During a student’s degree program, certain circumstances may lead to termination of status or dismissal from The Graduate School.

Termination of Status

To remain in good standing, a student must at all times have a major advisor and be within the degree time limits for the degree the student is seeking. A student may be terminated for either of the following: 

1. failure to have a major advisor, or
2. failure to complete degree requirements within the required time limit.

Once a student’s plan of study has been approved, the student at all times must have a duly constituted advisory committee, minimally including a major advisor. (Refer to the Advisory System section for additional information regarding the advisory committee.)

A graduate student and the major advisor must always be cognizant of the time limits associated with the student’s degree. Any request to extend the date by which requirements must be completed must be submitted to The Graduate School using the Request for Extension of Conferral Deadline form, which must include an explanation and endorsement from the major advisor.

Extensions of the terminal date are granted by The Graduate School only on the basis of substantial evidence that the student is making consistent and satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements and with certification by the major advisor that the student is likely to complete within the requested extension period. If an extension is granted, it establishes a new terminal degree date for the student.

Whenever a student’s graduate degree program status is terminated, the student receives notice from The Graduate School. The student may appeal the termination under the provisions outlined in the Appeal and Hearing Procedures. If the termination stems from resignation of an advisor and failure to identify a new advisor, the student can appeal only on the grounds that the department or program did not make reasonable efforts to find a new major advisor for the student. 

Academic Dismissal

A graduate student’s progress in a degree program must be monitored regularly by the student’s advisory committee. If at any time a student’s academic performance, progress in a graduate degree program, or professional development and/or suitability is judged by the advisory committee to be unsatisfactory to the degree that dismissal is warranted, the advisory committee must submit its written recommendation that the student be dismissed on such grounds. A student may be dismissed for failure to satisfy any requirement of the student’s graduate degree program, including failure to maintain adequate academic progress. This could include one or more of the following:

1. Failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average required by The Graduate School (3.0);
2. Receiving a grade of “D+,” “D,” “D-,” “F,” or “U” in any course;
3. Failure to satisfy a foreign language or related area requirement for a degree;
4. Failure of the doctoral General Examination;
5. Failure to produce an acceptable Doctoral Dissertation Proposal;
6. Unsatisfactory performance in any aspect of the research or writing for a required master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation;
7. Failure of a final examination for the master’s or doctoral degree.

The advisory committee submits the written recommendation for academic dismissal to The Graduate School indicating the specific judgment on which the advisory committee’s recommendation is based. For a student who does not have an established advisory committee, the major advisor alone submits the recommendation. The department head or designee for the program in which the student is enrolled must endorse the recommendation of the committee and document the reasonable attempts that have been made to find the student a pathway to completion.  Whenever a student is dismissed on academic grounds, the student receives notice from The Graduate School. The student may appeal the dismissal under the provisions outlined in the Appeal and Hearing Procedures section.