Graduation requirements and regulations for every academic program are provided in this catalog; however, this catalog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract. Degree and program requirements and course descriptions are subject to change.

In most cases, you will use the catalog of the year you entered KU (see your advisor for details). Other years’ catalogs»

Introduction

• The degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) is granted with majors in dance, film and media studies, theatre, and visual art.
• The degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) is granted with majors in dance, history of art, theatre design, and visual art.
• The degree of Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) is granted with majors in film and media studies and theatre.

Requirements for Graduation

All undergraduate degrees from the University of Kansas require completion of the Core 34 Curriculum.  In addition to the Core 34, students must satisfy the degree and major requirements of the degree they are pursuing. 

Degrees from the School of the Arts are conferred on candidates who have satisfactorily completed a  minimum of 120 credit hours for the B.A., B.G.S., and B.F.A. degrees, including required subjects.

45 credit hours must be in junior/senior-level courses, numbered 300 and above, and must include a capstone. 2.0 grade-point averages in KU courses and in junior/senior hours in the major are required for graduation. 4 hours of the total in each case may be in physical education activity courses. Art appreciation courses are not accepted toward art history requirements for students majoring in any field of art or design. HA 100 and HA 300 are not accepted toward any requirement for students majoring in any field of art or design.

Remedial Courses

Remedial courses listed in the catalog and Schedule of Classes are numbered below 100. Such courses include, but are not limited to MATH 2. Such courses do not count toward graduation in the School of the Arts and may not be counted as distribution courses.

Chalmers Hall

View a slide show in the School of the Arts brochure.

The 130,000-square-foot Chalmers Hall houses all major art and design programs, including studios and offices. The building houses the 2,100-square-foot Art and Design Gallery; this space features new exhibitions every 2 weeks and serves as an important component of the teaching mission. Each major program offers all students spacious work areas and a range of equipment, from traditional to the newest digital technology. Students have access to multiplatform computer labs with the most commonly used current software for photography, animation, CAD, 3-D, video production, desktop publishing, scanning, illustration, large- and medium-format plotters, and color and black-and-white laser printers. Unique satellite computer areas are dedicated to textiles, metalsmithing and jewelry, expanded media, and printmaking. Students have access to a traditional Photography Laboratory, including a dark room for black-and-white photography, a digital processing lab, dedicated spaces for project photography, and an equipment checkout facility. The 6,400-square-foot Common Shop includes a range of woodworking equipment, a plastic vacuum former, metalworking equipment, and classroom space. All labs and the shop have technical support staff.

There are 3 large, well-equipped painting studios. The print studios consist of 8,000 square feet of workspaces and a dedicated computer lab for serigraphy, lithography, and intaglio. The intaglio studio has 5 presses and a separate acid room. The lithography studio has 3 presses and various sizes of stones. The serigraphy studio has 12 printing stations, a separate wash-out room, and a large exposure unit, available for a variety of photo-based processes. The sculpture studio is divided into 5 general work areas with appropriate equipment: woodworking, metal fabrication, foundry, an open courtyard, and individual studios. The foundry contains equipment necessary for casting with a variety of kilns, 3 gas-fired furnaces, and an overhead crane. There is an induction furnace with a lift-swing unit for bronze and a tilt box unit for iron and steel.

The 3,800-square-foot metalsmithing and jewelry studio has 8 rooms with separate areas for soldering, metalsmithing, plating/electro-forming, a finishing room, casting, gas and TIG welding, enameling, and a student-operated supply store. Matrix GemVision computer software is available for students to develop 3-dimensional jewelry models. The ceramics area includes 5,300 square feet of studio space in the Art and Design building as well as separate west campus Chamney barn facilities. Kilns include salt, soda, cross-draft wood, anagama wood-fired, raku, an electric test kiln, and several kinds of gas and electric kilns. The textile design area has separate weaving, screen-printing, sewing, and dye areas. The weaving studios are equipped with 4-, 8-, and 16-harness floor looms and two 16-harness AVL compu-dobby looms. The sewing area includes traditional machines, sergers, and a computer- aided embroidery machine. The textile Mac computer lab offers numerous software applications specific to weaving and surface design including jacquard weaving CAD software.

Murphy Hall

Murphy Hall houses all major theatre programs and facilities for University Theatre productions. Crafton-Preyer Theatre is a large proscenium theatre seating 1,181. It is equipped with a full-stage turntable, a hydraulic orchestra pit elevator, cutting-edge lighting and sound control equipment, and a recently renovated counterweight line system. William Inge Memorial Theatre is a 50-foot by 50-foot black box theatre with flexible seating for approximately 120. It is also equipped with excellent lighting and sound control equipment. Well-equipped shops for scenery, costume, and props construction, as well as a lighting maintenance laboratory serve the production areas. Crafton-Preyer is also used as Stage Too! The audience is built onto the large stage of the theatre for a more intimate setting. 4 main studios are used as rehearsal halls and classrooms. The Thomas Gorton Music and Dance Library is in Murphy Hall.

Robinson Center

The dance department is housed in Robinson Center, which contains 3 large, well equipped dance studios. One of the studios converts into the Elizabeth Sherbon Theatre, an informal, black box theatre. Dance students have performance opportunities with the University Dance Company, New Dance, and in School of Music and Department of Theatre productions. The Thomas Gorton Music and Dance Library is in Murphy Hall.

Spencer Museum of Art

The Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art is regarded as one of the most innovative university museums and has long been considered one of the top teaching museums in the country. 5 galleries display selections from the permanent collection of more than 36,000 works of art. Areas of special strength include medieval art; European and American paintings, sculpture, and prints; photography; Japanese Edo-period paintings and prints; 20th-century Chinese paintings; and an ethnographic collection that includes 10,000 Native American, African, Latin American, and Australian works. Spencer Museum sponsors exhibitions, lectures, films, workshops, and activities that support curricular instruction in the arts. The also museum houses the Kress Foundation Department of Art History and the Murphy Art and Architecture Library, with more than 170,000 volumes and 600 current journals documenting the visual arts, design, and architecture from all cultures, from antiquity to the present.

Lied Center

The Lied Center of Kansas is a multipurpose performing arts facility with a 2,000-seat performing arts hall. It offers outstanding presentations of music, dance, and theatre, as well as lectures by artists and scholars. The Lied Center is a major regional presenter and provider of performing arts. The Department of Visual Art, Spencer Museum of Art, Hall Center for the Humanities, and the Lied Center present active visiting artist programs.

Undergraduate Programs

• The Department of Theatre and Dance offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and the Bachelor of Arts in Dance degree.
• The departments of Film and Media Studies and Theatre and Dance offer Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of General Studies degrees.
• The Department of Visual Art offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and the Bachelor of Arts degree.
• The program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre design is offered cooperatively by the School of the Arts and the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Courses for Nonmajors

Students in other KU schools may enroll in dance, film and media studies, theatre, and visual art courses for credit, subject to the availability of instructional time and the completion of necessary prerequisites. Qualifications are determined by course instructors.

Minors in dance, film and media studies, theatre, and visual art are offered for students in other disciplines.

University Honors Program

The school encourages qualified undergraduates to participate in the University Honors Program.

Art Exhibitions

A number of exhibitions are sponsored by the Department of Visual Art. These are shown in department galleries and the Kansas Union. Each year, there are exhibitions of work by students in the school, representing the disciplines of art and design.

Performances

The University Dance Company performs a varied repertoire of ballet, modern, and jazz dance. It presents 2 major programs on campus each year as well as numerous presentations on tour.

The University Theatre gives students a chance to act in, direct, design, and crew theatre productions. Each year, the University Theatre mounts about 8 fully staged productions. Students gain experience in children’s theatre, musicals, operas, and a range of classical and contemporary plays.

The School of the Arts is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (called the College or CLAS). The College is KU’s largest academic unit with more than 50 departments and programs. Graduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences include disciplines in the arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and natural and mathematical sciences, as well as many interdisciplinary degree programs where often disciplines come together to offer students a unique graduate experience. Each graduate program’s page contains program-specific information about admission, course curriculum, and advising.

The College’s participation in graduate education reflects a long and distinguished commitment to higher learning and research across the liberal arts and sciences. The College takes full advantage of KU’s role as an international research institution to ensure that the knowledge imparted to students is current and that they learn the skills of inquiry and critical evaluation. Graduate students are central to the research and teaching missions of the College. They are also the next generation of scholars, artists, and skilled professionals who will make contributions to our communities and production of knowledge for many years to come.

School of the Arts Graduate Degrees

The School of the Arts offers graduate programs in 3 departments. The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree can be earned in film and media studies, theatre, and visual art education. The Master of Fine Arts degree is offered in visual art and in theatre design with a concentration in scenography. 

The School of the Arts offers the Doctor of Philosophy degree in film and media studies and theatre, and a Graduate Certificate in film and media studies.

Art Exhibitions

A number of exhibitions are sponsored by the Department of Visual Art. These are shown in department galleries and the Kansas Union. Each year, there are exhibitions of work by students in the school, representing the disciplines of art and design.

Performances

The University Dance Company performs a varied repertoire of ballet, modern, and jazz dance. It presents 2 major programs on campus each year as well as numerous presentations on tour.

The University Theatre gives students a chance to act in, direct, design, and crew theatre productions. Each year, the University Theatre mounts about 8 fully staged productions. Students gain experience in children’s theatre, musicals, operas, and a range of classical and contemporary plays.

Graduate mentoring relationships can break down. If so, the formation of new mentoring relationships should be encouraged without prejudice. (For more information about what to do when a mentoring relationship breaks down, see Chapter 6 of the University of Michigan’s How to Get the Mentoring You Want: A Guide for Graduate Students.)

All departments in the College are required to have a policy in place to govern the process of switching advisors. Department policies must include the following: 

Please see your department's graduate student handbook or consult with the Director of Graduate Studies or your department’s graduate program coordinator for more information. 

Undergraduate University Regulations

For information about university regulations, see Regulations or visit the University of Kansas Policy Library.

Academic Integrity

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences strictly enforces KU and College policies on academic misconduct. Academic integrity requires honest performance of academic responsibilities by students. These include preparation of assignments, reports and research papers, taking examinations, completing administrative requirements, and a sincere and conscientious effort by students to abide by the policies set forth by instructors.

Academic Standing

Good Standing

Students with a KU cumulative GPA of a 2.00 or higher are in good academic standing.

Notice

Students who fall below a 2.00 KU cumulative GPA for the first time will be placed on notice.  Students failing to return to good academic standing at the end of the notice semester will be placed on probation. Students will only receive one notice semester.  Students who have previously returned to good academic standing will be placed on probation should their KU cumulative GPA fall below a 2.00.

Probation

Students on probation must meet their required KU Term GPA (see chart below) every semester until their KU cumulative GPA reaches or exceeds a 2.00. Students are allowed to continue on probation provided they meet their KU term GPA every fall and spring semester until their KU cumulative GPA reaches or exceeds a 2.00. The required KU term GPA increases to a 2.50 after attempting 45 or more hours at KU to help students on probation return to good academic standing before they are at risk of being unable to raise their KU cumulative GPA in time for graduation.  Failure to meet the required KU Term GPA during a fall or spring semester will result in academic dismissal.

Academic Dismissal

Students on probation who fail to meet their probation requirements during a fall or spring semester will be academically dismissed and are not allowed to continue in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences until they meet their readmission after dismissal requirements. Students are not dismissed at the end of summer.

Readmission after Dismissal

Students can be readmitted back to KU in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences after a first and a second dismissal but they must complete their readmission requirement.  If all requirements for the Core 34 goals are completed, no coursework is required.  Students returning after an academic dismissal will be readmitted on probation and must meet their required term GPA requirements to avoid another dismissal.

Terms for Readmission after Dismissal

First Dismissal - Sit out one fall or spring semester; complete at least one 3 credit hour course that transfers to KU to meet Core 34 Goals; earn a 2.50 in all courses taken since dismissal.

Second Dismissal - Sit out one academic year; complete at least one 3 credit hour course that transfers to KU to meet Core 34 Goals; earn a 2.50 in all courses taken since dismissal.

Third Dismissal - a third dismissal is final.

Change of School

Students with a KU cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher (or in their first semester) can fill out a Change of School Form requesting to be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and/or School of the Arts, from a KU professional school, through the 20th day of class for the current semester. Requests made after that will be for admission in the upcoming semester. This process is for active KU students. Students not admitted to KU follow the University’s admission policy.

Students with a KU cumulative GPA of less than a 2.00 will be evaluated according to the College’s academic standing policy and may not be admissible based on past academic performance at KU. This includes but is not limited to any of the College Online degree programs. Students who have been dismissed from another KU School will need to submit a change of school request by the 20th day of the current semester; after that date requests will be considered for the next semester.

•  After the 20th day of the semester, Change of school requests will not be reviewed until current semester grades are posted.
• Students admitted to the College on probation will need to meet the College’s academic probation requirements during the semester they are admitted or face an academic dismissal.
• Students dismissed from another school at KU and are found to be inadmissible to the College can follow our readmission after dismissal policy to return to KU for a future semester.
• Students admitted to the College via a Change of School request will go by the requirement term of their original matriculation to the University of Kansas. A student may petition the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to request to change to the term requirements based on the term they requested entry into the College.  This should be considered in consultation with their academic advisor, and a petition should be submitted to College Undergraduate Academic Services.

To change from one school to another, a student must submit a Change of School form in the dean’s office of the school they plan to enter or in College Undergraduate Academic Services if they plan to enter the College. Deadlines are included on the form. See the school’s requirements for admission.

Students applying for admission to the College from other schools in the university must meet the same minimum grade-point average requirements in KU attempted course work as continuing College students. Consult College Undergraduate Academic Services, Strong Hall, 1450 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 109, Lawrence, KS 66045-7518, 785-864-3500.

Credit/No Credit

A Credit/No Credit option is available to all degree-seeking undergraduates. A student may enroll in 1 course a semester under the option, if the course is not in their major or minor. To exercise the option, the student must fill out the online form via the Registrar's website during the fifth and sixth weeks of the semester (or the third week of summer session and 8-week courses). See the Academic Calendar for current dates for electing this option. After the close of the option period, the choice cannot be changed. Under the option, a grade of Credit is recorded for grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C or C-; No Credit is recorded for grades of D+, D, D- or F. Courses graded Credit or No Credit do not count in computing the grade-point average. Courses graded Credit are included in the total hours counted toward graduation. Courses graded No Credit do not count toward graduation. For more information, visit the KU Policy Library.

Warning: Certain undesirable consequences may result from exercising the option. Some schools, scholarship committees, and honorary societies do not accept this grading system and convert grades of No Credit to F when computing grade-point averages.  Students in the College with pre-professional school codes are subject to the College's CR/NC policy.  To determine the impact a CR/NC selection may have on future admission or degree completion in another school, students should consult directly with that school.

The university-established timeline for exercising this option is strictly enforced.

Enrollment

See the Enrollment Guide for complete enrollment information.

New and Readmitted Student Enrollment

Immediately before the beginning of classes each term, an enrollment session is scheduled for new students. New students admitted for a summer or fall term have an additional option of enrolling in fall courses during one of several summer orientation sessions. Invitations to orientation are sent automatically to newly admitted and readmitted students who applied for the spring, summer, or fall terms (except non degree-seeking students). Readmitted students may attend a special abbreviated orientation session, may enroll during continuing enrollment, or may attend the enrollment sessions immediately before the start of the semester. Readmitted students whose readmission applications are completed by a designated date also may enroll during continuing enrollment, after meeting with an advisor. All students must preregister for orientation and enrollment sessions.

International students must complete the required check-in processes before enrollment and are encouraged to attend International Student Orientation, which includes advising and enrollment sessions.

Continuing Enrollment

This enrollment allows students who are currently enrolled during one term to enroll for the next term. Spring-enrolled students enroll in April for the following summer session or fall semester or both. Fall-enrolled students enroll in October or November for the following spring semester.

Late Enrollment

Each semester, the Academic Calendar announces dates for late enrollment and the last day to submit a Petition to Late Enroll.  Petitions are evaluated based on past academic performance.  A student may enroll in a course or change class sections after the semester has been in session for 4 weeks only if the course has met fewer than 25 percent of the class sessions. For most classes, the faculty have established earlier dates for beginning class attendance and participation. A fee is assessed for late enrollment.

Grading

The letters A, B, C, D, S (satisfactory), and Credit indicate passing work. The letters F and U (unsatisfactory) and No Credit indicate that the quality of work was such that, to obtain credit, the student must repeat regular course work. P represents satisfactory progress (an interim grade pending completion of a subsequent term’s course work). See the KU Policy Library for more information.

Graduation with Honors

Undergraduates may earn honors upon graduation in 3 ways. The student may graduate with distinction or highest distinction, earn departmental honors in the major, or complete the University Honors Program. It is possible to earn honors in 1 of these areas, any combination of them, or all 3. The award of honors is noted on the student’s transcript and in the Commencement program. Distinction and highest distinction are noted on the diploma.

Graduation with Distinction or Highest Distinction

The top 10 percent of each year’s graduating class is designated as graduating with a type of distinction (either distinction or highest distinction). The top one-third of the top 10 percent is designated as graduating with highest distinction. 

Students must have completed at least 60 hours graded A through F in residence at KU (including the hours in which they are enrolled during the semester of graduation). Awards of distinction and highest distinction are based solely on the grade-point average determined by KU residence credit hours unless the overall grade-point average (including transfer hours) is lower than the residence grade-point average. In this case, the award is determined by the overall grade-point average. Students who rank in the upper 10 percent of their graduating class graduate with distinction. The upper third of those awarded distinction graduate with highest distinction.

Potential candidates are determined in mid-April and invited to a recognition ceremony during Commencement weekend in May. Final designation is determined in mid-July.

Graduation with Departmental Honors

Most departments and programs allow qualified majors to work toward graduation with departmental honors. Graduation with departmental honors is awarded in recognition of exceptional performance in the major, completion of a program of independent research or an alternative project, and a strong overall academic record.

In addition to the requirements of individual departments and programs (which must be approved by the College Committee on Undergraduate Studies and Advising), the College requires the following for graduation with departmental honors:

1. Candidates must declare the intention to work for departmental honors with the appropriate departmental honors coordinator(s) no later than the time of enrollment for the final undergraduate semester, but sooner if required by the department(s). Copies of the intent form should be returned to College Undergraduate Academic Services.
2. At the end of the final undergraduate semester, the candidate must have achieved a grade-point average of at least 3.5 in the major, and some departments may also require an additional overall minimum GPA. This includes work completed at other institutions, as well as at KU. No minimum grade-point average is required to declare candidacy for graduation with departmental honors unless specified by the department.
3. Each candidate’s departmental honors work must include independent research or an acceptable alternative project. The results of research are presented in a form appropriate to the requirements of the major department. Equivalents to the independent research component are established by approved departmental honors programs. In courses meeting the independent research requirement, the candidate must earn a grade of B or higher. Successful completion of all departmental honors requirements must be certified to the departmental honors coordinator(s) by a panel composed of at least three members of the College faculty who have read the report of the independent research and heard the oral presentation, where required.

Petitions

A department or program may petition to award graduation with departmental honors to deserving students who, for good reason, do not meet every College and departmental requirement. Send petitions to the the Committee on Undergraduate Studies and Advising, via College Undergraduate Academic Services.

Honor Roll

Undergraduates with a minimum semester grade-point average of 3.5 who have completed at least 12 hours with letter grades (A, A-,B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F) are recognized on the honor roll or dean’s list in fall and spring. An Honor Roll notation appears on the transcript. See University Senate Rules and Regulations 2.4 for further details about GPA calculation.

Honors Program

The University Honors Program provides opportunities for outstanding and creative undergraduates in all schools at KU to develop their full potential during their undergraduate years. See Honors in this section of the online catalog for further information.

Incompletes

The letter I indicates incomplete work, such as may be completed without re-enrollment in the course. The letter I should not be used when a definite grade can be assigned for the work done. It is not given for the work of a student in any course except to indicate that some part of the work has, for reasons beyond the student’s control, not been done, while the rest has been satisfactorily completed. At the time an I is reported on the electronic roster, the character and amount of work needed, as well as the date required for completion and lapse grade if further work is not completed by this date, should be indicated.

A student who has an I posted for a course must make up the work by the date determined by the instructor, in consultation with the student, which may not exceed 1 calendar year, or the last day of the term of graduation, whichever comes first. An I not removed according to this rule automatically converts to a grade of F or U, or the lapse grade assigned by the course instructor, and appears on the student’s record.

Extensions to the time limit may be granted by the dean’s representative upon submission of a petition from the student containing the endorsement of the course instructor who assigned the I grade, or the department chairperson if the instructor is unavailable, prior to the expiration of the Incomplete. After the I grade is converted to a grade of F or U, the grade may only be changed in accordance with USRR Article II, Section 3.

Maximum and Minimum Undergraduate Semester Enrollment

No undergraduate may enroll for more than 20 hours a semester except by permission of the Assistant Dean for College Undergraduate Academic Services. Summer enrollment is limited to 10 hours. Permission is not considered unless the student has demonstrated high levels of academic ability in previous semesters.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

Students are advised to enroll according to prerequisites and co-requisites noted in individual course descriptions. These prerequisites are enforced in a variety of ways including blocking enrollment, administrative drops without notice, etc.

Required Undergraduate Work in Residence

Junior/Senior Hours Required for Graduation

KU requires all students pursuing bachelor’s degrees to complete a minimum of 45 credit hours at the junior/senior level (courses numbered 300 and above). The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requires that 30 of these 45 credit hours be completed in residence.

Hours in the Major: Maximums and Minimums

There is no limit on hours taken in the major for the B.A., B.G.S., or B.S. degree. Departments are not allowed to require more than 40 hours in the major for the B.A. or more than 50 hours in the major for the B.S. Some skills courses and supporting science courses are not included in this maximum limit. A minimum of 12 hours in the major must be in courses numbered 300 or above. At least 15 hours in each major(s) must be taken in residence at KU.

Time Limits

Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to complete the bachelor’s degree within 4 academic years. Students should complete a minimum of 30 credit hours each year. If a student is unable to complete 30 hours in the fall and spring terms, summer enrollment and/or winter session enrollment should be strongly considered.

Students have a maximum of ten years to complete their undergraduate work in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences under degree requirements in effect at the initial term of matriculation. Students experiencing a break in enrollment during these ten years will follow their curricular requirements at the point of matriculation provided that the break in enrollment does not exceed two calendar years. Students readmitted after two years are held to the curricular requirements in place at the term of readmission.

Students readmitted after a break in attendance of less than two years may petition the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences to request to change to the term requirements based on their readmission term.  This should be considered in consultation with their academic advisor, and a petition should be submitted to College Undergraduate Academic Services.

Students readmitted after a break in attendance of two years or more may petition the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to request to follow the requirements in place during their original matriculation term, provided that their original degree/major is still active and the major department approves.  Depending on the time lapse since the original matriculation term, additional approval beyond the College may be required.  This option should be considered in consultation with the student's academic advisor, and a petition statement should be submitted to College Undergraduate Academic Services.

Students maintaining continuous enrollment but who do not complete their degree requirements within ten years, may petition the College to complete their degree requirements under the curricular requirements in effect during the term of admission.

Transfer of Credit

CredTran is a transfer course equivalency system that lists more than 2,200 colleges and universities from which KU has accepted transfer courses in the past. If your school or course is not listed, your evaluation will be completed when you are admitted to KU.

Only transfer grades of C or higher contribute to total hours earned for students entering KU in spring 1990 or after, and for courses taken in spring 1990 or after by all students. For questions about transfer work fulfilling College requirements, contact College Undergraduate Academic Services, 109 Strong Hall.

Graduate Regulations

It is the students’ responsibility to comply with all requirements for the degree programs in which they plan to participate. These include the university requirements for graduate study at KU outlined in the College and Graduate Studies sections of the KU Policy Library, the University Senate Rules and Regulations, the Graduate Studies sections of the online catalog, as well as the requirements of the College outlined in this catalog section. Additionally, students are responsible for understanding the requirements that are unique to individual graduate programs outlined in the graduate handbooks of individual academic units and the Departments & Programs sections of the online catalog.

In general, the student is subject to the regulations in place at the time of matriculation as a degree-seeking student. If degree requirements change, the student may opt to follow the new requirements or to continue under the regulations in place at the time of admission. Any student readmitted 10 years or more after his or her initial term as a degree-seeking student must fulfill the requirements in effect on the date of readmission to the graduate program.

Information presented on this page is limited to the most frequently consulted policies and key milestones in the graduate career. Students should also consult the academic unit’s handbook, Graduate Studies and College sections of the KU Policy Library, and the Graduate Studies and University of Kansas Regulations sections of the online catalog.

Degree Requirements

Requirements for the completion of master’s and doctoral degrees in the College are governed by department- or program-specific policy, College policies and procedures, Graduate Studies policies, and the University Senate Rules and Regulations.

Master's Degree Requirements

Coursework

At least 50% of required coursework for a master’s program must be numbered 700 or above. Specific coursework requirements for the Master’s degree are established and tracked by the department or program. The College then verifies that completed coursework meets all College and University requirements for master's students.  Please consult with your advisor, the academic unit’s graduate handbook, and the relevant Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for further information on specific courses or course sequences required for the degree.

Thesis

Master’s students complete either a thesis or an equivalent enrollment in research, capstone/portfolio, independent investigation, or seminar. Students earning a master's thesis degree must have completed at least 1 hour of thesis enrollment.  General rules for the preparation of a thesis are available on the Graduate Studies website.

Final Examination

A final general examination or thesis defense in the major subject is required for MA and MS degrees. The examination, which may be oral, written, or both, is held during the semester of the student’s final enrollment in coursework and, in the case of thesis students, when the thesis has been substantially completed. All master's exams must be approved by the College in advance of the scheduled exam date.  See also Master’s Degree Requirements and M.A. and M.S. Degrees in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements

Coursework

Coursework requirements for the doctoral degree are established and tracked by the department or program. The College then verifies that completed coursework meets all College and University requirements for doctoral students. Please consult with your advisor, the academic unit’s graduate handbook, and the relevant Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for further information on specific courses or course sequences required for the degree.

Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship

Graduate Studies requires that all doctoral students meet the Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement before proceeding to the Comprehensive Exam. Specific requirements are determined by each department or program in consultation with Graduate Studies. Information on these requirements is contained in the department or program’s approved research skills requirement plan. Consult with your advisor and the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for further information.

Enrollment Requirement

Prior to the comprehensive oral exam, all doctoral students must complete a minimum program engagement equivalent to two full-time semesters.  This may be accomplished through either of the following:

• Two semesters (fall and/or spring) of full-time enrollment in KU coursework, as defined by the Full-Time Enrollment for Graduate Students policy in the Graduate Studies section of the KU Policy Library
• At least 18 hours of enrollment in KU coursework spread out over several part-time semesters

Please see the Engagement and Enrollment in Doctoral Programs policy in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog and the KU Policy Library for more information about this requirement.

Comprehensive Oral Examination

The comprehensive oral examination covers the major field and any additional content for which the academic unit wishes to hold the student responsible. The examination is expected to be broader than a mere defense of the dissertation proposal.  Exams must be approved by the College in advance of the scheduled oral exam date. 

The student must be enrolled the semester or summer session in which he or she completes the comprehensive oral examination. This enrollment may count toward the post-comprehensive enrollment requirements as described in Graduate Studies’ Doctoral Candidacy policy.  If more than 5 years elapses between the completion of the comprehensive exam and degree completion, the student may be required to retake the exam.

More information about comprehensive exam requirements may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Dissertation and Final Exam

Completion of the dissertation is the culminating phase of a doctoral program, marked by the final oral examination and defense of the dissertation. In all but the rarest cases, tentative approval of the dissertation is followed promptly by the final oral examination. All doctoral final exams must be approved by the College in advance of the scheduled exam date. Refer to the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog for further information on the regulations governing the final oral examination, including committee composition and attendance regulations.

Guidelines for preparing and submitting the final copies of the dissertation are available on the KU Libraries' ETD website.

Enrollment

Full-time, Half-Time and Part-Time Enrollment

There are multiple definitions for what constitutes full-time enrollment for graduate students at KU, including variations for doctoral candidates enrolled in dissertation hours, students with GTA/GRA/GA appointments, and active duty military.  Please see the Full-time Enrollment policy in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog and the KU Policy Library for the definitions of full-time, half-time, and part-time enrollment.

Maximum enrollment for graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, except in rare instances, is 16 hours in Fall or Spring semester and 10 hours in the summer session.  

At a minimum, all graduate students must be continuously enrolled in the Fall and Spring semesters while completing the requirements for fulfillment of their degree. Please consult the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog and the KU Policy Library for other enrollment regulations.

Continuous Enrollment for Master’s Students

The College requires that all master’s students who have completed the required coursework for their degrees must be continuously enrolled in the Fall and Spring semesters until all remaining requirements for the degree, including the thesis when applicable, are completed. No enrollment is required during the summer session unless it is the semester during which the student will graduate, in which case enrollment is required. Certain academic units have additional rules governing summer enrollment.

Post-Comprehensive Enrollment for Doctoral Students

After passing the Comprehensive Oral Exam, doctoral candidates must be continuously enrolled. During this time, until all requirements for the degree are completed (including the filing of the dissertation) or until 18 post-comprehensive hours have been completed (whichever comes first), the candidate must enroll for a minimum of 6 hours a semester (Fall and Spring). At least one of these hours each semester must be in dissertation or approved dissertation-equivalent coursework.

Upon completion of the 18-hour requirement, a student’s level of enrollment should reflect, as accurately as possible, the faculty time he or she utilizes. This may be as little as one dissertation (or approved equivalent) hour per semester.

In addition, Graduate Studies requires a period of at least 1 month to elapse between the comprehensive oral exam and the final exam. Students that have completed all degree requirements before completing 18 hours are still required to continue enrollment until this 1-month requirement has been met.

Special enrollment requirements apply to those with GTA/GRA/GA appointments. Please consult the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog and the KU Policy Library.

Lapses in Enrollment

Generally, no student is allowed to enroll in full term courses with an established meeting time after the first 4 weeks of a semester or the first 2 weeks of a summer session.  Non-standard dated courses, or "short courses," as well as research or independent study courses with a "by appointment only" meeting time have different deadlines.  Students should consult the academic calendar and short courses listing for deadlines.

The student may elect to Voluntarily Discontinue from the program, and must inform the department or program in writing of this decision.  The department will submit the necessary forms to the College. This option requires the student to seek re-admission to the program if they choose to return at a future date. They also remain eligible to seek admission to another department or program in the College.

The student may also petition for a Leave of Absence of up to one calendar year. If granted, the Leave of Absence maintains the student’s place in the program. Leave of Absence petitions must be submitted by the department or program and provide evidence of the department or program’s endorsement of the student’s petition. Students interested in this option should begin by consulting with their advisor.

The time spent on Leave of Absence does not count against the student’s time to degree, and therefore does not shorten the time available to complete their degree requirements. Similarly, if a student that has elected to Voluntarily Discontinue subsequently returns to the program, the time that has elapsed since his or her discontinuance does not count against the time to degree.

Students who fail to enroll without completing the Voluntary Discontinuance process or without being granted a Leave of Absence are reviewed by the College Office of Graduate Affairs and the students’ academic units for possible dismissal. Any time that accrues during these lapses of enrollment in which the student does not occupy any approved enrollment category (i.e., Enrolled, Voluntarily Discontinued, or Leave of Absence) is counted against the time to degree.

International students seeking a Leave of Absence must consult with the International Support Services office prior to any change in enrollment status to determine how the change may affect their legal status.

Please see Graduate Studies policies governing Leave of Absence and Voluntary Discontinuance in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog and in the KU Policy Library.

Dual Enrollments

Students enrolled in two schools or working on two degrees at the same time must complete the work for both degrees. Courses may not be counted toward both degrees, except in the joint degree programs that have been established (e.g., M.P.A./J.D., M.A. in Economics/J.D., M.B.A./M.A. in Area Studies, etc.). Please refer to the Combined Degrees information in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog for a complete list of approved joint degree programs.

Examinations

Students must be enrolled during the semester in which they complete their oral comprehensive or final examinations. Additionally, no graduate student will be allowed to take oral comprehensive or final examinations, or to go forward with a thesis or dissertation defense, if a waiting grade (WG) placeholder or an incomplete (I) grade is listed on the student’s transcript.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers several awards to recognize outstanding graduate students, faculty service, teaching excellence, and exemplary advising. Below, you will find a brief description of each award. More specific information about eligibility and the call for nominations each year can be found on the College’s website under Awards & Opportunities.

Graduate Student Awards

Outstanding Thesis/Research Project Award

The Committee on Graduate Studies in the College has established this award for students receiving a master's degree. The bi-annual award carries a $500 stipend, and either a thesis or research project awardee is selected in each cycle.  Students are nominated for the award by their advisors.