Non-degree Seeking Admission

Minimum English Proficiency Requirement for Admission to a Graduate Program

Academic programs must verify that all applicants, whether domestic or international, who are not native speakers of English, meet the minimum English proficiency requirement to be admitted for graduate study as degree seeking, non-degree seeking, or certificate program students. Verification may come in any one of the following forms:

• Official transcript showing the applicant graduated with a baccalaureate degree (or higher) earned in residence from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education.
• Official transcript showing the applicant graduated with a baccalaureate degree (or higher) from an institution whose medium of instruction is English. This does not apply to degrees earned online. The verification may be from a catalog or program description brochure or an official letter from a department chair, dean, or other university official stipulating English as the language of instruction. Verification of English instruction from the institution must be included unless the degree is from one of the countries on the "TOEFL/IELTS Exemption List" posted on the Office of International Programs website. The program considering admission should also conduct a phone interview with the prospective student.
• Receipt of an official copy (not student's copy) of applicant's TOEFL or IELTS scores achieved not more than two years before the semester of admission. Below are the minimum scores required on the TOEFL or IELTS to satisfy the minimum English proficiency requirement for admission. Individual programs may opt for a more restrictive policy regarding English proficiency for the students they recommend to Graduate Studies for admission.

TOEFL scores (paper)
57 overall minimum
5.0 minimum on essay

TOEFL scores (iBT)
23 minimum Reading and Listening
19 minimum on Writing

IELTS scores
The overall band score should be at least 6.5 with no component band score below 6

E3PT scores
68 overall minimum
16 writing minimum

If a student does not meet the minimum requirement for admission, the academic program may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies for an exception. The petition will include a justification for admitting the specific student, including a description of the interview process, and a plan for the student to achieve academic success. The petition should also describe the metrics that the program proposes for evaluating the academic success of the student and the timeline that will be followed for the plan.

Additional Spoken English Proficiency Requirements for Graduate Teaching Assistant, Medical Center Campus
The Kansas Board of Regents requires that in order to be appointed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), students must first attain a minimum score of 50 on the TSE or SPEAK tests, a minimum iBT speaking score of 24, or a minimum IELTS speaking score of 8. The SPEAK test is administered free of charge by appointment in the Office of International Programs. SPEAK scores from other institutions will not be accepted.

International Transcripts Need Foreign Credential Evaluation (FCE) Reports
Applicants with transcripts from an international institution are required to order a Foreign Credential Evaluation (FCE) report from a recognized FCE company. You should request the official evaluation be sent directly to KU Medical Center, and the report must include the following:

• A course-by-course evaluation
• The US grade equivalency for each course and the cumulative US GPA equivalency 
• The US degree equivalency earned (bachelors, master's, doctorate, etc.) 

While other companies provide acceptable foreign credential evaluations, to ensure that the evaluation meets KU Medical Center requirements, recommended vendors include SpanTran, Educational Credential Evaluators, or World Education Services.

If an FCE report from a company other than the aforementioned, please submit this with application materials before requesting a new report.  A review will be completed to see if the existing FCE meets all requirements or if a new evaluation will be required from one of the recommended companies.

Kindly direct any questions relative to the FCE reports to kconnelly@kumc.edu

Master's Degree Requirements

This section gives the general and common requirements for all master's degree programs offered. The program sections of the online catalog give specific requirements for the degrees they offer.

Master's Program Time Constraints

Normal expectations are that most master’s degrees (excluding some professional terminal degrees) should be completed in 2 years of full-time study. However, master’s degree students are allowed 7 years for completion of all degree requirements. In cases in which compelling reasons or circumstances recommend a 1-year extension, the Office of Graduate Studies, on recommendation of the academic program, has authority to grant the extension. In cases where more than 8 years are requested, the Office of Graduate Studies considers petitions for further extensions. These may be granted provided evidence of continuous progress, currency of knowledge, and other reasons are compelling. Some academic programs may have more stringent rulings about time restrictions. Students should ask about the policy in effect in the academic program in which they plan to study.

Master's Enrollment Requirement

All graduate students enrolled in master’s graduate programs must be enrolled the semester they complete master’s degree requirements. Master’s students who complete degree requirements during the first week of summer session or within the first 2 weeks of the fall or spring semester are not required to be enrolled for that term unless they were not enrolled during the previous semester. See the current Graduate Studies Calendar for deadlines for specific semesters.

M.A. and M.S. Specific Degree Requirements

A Master of Arts (M.A.) or a Master of Science (M.S.) degree requires at least 1 year of graduate work or its equivalent. Stated in terms of hours of credit, the standard master’s program requires 30 hours. With permission of the academic program (or in the case of interdepartmental programs, permission of the joint program committee) and of the Office of Graduate Studies, it is sometimes possible to complete a 30-hour master’s degree with as few as 24 hours if the student enters the program especially well prepared and maintains a superior grade-point average. Work for a master’s degree is concentrated in the major area, with only a minimal amount of work (usually no more than 6 hours) that is completed at KU permitted outside the major department. Each master’s program must contain a research component, represented either by a thesis (usually for 6 hours of credit) or by an equivalent enrollment in research, independent investigation, or seminars. Within these requirements, departmental master’s programs may be flexible enough to meet the particular needs of individual students.

In a few cases, the degree is offered through two schools and administered by joint committees with faculty representation from both schools. The Master of Arts degree in speech-language pathology and the Master of Arts degree in audiology are administered by an intercampus committee drawn from the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders in Lawrence and from the Department of Hearing and Speech in the School of Health Professions in Kansas City.

M.A. and M.S. Final General Examination, Thesis Defense or Project Defense

Completion of a final general examination, defense of a thesis, or defense of a project in the major subject, is the culminating academic phase of the M.A. and M.S. degree programs and is required of all candidates for these two degrees. At the option of the academic program, the final general examination may be oral or written, or partly oral and partly written. In some departments, passing a written examination is a necessary preliminary to taking the oral examination by which success or failure is judged. For students defending a master’s thesis, the student must be enrolled in a minimum of one hour of master thesis the semester the thesis is defended.

The committee for the administration of the general exam or the defense of a thesis or project, must consist of at least 3 members, all of whom must be members of the Graduate Faculty as described in the Graduate Faculty section of this catalog. The majority of committee members serving on a graduate student oral examination committee in most cases are in the candidate’s department/program of study.

The examination is held during the semester of the student’s final enrollment in coursework. The thesis defense should be held when the thesis has been substantially completed and is held normally during the student's final semester of enrollment. If defending a thesis, the student must be enrolled in a minimum of one hour of thesis the semester the student defends the thesis.

When a M.A. or M.S. student is in their final semester, the degree program requests the Office of Graduate Studies approve the scheduling of the final general exam, thesis, or project defense via the Progress to Degree system. The degree program should ascertain that the student is in good academic standing (3.0 or higher cumulative grade-point average) before scheduling the examination or defense. The Progress to Degree request must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the examination date. The Office of Graduate Studies verifies that criteria described in the preceding paragraphs have been met upon receiving a Progress to Degree form requesting the scheduling of the general exam, thesis defense, or project defense. If the criteria have been met, Graduate Studies approves the request to proceed.

For every scheduled examination, thesis defense or project defense, the degree program reports on the Progress to Degree form an examination result of Honors, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory. Use of the Honors designation is at the program's discretion. If the aspirant receives a result of Unsatisfactory, it may be repeated upon the recommendation from the program/department.

A student's general exam, thesis defense, or project defense can be held in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format.  In cases where the student prefers an examination in which all committee members are physically present, the student's preference shall be honored.

A request for substitution of any members of the committee once approved by Graduate Studies through the Progress to Degree system must be approved by Graduate Studies in advance of the exam.

In the case of failure of technology during the examination, all members of the committee present must concur that the examination was substantially complete. If any member of the committee dissents, the examination is considered cancelled and must be rescheduled. The committee members at remote locations must be contacted to submit their decision concerning the assessment of the examination before the exam results are recorded.

The Office of Graduate Studies will manage consideration of and decisions on exceptions to the exam policy outlined above. Requests for exceptions to this policy shall be submitted in writing to the Dean of Graduate Studies. If exceptions are granted, Graduate Studies will request that a member of the departmental leadership (the department chair or graduate director) be present at the examination.

M.A. and M.S. Thesis Submission

Formatting requirements and instructions for the proper format of the thesis are included on the Graduate Studies website. The student must be the author of the thesis, and every publication from it must indicate that authorship. Practices vary among disciplines, and even among scholars in a given field, as to whether the mentor’s name may appear as a co-author and whether as senior or junior, on subsequent publication of the thesis (usually revised), or on articles prepared from it. Clear understandings in individual cases are expected to be established during the apprenticeship period, when the ethical practices in publication are addressed within the program’s professional development training. 

When the thesis defense has been passed and all requested changes have been made to the thesis, the student arranges for the thesis committee chair (or co-chairs) to review changes and approve the final thesis on behalf of the thesis committee, the committee chair then sends the thesis to the program’s Graduate Director for review and approval. When the Graduate Director has determined the thesis meets program requirements and is formatted correctly for publishing by ProQuest, they send approval on behalf of the program via email to the Office of Graduate Studies.  At that time, the date of the Graduate Director’s approval is entered by the student on the student’s acceptance page in their thesis prior to uploading to ProQuest.

The student is then required to arrange publication of the thesis through ProQuest and payment of all associated fees (including copyright fee if applicable), through the electronic submission process detailed on the Graduate Studies website.

A form regarding publication permissions and embargo preferences is one of the required documents that is submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies following successful defense of the thesis. Theses will be made available through ProQuest and KU ScholarWorks unless there is an embargo in place or special circumstances pertain as outlined in the Embargo of Theses and Dissertations policy in the Regulations section of this catalog.

Doctoral Degree Programs

KU Medical Center campus with oversight from the Office of Graduate Studies offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in several specific disciplines and offers eight clinical doctorate degree programs. General descriptions for each of the doctoral degrees offered are given here in succinct form to provide convenient comparison of the degrees. Detailed information about requirements for each degree as it is offered in specific disciplines should be obtained from the appropriate academic program pages in this catalog. Note: The School of Medicine also offers the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree which is administered by the School of Medicine.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is the highest degree offered by the university. It is awarded for mastering a field of scholarship, for learning the methods of investigation appropriate to that field, and for completing a substantial piece of original research. In addition to preparing research specialists, the process of earning a Ph.D. shares certain goals with liberal education: putting order into human experience; fostering a love of learning for its own sake; instilling respect for human values; integrating various human powers into a process of creation; and making vital, in many fields at least, a sense of history.

Although the courses and research leading to the Ph.D. are necessarily specialized, the attainment of this degree should not be an isolated event in the enterprise of learning. The Ph.D. aspirant is expected to be a well-educated person with a broad base of general knowledge, not only as preparation for more advanced work but also as a means of knowing how the chosen specialty is related to other fields of human thought.

To give depth and breadth to their doctoral programs, many departments require some work in a minor field or at least an articulated selection of courses. Because of the diversity of the fields in which the Ph.D. is offered, and the variety of needs and interests of individual students, the degree does not have a specific requirement for a minor. However, the Ph.D. aspirant is encouraged to plan an integrated program, under departmental direction, that includes courses outside the major field.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is offered by programs in specific disciplines by the Schools of Health Professions, Medicine, and Nursing, Admission and degree requirements are listed under the individual programs in each school of this online catalog.

CLINICAL DOCTORATES:

Clinical Doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology (S.L.P.D.)

The Clinical Doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology (S.L.P.D.) program is intended for individuals who have completed a Master of Speech-Language Pathology degree and have entered clinical practice. The program prepares the student at the doctoral level to meet the demands of complex clinical practice. This degree program is offered by the KU School of Health Professions. Admission and degree requirements are listed under Communicative Disorders: Intercampus Program of this online catalog.

DOCTORATE IN CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCES (D.C.L.S.)

The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science is an advanced-practice degree for actively practicing, currently ASCP-certified, medical laboratory scientists. It is designed for those interested in increasing practical and theoretical knowledge of clinical laboratory science, advancing in the profession, and positively impacting the current health care system. This degree program is offered by the KU School of Health Professions. Admission and degree requirements are listed in the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences section of this online catalog.

Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.)

The Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program prepares the student to enter clinical practice as an audiologist. The program produces professionals skilled in providing diagnostic, rehabilitative, and related services in the fields of sound, balance, and hearing sciences. There is an emphasis on the clinical learning experience, although research is also a significant component of the program. This degree program is offered by the KU School of Health Professions. Admission and degree requirements are listed under Communicative Disorders: Intercampus Program of this online catalog.

Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (D.C.N.)

The Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN) program is designed for students who are registered dietitians with a Master’s degree and currently working in the field of nutrition and dietetics. The program produces advanced practice nutrition professionals who are prepared for leadership roles in clinical nutrition or higher education settings. This degree program is offered by the KU School of Health Professions. Admission and degree requirements are listed in the Doctor of Clinical Nutrition section of this online catalog.

Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (D.N.A.P.)

The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (D.N.A.P.) degree program prepares the registered nurse to become a nurse anesthesia practitioner with the capability to deliver competent nurse anesthesia services, engage in research, and assume leadership roles in the profession. Students receive extensive education in both the academic and clinical components of nurse anesthesia. Students learn to administer anesthesia to all patient populations in a variety of clinical settings using all current anesthesia techniques. Graduates are prepared to take the national certification examination required to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. This degree program is offered by the KU School of Health Professions. Admission and degree requirements are listed in the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice section of this online catalog.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) prepares advanced practice nurses at the highest level of nursing practice. The D.N.P. offers sophisticated, cutting-edge experiences that help nurses actively engage in a complex, dynamic, and demanding health care field. Skills in collaboration, innovation, and evaluation, complemented by advanced practice skills, prepare nurses to share the future of health care. Students preparing for advanced practice roles learn to provide patient-centered care that is evidence-based, and contribute to the development of the highest level of evidence-based practice. Students preparing for indirect care roles learn to provide the highest level of leadership in a variety of care and educational settings. This degree program is offered by the KU School of Nursing. Admission and degree requirements are listed in the Doctor of Nursing Practice section of this online catalog.

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.)

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.) program of study is intended for occupational therapists who have either a bachelor's degree or a Master of Occupational Therapy degree and wish to upgrade their knowledge and skills to the doctoral level to meet the increasing demands of complex practice issues. There are two tracks of the O.T.D., which are entry-level and post-professional. This degree program is offered by the KU School of Health Professions. Admission and degree requirements for the two tracks are listed in the Occupational Therapy section of this online catalog.

Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree program is designed for individuals pursuing careers in physical therapy. The program prepares a physical therapy practitioner with the skills for lifelong professional development. This degree program is offered by the KU School of Health Professions. Admission and degree requirements are listed in the Doctor of Physical Therapy section of this online catalog.

Clinical Doctorate Degree Requirements

The following sections list the general and common requirements for doctoral degrees. Specific degree requirements, including requirements for the clinical doctoral degrees, set by specific departments, programs, and schools appear in the sections of the catalog devoted to those units.

Maximum Tenure for Doctoral Programs

After being admitted to doctoral programs at KU, students complete all degree requirements in 8 years. The Office of Graduate Studies has authority to grant a 1-year extension based on a program's written recommendation, which should include compelling circumstances for the extension. Students who complete the master’s degree at KU and subsequently begin doctoral studies have a maximum total time of 10 years from the first semester of enrollment to complete both degrees. Normal expectations, however, are that most master’s degrees (excluding some professional terminal degrees) should be completed in 2 years of full-time study, and both master’s and doctorate in 6 years of full-time study. Some graduate degree programs may have more stringent time restrictions. Students should inquire about the policy in effect in the department in which they plan to study.

Doctoral Enrollment Requirement

All graduate students enrolled in doctoral graduate programs must be enrolled the semester they complete doctoral degree requirements. Doctoral students who complete degree requirements during the first week of summer session or within the first 2 weeks of the fall or spring semester are not required to be enrolled for that term unless they were not enrolled during the previous semester. See the current Graduate Studies Calendar for deadlines for specific semesters.

Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship

All doctoral students must meet this requirement before proceeding to comprehensive exams. The requirement must include at least 2 components:

1. Every doctoral student is required to have training in responsible scholarship pertinent to the field of research.

2. Every doctoral student is required to obtain research skills pertinent to the doctoral level of research in their field(s).

Procedure

All doctoral programs must have a research skills and responsible scholarship requirement plan approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. Students meet this requirement as determined by the approved plan for their program. It is the responsibility of the program to report when the student completed the requirement and how the requirement was met.

No course graded CR or NC can count toward the satisfaction of the requirements for a graduate degree. This prohibition includes any courses taken to meet the Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement.

It is the purview of the department or program to determine the necessary topics in training doctoral students in the areas of responsible scholarship. Such topics may include:

Protection of human subjects

Welfare of laboratory animals

Conflicts of interest

Data management

Mentor/student responsibilities

Collaborative research

Authorship, publication, plagiarism, copyright

Peer review

Professional practices

Maintenance of confidentiality

Appropriate research conduct and research misconduct

It is also the purview of the department or program to determine the research skills necessary to perform doctoral level research. Research skills may include:

Knowledge of language(s) significant to the field

Research methodology

Methods of qualitative and quantitative data analysis

Computer programming necessary for the field

Laboratory skills and techniques necessary for the discipline

Note: These lists serve as guides; additional appropriate topics may exist.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree Requirements

This section lists KU regulations common to the administration of all doctoral Ph.D. programs. The particular application, interpretation, or method of implementation of such a common element for individual degree programs and departments is, in certain cases, left to the faculty of the department or the degree program (e.g., Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement).  Additional requirements specific to each degree, along with variations permitting each student to achieve particular academic goals, are listed in the section of this catalog for the school through which the degree program is offered.

1.  Admission

Upon admission to a Ph.D. program, the student is known as an aspirant for the degree and remains so designated until successful completion of the comprehensive oral examination. After passing that examination, the student is designated a candidate for the degree until successful defense and submission of the finished dissertation.

2. Program Time Constraints

Minimum Tenure

The student must spend 3 full academic years, or the bona fide equivalent thereof, in resident study at this or some other approved university, including the time spent in attaining the master’s degree. Resident study at less than full time requires a correspondingly longer period, but the requirement is not measured merely in hours of enrollment. Because a minimum number of hours for the degree is not prescribed, no transfer of credit is appropriate. However, graduate degree programs take relevant prior graduate work into consideration in setting up programs of study leading to the doctorate.

Residence Requirement

Two semesters, which may include one summer session, must be spent in resident study at KU. For the two specific semesters counted towards meeting this requirement, the student must be involved full time in academic or professional pursuits, such as a GTA or GRA appointment for teaching or research if it is directed specifically toward degree objectives. Enrollment in approved distance-learning courses offered through KU cannot be used to meet the doctoral residence requirement.

Full-time enrollment for a graduate student is 9 hours for fall or spring semesters and 6 hours for the summer semester. For semesters in which a student holds a GTA or GRA appointment, full-time enrollment is 6 hours for fall or spring semesters and 3 hours for the summer semester. The residence requirement must be met prior to the semester the Comprehensive Oral Examination is scheduled. It is the responsibility of the academic program to report the two semesters that will satisfy the residency requirement via the Progress to Degree form requesting approval to schedule the Comprehensive Oral Examination.

Note: Those noted above are minimum residence requirements. Please check with the individual program for any additional requirements.

Maximum Tenure

After being admitted to doctoral programs at KU, students must complete all degree requirements in 8 years. In cases in which compelling circumstances recommend a 1-year extension, Graduate Studies has authority to grant the extension on the written advice of the department and dissertation committee. Students who complete the master’s degree at KU and subsequently begin doctoral studies have a maximum total time of 10 years from the first semester of enrollment to complete both degrees. Normal expectations, however, are that most master’s degrees (excluding some professional terminal degrees) should be completed in 2 years of full-time study, and both master’s and doctorate in 6 years of full-time study. Some graduate degree programs may have more stringent time restrictions. Students should inquire about the policy that is in effect in the department in which they plan to study.

A student in any of the above categories may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies through the program for a leave of absence during either the pre- or post-comprehensive period to pursue full-time professional activities related to the doctoral program and long-range professional goals. Leaves of absence also may be granted because of illness or other emergency. Ordinarily a leave of absence is granted for 1 year, with the possibility of extension upon request. After an absence of 5 years, however, a doctoral aspirant or candidate loses status as such and must apply for readmission to the program.

3. Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship

All doctoral students must meet this requirement before proceeding to comprehensive exams. The requirement must include at least 2 components:

1. Every doctoral student is required to have training in responsible scholarship pertinent to the field of research.

2. Every doctoral student is required to obtain research skills pertinent to the doctoral level of research in their field(s).

Procedure

All doctoral programs must have a research skills and responsible scholarship requirement plan approved by the Graduate Studies Office. Students meet this requirement as determined by the approved plan for their program. The approved plan for meeting this requirement is included in the Degree Requirements section of this catalog for each Ph.D. program offered. It is the responsibility of the program to report when the student completed the requirement and how the requirement was met via the Progress to Degree form requesting approval to schedule the Comprehensive Oral Examination.

No course graded CR or NC can count toward the satisfaction of the requirements for a graduate degree. This prohibition includes any courses taken to meet the Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement.

It is the purview of the department or program to determine the necessary topics in training doctoral students in the areas of responsible scholarship. Such topics may include:

Protection of human subjects

Welfare of laboratory animals

Conflicts of interest

Data management

Mentor/student responsibilities

Collaborative research

Authorship, publication, plagiarism, copyright

Peer review

Professional practices

Maintenance of confidentiality

Appropriate research conduct and research misconduct

It is also the purview of the department or program to determine the research skills necessary to perform doctoral level research. Research skills may include:

Knowledge of language(s) significant to the field

Research methodology

Methods of qualitative and quantitative data analysis

Computer programming necessary for the field

Laboratory skills and techniques necessary for the discipline

Note: These lists serve only as guides; additional appropriate topics may exist.

4. Comprehensive Oral Examination

The comprehensive oral examination covers the major field and any extra departmental work for which the program wishes to hold the aspirant responsible. When a doctoral aspirant has completed the major portion of the coursework at a level satisfactory to the graduate degree program and met all other program and general requirements prerequisite to the comprehensive oral examination, including the residence requirement and the research skills and responsible research requirement as appropriately applied and established for the student’s particular program, the degree program requests the Office of Graduate Studies approve the scheduling of the comprehensive oral examination via the Progress to Degree system. The degree program should ascertain that the student is in good academic standing (3.0 or higher grade-point average) before scheduling the examination. The examination may be scheduled provided that at least 5 months have elapsed from the time of the aspirant’s first enrollment at KU and at least 90 days have elapsed since any unsuccessful attempt. The examination request must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the examination date.

The committee for the comprehensive oral examination must consist of at least five members, all of whom must be members of the Graduate Faculty as described in the Graduate Faculty section of this catalog. The majority of committee members serving on a graduate student oral examination committee in most cases are in the candidate’s department/program of study. The chair of the committee must hold dissertation status. If the committee has co-chairs, at least one of the co-chairs must hold dissertation status. At least one member of the committee must be from a program other than the aspirant’s major program. This outside committee member represents the Office of Graduate Studies and must hold either regular or dissertation graduate faculty status to be eligible to serve in this capacity. Before the examination, Graduate Studies provides the outside committee member a list of responsibilities as the Graduate Studies representative. The Graduate Studies representative is a voting member of the committee, has full right to participate in the examination, and reports any unsatisfactory or irregular aspects of the examination to the Office of Graduate Studies and its Dean.

The Office of Graduate Studies verifies that all criteria described in the preceding paragraphs have been met upon receiving a Progress to Degree form requesting the scheduling of the oral comprehensive exam. If the criteria have been met, Graduate Studies approves the request to proceed with the exam.

For every scheduled examination, the degree program reports on the Progress to Degree form an examination result of Honors, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory. Use of the Honors designation is at the program's discretion. If the aspirant receives a result of Unsatisfactory on the comprehensive oral examination, it may be repeated on the recommendation of the program, but under no circumstances may it be taken more than 3 times. In any case, the examination may not be repeated until at least 90 days have elapsed since the last unsuccessful attempt.

A student may be examined in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format.  In cases where the student prefers an examination in which all committee members are physically present, the student's preference shall be honored.

A request for substitution of any members of the committee once approved by Graduate Studies through the Progress to Degree system must be approved by Graduate Studies in advance of the exam.

In the case of failure of technology during the examination, all members of the committee present must concur that the examination was substantially complete. If any member of the committee dissents, the examination is considered cancelled and must be rescheduled. The committee members at remote locations must be contacted to submit their decision concerning the assessment of the examination before the exam results are recorded.

The Office of Graduate Studies will manage consideration of and decisions on exceptions to the exam policy outlined above. Requests for exceptions to this policy shall be submitted as a petition to the Dean of Graduate Studies. If exceptions are granted, Graduate Studies will request that a member of the departmental leadership (the department chair or graduate director) be present at the examination.

5. Candidacy

Upon passing the comprehensive oral examination, the aspirant becomes a candidate for the doctorate. If it has not begun before, the traditional, close student-mentor apprenticeship relationship comes into being. The student is expected to learn by both precept and example of the mentor, and often in collaboration. The chosen field of scholarship is explored using acquired research tools. The principles and customs of academic inquiry and the codes of ethics traditional to the various disciplines and professional fields become part of the student’s thinking and working.

6. Post-Comprehensive Enrollment

Doctoral candidates are required, after passing the comprehensive oral examination, to be continuously enrolled in one or more hours that both moves the student towards degree completion and reflects, as accurately as possible, the candidate's demands on faculty time and university facilities. 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 and 3 hours a summer session.

Post-comprehensive enrollment may include enrollment during the semester in which the comprehensive oral examination has been passed. If after 18 hours of post-comprehensive enrollment the degree is not completed, the candidate must continue to enroll each semester until all degree requirements have been met. The number of hours at this stage may be as little as one hour a semester. The number of hours of enrollment is determined by the candidate’s advisor and must reflect as accurately as possible the candidate’s demands on faculty time and university facilities.

7. Dissertation

The candidate must present a dissertation showing the planning, conduct, and results of original research and scholarly creativity. The purpose of the dissertation is to encourage and ensure the development of broad intellectual capabilities as well as to demonstrate an intensive focus on a problem or research area. The dissertation itself should be an evident product of the candidate’s growth and attainment of the ability to identify significant problems; organize, analyze, and communicate scholarly results; and bring to bear on a useful area of interest a variety of research skills and scholarly or creative processes. It must show some original accomplishment, but it should also demonstrate without doubt the candidate’s potential to make future contributions to knowledge and understanding.

The dissertation is to be a coherent scholarly work, not a collage of separate, distinct pieces. Its unity of theme and treatment may still accommodate several subtopics by demonstrating their relationships and interactions. If previously published material by other authors is included in the dissertation, it must be quoted and documented appropriately. It should be noted that prior publication does not guarantee acceptance of the dissertation by the dissertation committee. Final acceptance of the dissertation is subject to the approval of the dissertation committee. The dissertation—or one or more substantial portions of it, often rewritten—is expected to be publishable and subsequently published (see the Dissertation Submission and Publication section).

Both the dissertation research and the dissertation itself are to be completed under the guidance and direction of the dissertation committee. Formatting requirements and instructions for the proper format of the dissertation are available on the Graduate Studies website. Candidates and faculty members are reminded that the dissertation is to be a coherent, logically organized scholarly document. Because the demands and practices of different disciplines are varied, the format is somewhat flexibly described, and moderate departures from the norm are allowed when justified by the nature of the work or the circumstances of presentation. Any substantial divergences must be approved in advance as prescribed by the instructions, and candidates and faculty members are urged to seek early approval to avoid last-minute disappointments over unacceptable format or reproduction.

8. Final Oral Examination (dissertation defense)

Completion of the dissertation is the culminating academic phase of a doctoral program. This phase is comprised of 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 (dissertation defense). When the completed dissertation has been accepted by the committee in final draft form, and all other degree requirements have been satisfied as outlined in the program's degree requirements section of this catalog, the candidate's program requests that Graduate Studies approve the scheduling of the final oral examination via the Progress to Degree form. This request must be made at least 3 weeks prior to the desired examination to allow sufficient time to publicize the examination so that interested members of the university community may attend.

At least 5 months must elapse between the successful completion of the comprehensive oral examination and the date of the final oral examination. Under normal circumstances, the doctoral candidacy period between passage of the oral comprehensive examination and the final dissertation defense must last no longer than 5 years. If a student took the oral comprehensive examination more than 5 years prior to the dissertation defense, a re-evaluation of the student’s candidacy status is necessary. Re-evaluation of the student’s candidacy status could include retaking the comprehensive oral examination.

The committee for the final oral examination must consist of at least five members, all of whom must be members of the Graduate Faculty as described in the Graduate Faculty section of this catalog. In most cases, the majority of committee members serving on a graduate student oral examination committee are in the candidate’s department/program of study. The chair of the committee must hold dissertation status. If the committee has co-chairs, at least one of the co-chairs must hold dissertation status. At least one member of the committee must be from a program other than the aspirant’s major progam. This outside committee member represents the Office of Graduate Studies and must hold either regular or dissertation graduate faculty status to be eligible to serve in this capacity. Before the examination, Graduate Studies provides the outside committee member a list of responsibilities as the Graduate Studies representative. The Graduate Studies representative is a voting member of the committee, has full right to participate in the examination, and reports any unsatisfactory or irregular aspects of the examination to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

The dissertation defense should be held when the dissertation has been substantially completed and is held normally during the student's final semester of enrollment. The student must be enrolled in a minimum of 1 hour of dissertation the semester the student defends the dissertation. Doctoral students who complete degree requirements during the first week of summer session or within the first 2 weeks of the fall or spring semester are not required to be enrolled for that term unless they were not enrolled during the previous semester. See the current Graduate Studies Calendar for deadlines for specific semesters.

The Office of Graduate Studies verifies that all criteria described in the preceding paragraphs have been met upon receiving a Progress to Degree form requesting the scheduling of the final oral examination.  If the criteria have been met, Graduate Studies approves the request to proceed with the exam.

For every scheduled examination, the degree program reports on the Progress to Degree form an examination result of Honors, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory. Use of the Honors designation is at the program's discretion. If an Unsatisfactory result is reported, the candidate may be allowed to repeat the examination on the recommendation of the program/department.

Ideally, all members of the committee are physically present for the examination. A majority of committee members must be physically present for an examination to commence; for doctoral oral examinations the requirement is 3 of the 5 members.

In addition, it is required that the student being examined, the chair (or co-chairs) of the committee, and the outside committee member all be physically present at the examination or defense. Mediated attendance by the student or chair (or co-chairs) is prohibited. When a situation arises in which a member cannot be physically present, attendance via mediated means (tele/video-conferencing) is acceptable at the discretion of the committee chair (or co-chairs). In cases where the student prefers an examination in which all committee members are physically present, the student's preference shall be honored.

A request for substitution of any members of the committee once approved by Graduate Studies through the Progress to Degree system must be approved by Graduate Studies in advance of the exam.

In the case of failure of technology during the examination, all members of the committee present must concur that the examination was substantially complete. If any member of the committee dissents, the examination is considered cancelled and must be rescheduled. The committee members at remote locations must be contacted to submit their decision concerning the assessment of the examination before the exam results are recorded.

The Office of Graduate Studies will manage consideration of and decisions on exceptions to the exam policy outlined above. Requests for exceptions to this policy shall be submitted in writing to the Dean of Graduate Studies. If exceptions are granted, Graduate Studies will request that a member of the departmental leadership (the department chair or graduate director) be present at the examination.

9. Dissertation Submission and Publication

Formatting requirements and instructions for the proper format of the dissertation are included on the Graduate Studies website. The student must be the author of the dissertation, and every publication from it must indicate that authorship. Practices vary among disciplines, and even among scholars in a given field, as to whether the mentor’s name may appear as a co-author and whether as senior or junior, on subsequent publication of the dissertation (usually revised), or on articles prepared from it. Clear understandings in individual cases are expected to be established during the apprenticeship period, when the ethical practices in publication are addressed within the program’s professional development training.

When the student has passed the final oral examination and all requested changes have been made to the dissertation, the student arranges for the dissertation committee chair (or co-chairs) to review changes and approve the final dissertation on behalf of the dissertation committee, The committee chair then sends the dissertation to the program’s Graduate Director for review and approval. When the Graduate Director has determined the dissertation meets program requirements and is formatted correctly for publishing by ProQuest, they send approval on behalf of the program via email to the Office of Graduate Studies.  At that time, the date of the Graduate Director’s approval is entered by the student on the student’s acceptance page in their dissertation prior to uploading to ProQuest.

The student is then required to arrange publication with ProQuest of the dissertation and payment of all associated fees (including copyright fee, if applicable), through the electronic submission process detailed on the Graduate Studies website. 

A form regarding publication permissions and embargo preferences is one of the required documents that is submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies following successful defense of the dissertation. Dissertations will be made available through ProQuest and KU ScholarWorks unless there is an embargo in place or special circumstances pertain as outlined in the Embargo of Theses and Dissertations policy in the Regulations section of this catalog. 

M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. with a Major in Interdisciplinary Studies

Only superior students admitted and enrolled in a graduate program at KU whose proposed studies require direction not available in any single department are considered for admission to an Interdisciplinary Studies program. Before seeking acceptance, an applicant must assemble a graduate faculty advisory committee headed by a faculty member authorized to direct master’s research (for M.A. or M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies), doctoral research and dissertations (for Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies). The applicant, in conjunction with the committee, must prepare a proposal for the course of study. The proposal must provide a rationale for the particular mix of disciplines, demonstrating how each contributes to a central theme or focus. It must also show that the proposed program cannot be achieved through an established master’s or doctoral program at KU.

The student seeking to enter the Interdisciplinary Studies program must have an outstanding academic record (a grade-point average of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale for graduate courses or a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate courses if no graduate courses have been taken) and must be admitted to and enrolled in a graduate program at KU at the time of application. A graduate student who has failed to maintain the required grade-point average is not eligible for the Interdisciplinary Studies program. A student is not eligible for this program if he or she has tried and failed to achieve candidacy in a regular graduate department or program at KU.

The student is expected to assume the initiative in determining his or her potential eligibility through consultation with graduate advisors, and if deemed eligible, in forming an advisory committee and preparing documentation to support the application.

Preadmission Procedures

To enter the program, a student should

1. Determine that KU offers courses and research in the areas appropriate to their interest(s).

2. Prepare a tentative study plan based on those offerings to serve as a basis for initial discussion.

3. Approach a professor whose interests are comparable to those of the student and request that he or she acts as advisor. Normally this professor is a faculty member of the program of principal interest to the student. To grant an M.A. or M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, it is essential that the school has the authority to grant master’s degrees. To grant a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, it is essential that the school has the authority to grant doctoral degrees. The selected professor must be a full member of the graduate faculty and authorized to chair doctoral dissertation committees for Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies.

4. After a professor agrees to serve as an advisor, the student should assemble an advisory committee of at least 3 additional professors representing the disciplines covered in the Interdisciplinary program. At least 2 disciplines or departments must be represented.

5. In conjunction with the advisor and the committee, the student prepares a proposal for study, including

   • A statement, with supporting documentation, that the proposed Interdisciplinary Studies program cannot be accomplished through established programs.

   • A statement of the interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary nature of the proposed area of study.

   • A definition of the field of study incorporating, including consistent descriptions of the contribution each discipline makes to the broader field.

   • An outline of the course of study, indicating substantive work in the fields represented. Readings courses and independent study do not substitute for regular courses.

   • A description of the method for satisfying research skills and responsible scholarship requirements.

   • A description of the comprehensive examination procedures for the Ph.D. (nature of the examinations and possible examining committee) or final examination for the M.A./M.S.

   • A description, to the extent possible, of the nature of the field in which a dissertation or master’s thesis might be written, indicating the respective contributions of the selected disciplines to the final product.

   • The following attachments:

     1. complete transcripts of all previous work.

     2. a cover sheet, signed by committee members, indicating their support of the proposal.

     3. letters of recommendation and other appropriate supporting documents.

Note: The diploma indicates the degree awarded as "M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies," "M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies," or "Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies," and does not specify the area of specialization. The transcript notes the area of specialization as determined by the admissions committee.

Admission and Review Procedure

Upon completion of the above, the student must submit the application for admission into the Interdisciplinary Studies program to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Dean of Graduate Studies appoints an admission committee consisting of (a) the associate dean’s designee for the school most involved in the interdisciplinary undertaking (the school in which the major advisor resides), (b) 2 or more doctoral chairing faculty members from unrelated fields, including at least 1 member of the Graduate Council, and (c) the chair or the graduate director of the department in which the student resides at the time of application. The Dean of Graduate Studies serves as ex-officio chair of the Interdisciplinary Studies admissions committee. The committee reviews the documents and may, if necessary, interview the student and the advisor for clarification and additional information or to discuss suggested revisions to the proposal.

Approved Program Implementation

Upon acceptance of the proposal and admission to the Interdisciplinary Studies program, the student is admitted to the school of the major advisor to facilitate record keeping and to provide a central administrative office. The associate dean or director of graduate studies of that school must enroll the student and monitor the program, and along with the major advisor, must make annual reports to Graduate Studies on the student’s progress. These reports are distributed to the directors of other involved programs along with a request to supply any additional information regarding the student’s performance. Proposals for major deviations from the approved course of study must be submitted for review by Graduate Studies and by the school in which the student resides. It is understood that no additional requirements unique to traditional graduate programs of the school(s) or departments may be imposed unless stated explicitly in the approved study plan.

Once approved, changes to the program plan must be approved by a Graduate Studies committee, appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Significant curricular changes may require a new proposal and admissions process.

All basic rules and requirements for the Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees apply to Interdisciplinary Studies programs. These include program time constraints, residence requirement, post-comprehensive enrollment, final examinations, research skills and responsible scholarship requirements, thesis or dissertation submission and publication, grade-point average, etc. (See Master’s Degree Requirements and Doctoral Degree Requirements in this section of the online catalog.)

Combined Degrees

Combined degrees are granted in programs meeting the requirements of the graduate master’s or doctoral degree and the professional post-baccalaureate degree.

Combined Medical and Master’s Degrees

Graduate students in the basic medical science departments in the School of Medicine are primarily enrolled in graduate programs. Outstanding medical students, however, are allowed to participate in work leading jointly to the M.D. degree and a graduate degree. A student admitted to both academic programs may enroll concurrently in courses in the respective programs, provided the regular medical course load is reduced to compensate for the added graduate work. The student should discuss concurrent enrollment with the department chair or graduate advisor of the master’s degree program; departmental policies vary. All requirements for the degrees must be met, but within these limitations, superior students may be able to complete the joint degree program in less time than the total required for the 2 degrees to be earned separately. For the master’s degree, a student must complete graduate work equivalent to at least 1 academic year in addition to the time spent on the medical curriculum.

Combined Medical and Doctoral Degrees

Outstanding students who are accepted into the M.D.-Ph.D. Physician Scientist Training Program will work toward the completion of the M.D. and the Ph.D. degrees.  All the requirements for the respective degrees must be met. The joint degree requirements and application information for the joint M.D.-Ph.D. Physician Scientist Training Program are described in that program's section of this catalog.

GTA Minimum English Requirement

All applicants for graduate teaching assistantships whose first language is not English, including international students and U.S. residents or citizens, must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Score a minimum of 22 on the spoken English portion of the TOEFL iBT.
2. Score a minimum of 8 on the spoken English portion of the IELTS.
3. Score a minimum of 50 on the SPEAK administered by the Office of International Programs on the Medical Center campus.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS (GA)

Graduate Assistants are salaried student employees who hold a position that furthers the professional and/or academic development of the graduate student. The duties performed are professional in nature and under the direct supervision of faculty, academic professionals, or administrators.  Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, administrative and professional internships. The Dean of Graduate Studies must approve GA appointments. [Note: Graduate Assistant positions are a distinct category of graduate student support. This category does not include Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Teaching Assistants, or student-hourly positions held by graduate students.]  A limited number of Graduate Assistantships (GA) are available.   Graduate Assistantship policy is administered on the Medical Center campus by the Office of Graduate Studies. 

GA Eligibility 
The following eligibility requirements govern all Graduate Assistant (GA) appointments at the Medical Center campus:

1. During the semester of appointment, the GA is admitted to and enrolled in a graduate degree program offered by the Medical Center campus. 
2. During the semester of appointment, the GA is enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours per fall and spring semester.  See "Enrollment Exceptions" in section following this list.
3. During the semester of appointment, the GA must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree, as determined by Graduate Studies and the department in which the student is enrolled. [Note: A graduate student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing. However, if a program judges that a graduate student whose GPA falls below 3.0 is nonetheless making satisfactory progress, the program may recommend to the Dean of Graduate Studies that the student be allowed to continue with the GA appointment.]
4. A student completing their graduate degree may not continue in a GA appointment after the graduation date.

GA ENROLLMENT EXCEPTION

A Ph.D. student appointed as a GA, who has successfully completed the doctoral comprehensive examination and 18 post-comprehensive credit hours, may request approval to reduce enrollment below the GA minimum enrollment requirement. The request form is located on the Graduate Studies website and is subject to approval by the academic department and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

GA HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFIT

A graduate student who has a GA appointment of at least .50 FTE for a given semester is eligible to participate in a health care benefits plan for that semester, for which the University provides a contribution. The health care benefits plan is the same plan that is available to all students, but a portion of the premium is paid by the University if the student appointed as a .50 FTE GTA/GRA/GA selects the GTA,GRA,GA plan. The health insurance information is available from the Student Health Insurance Office in Student Affairs.

GA RESIGNATION OR TERMINATION

If a GA resigns or abandons the position or the appointment is terminated before working a minimum of 6 pay-periods during the semester, the student will lose eligibility for in-state (resident) tuition rates and, if a non-resident, will be required to pay non-resident tuition for that semester.

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar with the official university calendar dates is maintained by the Office of the Registrar and is available online. Many of the Medical Center campus programs have different starting and ending dates, so check with your academic program for more detailed information. 

The Graduate Studies Calendar indicates graduation deadlines related to master's and doctoral examination dates and the submission of theses and dissertations. The calendar is maintained by Graduate Studies and is available online.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct by a student shall include but not be limited to: cheating on examinations whether by a student on his/her own behalf or by giving to another student or receiving from another student unauthorized aid on examinations; giving or receiving of unauthorized aid in the preparation of notebooks, themes, reports, or other types of assignments, or in the preparation of master's theses and/or doctoral dissertations; or knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work, falsification of research results, plagiarizing of another's work, violation of regulations, ethical or professional codes for the treatment of humans and animals, or otherwise acting dishonestly.

Guidelines for Alleged Misconduct

The following information shall serve as guidelines for dealing with situations where inappropriate deviations from these accepted standards of conduct by a graduate student are alleged to have occurred. All questions concerning these guidelines should be directed to the Dean of Graduate Studies or his/her designee.

I.  Expectations for Conduct by a Graduate Student

One goal shared by the graduate programs at the University of Kansas Medical Center is to provide a seminal educational environment in which a student can master a special field of knowledge and strive to develop competence in independent scholarship and research to make original contributions to knowledge. In achieving that goal, there is an expectation by the University of Kansas Medical Center that the graduate faculty and their students will conduct themselves with high integrity and professional ethics. Such conduct by a graduate student must include adherence to the written and observed or taught guidelines for ethical standards of the profession for which the student is seeking to enter. A graduate student is responsible for informing himself/ herself about these requirements and expectations of conduct as well as seeking answers to his/ her own questions about what constitutes misconduct. Potential sources for this information include the:

A.  Director of the Graduate Program and the faculty members of the department in which the graduate student has entered;

B.  Student Handbook or a similar document prepared by the student's academic program, department, and/or school;

C.  the University of Kansas Medical Center "Behavioral Standards in Patient Care."

II.  Decisions by a Faculty Member Relative to Academic Misconduct

A.  Not to Make a Recommendation for an Investigative Hearing: A faculty member (acting as an instructor or assistant in a course, or a graduate student's advisor or mentor for his/her research and/or academic program, etc.) may decide not to recommend an investigative hearing, as outlined in these guidelines, for what he/she believes is academic misconduct by a student. The faculty member thus may treat as unsatisfactory any student work which he/she believes is a product of academic misconduct and impose a sanction(s) appropriate to the traditionally accepted realm of authority or jurisdiction of the faculty member. Any action by the faculty member shall be with due written notice to the student.

B.  Make a Recommendation for an Investigative Hearing: The Faculty Member may decide to recommend to his/her Chairperson:

1.  that an investigative hearing be held for the alleged occurrence of academic misconduct, and/or

2.  imposing a sanction that is outside of the traditionally accepted realm of authority or jurisdiction of the Faculty Member. Hence, the Faculty Member initiates the procedures in Section IV.

III.  Procedural Information for and Investigative Hearing Process

A.  Definitions of Terms Hereafter Applied in these Guidelines

1.  "The Faculty Member" is the faculty member initiating an allegation of academic misconduct by a student.

2.  "The Student" is the graduate student identified by the Faculty Member as the subject of the alleged act(s) of academic misconduct.

3.  The "Involved Department" is the department, center, or functional unit in which the act(s) of academic misconduct allegedly occurred by the student.

4. The "Chairperson" is the Chairperson of the involved department in which the act(s) of academic misconduct allegedly occurred by the student and is the next higher administrative officer to whom the Faculty Member sends the initial report about an allegation of academic misconduct.

a. "Dean of the School of Nursing" replaces the designation of "Chairperson" hereafter throughout these Guidelines for Dealing With Alleged Misconduct by a Graduate Student as the appropriate administrative officer to whom faculty members in the School of Nursing shall forward any report or recommendation, if the alleged act occurred in this School.

b. Possible Conflicts of Interest:

i. If the Faculty Member perceives that there may be a conflict of interest involved in this issue between the Student and the Chairperson, or if the Chairperson is the Faculty Member initiating the allegation of misconduct, then the Faculty Member's inquiry report of the alleged incident(s) shall be forwarded to the Dean of the Faculty Member's or Chairperson's, respectively, School or the next higher administrative officer, as appropriate, who thereafter will assume the responsibilities of "the Chairperson" identified throughout these Guidelines for Dealing With Alleged Misconduct by a Graduate Student.

ii. For Other Situations when questions arise about conflict of interest, the questions shall be directed to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

5. The Official Record of the Hearing Process: The Dean of Graduate Studies shall initiate and maintain in the Office of Graduate Studies an Official Record (i.e., file) of the entire hearing process. All subsequent original written communications, documents, audio tape recordings, and recommendations that relate to the alleged misconduct and the hearing shall be sent on a timely basis by the Chairperson and/or the Hearing Officer to the Dean of Graduate Studies for inclusion in the official record. If the final conclusion of the hearing process is that academic misconduct has not occurred, then only the Dean's official record of the entire hearing process shall be saved as the permanent record; all other faculty, Departmental, and School copies of a "record/ file" for the hearing process must be destroyed .

6. The Time Periods for the Hearing Process: Throughout these guidelines, MAXIMUM LIMITS are specified for the length of time allowed for certain stages of the overall hearing process to take place. Unless specified otherwise, all lengths of time shall be in terms of the traditionally considered "working days" of any given week (recognized holidays that occur on otherwise traditional working days are not to be counted in these time frames). Any request for an extension of a time limit shall be made expeditiously, and before the expiration of the limit, to either the Chairperson or the Hearing Officer or the Dean of Graduate Studies, as appropriate, (or, in their absence, their designates), who shall decide and notify within three (3) days if there is good cause for the extension, and if so, for what period of time. Notification shall be to all involved parties of the hearing process and may be done first by telephone if deemed appropriate, and then shall be followed by written notification.

B.  Inquiry Report by the Faculty Member is Sent to the Chairperson: Following the decision by the Faculty Member in Section III. B., above, and with due notice to the Student, the Faculty Member shall submit a detailed written report about the allegation (hereafter called the Inquiry Report) to the Chairperson. The Inquiry Report shall be submitted within twenty (20) days of the discovery of the alleged occurrence of misconduct. The Chairperson shall, within fifteen (15) days of receiving the Inquiry Report, review the report and attempt to resolve the allegation through consultation and mediation with the involved persons. If the Chairperson determines that the allegation should be resolved through the investigative hearing process, then the Chairperson shall continue the procedure outlined hereafter in these guidelines. Written notice shall be sent to the Student and to the Faculty Member (including a request for the Faculty Member to respond, within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice, with his/her selection of a faculty member to serve on the Hearing Panel).

C.  Notification of the Dean of Graduate Studies: The Chairperson shall send a written notification to the Dean of Graduate Studies that an investigative hearing process for alleged academic misconduct by the Student is going to be initiated. The Chairperson's notification shall include copies of the Faculty Member's Inquiry Report of the alleged misconduct and all written communications up to this time with the Student.

D.  Notification About the Allegation to the Student: A written notification of the specific allegation shall be sent (certified or registered letter with return receipt requested indicating the date of receipt) to the Student by the Chairperson within fifteen (15) days after the time the Chairperson receives the Faculty Member's Inquiry Report. A copy of this notification shall be sent to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The notice shall include:

1.  a statement of the specific allegation(s) with sufficient explanatory information to enable the Student to understand the nature and extent of the allegation(s);

2.  an invitation for the student to provide, to the Chairperson, within ten (10) days after receiving the notification letter: a. a written response to the allegation(s); and b. the name of a faculty member whom the Student selects to serve on the Hearing Panel, and a statement indicating that this faculty member told the Student that he/she agreed to serve;

3.  a statement indicating that the Student has the right to continue attending class as scheduled until such time as the Dean of Graduate Studies has reached his/her final decision UNLESS there is a question of unsafe and/or disruptive behavior and/or offense against other persons (including patients of or visitors to) and/or property of the University of Kansas;

4.  a copy of these "Guidelines for Dealing With Alleged Academic Misconduct by a Graduate Student," so that the student is aware of the procedural process and possible actions.

E.  Selection of Members for the Hearing Panel: The Hearing Panel shall be composed of four (4) members of the graduate faculty (voting members of the Panel), excluding the Faculty Member initiating the allegation of misconduct and excluding the chairperson of the department in which the Student named in the allegation is a graduate student member, and one (1) graduate student (voting member of the Panel), excluding the Student who is the subject of the allegation. One of the graduate faculty members of the Panel will be designated by the Chairperson as the "Hearing Officer" in charge of the Hearing Panel. Any member of the Hearing Panel who perceives that there is any irregularity in the proceedings of the Hearing process has the responsibility of PROMPTLY reporting this to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Selection of the Hearing Panel shall include at least one but no more than two faculty members from the Involved Department in the allegation and shall be done as follows:

1. the graduate student member:
-shall be selected by the officers of the Graduate Student Council at an on-need basis;
-shall not be a graduate student member of the same department as the Student named in the allegation; and

-must be currently classified as a regular graduate student in the category of degree seeking students and in good academic standing (not on probation);

2. one faculty member from inside or outside the Involved department may be selected by the student named in the allegation;

3. one faculty member from inside or outside the Involved department may be selected by the Faculty Member initiating the allegation; and

4. two faculty members selected by the Chairperson. The Chairperson's selections shall assure that the composition of the Panel includes at least one but no more than two members from the Involved Department in the event that the student and/or the Faculty Member do not select such a member. Additionally, if the Student and/or the Faculty Member decline(s) to select a Panel member or fail to respond to the Chairperson within ten (10) days of the request, then the Chairperson will also select that member or members, likewise with due consideration for the basic composition of the Panel as defined above.

F.  Scheduling the Hearing: The Hearing Officer shall, within five (5) days of the selection of members of the Hearing Panel, (1) schedule the day, time, and place for the Hearing to occur (which shall be sometime between twenty [20] and thirty [30] days after the selection of the Hearing Panel), and (2) provide written notice of this schedule to the Faculty Member, the Student, the Chairperson, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Both the Student and the Faculty Member shall be informed with this scheduling notification that during the Hearing each:

1. will be given the opportunity to present his/her own viewpoint of the situation(s) that directly led to the allegation( s); and/or

2. may have witnesses speak or have witnesses' affidavits read on his/her behalf.

G.  Documents, Representatives, and Witnesses for the Hearing: All information cited below shall be promptly sent to (see time deadlines indicated in this Section) or collected by the Hearing Officer, who shall promptly distribute copies of the information to the Student, the Faculty Member, and the rest of the Hearing Panel members.

1. The Faculty Member's Inquiry Report sent to The Chairperson;

2. The Chairperson's Notification of Allegation letter sent to the Student;

3. The Hearing Officer's letter to the Student and the Faculty Member stating the day, time, and place for the hearing;

4. The Student's written Response to the allegation(s), if such was sent to the Chairperson;

5. Any documents provided by the Student and/or the Faculty Member for presentation as evidence to the Hearing Panel (sent at least by five (5) days before the Hearing);

6. Names of Representatives:

Each party to the Hearing should be present for the Hearing unless the Chairperson agrees that another person may appear as a substitute representative. A Hearing may be held even if the Student and/or the Faculty Member fail to appear for the Hearing. Neither the Student nor the Faculty Member is compelled to appear or testify at the Hearing, and no inference may be drawn by the Hearing Panel against the Student or the Faculty Member due to his/her failure or refusal to testify or appear.

The use of legal counsel is discouraged;

7. Names of Witnesses: The Student and the Faculty Member shall provide a list of intended witnesses, if any, to the Hearing Officer at least ten (10) days before the Hearing is to occur. The Hearing Officer shall provide these names, reciprocally, to the Faculty Member and the Student at least five (5) days before the Hearing; and

8. All materials (including the audio recording tapes identified in Section III. H. 3., below) concerning the alleged violation of misconduct should be treated as CONFIDENTIAL documents. The Hearing Panel members will return all materials received for the Hearing to the Hearing Officer at the end of the scheduled Hearing. The Hearing Officer will forward ALL ORIGINAL AND PHOTOCOPIED AND AUDIO TAPE RECORDED MATERIALS to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

H.  Conducting the Hearing: The Hearing Officer of the Hearing Panel may establish procedures in addition to those listed, however, the basic requirements of the Hearing procedure as listed here may not be altered by the Hearing Officer. The Hearing shall be conducted in a closed session and witnesses shall be excluded from the Hearing except when actually testifying.

1. The Hearing Officer shall have the authority to keep order, rule on questions of relevance and evidence, and shall possess other powers normal and necessary for a fair and orderly Hearing. Rules of Evidence that govern courtroom proceedings shall not apply.

2. There shall be only a single audio tape recording made of the proceedings to provide an accurate record of the Hearing for possible review by the Hearing Panel (Section IV. I. 1) and/or Dean of Graduate Studies.

3. The Hearing Officer shall introduce the Hearing Panel members, the Faculty Member, the Student, and their representatives, if any.

4. The Hearing Officer shall explain the Hearing Procedures as outlined herein.

5. The Hearing Officer shall announce that the Faculty Member initiating the allegation has the responsibility to persuade the Hearing Panel by a preponderance of evidence that academic misconduct has occurred.

6. The Hearing Officer shall orally review the allegation(s) of misconduct which led to the Hearing, and the possible sanction(s).

7. The Hearing Officer shall allow the Faculty Member to state the allegation and explain the incident. The Faculty Member may choose to remain silent.

8. The Hearing Officer shall allow the Student to reply and explain the incident. The Student, if present, may choose to remain silent.

9. Hearing Panel members may direct questions to the Faculty Member (if present), the Student (if present), and any witnesses and/or representatives.

10. Through the procedural process of the Hearing, the Student and the Faculty Member may question one another and any witnesses appearing. One witness at a time may be called by either the Faculty Member or the Student. No witness will be permitted to participate in the Hearing if his/her name was not previously given to the Hearing Officer in accord with Section, III. G. 7., above. IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, this provision may be modified by decision of the Hearing Officer, and if it is, the Student and the Faculty Member will be given sufficient opportunity to collect information to respond to whatever the witness presents.

11. The Hearing Officer shall state that the Hearing Panel will make a recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies within seven (7) days after the Hearing.

I.  Findings of the Hearing Panel and Recommendation Carried Forward:

1. At the conclusion of the Hearing, the Panel members, alone and in closed session, shall deliberate and decide by a majority vote (anonymous written ballot counted by the Hearing Officer and verified by the graduate student member) if "academic misconduct," as alleged by the Faculty Member and only based upon all evidence presented to and heard by the Hearing Panel, " has occurred" or "has not occurred."

2. If the Panel's decision is that "academic misconduct has occurred," then the Panel members shall deliberate and determine (by majority vote) their recommendation(s) for specific disciplinary action and/or sanction(s), if any.

3. The Hearing Officer shall compile comments, rationale, findings, voting results, and recommendations in writing and forward them within seven (7) days after the Hearing to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Hearing Panel recommendation(s) shall not be binding upon the Dean of Graduate Studies.

4. The Dean of Graduate Studies shall consider the recommendation(s) and report of the Hearing Officer and any relevant information and take action.

J.  Notifications Consequent to the Hearing Process:

1. The Dean of Graduate Studies shall, within seven (7) days of receipt of the summary final report of the Hearing Officer, send written notification of his/ her action(s) to the Faculty Member, the Student (notification by certified or registered mail with return receipt requesting delivery date), and the Hearing Officer.

2. If this final action of the Hearing process concludes that academic misconduct by the Student has NOT occurred, then the Dean of Graduate Studies also shall, in writing, instruct the chairperson( s) of the involved department( s) that: a. all materials appended to any and all departmental files, including a possible so-called permanent file on the Student, that would not have been in these files if an allegation of misconduct had not been made shall be removed b. conscientious efforts are to be made by the involved department(s) not to subject the student to unwarranted bias or action by the department(s) consequent to the hearing process.

IV.  Sanctions that may be Imposed for Academic Misconduct:

A.  Censure: A written reprimand for actions which constitute academic misconduct. Censure may include a written warning that subsequent actions of academic misconduct may be the cause for a more severe disciplinary sanction.

B.  Unsatisfactory Work: Treating as unsatisfactory any work which is a product of academic misconduct. This may include reduction of a pending or existing grade (including the awarding of a Failing grade) for the work and/ or a grade in the course.

C.  Suspension: Exclusion from classes and other specified privileges or activities for a definite period not in excess of two years.

D.  Expulsion: Termination of graduate student status for an indefinite period. The conditions of readmission, if any, shall be stated in the order of expulsion. Approved by Graduate Studies Committee. University of Kansas Medical Center, April 4, 1991.

The cumulative grade point average is computed at the end of each semester with the inclusion of grades earned at KU for all courses taken for graduate credit. If the cumulative graduate grade point average falls below 3.0 (B average), the student is placed on probation by Graduate Studies and the student and program are both notified in writing by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

The grades of P, S, U, CR, NC, and I for which no numerical equivalents are defined, are excluded from the cumulative grade point average computation. If the student’s overall graduate average has been raised to a 3.0 by the end of the next semester of enrollment after being placed on probation, the student may be returned to good academic standing. If not, the student may not be permitted to enroll and will be dismissed unless the Dean of Graduate Studies acts favorably on a program recommendation for the student to continue study.

Students who have been dismissed from a graduate program may be readmitted for further graduate study at KU only by petition of the graduate program that will accept the student. The petition must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies on the appropriate campus (Medical Center or Lawrence).

Evaluation of graduate student academic standing includes, but is not limited to, consideration of performance in and progress through a graduate program according to program expectations. Graduate students must maintain an expected level of performance throughout their program. The evaluation of satisfactory performance is based, but not limited to, the following factors:

1. A minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Graduate programs may have more stringent GPA requirements;
2. Academic and scholarly integrity;
3. Compliance with academic policies at the university, school, and departmental level; and
4. Satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree or certificate as determined by the program. Graduate programs are responsible for evaluating students at least annually to assess progress toward a degree. Progress may be determined by factors including:

a. Completion of coursework, milestones, exams, or other program components on a specified timeframe;

b. Official time to degree; and

c. Total time in program.

Graduate programs may have additional measures of progress. Failure to maintain an expected level of performance and progress will result in a student not being in good academic standing. Lack of good academic standing will result in the graduate program placing the student on academic probation or recommending to the Dean of Graduate Studies dismissal from the program.

It is expected that graduate programs will evaluate students pursuing more than one degree program based on their progress in each program individually.

Childbirth Accommodation

This policy is intended to describe the process for providing students reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations or the impending birth or adoption of a child, so the student may continue to make progress toward the completion of their degree.

The University Sexual Harassment Policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including on the basis of pregnancy, against any individual participating in the University's education programs or activities.  The University will neither require nor prohibit leaves of absence for reasons of pregnancy or childbirth-related concerns.   The University will make good-faith efforts to reasonably accommodate students who request accommodations due to pregnancy-related complications, childbirth, adoption or the foster care of a child.  The University will grant students up to a six-week accommodation period, or longer if medically necessary, for pregnancy-related illnesses or complications, the birth of a child, the adoption of a child, or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care. The accommodation period can be granted as medical leave for pregnancy or childbirth, leave for adoption or foster care placement, a revised academic, research, or clinical schedule, or a combination of leave and a revised schedule.

This policy applies to all enrolled students regardless of gender or marital status. Other situations related to family life would continue to be addressed by an academic program's policies on general leave of absence. Depending on their academic program, timing of birth/adoption, and level of support they will receive in caring for a newborn, a student may find it more advantageous both academically and personally to take a programmatic leave of absence rather than utilizing the childbirth accommodation policy.

DEFINITIONS
Students:  any person enrolled or otherwise participating, including students from other institutions, in any graduate or undergraduate education at KU Medical Center.
Title IX:  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal statute that prohibits sex discrimination or harassment, including harassment or discrimination based on pregnancy, in any academic program or activity.

APPLYING FOR THE ACCOMmODATION PERIOD

Students requesting a reasonable accommodation under this policy can seek to remain enrolled and continue meeting their academic requirements through a revised schedule or they can request a leave of absence.  An accommodation to remain enrolled may include a rescheduling of course assignments, examinations, and other academic requirements and/or an extension of academic milestones, if necessary

Academic Accommodations

To request an accommodation under this policy for pregnancy-related illnesses or medical concerns, a student should contact Academic Accommodation Services, at (913) 945-7035, to initiate the process as soon as a pregnancy-related illness or complication arises. If a student is only seeking an accommodation of leave or schedule-adjustment following childbirth, adoption, or foster care, please contact Academic Accommodation Services approximately two months in advance of the pending arrival or as soon as possible if within two months of the date.

The Academic Accommodations Coordinator will review the student's request and, along with the student and other necessary parties (i.e. advisors, instructors), determine if the requested accommodation, or a sufficient alternative, can be provided for an identified pregnancy-related illness.  For accommodations surrounding the birth or welcoming of a child, the Academic Accommodations Coordinator will discuss with the parties the type of academic engagement and progress expected from the student while on leave or on a revised academic schedule. Upon approval of a student's request, a plan will be submitted to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs of the student's school.  The plan will outline the specific accommodations being provided for a student, as well as any expectations from the academic program.

If a program administrator believes that, due to the student's particular circumstances and their academic requirements, a leave of absence would be more appropriate, the program administrator must consult with the University's Title IX Coordinator before denying an accommodation request.  Any denial of an accommodation request must be made to the student in writing with adequate justification and must provide a plan for the student to be able to return to the same academic status following a leave of absence. Students may appeal decisions regarding accommodations.  The appeal of the decision must be made in writing and submitted to the Dean of the student's school. The Dean of the student's school will have final decision-making authority.  

All academic programs and departments are expected to work with their students and make a good-faith effort to provide reasonable accommodations so that their students can remain in good academic standing and continue progress towards their degree while also balancing the demands of caring for a new child. It is also encouraged that advisors, academic staff, and departmental leaders work with sensitivity and imagination to provide more than these minimum standards put forth by KU Medical Center when circumstances allow for further accommodations. Students should be proactive in speaking with advisors, instructors, and academic deans when they are planning a family or expecting a child to devise the best personal and academic plan.

Student Status

Students will retain their full time student status if approved for an academic accommodation period. Additionally, for students who decide to take a leave of absence, they will have the option to pay student fees if they wish to have continued access to campus resources.

Financial Support (applicable to those funded by GTAs, GRAs, GAS, or Fellowships)

For students who currently receive stipends through a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA), graduate research assistantship (GRA), or graduate assistantship (GA), they will remain fully funded for a six-week period. Students who do not receive stipends at the time of application are not eligible for financial support. Any continuation of support past six weeks will be determined on an individual basis. Students will remain funded by their current stipend source for the first two weeks and then will be funded by a Childbirth Accommodation Fund through the Office of Graduate Studies for up to four additional weeks.  If a student is on a grant or fellowship that allows them to receive stipends during maternity/paternity leaves, then they will continue to be paid by their current funding source for the entire six-week period.  If funding is not allowed by the outside grant or fellowship, then the student will receive six weeks of support from the Childbirth Accommodation Fund.

If a student believes they are experiencing discrimination due to pregnancy or related conditions, the student should contact KUMC's Office of Equal Opportunity and Academic Compliance, which can review potential violations of the University's Title IX Policy. If a student believes that they are being disparately treated due to status as a parent, the EOAC Office can also review claims of parental status discrimination.

The official policy resides in KUMC PolicyStat which is an internal KUMC only website.

Course Numbering System

Courses that may give graduate credit are numbered according to the following scheme:

• Courses numbered 500-699 are designed primarily for juniors and seniors, but are also taken by some graduate students who have fewer than 30 hours of graduate credit.
• Courses numbered 700-799 are designed primarily for graduate students who have fewer than 30 hours of graduate credit, but they are also taken by some undergraduates.
• Courses numbered 800-899 are designed primarily for graduate students who have fewer than 30 hours of graduate credit.
• Courses numbered 900-999 are designed primarily for graduate students who have 30 or more hours of graduate credit.

Courses that contain a mixture of undergraduate and graduate students should set requirements for graduate credit beyond or different from the requirements for undergraduate credit. No course, regardless of its number, can give graduate credit unless it has been approved for graduate credit by the appropriate Graduate Studies Office (Medical Center or Lawrence) and is taught by a person holding a current appointment to the Graduate Faculty.  See the graduate credit section below for more information.

Co-enrollment for Seniors in Graduate Level Courses

Seniors at KU who will complete the requirements for a baccalaureate degree in a given semester, and who have very strong academic records (grade-point average higher than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale), may be allowed to enroll in graduate course work during their final undergraduate semester. Seniors requesting the privilege of co-enrollment must make formal application through the online graduate application process and be admitted as degree-seeking before the student may proceed with enrollment in a graduate course.

Procedure

To meet the criteria of co-enrollment, the student must earn undergraduate credit for at least one class during the co-enrollment semester. Continuing education courses may be used to satisfy this requirement. If after the co-enrollment semester the baccalaureate degree is not completed, the student will not be permitted to enroll in courses for graduate credit until the baccalaureate degree has been conferred.

Students who are eligible to co-enroll receive an email from the Registrar’s Office before enrollment with instructions on how to enroll in more than one career (ex. LAW, GRDL-Graduate, GRDK-Graduate, UGDL-Undergraduate). Students will have separate appointment times to enroll for each career and must enroll only in the courses that will count correctly toward the career in which they are enrolling during each appointment time. When enrollment is complete for each career, students must check the grading option for each course to ensure the class will be counted correctly.

Discontinuance

A student may voluntarily resign from their program of study by submitting an online "Official Severance Form" located on the Registrar's website.

Graduate programs are responsible for evaluating the students in their programs to ensure that they are making satisfactory progress toward a degree. If the graduate program finds that a student is not meeting performance standards and/or not making satisfactory progress, the program may recommend to the Dean of Graduate Studies that the student be dismissed from the program. Dismissal is requested by the graduate program through submission of the dismissal form in the Progress to Degree system.

A dismissal recommendation may be based, but not limited to, the following:

• Continuation on academic probation (cumulative grade-point average continues below 3.0);
• Failure to maintain good academic standing as defined under Academic Standing heading in this same section of the catalog;
• Running out of allowable time to degree as defined in degree requirements in the Degree Programs section of this catalog;
• Neither enrolling nor receiving approval for a leave of absence for two consecutive semesters;
• Committing Academic Misconduct as defined in this same section of the catalog;

Students who have been dismissed from a graduate program may be readmitted for further graduate study at KU only by petition of the graduate program that will accept the student. The petition must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Embargo of Theses and Dissertations

When an exception to the immediate release of a thesis or dissertation is necessary, an embargo provides a temporary, delayed public release of the work. Embargo periods of six months, one year, or two years are available. While embargoes are not intended to be permanent, renewals of the original embargo period are permissible. Considerations that may be deemed reasonable for granting permission for an embargo include, but are not limited to:

• Patentable rights or other issues are contained in the work the disclosure of which may be detrimental to the rights or interests of the author.
• There is a need to prevent disclosure of government information about persons, institutions, technologies, etc. that is contained in the work.
• An academic or commercial press has expressed interest in acquiring the rights to publish the work as a book that may require an embargo.
• The work contains content that has already been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal that may require an embargo.
• Approval for delay has been granted by the KU Restricted Research Committee.

Requests for an extension of the embargo should be directed to the Office of Graduate Studies on the appropriate campus (Medical Center or Lawrence) and must be received at least one month prior to the expiration of the current embargo to ensure sufficient time to process the request. A request for an embargo submitted to the University of Kansas affects only the publication of the thesis or dissertation in KU ScholarWorks. It is the graduate student’s responsibility to additionally request an extension through ProQuest for the copy published by them.

While there is no limit to the number of times a student can request an embargo extension, embargoes that have been allowed to expire without a request for an extension will result in the thesis or dissertation being made publicly available.

The embargo period will be calculated beginning at the end of the semester in which the student graduates with the specific dates being: December 31st, May 31st, and August 31st.

Steps necessary for embargoing a thesis or dissertation:

Theses and dissertations at the University of Kansas are made available in two electronic databases: KU ScholarWorks and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Items in KU ScholarWorks are publicly accessible on the world-wide web and can be indexed by search engines.

Students who do not not wish to have their theses or dissertation made public in these two venues must receive permission from their committee chair, department graduate director or department chair to embargo their theses or dissertations. The student must document this permission with the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Release Form. Once the student has obtained the requisite signatures on this form, the student must take two additional steps before graduation to ensure that their work is properly embargoed.

• First, the student must submit the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Release Form to the Office of Graduate Studies on the appropriate campus (Medical Center or Lawrence). If an embargo has been approved, this form will ensure that the work is temporarily restricted in KU ScholarWorks.
• Second, during the electronic submission process to ProQuest, the student must select the embargo option under the publishing restrictions section. If an embargo has been approved, this step will ensure that public view of the work is temporarily restricted in the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

Note: If a student does not receive permission for an embargo and/or does not submit the required documentation requesting such an embargo to the Office of Graduate Studies prior to graduation, the work will be made publicly available through KU ScholarWorks, and search engines will find and index the work. For this reason, once a work is released publicly, it is impossible to deploy an embargo in its entirety, because copies of a released work are likely to be stored on the web even if the KU ScholarWorks and ProQuest copies are retracted. Therefore it is crucial for students who desire the embargo option to request it prior to graduation and to request extensions, if needed, prior to the work being exposed to public search engines.

Dissertation defenses are open to the public. In the event that an embargo is deemed necessary for a dissertation, the committee should consider holding an additional question period for the defense that is closed to the public. Any sensitive data may be discussed in the closed session.

Enrollment Definitions (Full-Time, 3/4-Time, Half-Time, and Part-Time)

Full-time enrollment for fall and spring semester

• Enrollment in 9 credit hours;
• Enrollment in 6 credit hours plus a GTA, GRA, or GA appointment, regardless of percentage of appointment;
• Enrollment in 6 credit hours for active-duty military graduate students;
• Doctoral candidates enrolled in dissertation hour(s). *See doctoral candidates below.

Full-time enrollment for summer semesters

• Enrollment in 6 credit hours;
• Enrollment in 3 credit hours plus a GTA, GRA, or GA appointment, regardless of percentage of appointment;
• Enrollment in 3 credit hours for active-duty military graduate students;
• Doctoral candidates enrolled in dissertation hour(s).  *See doctoral candidates below.

3/4-time Enrollment for Fall and Spring Semesters

• Enrollment in 7 credit hours;
• Enrollment in 4.5 credit hours plus a GRA appointment, regardless of percentage of appointment. 

3/4-time Enrollment for Summer Semesters

• Enrollment in 4.5 credit hours;
• Enrollment in 2 credit hours plus a GRA appointment, regardless of percentage of appointment. 

Half-time enrollment for fall and spring semesters

• Enrollment in 5 credit hours;
• Enrollment in 3 credit hours plus a GTA, GRA, or GA appointment, regardless of percentage of appointment;
• Enrollment in 3 credit hours for active-duty military graduate students.

Half-time enrollment for summer semesters

• Enrollment in 3 credit hours;
• Enrollment in 1 credit hour plus a GTA, GRA, or GA appointment, regardless of percentage of appointment;
• Enrollment in 1 credit hour for active-duty military graduate students.

Part-time enrollment

• Students enrolled in fewer hours than defined by half-time enrollment are considered part-time.

*A doctoral candidate is defined as a doctoral student who has successfully passed the Comprehensive Oral Examination for the Ph.D. and is enrolled in post-comprehensive hours. See the Post-Comprehensive Enrollment policy in the degree requirements section of this catalog.

All students should check with their graduate degree programs and Office of Graduate Studies’ policies to determine if additional enrollment requirements or summer enrollment requirements exist.

Note: A few internship programs have been approved by Graduate Studies to count as full-time enrollment. Students enrolled in these internship programs will be counted as full-time students.  Students should contact their programs to verify that an internship program qualifies.

International Student Enrollment

International students in F-1 and J-1 status must also comply with Federal immigration requirements of pursuing a full course of study each semester to maintain their legal status. All international students must conform to residence requirements, even though immigration regulatory requirements may be lower.

Enrollment Policy

Grading

General Guidelines

Grading scales are assigned on a course-by-course basis. The grading scale selected for a course must be appropriate to the course type and to the students and programs that the course serves. It is expected that designated thesis, dissertation, capstone courses, and their approved equivalent courses will be graded using the A, B, C, D, F, P scale. The I grade is not appropriate for enrollment in thesis, dissertation, capstone projects, or research courses and is not allowed. 

Once a grading scale for a particular course has been recommended by the department/program and approved by Graduate Studies, it must be applied to the entire student enrollment in the course or section. This applies to all graduate-level courses.

The individual schools have the option of using or not using the +/-, according to the policy adopted by the particular school.

In courses with the letter-grade scales, the grade of C- is not considered a passing grade. Students receiving a grade of C-, D, and F in a course may not count that course toward fulfilling degree requirements.

Cumulative GPA

Overall, students must earn at least a B average (i.e., 3.0 GPA) on course work counted toward any master's or doctoral degree at KU. All graduate-level courses will be included in the calculation of the cumulative graduate GPA. Undergraduate courses, even when the student enrolls as part of their graduate career, will not count toward the cumulative graduate GPA. Graduate courses counted as part of the undergraduate degree will not be counted in the cumulative graduate GPA. The student's graduate GPA calculation will include any degree or certificate graduate course work completed at KU. Courses graded P, S, U, CR, NC, or I are excluded from the computation of the GPA.

The I Grade: Incomplete Work

The I grade indicates course work that has been of passing quality but which is partially unfinished for good reason. Use of the I grade is optional in some grading scales but is not permitted by other scales (see below). Generally, the I grade is an appropriate option for enrollments other than thesis, dissertation, research, capstone, or the first semester of a two-semester sequence course.

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 one calendar year, or the last day of the term of graduation, whichever comes first.  An I not removed according to this rule will automatically convert to a grade of F or U, or the lapse grade assigned by the course instructor, and will be indicated on the student's record.

Grading Scale for Regular Courses (two options)

Grading Scale: A, B, C, D, F

The basic system is an A, B, C, D, F scale, where:

• A designates above-average graduate work;
• B designates average graduate work;
• C designates passing but not average graduate work;
• C- , D and F designate failing graduate work.

Grading Scale: A, B, C, D, F, I

The basic system is an A, B, C, D, F, I scale, where:

• A designates above-average graduate work;
• B designates average graduate work;
• C designates passing but not average graduate work;
• C-, D and F designate failing graduate work;
• I designates incomplete work per definition earlier in this section.

Grading Scale for Research Courses including thesis and dissertation

Grading Scale: A, B, C, D, F, P

Departments/programs use this scale to grade their thesis, dissertation, capstone project, and approved thesis- or dissertation-equivalent courses. Other research courses are also graded using the A, B, C, D, F, P scale. The I grade is not appropriate for enrollment in thesis, dissertation, capstone project, or research courses and is not allowed by this grading scale.

In this grading scale the letter P indicates participation in coursework where evidence of performance may not be available. This grading scale is appropriate in two types of situations:

• In designated thesis, dissertation, approved thesis- or dissertation-equivalent, capstone, or research courses;
• In the first semester of two-semester sequence courses.

In any semester, an instructor has the option to assign a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F, instead of P, when evidence about performance is available. Upon completion of thesis, dissertation, or research hours leading to a master's or doctoral degree, the P remains on the final transcript in all semesters for which it was recorded.

For departments/programs that use this scale, a letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) must be assigned for a student's final semester of enrollment in thesis, dissertation, capstone, or research course work. The letter grade assigned characterizes the quality of the final product.

Result Choices for Milestone Examinations

Honors, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory

Performance on milestone examinations may be graded Honors, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory.

These outcome grades are appropriate to the following milestone examinations:

• the general examination for the master's degree;
• the project defense for the master’s degree;
• the thesis defense for the master’s degree;
• the comprehensive oral examination for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.);
• the comprehensive oral examination for the Ph.D.; and
• the final examination for the Ph.D.

Use of the Honors designation is at the department's discretion.   

Other Grading Scales

Grading Scale: S, U, I

The grades of S and U designate satisfactory (S) and unsatisfactory (U) performance.This grading scale is appropriate to three types of course: continuing education courses; workshop courses; and institute courses.

No more than 6 hours total of graduate course work graded S may count toward a degree.The S, U, I grading scale may be adopted at the department/program's discretion per the Incomplete grade definition earlier in this section.

In courses numbered 800 or above, and for which specific authorization has been given, an instructor may report a grade of S for students who have satisfactorily attended the course but for whom it has not been possible to evaluate the quality of performance.

The S and U grades are not used in computing the grade-point average.

Grading Scale: CR, NC

The Credit (CR) or No Credit (NC) option is authorized for graduate students: a grade of CR will reflect work earning a C or better and the grade of NC will reflect work earning a C- or below.  However, as outlined in USRR 2.2.8.6, no course graded CR or NC can count toward the satisfaction of the requirements for a graduate degree or a graduate certificate. This prohibition includes any courses taken to meet the Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement. Please refer to the policy governing Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship for more information.

Grievance Policy and Procedures for Graduate Students