racism. We

stand in solidarity as active partners with the historically marginalized members of the communities

we serve in realizing a just institution and society where everyone can live in dignity and succeed in

their chosen academic and nonacademic endeavors.

Graduate Student Responsibilities

Graduate students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with all university and graduate

policies and procedures. Students should also communicate directly with their academic unit to be

clear on expectations for degree completion.

Communications with the Graduate College

Important information from the Graduate College is provided to students via their My ASU portal,

their interactive plan of study (iPOS) and their ASU email account. Students should frequently

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check their My ASU account, iPOS and ASU email account for the most up-to-date information

regarding their status, holds, items to attend to and other important information. All email

communication to the Graduate College must come from the secure ASU email account.

Expressing Concerns and Resolving Conflicts

Occasionally, it may happen that a student will run into difficulties with a peer, faculty member, or

even advisor or supervisor that seem to defy resolution. While every situation is different, we

encourage the following steps for reporting issues within and beyond a program or school:

For matters related to sexual harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation, follow the reporting

procedures detailed here: provost.asu.edu/policies/procedures

For matters that appear to be outside the scope of formal reporting to the Title IX Office or Office of

University Rights and Responsibilities, but are nevertheless difficult to resolve and interfere with the

student’s effective academic progress, we recommend the following:

1) If possible, students should report program-specific issues to the program area head or area

coordinator.

2) If this report does not resolve the issue or the student is uncomfortable speaking to the

program area head or area coordinator, the student may approach the appropriate graduate

administrator in their school (e.g., Director of Graduate Studies).

3) If a student feels that their concern has not been adequately heard or resolved, they may

schedule a meeting with the Director of their school.

4) If a student feels that their concern has not been adequately heard or addressed after

meeting with individuals in the school, they may report to the appropriate Dean’s Office

representative.

5) If a student is uncomfortable working through the school procedure for any reason, they may

go directly to the Dean’s Office representative.

Graduate and Professional Student Association

The Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) at Arizona

State University is your official graduate student government, dedicated

to supporting the success of all ASU graduate and professional students.

We advocate for students at both university and government levels,

offering a range of services and resources to empower you throughout

your academic and professional journey. Committed to inclusion,

diversity, and recognition of talent, GPSA ensures your representation through various programs.

From travel grants to research grants and professional development initiatives, we enhance the

graduate student experience. Join us in championing graduate student concerns on all levels. Visit

https://eoss.asu.edu/gpsa for more information and join us on social media

to stay informed of real

time events and resources.

Ombudspersons

Designated as impartial fact-finders who can facilitate problem-solving, ombudspersons at the

university can help students who are unsure how to resolve their complaints or unsure where to go

next. The list of designated ombudspersons is here:

provost.asu.edu/committees/ombudspersons-

committee.

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Application

Submission of an Application

For general admission information and procedures, see students.asu.edu/graduate. Applications for

all graduate degree programs, certificate programs and/or non-degree seeking students must be

submitted via the students.asu.edu/graduate/apply portal.

Prior to applying to the Graduate College, applicants should review information regarding their

specific graduate program

and academic unit application requirements and deadlines.

Note: Students who are returning to school after an approved Leave of Absence are not required to

re-apply, so long as the following applies: they must have a Graduate College- approved Leave of

Absence on file with the Graduate College prior to their semester of non- registration, and be re-

entering the same graduate program for the semester immediately following the approved request.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines are set by the graduate programs. Consult the program website or the

Graduate Degree and Certificate Search

tool for specific application deadlines.

International students wishing to attend an in-person program must apply to Sessions A or C only

(Applications for Session B are not available to international students due to visa requirements).

Application Fee

Each application to an ASU graduate program must be accompanied by a non-refundable

application fee, payable by credit or debit card at the time of submission. The application fee covers

Graduate Admission Services’ administrative costs of processing all applications and is not

refundable under any circumstance.

Applicants receive an email acknowledgement once the application has been successfully

submitted. The acknowledgement includes an ASURITE ID and activation code so that students

may follow the progress of their application through My ASU. Applicants should review My ASU

monitor their application status, “To Do” items and “Holds”.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit official transcripts from their bachelors granting post-secondary institution.

Additional transcripts may be required. 1. To verify that international credentials are comparable to

a U.S. bachelors. 2. If significant coursework used towards the bachelor's degree was completed at

another institution. 3. If the applicant intends on transferring coursework into a graduate program.

Specific program requirements see degrees.apps.asu.edu/masters-phd

. General requirements see

admission.asu.edu/graduate/apply.

Academic units may have admission requirements in addition to those of Graduate

Admission Services. Many graduate programs require scores from a national admissions test

such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

or the Miller Analogies Test. Some programs require a portfolio, letters of recommendation, a

statement of goals and/or a resume.

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Applicants should consult the academic unit regarding program admission requirements prior to

submitting an online application. Programs will submit a recommendation to the Dean of the

Graduate College regarding their willingness to admit an applicant.

All documents received by Graduate Admission Services in connection with an application become

property of ASU and will not be returned.

Academic Credentials

Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution

in the U.S. or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from an international institution that is

officially recognized by that country. Applicants are required to have completed their bachelor’s

degree prior to the start of their graduate program, and provide proof to ASU that a bachelor’s or

graduate degree was awarded prior to the second semester of graduate studies at ASU.

If original credentials are issued in a language other than English, applicants must provide the

original language transcripts as well as an official and literal translation. Photocopied documents

certified by a notary public are not official. For more information regarding official academic

credentials see admission.asu.edu/apply/transcripts

. For additional information regarding official

international academic credentials see admission.asu.edu/apply/international/graduate.

Applicants must have maintained a minimum grade point average of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = “A”) in the

last 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of undergraduate coursework. Provisional admission is

possible to some programs for students whose GPA is below a 3.0 (see the section on

Admissions).

Because ASU receives applications from many highly qualified students, some applicants may be

denied admission for reasons not related to their academic performance. Examples include, but are

not limited to: program capacity, mentor availability and/or program match.

ASU may make an exception to the U.S. equivalent bachelor’s requirement for admission to certain

preapproved programs. This exception requires specific documentation including, but not limited to:

postsecondary education, significant work experience in the discipline and/or a non-U.S. equivalent

degree that the college leadership and the ASU Graduate College Dean deems equivalent to the

learned skills of a bachelor's in that discipline. For specific program requirements see

degrees.apps.asu.edu/masters-phd

Additional International Requirements

International Applicants

Please consult the Graduate Admission Services websites at students.asu.edu/graduate, and

students.asu.edu/international/immigration for complete information.

Applicants who will hold an F-1 or J-1 visa must:

1) Meet the regulations of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

2) Obtain insurance coverage against illness and accidents before being permitted to register

for classes. Insurance must be maintained throughout the students’ enrollment at the

university.

3) Submit proof of English proficiency.

4) Submit additional materials as outlined on the Graduate Admission Services website at

students.asu.edu/graduate/apply.

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Verify that they have the financial resources to cover their expenses during graduate study at ASU.

The Financial Guarantee form

. In addition to the Financial Guarantee form, if ASU is providing an

assistantship, an official offer letter must be sent to the Graduate Admission Services office.

Similarly, if a governmental entity is funding the student, an official letter from the government must

be submitted to the Graduate Admission Services office in addition to the Financial Guarantee

form.

The I-20 or the DS-2019 (documents needed to obtain a student visa) is issued only after the

completed and properly verified Financial Guarantee form, proof of English proficiency

and

supporting documents have been received by Graduate Admission Services.

International students may enroll at ASU only if they have been admitted to a degree program or the

post-baccalaureate teacher education program.

International students must be enrolled in a graduate degree program to enroll in an in-person

certificate program.

Applicants residing in the U.S. on a valid visa must provide proof of a current visa. Please email

information to g[email protected]

English Language Requirement

English proficiency is required for all students that wish to enter an ASU graduate program. There

are several ways to meet the English proficiency requirement

• TOEFL score of at least 66 (PBT) or 80 (iBT). The TOEFL is administered by TOEFL/TSE

Services. ASU’s institutional code is 4007. ASU accepts only electronic copies of the TOEFL

score report. ASU does not accept TOEFL iBT® Home Edition, TOEFL iBT® Paper Edition,

or TOEFL Essentials Exams.

• IELTS overall band score of at least 6.5. The IELTS is administered by the University of

Cambridge. No institutional code is needed.

• Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of at least 60. The PTE is administered by Pearson.

• Duolingo English Test score of at least 105.

Alternatively, Global Launch provides options for satisfying the ASU English Proficiency

requirement with completion of Advanced Level 2. It is recommended that students check with their

department first before enrolling to ensure the college which their program resides in will accept

one of these options.

Graduate Options:

• English for Graduate Admissions and Achievement Online Course.

• Completion of online course with a passing score.

• English Language Program – In-person or Online.

• Complete Advanced Level 2 with passing score.

Individual academic units may have higher requirements for English proficiency.

Consult the academic unit’s website. English proficiency is only valid for two years and must be

taken within two years from the beginning of the semester for which the student applied.

Some applicants are exempt from the English proficiency requirement. The following exceptions

must be met exactly to be considered for an exemption:

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• Applicants who are U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents.

• Applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited

college/university in the United States.

• Applicants who have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree or higher from an

international institution that is officially recognized by that country, and the country is on the

ASU English Speaking Country and Territory List (official transcript required).

• Applicants who have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree or higher from an

international institution that is officially recognized by that country, and the sole medium of

instruction for the program was in English (official transcript required). Student should email

[email protected]

to request exemption and include a letter from the institution on letterhead

indicating language of instruction or provide information on the institution website to verify

language of instruction.

• Applicants who have completed at least 9 semester hours of graduate coursework with a

cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher at a regionally accredited college/university

in the United States or from an international institution that is officially recognized in that

country and is on the ASU English Speaking Country and Territory List

(official transcript

required).

• Applicants who have completed at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate coursework

with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher in residence at a regionally

accredited college/university in the United States (official transcript required).

• Applicants who have completed ASU Global Launch’s English for Graduate Admissions and

Achievement Online Course with a passing score.

• Applicants who have completed Advanced Level 2 of

ASU Global Launch’s English

Language Program – either in-person or online with passing scores.

• Applicants who have a U.S. High School Diploma (official transcript required).

• Applicants who are citizens from a country or territory listed on the ASU English

Speaking

Country and Territory List.

All international applicants from countries where the native language is not English must pass an

examination that certifies their skill in speaking English before applying for teaching assistantships.

Visit the International Teaching Assistant website at

globallaunch.asu.edu/learn-english/other-

services/international-teaching-assistant for information on how to fulfill this requirement.

Departmental requirements may differ so it is recommended that applicants contact their

departments for specific details.

Non-Degree Seeking Applicants

Applicants who do not immediately intend to pursue a graduate degree may apply as non- degree

seeking students at admission.asu.edu/graduate/nondegree.

The application process does not

require the submission of academic credentials or test scores

Non-degree applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S. regionally

accredited institution or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s or graduate degree from an international

institution that is officially recognized by that country.

There is no limit to the total cumulative credit hours students can take as non-degree students.

However, to apply the credit hours toward an ASU master’s or doctoral degree, students are limited

to twelve credit hours taken within three years of admission to the degree program.

Non-degree students may not be eligible to enroll in some classes. Students should check the

enrollment requirements before registering and contact the academic unit offering the courses with

questions regarding qualification for registration. See Non-Degree Programs in the Section “Other

Graduate Educational Opportunities” for more information.

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Financial aid is not available to non-degree students.

In-person non-degree study is typically not available to international students on F-1 or J-1 visas.

For exceptions, prior to applying, students must contact their Designated School Official (DSO) at

the school managing their SEVIS record to inform them that they have applied to take non-degree

classes at ASU.

After Applying

Applicants receive an email acknowledgement once the application has been successfully

submitted. The acknowledgement includes an ASURITE ID and activation code so that students

may follow the progress of their application through My ASU. Applicants should review My ASU

monitor their application status, “To Do” items and “Holds”.

Admissions

A minimum grade point average of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = “A”) in the last 60 semester hours or 90

quarter hours of undergraduate coursework is required to be considered for admission to an ASU

graduate degree program.

Academic units submit recommendations regarding admission decisions to Graduate Admission

Services, but only the Dean of the Graduate College can make formal offers of admission.

Applicants monitor the status of their application through My ASU

. If admitted, the formal letter of

admission can be downloaded from My ASU. If denied admission, letters are sent via email to the

address on record.

Upon Admission

Students may apply to programs that are both campus-based immersion programs, as well as

online-based digital immersion. However, students have to choose one modality to attend if

admitted to both.

Admission Requirements

Applicants may be admitted with additional admissions requirements and a deadline, as determined

by the program of admission. These requirements may include successful completion of specific

coursework or minimum grades and/or GPA. Additional admission requirements are outlined in the

student admission letter and will appear on the iPOS.

Admission Deferrals

Students may, with the recommendation of the degree program, defer their initial start semester

and year of admission. Requests for deferrals must be submitted by the last day to drop a class for

session C for campus immersion students and the last day to drop a class for session B for ASU

online students. Students who miss the deferral deadlines have the option to submit a petition for an

enrollment exception for the original admit term.

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International Student Admission

International students planning to attend ASU on an F-1 student visa or a J-1 exchange visitor visa

must provide documentation required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Visa documents are only issued for international students enrolled in a degree program or the post

baccalaureate teacher education program. There are strict regulations regarding when an I-20 or

DS-2019 can be issued. Detailed information may be found at:

students.asu.edu/international/immigration.

Academic Renewal

Academic renewal is a university policy administered to reset the graduate cumulative ASU GPA of

a returning ASU graduate student. To request an academic renewal, applicants must have:

• Not previously received an academic renewal; and

• A cumulative ASU GPA below 3.0; and

• Been admitted to a graduate degree program after an absence from ASU of at least five

calendar years; and

• Not been previously dismissed from ASU due to Academic Integrity or Student Conduct

violations.

Students approved for Academic Renewal must complete all degree requirements after the re-

entry. All courses completed before and after the academic renewal remain on the transcript and

may be considered when students apply for other graduate programs. To seek an academic

renewal, students should seek advising from the intended program of admission.

Registration and Enrollment

All students enrolled in campus immersion programs are required to have proof of measles

immunizations on file with Student Health

prior to registration.

Graduate students register through My ASU according to their enrollment appointment. Details

regarding registration and course drop/add procedures are provided in the Registration and Tuition

Payment Guide.

Enrollment Verification Guidelines

The University’s Registrar’s Office will verify student enrollment each semester according to the

general guidelines that follow.

Enrollment Guidelines for Graduate Students

Term

Full-time

3/4 time

Half time

Less than half

time

Fall & Spring

9+ credits

7-8 credits

5-6 credits

1-4 credits

Summer

3+ credits

N/A

2 credits

1 credit

*Audited courses do not count toward full-time enrollment

International F-1 and J-1 students are required to maintain full-time enrollment status. Any

exception to full-time enrollment must be previously approved by the International Student

and

Scholars Center (ISSC).

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Registration for Students Holding Graduate Appointments

Students with Graduate Research or Teaching appointments (RA/TA) must maintain enrollment in a

minimum of 6 non-audit credit hours during each Fall and Spring semester appointments, and a

minimum of one non-audit credit hour for Summer semester appointments. Academic units may

have specific requirements regarding RA/TA appointments; students should consult with their

degree program unit. Failure to maintain enrollment in the minimum required hours will result in the

termination of their appointment.

Full-time equivalent (FTE) is a unit of measurement used to determine the number of hours

students are involved in appointment activities. An FTE of 1.0 is equivalent to 40 hours per week.

An FTE of 0.50 or 50% represents an appointment of 20 hours per week and is the maximum

graduate appointment allowed by ASU.

RAs and TAs appointed for 50% FTE (20 hour per week) receive a tuition award (reflected as

RA/TA Remission on their student account) for 100% of ASU graduate tuition. This appointment

also provides premium coverage for ASU individual health insurance if the student elects for health

insurance coverage. Please note, if health insurance is needed, students must select that option

when registering for classes on My ASU; if they decline, they will be without coverage from the

university. The university will not cover premiums for any other insurance plan.

RAs and TAs appointed for 25% FTE (10 hours per week) will receive a partial tuition award

(reflected as RA/TA Remission on their student account). Students are responsible for 50% of the

Arizona base resident tuition costs. This appointment does not provide premium coverage for ASU

individual health insurance.

RA and TA appointments do not cover university mandatory fees, program tuition and/or fees for

the academic year or summer sessions; these are the responsibility of the student.

Due to federal regulations, international students may be appointed a maximum of 20 hours per

week during fall and spring semesters.

International students may be allowed to work 40 hours per week during summer sessions.

International students typically are not allowed to seek employment outside the university and

should consult with the International Student and Scholars Center

(ISSC) to confirm eligibility.

Detailed information and application procedures regarding Graduate Assistantships can be found at

graduate.asu.edu/current-students/funding-opportunities/graduate-appointments-and-

assistantships.

Maximum Course Load

The Graduate College does not have a maximum credit hour enrollment policy. It is expected that

academic units will set course loads for their students that facilitate academic success.

Continuous Enrollment

Once admitted to a graduate degree program or graduate certificate program, students must be

registered for a minimum of one graduate-level credit hour during all phases of their graduate

education, including the terms in which they were admitted and graduate. This includes periods

when students are engaged in research, conducting a doctoral prospectus, working on or defending

theses or dissertations, taking comprehensive examinations, taking Graduate Foreign Language

Examinations or in any other way utilizing university resources, facilities or faculty time.

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Registration for every fall semester and spring semester is required. Summer registration is

required for students taking examinations, completing culminating experiences, conducting a

doctoral prospectus defense, defending theses or dissertations or graduating from the degree

program. Summer registration is also required for students whose first matriculation term is the

summer and for those graduating in the summer.

To maintain continuous enrollment, the credit hour(s) must satisfy one or more of the following:

• Appear on the student’s Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS).

• Be research (592, 692, 792), thesis (599, 699), dissertation (799), or continuing

registration (595, 695, 795).

• Be a graduate-level course.

• Be a 400-level course that is listed on an approved iPOS.

• Be a deficiency course that is listed on the student’s admit letter.

Grades of “W” and/or “X” are not considered valid registration for continuous enrollment purposes.

“W” grades are received when students officially withdraw from a course after the drop/add period.

“X” grades are received for audit courses. All other grades, including “E,” “EU” and/or “EN” are

considered valid registration for continuous enrollment purposes despite receiving no credit. “E” is a

failing grade, “EU” is for failing and did not complete the course, and “EN” is for failing and never

participated in the course. Undergraduate courses not included on the iPOS do not satisfy the

Graduate College continuous enrollment policy.

Additionally, students completing work for a course in which they received a grade of “I” must

maintain continuous enrollment as defined previously. Graduate students have one year to

complete work for an incomplete grade; if the work is not complete and the grade changed within

one year, the “I” grade becomes permanent and will remain on the students’ transcripts. Additional

information regarding incomplete grades can be found at asu.edu/aad/manuals.

Leaves of Absence

Graduate students planning to discontinue registration for a semester or more must submit a Leave

of Absence request via their Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS). This request must be submitted and

approved before the anticipated semester of non-registration. Students may request a maximum of

two semesters of leave during their entire program. Having an approved Leave of Absence by the

Graduate College will enable students to re-enter their program without re-applying to the

university.

Students who do not register for a fall or spring semester without an approved Leave of

Absence are considered withdrawn from the university under the assumption that they have

decided to discontinue their program. Students removed for this reason may re-apply for

admission to resume their degree program; the application will be considered along with all other

new applications to the degree program.

Students with a Graduate College approved Leave of Absence are not required to pay tuition

and/or fees, but in turn are not permitted to place any demands on university faculty or use any

university resources. These resources include university libraries, laboratories, recreation facilities

or faculty and staff time.

Voluntary Withdrawal from ASU

Students who wish to withdraw from their graduate degree or certificate program and the university

must complete and submit a Voluntary Withdrawal form.

Students must separately complete the

appropriate forms with the University Registrar to withdraw from their courses. International

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students should contact the International Student and Scholars Center (ISSC) before submitting a

Voluntary Withdrawal form, as it most likely will affect their visa status.

Voluntary Withdrawal for Choosing a New Program

Students who wish to discontinue a graduate program should complete and submit a Voluntary

Withdrawal form. Students should not take this action until they have been admitted to the other

graduate degree program.

Medical/Compassionate Withdrawal

There are appropriate circumstances when students may need to withdraw from the university (i.e.,

medical withdrawal, compassionate leave). The policies for such withdrawals are the same for both

undergraduate and graduate students. An approved Medical/Compassionate Complete Withdrawal

is valid towards meeting the continuous enrollment policy.

Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress

All graduate students are expected to make systematic progress toward completion of their

graduate program. This progress includes satisfying the conditions listed below, and achieving the

benchmarks and requirements set by the individual graduate programs as well as the Graduate

College. If a student fails to satisfy the requirements of their program and/or the benchmarks

outlined below, the student may be dismissed from their program based on the academic unit’s

recommendation to the Graduate College, at which time the Dean of the Graduate College makes

the final determination.

Satisfactory academic progress includes:

1) Maintain a minimum 3.00 for all GPAs (see definitions below).

2) Satisfy all requirements of the graduate program.

3) Satisfy the maximum time limit for graduation for the student’s graduate program (six years

for masters and certificates, ten years for doctoral), see "Time Limit" sections.

4) Successfully pass comprehensive exams, qualifying exams, foreign language exams, and

the oral defense of the proposal/prospectus for the thesis or dissertation.

5) Successfully complete the culminating experience.

6) Graduate students must remain continuously enrolled in their graduate program. Failing

to do so without a Graduate College approved Leave of Absence is considered to be lack

of academic progress and may result in the Graduate College withdrawing the student from

their program. See full Leave of Absence rules above.

Grade Point Averages

Graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = “A”) grade point average (GPA)

to maintain satisfactory academic progress and to graduate. The minimum 3.00 GPA must be

maintained on all GPA’s (Plan of Study (iPOS) GPA, Overall Graduate GPA and Cumulative GPA).

1) The iPOS GPA is calculated on all courses that appear on the student’s approved iPOS.

2) The Cumulative GPA represents all courses completed at ASU during the graduate career.

3) The Overall Graduate GPA is based on all courses numbered 500 or higher that appear on

the transcript after admission to a graduate program (or graduate non-degree). This

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includes shared 500-level coursework taken as part of an approved accelerated

bachelor’s/master’s program.

Transfer credits and some courses taken in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law are not

calculated on in the iPOS GPA or the Graduate GPA.

Courses lower than a “C” cannot appear on the iPOS but will be included when calculating the

Graduate GPA. Courses with an “I” grade cannot appear on the iPOS.

Academic Dismissal by the Graduate College

Students who do not comply with Graduate College policies for continuous enrollment or

satisfactory academic progress may be dismissed from their graduate program after review by the

Dean of the Graduate College.

In addition, academic units may recommend dismissal of students from graduate programs for lack

of compliance with published departmental policies or lack of satisfactory academic progress. All

such recommendations must be submitted to the Graduate College with appropriate documentation

(e.g., nature of issue, communications with student). Students may appeal such recommendations

at the level of their program, department, and/or college level. When they come to the Graduate

College, they will be reviewed for procedural due diligence only. If the Dean of the Graduate

College (or the Dean’s designee) concurs with the recommendation, the student will receive the

official notification of dismissal from the Graduate College. Only the Dean of the Graduate College

may dismiss students from a graduate program due to lack of compliance with satisfactory

academic progress policies.

Students who have been dismissed from a graduate program due to lack of compliance with

published departmental or Graduate College policies, or lack of satisfactory academic progress are

eligible to apply for admission to the same program only after one year has passed from the term of

the dismissal.

It is important to note that program dismissal is not an option for students who have been found in

serious violation of ASU’s Academic Integrity policies by their unit; they must be recommended

either for suspension (for a specified period of time) or expulsion (with no expectation of

readmission) to the Provost’s office, which has the ultimate authority in matters of suspension and

expulsion. Students are afforded a final appeal at the university level in such cases. For further

information on policy and procedures, consult the Academic Integrity Student Policy.

Graduate Program Requirements

Determination of Academic Requirements

The requirements and policies that students must follow are based on the catalog and manuals for

the semester and year of their admission to a graduate program. Students who fail to maintain

continuous enrollment and are re-admitted to the graduate program, graduate under the

requirements and policies in effect at the time of the new admission date. All programs are required

to have program handbooks specifying all program requirements and to make them available to

students at the beginning of their degree programs.

Master’s Degree Programs

A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level coursework including a culminating experience is

required for a master’s degree, although individual programs may have higher requirements. The

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culminating experience may be a written comprehensive examination, a capstone course, an applied

project, a written portfolio, a thesis or equivalent.

Students who have a capstone or applied project course requirement must receive a grade of “B” or

better. Students who fail to achieve a final grade of “B” or better must retake the course and earn a

“B” or better to complete the program.

Doctoral Degree Programs

A minimum of 60 credit hours of graduate-level coursework are required for a professional

doctorate degree. A minimum of 84 credit hours of graduate-level coursework and a written

comprehensive examination are required for a PhD degree, although individual programs may have

higher requirements. Additionally, the Foreign Language Examination, oral comprehensive

examination and/or dissertation or equivalent may be required. A written comprehensive

examination and prospectus (research proposal) is required for all programs requiring a

dissertation.

Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS)

The Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS) functions as an agreement between the student, the academic

unit and the Graduate College. The iPOS contains certain requirements such as coursework, a

committee and a culminating experience which must be specified before the final plan of study can

be approved. The academic unit’s graduate support staff should be the primary contact for

questions regarding iPOS, degree and certificate requirements. The iPOS must be approved by a

student’s committee, the head of the academic unit, and the Dean of the Graduate College.

Graduate students are required to complete their iPOS in their first enrolled semester. This

requirement will be monitored by the student’s academic unit and is considered critical to

satisfactory academic progress.

Coursework

Graduate-level courses are those numbered 500 or higher. All core courses required by a graduate

program must be at least 500-level. A maximum of 6 credit hours of 400-level coursework can be

included on an iPOS with program approval. 400-level courses taken prior to admission and 400-

level courses graded as “Pass/Fail” are not acceptable. Courses with grades of “D”, “E”, or “W” and

audited courses (graded as “X”) cannot be included on an iPOS. Courses applied to a previously

awarded degree cannot be included on an iPOS unless the student is enrolled in an

approved course-sharing degree program.

Any course with a grade of Incomplete (“I”) must be completed within one calendar year of the end

of the scheduled course. If a regular grade is not assigned within the calendar year, the “I” becomes

permanent. The student will have to re-register for the course to receive credit. For additional

information regarding incomplete grades, consult the Student Services Manual

Graduate students may register to audit one or more courses with the approval of the supervisory

committee chair and the consent of the instructor involved. An audited course does not count

toward the minimum number of credits required for international students with visa restrictions,

students employed as TA/RAs or students receiving financial assistance. Courses taken for audit

do not satisfy the Graduate College continuous enrollment policy.

Undergraduate courses not included on the iPOS do not satisfy the Graduate College continuous

enrollment policy unless they are notated on the admission letter as a deficiency.

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Master’s degree students whose culminating experience is a thesis must include 6 (and only 6)

credit hours of 599 Thesis on the iPOS. Doctoral students whose culminating experience is a

dissertation must include 12 (and only 12) credit hours of 799 Dissertation on the iPOS. Thesis and

Dissertation credit hours may only receive grades of “Z” (research is in progress), or “Y” (research

is satisfactorily complete). PhD students may apply up to 30 credit hours, sometimes referred to as

a blanket 30, of appropriate coursework from a previously awarded master’s degree toward their

PhD plan of study with approval of their academic unit and the Graduate College. Professional

doctorates may apply either up to 15 or up to 30 credit hours of appropriate coursework from a

previously awarded master’s degree toward their doctoral plan of study with approval of their

academic unit and the Graduate College. Students should consult their program handbook for

specific rules regarding their professional doctorate.

Petitions

A formal request for an exception to any Graduate College policy requires a petition to be

completed by the student, and must be approved by the committee chair and the head of the

academic unit. The Graduate College office will review the petition and make a final determination.

Petitions to utilize coursework older than 3 years may result in maximum time limit being adjusted.

The Graduate College Dean has final authority in all matters of Graduate College policy.

Pre-Admission Credits

Credit hours completed at ASU or at another regionally accredited U.S. institution or international

institution officially recognized by that country, before the semester and year of admission to an

ASU graduate degree program, are considered pre-admission credits. With the approval of the

academic unit and the Graduate College, students may include a maximum of 12 graduate-level

credit hours with grades of “B” or better that were not used towards a previous degree. Coursework

taken while completing another degree awarded at another institution cannot apply to an ASU

graduate degree, except for the blanket credit hours of appropriate coursework from a previously

awarded master’s degree that can be used towards a doctoral degree, or unless enrolled in an

approved course-sharing degree program. Pre- admission credits must have been taken within 3

years of admission to the ASU degree or certificate program to be accepted. If coursework older

than 3 years from the admission term of a new program is being applied towards the program as

pre-admission coursework, the maximum time limit may be updated to reflect the start date of the

pre-admission coursework.

Note: All ASU credits used to earn a certificate may also be used towards a graduate degree as

part of an approved stackable degree program. The certificate must have been completed within

the last three years with grades of “B” or better in applicable coursework.

Accelerated Master’s programs may use a maximum of 12 pre-admission credit hours which may

be shared between a Bachelor’s and Master’s program. Students may not exceed the 12- credit

hour pre-admission policy. Students in accelerated programs should contact their advisor to ensure

proper sharing of credit hours. See “Accelerated Master’s Programs” under “Other Graduate

Educational Opportunities” for more information.

Official transcripts must be sent to Graduate Admission Services from the records office of the

institution where the credits were earned.

Certain types of graduate credits cannot be transferred to ASU, including credits awarded in the

following situations:

• By postsecondary institutions that lack candidate status or accreditation by a regional

accrediting association, or an equivalent international institution.

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• Life experience.

• Courses taken at non-collegiate institutions (e.g., government agencies, corporations, and

industrial firms).

• Courses, workshops and seminars offered by other postsecondary institutions as part of

continuing education programs.

• Extension courses.

Academic credits earned at institutions other than ASU that base their credit calculation on a

different scale from ASU’s are subject to conversion before inclusion on the iPOS. In all cases, the

inclusion of transfer courses on the iPOS is subject to approval by the academic unit and the Dean

of the Graduate College.

Graduate Credits Earned by ASU Undergraduate Students

ASU students enrolled in an approved Accelerated Master’s degree program (formerly referred to

as 4+1), may share ASU credit hours. Students must contact their ASU undergraduate advisor and

graduate support staff to ensure proper sharing of credit hours. Accelerated Master’s students may

earn up to a maximum of 12 graduate credit hours during their undergraduate degree to be used

later towards the master’s degree.

Reserved Credit - Upon approval by the unit and the Graduate College, undergraduate ASU

seniors with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA may reserve up to 12 graduate-level credit hours (6

credits of which may be 400-level), for possible use towards a future ASU graduate program.

Reserved courses must have grades of “B” or better for use in a future graduate program and have

been completed within 3 years of enrollment in the graduate program. Courses must be officially

reserved in the Degree Audit System (DARS) for eligibility, and may not be used towards any

baccalaureate graduation requirement. Students may not exceed the 12-credit hour pre-admission

policy.

An undergraduate degree and a graduate degree may not be awarded during the same term of

enrollment. Students must apply, be admitted and be registered as graduate students to earn a

master’s or doctoral degree at ASU. See “Accelerated Master’s Programs” under “Other Graduate

Educational Opportunities” for more detailed information.

Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Credit

The Graduate College accepts a numerical grade of 70 or higher for courses taken in the ASU

Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law as part of an approved Plan of Study. These grades are not

used in the two GPAs calculated for graduation unless needed, as determined by the Graduate

College. The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law also utilizes a letter grade system for

coursework; letter grades are submitted as part of an approved Plan of Study and are calculated in

the GPAs.

Repeating ASU Courses

Graduate students (degree or non-degree) may retake any course at ASU; however, all grades are

part of the students’ permanent academic record, remain on the transcript and are used in all GPA

calculations.

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Graduate Foreign Language Examination (FLE)

Graduate programs may require at least a reading level proficiency of a foreign language relevant

to the area of study. Students who are required to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language

must pass the Graduate Foreign Language Examination s

pecific to their particular graduate

program. Students must be enrolled for a minimum of one credit hour during the term in which they

take the examination.

Students must successfully complete the Foreign Language Examination before taking any

required comprehensive examinations or scheduling the final oral defense of the thesis or

dissertation. Students may submit a petition to the Graduate College for a re-examination but must

pass the examination in no more than three attempts.

Master’s Degree

Master’s Degree Plan of Study (iPOS)

Graduate students are required to complete their iPOS in their first enrolled semester. This

requirement will be monitored by their academic unit and is considered critical to satisfactory

academic progress. Students are not eligible to schedule a comprehensive examination or defense

without an approved iPOS.

Master’s Degree Minimum Credit Hours

A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate work is required for a master’s degree at ASU. If a thesis

is required, 6 (and only 6) of the minimum required credit hours on an iPOS must be 599 Thesis

credits. Interactive Plans of Study submitted for master’s degrees that do not have a thesis

requirement cannot include 599 Thesis credits. If an applied project is required, the Applied Project

course (XXX 593) must be included on the iPOS and requires a grade of “B” or better.

Master’s Degree Maximum Time Limit

All work toward a master’s degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years

begin with the semester and year of admission to the program. Graduate courses taken prior to

admission that are included on the iPOS must have been completed within three years of the

semester and year of admission to the program. If coursework completed over 3 years ago is being

applied towards a degree program as pre-admission coursework, the maximum time limit may be

updated to reflect the start date of the pre-admission coursework.

Any exception to the time limit policy must be approved by the supervisory committee, the head of

the academic unit and the Dean of the Graduate College. The Graduate College may withdraw

students who are unable to complete all degree requirements and graduate within the allowed

maximum time limits.

Master’s Degree Supervisory Committee

A master’s supervisory committee must be appointed before the student may apply for the

comprehensive examination or before the student can register for 599 Thesis credits (if applicable).

The committee is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College upon the recommendation of the

head of the academic unit. For programs requiring a thesis or written examination, the supervisory

committee comprises a minimum of three members, including a chair or two co-chairs. At a

minimum, the Chair or Co-Chair of the committee is required to be ASU faculty or an approved

faculty affiliate.

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Tenured/tenure-track faculty may serve as members of a master’s graduate supervisory committee,

chair or co-chair. The chair of the committee is typically from the student’s degree program and

should be carefully selected by the student to guide their work.

Master’s Thesis/Thesis Defense

Students must be in good academic standing regarding GPA requirements (see previous section

titled “Satisfactory Academic Progress”) prior to scheduling a defense. See the Supervisory

Committee section and the Thesis/Dissertation section below for more information.

Other Master’s Culminating Experiences

A written comprehensive examination, capstone course, applied project or written portfolio is

required as a culminating experience in master’s programs that do not have a thesis requirement.

The Graduate College office requires a written component to the comprehensive examination;

academic units may also require an oral component. Students must have an approved iPOS prior

to scheduling their comprehensive examination and/or registering for their applied project or

capstone course. An applied project requires registration in the Applied Projects course (XXX 593)

and requires a grade of “B” or better. A capstone course requires a grade of “B” or better.

Students must be in good academic standing regarding GPA requirements (see previous section

titled “Satisfactory Academic Progress”) in the semester of the culminating experience.

Students are required to register for at least one semester hour of credit that appears on the iPOS

or one hour of appropriate graduate-level credit during the fall, spring or summer session in which

they complete their culminating experience.

Master’s Comprehensive Examination

Students must be in good academic standing regarding GPA requirements (see previous section

titled “Satisfactory Academic Progress”) prior to taking master’s comprehensive examinations.

Foreign language requirements, if applicable, must be fulfilled before taking the comprehensive

examinations.

Students are required to register for at least one semester hour of credit that appears on the iPOS

or one hour of appropriate graduate-level credit during the fall, spring or summer session in which

they take their comprehensive examinations. If the date of defense falls between semesters, the

student is required to register for the next available semester.

The master’s comprehensive examination must have a written component; however, individual

master’s degree programs may require an additional oral component of the comprehensive exam

for all of their students based on the academic progress policy of the program.

Students must schedule the comprehensive examination with their academic unit. All

comprehensive examination results must be reported to the Graduate College office via the

students’ iPOS immediately upon completion.

Failing the comprehensive examination(s) is considered final unless the supervisory committee and

the head of the academic unit recommend, and the Dean of the Graduate College approves, a re-

examination. Only one re-examination is permitted. A petition with substantial justification for re-

examination, endorsed by the members of the students’ supervisory committee and the head of the

academic unit, must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate College before students can take

the examination a second time.

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Re-examination may be administered on a timeline recommended by the committee chair and

made in consultation with the committee, which should be no later than 12 months from the date of

the original examination. The Graduate College office may dismiss a student from the degree

program if the student’s petition for re-examination is not approved, or if the student fails to

successfully pass the retake of the comprehensive examination(s).

Students choosing to appeal the results of their comprehensive examinations must follow the grade

appeals process outlined by their academic unit.

Students who have received a final result of failure in the comprehensive examination will be

recommended for dismissal by the academic unit.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree Interactive Plan of Study

(iPOS)

Graduate students are required to complete their iPOS in their first enrolled semester. This

requirement will be monitored by their academic unit and is considered critical to satisfactory

academic progress.

Students are not eligible to apply for the Foreign Language Examination (if applicable),

comprehensive examinations, dissertation proposal/prospectus or dissertation defense (if

applicable) without an approved iPOS.

PhD Degree Minimum Credit Hours

A minimum of 84 credit hours of graduate work is required for a PhD degree at ASU. If a

dissertation is required, 12 (and only 12) of the minimum required credit hours on the iPOS must be

799 Dissertation credits. Interactive Plans of Study submitted for PhD degrees that do not have a

dissertation requirement cannot include 799 Dissertation credits. Students may apply up to 30

credit hours from a previously awarded master’s degree toward their PhD iPOS with approval of the

program and supervisory committee and the Dean of the Graduate College. The credit hours must

be from a regionally accredited or internationally recognized institution.

PhD Degree Maximum Time Limit

PhD students must complete all program requirements within a ten-year period. The ten-year

period begins with the semester and year of admission to the PhD program. Graduate courses

taken prior to admission that are included on the iPOS must have been completed within three

years of the semester and year of admission to the program (previously awarded master’s degrees

used on the Interactive Plan of Study are exempt). If older coursework is being applied towards a

degree program as pre-admission coursework, the maximum time limit may be updated to reflect

the start date of the pre-admission coursework.

Any exception to the time limit policy must be approved by the supervisory committee, the head of

the academic unit and the Dean of the Graduate College. The Graduate College may withdraw

students who are unable to complete all degree requirements and graduate within the allowed

maximum time limits.

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Supervisory Committee

Students are guided by faculty mentors who advise them through their degree program. Students

should identify their advisors early in their graduate career and look to them for guidance in their

graduate work. Once students have selected a supervisory committee, the head of the academic

unit recommends the supervisory committee to the Dean of the Graduate College who reviews and

appoints the committee. Graduate supervisory committees must consist of a minimum of three

individuals, including a chair or two co-chairs.

PhD programs may have additional requirements for committee composition. This committee

serves as the intellectual guide for students and must approve the research/scholarly focus and

substance of the dissertation. The members of the dissertation committee have the necessary

knowledge and skills to advise the student during the formulation of the research topic and during

the completion of the research and the dissertation.

Dissertation chairs and co-chairs must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate College and each

degree program maintains a list of faculty members approved by the office for the Graduate

College. Most resident faculty at ASU may serve on dissertation committees with the proviso that

they have appropriate expertise in the discipline. At a minimum, the Chair or Co- Chair of the

committee is required to be ASU or approved ASU-affiliate faculty.

All PhD programs have a Graduate Faculty. The Graduate Faculty in a PhD program may also

include highly qualified individuals from outside the university who have been approved to serve on

committees. Each PhD program maintains a list of faculty members approved by the Graduate

College to chair or co-chair PhD dissertations. Additional information regarding ASU Graduate

Faculty can be found at

graduate faculty guidelines.

Doctoral students (including PhD, DMA, DPP, DBH, DNP, DBA, AuD and EdD) are urged to

communicate with their academic unit to confirm eligibility of faculty to chair doctorate committees

early on in the planning of their dissertation projects.

Academic programs will provide guidance to students for securing the supervisory committee. The

final committee membership must be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College before the

student may apply for comprehensive examinations, defend the dissertation prospectus, and

Supervisory Committee Roles and Responsibilities

The chair or supervisor is principally responsible for directing student work and facilitating the work

of the committee. Typically, this involves working with the student to develop the overall approach

to and plan of work for the project, including its timeframe and budget; providing initial review and

guidance for the proposal and chapter drafts; reviewing and approving all subsequent drafts;

helping to reconcile the comments of committee members on those drafts; ensuring the document

meets ASU format and publication standards; and facilitating the defense and final revisions, as

necessary.

The other members of the committee are responsible for providing additional research guidance

according to their expertise; providing detailed feedback on prospectus and thesis/dissertation

drafts; working with the student and the chair to reconcile differing comments; attending the

defense; and reviewing any final revisions required.

The student is responsible for coordinating prospectus and thesis/dissertation defense meeting

times and places; for providing all materials requested/approved by the chair to be distributed to

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committee members; and for communicating with committee members about review timeframes in

order to meet all Graduate College deadlines.

On the occasion that committee members must be replaced, students may do so with the approval

of their chairs via an iPOS petition to the Graduate College. In instances where the chair must be

replaced, or if a complete committee reconstitution must occur, students are advised to consult with

the director of the graduate program and/or school leadership for assistance. The Dean would need

to appoint a qualified designee to serve as a replacement for a Chair.

PhD Comprehensive Examination

Students must be in good academic standing regarding GPA requirements (see previous section

titled “Satisfactory Academic Progress”) prior to taking PhD comprehensive examinations.

When students have essentially completed the coursework on an approved iPOS, they must

request permission to take the PhD comprehensive examination. The PhD comprehensive

examination must have a written component; however individual PhD programs may require an

additional subsequent oral component of the comprehensive exam for all of their students based on

the academic progress policy of the program. These examination(s) are designed to assess

students’ mastery of the field of specialization.

PhD comprehensive examination(s) are administered by a committee consisting of a minimum of

three members. Specific professional doctorate programs may not require a written or

comprehensive exam.

Foreign language requirements, if applicable, must be satisfied before taking the comprehensive

examination(s).

Students are required to register for at least one semester hour of credit that appears on the iPOS

or one hour of appropriate graduate-level credit during the fall, spring or summer session in which

they take their comprehensive examinations. If the date of defense falls between semesters, the

student is required to register for the next available semester.

Students must schedule the comprehensive examination with their academic unit. All

comprehensive examination results must be reported to the Graduate College office via the

students’ iPOS immediately upon completion.

Failing the comprehensive examination(s) is considered final unless the supervisory committee and

the head of the academic unit recommend, and the Dean of the Graduate College approves, a re-

examination. Only one re-examination is permitted. A petition with substantial justification for re-

examination, endorsed by the members of the students’ supervisory committee and the head of the

academic unit, must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate College before students can take

the examination a second time.

Re-examination may be administered on a timeline recommended by the committee chair and

made in consultation with the committee, which should be no later than 12 months from the date of

the original examination. The Graduate College may dismiss a student from the degree program if

the student’s petition for re-examination is not approved, or if the student fails to successfully pass

the retake of the comprehensive examination(s).

Students choosing to appeal the results of their comprehensive examinations must follow the grade

appeals process outlined by their academic unit.

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Students who have received a final result of failure in the comprehensive examination will be

recommended for dismissal by the Academic Unit.

PhD Prospectus Defense

All students in programs that require a dissertation are required to conduct a dissertation

proposal/prospectus defense. Results of the defense are submitted via the student’s iPOS. Failure

of the proposal/prospectus oral defense is considered final unless the supervisory committee and

the head of the academic unit recommend, and the Dean of the Graduate College approves, a

second proposal defense. If a second defense is approved, students must submit the new

prospectus by the end of six months (beginning from the date that the first PhD dissertation

proposal defense was held). If the academic unit does not grant the students permission to retake

the proposal defense, or if the students fail to pass the retake of the proposal defense, the

Graduate College may dismiss the students from the degree program.

Students are required to register for at least one semester hour of credit that appears on the iPOS

or one hour of appropriate graduate-level credit during the fall, spring or summer session in which

they conduct their PhD prospectus.

PhD Candidacy

PhD students (with specific degree program exceptions approved by the Dean of the Graduate

College) achieve candidacy status upon the successful completion of the comprehensive

examination(s), the Foreign Language Examination (if applicable), and successfully defending the

dissertation prospectus (if applicable). PhD students who have been advanced to candidacy are

required to maintain continuous enrollment until all degree requirements have been completed and

they have graduated.

PhD Dissertation/Dissertation Defense

Students must be in good academic standing regarding GPA requirements (see previous section

titled “Satisfactory Academic Progress”) prior to scheduling the defense. Also see

“Thesis/Dissertation Consideration” section for more information.

Professional Doctorate Degree

Professional Doctorate Degree Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS)

Graduate students are required to complete their iPOS in their first enrolled semester. This

requirement will be monitored by their academic unit and is considered critical to satisfactory

academic progress.

Students are not eligible to apply for the following, if applicable, without an approved iPOS: Foreign

Language Examination, comprehensive examinations, dissertation proposal/prospectus or

dissertation defense, applied project or capstone.

Professional Doctorate Degree Minimum Credit Hours

A minimum of 60 credit hours of graduate work is required for a professional doctorate degree at

ASU. If a dissertation is required, 12 (and only 12) of the minimum required credit hours on the

iPOS must be 799 Dissertation credits. Interactive Plans of Study submitted for professional

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doctorate degrees that do not have a dissertation requirement cannot include 799 Dissertation

credits. With approval of the program and supervisory committee and the Dean of the Graduate

College, students may apply up to 15 credit hours from a previously awarded master’s degree

towards the iPOS for professional doctorate programs requiring less than 84 credits. Students may

apply up to 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master’s degree towards the iPOS for

professional doctorate programs requiring 84 credits. The credit hours must be from a regionally

accredited or internationally recognized institution.

Professional Doctorate Degree Maximum Time Limit

Professional doctorate students must complete all program requirements within a ten-year period.

The ten-year period begins with the semester and year of admission to the professional doctorate

program. Graduate courses taken prior to admission that are included on the iPOS must have been

completed within three years of the semester and year of admission to the program (previously

awarded master’s degrees used on the Interactive Plan of Study are exempt). If older coursework is

being applied towards a degree program as pre-admission coursework, the maximum time limit

may be updated to reflect the start date of the preadmission coursework.

Any exception to the time limit policy must be approved by the supervisory committee, the head of

the academic unit and the Dean of the Graduate College. The Graduate College may withdraw

students who are unable to complete all degree requirements and graduate within the allowed

maximum time limits.

Supervisory Committee

Students are guided by faculty mentors who advise them through their degree program. Students

should identify their advisors early in their graduate career and look to them for guidance in their

graduate work. Once students have selected a supervisory committee, the head of the academic

unit recommends the supervisory committee to the Dean of the Graduate College who reviews and

appoints the Committee.

ASU offers professional doctorate degrees that require a dissertation and some that do not.

Professional doctorate programs that require a dissertation must follow the same committee

guidelines as PhD programs. Professional doctorate programs that do not require a dissertation

may have different requirements for committee composition, including the minimum number of

committee members. All professional doctorate programs require an approved faculty committee.

Like PhD programs, all Chairs and co-chairs must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate

College and each degree program maintains a list of faculty members approved by the office for the

Graduate College. Most resident faculty at ASU may serve on committees with the proviso that they

have appropriate expertise in the discipline. At a minimum, the Chair or Co- Chair of the committee

is required to be ASU or approved ASU-affiliate faculty.

All doctoral-level students (including PhD, DMA, DPP, DBH, DNP, DBA, AuD and EdD) are urged to

communicate with their academic unit to confirm eligibility of faculty to chair their committees early

on in the planning of their culminating experience.

The final committee membership must be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College before

the student may apply for, if applicable, comprehensive examinations, dissertation

proposal/prospectus or dissertation defense, or register for culminating event course credits.

Standard supervisory committee roles and responsibilities apply to professional doctorate

committees.

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Professional Doctorate Degree Culminating Events

Professional doctorate degrees that require a dissertation follow all standard policies regarding the

comprehensive exams, prospectus, defense, and dissertation. Specific professional doctorate

degree programs may not require a dissertation, but may still require a written or oral

comprehensive exam. For professional doctorate programs that require comprehensive exams,

students must follow the same standards for comprehensive exams for PhD students.

Instead of a dissertation, some professional doctorate programs may require a culminating event of

an independent applied project or a capstone course, both of which require a written component

and a final grade of B or better. Specific academic programs may also require an oral presentation

or poster session as a component of these culminating event options. The written component, oral

presentation, and poster sessions do not follow the same requirements as outlined by the Graduate

College for the standard PhD defense and format process.

All students are required to register for at least one semester hour of graduate level credit during

the fall, spring or summer session in which they conduct their culminating event.

Other Graduate Educational Opportunities

Graduate Certificates

The graduate certificate is a programmatic series of linked courses. Graduate certificates facilitate

professional growth for people who already hold the baccalaureate degree. For more information on

current graduate certificates see the Graduate Degree and Certificate Search

tool.

Certificate Admission

All applications for graduate certificate programs must be submitted through asu.edu/gradapp.

Certificate Requirements

A minimum of 15 semester hours of graduate work is required to complete a graduate certificate.

No more than 20% of the minimum required credit hours for a graduate certificate may be

transferred from another university. All transfer work must meet the Graduate College transfer

policies. All coursework used to complete an ASU graduate certificate must be completed within a

six-year time limit. Courses at a 400-level may be allowed with prior approval from the appropriate

certificate program; however, a minimum of two-thirds of the courses taken to complete the

certificate must be at the 500-level or above.

No more than 40% of coursework towards the requirements of a graduate certificate can be

completed prior to admission to the certificate program. Following standard pre-admission policies,

all ASU credit hours earned in a certificate program may also be used towards a degree program

and credits earned in a degree program may also be used towards a certificate. Students

completing two certificates may share up to 20% of the minimum required credit hours for the

certificates.

Awarding of a Graduate Certificate

Students will be eligible for the official posting of the graduate certificate to their transcripts when all

applicable coursework has been successfully completed and Graduate College requirements have

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been met (including a 3.0 minimum iPOS, Graduate and Cumulative GPA). Students must submit

an approved Interactive Plan of Study, and apply for graduation in order to complete the certificate

program.

Completing Degree Programs Concurrently

Students may pursue concurrent degrees, provided the degree programs are graduate level and in

different academic areas, with prior written approval from the head of the academic unit for each

degree program and the Graduate College. A separate online application is required for each

degree program, except in the case of predefined concurrent programs. For concurrent master’s

programs, a maximum of 20% of the minimum total credit hours for the completion of both degrees

may be shared. For concurrent programs that include a doctoral program, a maximum of 12 credit

hours may be shared. The total number of credit hours common to both degree programs may vary

from this maximum value only when the Graduate College has formally approved coordinated

degree programs.

Coursework common to both programs must constitute a well-planned and meaningful part of each

of the programs and may only include coursework completed after admission to both degree

programs. In all cases, the guidelines below must be followed:

1) Students must maintain continuous enrollment as previously defined. Registration in both

programs may be required each semester. Please see the academic unit for specific

satisfactory academic progress and program rules. Students may request a leave of

absence to maintain continuous enrollment, but a separate request must be submitted for

each program. Students may not be registered for coursework for either program while on a

leave of absence.

2) Graduate credit transferred from another institution may be applied toward only one of the

degree programs.

3) Culminating experiences (e.g. capstone courses, theses, applied projects) and

comprehensive examinations cannot be shared between concurrent programs.

4) The 15 to 30 blanket hours allowed for doctoral programs from a previously awarded

master’s degree may only be applied to one of the doctoral programs.

5) The maximum time limit for completing degree requirements and graduation apply to each

concurrent degree individually (6 years for master’s; 10 years for doctoral).

Pre-approved Concurrent Degree Programs

The Graduate College has formally approved coordinated concurrent degree programs that

students can pursue. These programs have specific set shared hours approved in their proposals.

Units should refer to these to review the proper shared credit hours and other applicable policies.

Non-Degree Programs

Continuous enrollment is not required for students admitted as non-degree seeking. Students

should check the enrollment requirements for courses before registering and contact the academic

unit offering the course regarding registration questions. Non-degree seeking students who decide

to apply to a degree program may be allowed to apply up to 12 applicable credit hours taken within

three years of admission to the degree program. Students should seek advising from the intended

program for applicable course options.

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Master’s in Passing (MIP)

Where there is an approved Master’s in Passing (MIP) program in place for a doctoral degree,

those doctoral students who complete the requirements of the approved MIP may be awarded the

related master’s degree. Students should check with their doctoral program to see if there is an

approved MIP for their degree. Students with an existing master’s degree with the same major are

not eligible.

Students who include any blanket hours from a previously awarded master’s degree on their

doctoral Interactive Plan of Study are not eligible for a Master’s in Passing. All coursework included

in an MIP Interactive Plan of Study must have been completed after the semester and year of

admission to the doctoral program.

Accelerated Master’s Programs

ASU allows for the simultaneous pursuit of an undergraduate and graduate degree in certain pre-

approved programs. In such cases, the program must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate

College. Undergraduate students must meet the unit’s criteria for approval to pursue their

accelerated program and be granted consent to complete up to 12 credits of graduate coursework.

Students must contact their ASU undergraduate advisor and graduate support staff to ensure

proper sharing of credit hours. Students may not share any credit hours taken as an undergraduate

student unless they are participating in an approved accelerated program pairing

(Bachelor’s/Master’s). Students must meet minimum admissions standards to be admitted to the

Master’s portion of the accelerated program.

Thesis/Dissertation

Thesis/Dissertation Research

The master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation (or equivalent) must be based on original and

independent research/creative activity conducted by students, under the guidance of the graduate

supervisory committee. The thesis is an introduction to scholarly writing and is intended to create

an understanding of theory and methods applicable to one’s field. The dissertation should

demonstrate the candidates’ mastery of research and scholarly methodologies, theory and tools of

the discipline. Both the thesis and dissertation should demonstrate the candidates’ ability to

address a major intellectual problem and to propose meaningful questions and hypotheses, as well

as utilize the methods with which to study the proposed research question(s) and related

hypotheses, and draw justifiable conclusions based on the research conducted.

The written doctoral dissertation is based on original and substantial scholarly work that constitutes

a significant contribution to knowledge in the student’s discipline. The dissertation research must be

conducted during the time of the student’s doctoral studies at ASU, under guidance of ASU

Graduate Faculty and in accordance with Graduate College policies and procedures. The

composition of the dissertation is defined by the degree program with the approval of the Dean of

the Graduate College.

Research Involving Human and Animal Subjects

Theses or dissertations that make use of research involving human or animal subjects must include

a statement indicating that the research has been approved by the appropriate university body.

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Research involving human subjects conducted under the auspices of Arizona State University is

reviewed by the University Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) in compliance with

federal regulations. Documents containing any data collection from human subjects require that

applications be submitted to the ASU Office of Research Integrity and Assurance for approval

before data collection or recruitment of subjects is initiated at

researchintegrity.asu.edu/human-

subjects.

Research involving the use of animals conducted under the auspices of Arizona State University is

reviewed by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in compliance with federal

regulations. Documents containing any data collection from animal research require that

applications be submitted to ASU Office of Research Integrity and Assurance for approval at

researchintegrity.asu.edu/animals.

It is very important that students check with their supervisory committee or chair well in advance of

data collection to ensure compliance with university regulations regarding the collection of research

data. Students who are required to submit their document through Graduate College format review

must attach the IRB (or IACUC) approval as an appendix to their document.

Thesis/Dissertation Defense

Thesis and dissertation defenses are open to all members of the university community and the

general public. The oral defense engages the supervisory committee and the candidate in a critical

and analytical discussion of the research and findings of the study, as well as a review of the

contribution of the research topic to advancing knowledge in that discipline. The presentation of a

thesis or dissertation defense in an open forum fosters a broader awareness of the state of

graduate research at ASU, promotes a wider scholarly dialogue among disciplines, and recognizes

publicly the scholarly contributions of master’s or doctoral candidates. The defense information will

be published on the Graduate College Master’s/Doctoral Defense Schedule

website.

Scheduling and Holding the Defense

Students with a thesis or dissertation as a culminating event are required to present and defend it in

a public oral examination and to the satisfaction of the supervisory committee. Students must

schedule the defense in the iPOS at least 10 business days prior to the planned defense and have

it approved by the program and the Graduate College. See Graduation Deadlines.

Students work with their supervisory committee and the academic unit’s graduate support staff to

identify a suitable date and reserve a room (for in-person defenses). Defenses that are held without

being scheduled with the Graduate College are considered invalid.

Students must be registered for:

• At least one semester hour of credit that appears on the Interactive Plan of Study; OR

• At least one semester hour of appropriate graduate-level credit, for example: Research

(592/792), Thesis (599/799), or Continuing Registration (595 or 795)

Students must be physically present at the oral defense of their thesis, dissertation or equivalent

document unless the student is in an online program that requires a thesis/dissertation and the

defense was approved by the committee and the Graduate College. It is expected that oral

defenses will be held on an ASU campus (for in-person defenses) and during regular business

hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. AZ Mountain Standard Time) in order to facilitate student, faculty, and public

accessibility. A student has the option to include a virtual link to encourage audience attendance.

When there are sound educational reasons for holding a defense under different circumstances,

contact the Graduate College for approval before scheduling the defense.

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All members of a student’s supervisory committee must attend the final oral defense of a thesis or

dissertation. However, there are situations (e.g. faculty travel, faculty emergencies and/or faculty

leave) that may necessitate holding a defense with one or more committee member(s) absent. The

committee chair must be in attendance, but if a committee member cannot attend, a qualified

substitute must be appointed to attend in their place. The substitute should be a regular faculty

member within the academic unit. In these circumstances, the Graduate College must be notified

with the name of the member who will be absent, the faculty member who will attend as a

substitute, and the student’s name and ID number. This information must be submitted before the

defense.

Once a defense has been scheduled and approved in the iPOS, students must submit within 10

days, a complete draft copy of the thesis/dissertation to be defended by uploading the document to

their Interactive Plan of Study.

Passing the Defense

At the completion of the defense, faculty will determine if the student has passed or failed the

defense, or if the submitted document requires revisions. The preliminary defense results must be

submitted by all committee members via the defense results tab in the iPOS within 10 days after

the defense occurrence. If there are revisions required by the committee

, they will need to be

completed and approved by the committee before a full “Pass” can be designated in the iPOS. If

the committee’s requested revisions are not completed by the graduation deadlines for the

semester of the defense, the student will need to maintain continuous enrollment until they are

completed. If they are not successfully completed within one year of the defense, re- submission of

the document and a re-defense of the thesis or dissertation may be required in order to ensure

currency of the research.

Format Review

Students who are required to complete a thesis or dissertation as part of their graduate program

must submit their document to the Graduate College for format review.

Students must use the

Format Manual to prepare their thesis/dissertation. The Format Manual is a comprehensive guide

to formatting a thesis, dissertation or equivalent document and it always overrides a style guide if

the two conflict. Questions regarding the Format Manual requirements should be directed to

[email protected].

Use of the Graduate College’s Format Wizard is required for all students going through the format

process. The Format Wizard generates a template into which students can insert their document's

text. It is designed to help students with the basic format requirements such as margins and

spacing, and greatly improves the format review process for students

Format revisions are typical and must be completed in a timely manner. If students are unable to

complete format revisions and submit to UMI/ProQuest by the deadline for the semester in which

the defense is held, they must complete the revisions, remain continuously enrolled and present the

final document to UMI/ProQuest within one year of the defense. Failure to do so will require the re-

submission of the document for format review and may result in re-defense of the thesis or

dissertation to ensure currency of the research.

All students that have a culminating event document that requires format review are also required

to complete the Design Aspirations tab within the iPOS. In addition, all PhD students are required to

complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) as part of the format process.

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ProQuest ETD Submission

ProQuest ETD requires all students to submit a PDF version of their final culminating event

document. Students are required to create a new user account specific to the submission of their

document, and must use their ASU email address. The Graduate College requires that the PDF

document follow the formatting standards presented in the format manual. Students will receive

final format approval only after the submitted PDF document has successfully passed a format

review. Students are able to order bound copies of their document for themselves through

ProQuest ETD. The final document will also appear archived in the ASU Digital Repository:

https://repository.asu.edu.

Graduate-level Disestablished Programs

A disestablished graduate program is a graduate certificate, master's, or doctoral program that the

institution has chosen to discontinue. Upon effective term and year of disestablishment, ASU may

choose to stop admitting new students into the program. This includes students seeking to change

into the disestablished program or pursue it concurrently with another program. Active students in

a disestablished program will have the option to continue to pursue the program provided

continuous enrollment, and satisfactory academic progress policies are followed, including

maximum time limits which are 6 years for masters and certificates, and 10 years for doctoral

programs. Students that are discontinued from the program for any reason are not eligible to re-

enroll in the disestablished program. Students that return and are in good academic standing will be

required to choose a new program that is accepting applications. Students may have the option to

choose a new program under the guidance of leadership from their discontinued graduate program.

Degree Conferral

Graduation

Students must apply for graduation through My ASU in accordance with the University Registrar

policies. See Application for Graduation. S

tudents must meet all University and Graduate College

degree requirements prior to the conferral of their degree or awarding of their certificate, including

achieving a 3.0 GPA in the graduate GPA, the iPOS GPA, and the cumulative GPA. Students must

continue to be registered until all degree requirements have been met. All students seeking a

degree or certificate must apply for graduation.

The graduation deadlines and procedures are set by the Graduate College and are available online

at graduation deadlines.

Deadline dates vary slightly depending on the calendar year, so students

should check them carefully in advance of the semester they plan to defend their

thesis/dissertation. It is very important that students become familiar with these deadlines so that

graduation can occur during the expected term.