The Graduate School
Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements
Student Responsibility
Dual Undergraduate/Graduate Registration
Course Load
Continuous Registration
Change of Degree Program
Grading Policies
Requirements for Continued Enrollment
Requirements for Readmission
Transferred Credit
Application for the Degree
Earning a Second Degree
Appeal Procedure
Master's Degree Requirements
Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Graduate Certificate Requirements
Each student is responsible for the proper completion of his or her academic program, for familiarity with the University Catalog, for maintaining the grade average required and for meeting all other degree requirements. The adviser will counsel, but the final responsibility remains that of the student.
A student is required to have knowledge of and observe all regulations pertaining to campus life and student deportment. The University has enacted two codes of student responsibility: The UNC Charlotte Code of Student Academic Integrity and The UNC Charlotte Code of Student Responsibility which are summarized in this Catalog. As students willingly accept the benefit of membership in the UNC Charlotte academic community, they acquire obligations to observe and uphold the principles and standards that define the terms of UNC Charlotte community cooperation and make those benefits possible.
Each student is responsible for maintaining communication with the University and keeping on file with the Registrar's Office at all times a current address, including zip code, and telephone number.
Each student, while associated with the University, is expected to participate in campus community life in a manner that will reflect credit upon the student and the University.
Consult Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements in the
undergraduate section of this Catalog for information about the
following University policies and procedures pertaining to graduate students:
Catalog Policies
Registration
Termination of Enrollment
Academic Records and Transcripts
Privacy of Student Educational Records
Dual Undergraduate/Graduate Registration
Undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte who are required to take fewer than 12 semester hours of undergraduate work to fulfill all requirements for the bachelor’s degree may be allowed during their final semester to enroll in certain courses for the purpose of obtaining graduate credit. Authorization for dual undergraduate/graduate registration may be obtained by submitting to the Dean of the Graduate School a Special Request Form approved by the student’s undergraduate academic adviser, the instructor(s) of the graduate course(s), and the dean(s) of the college(s) offering the graduate course(s), accompanied by a post-baccalaureate application. The total hours to be carried in this status shall not exceed 12 hours, of which no more than nine may be for graduate credit. On the basis of work attempted prior to the final semester, such student must meet the grade point criteria for admission to a graduate degree program at the University. No course for which the credit received is applied to an undergraduate degree may receive graduate credit. Permission to take graduate courses under dual registration does not constitute admission to any graduate degree program at the University.
An appropriate course load is dependent upon two factors: the scholastic ability of the student as reflected by his/her academic history and the time available for study. A course load of nine semester hours constitutes a normal full semester program for a graduate student. This is lower than the normal undergraduate load because of the extensive reading, independent thinking and individual research required of graduate students. Generally, graduate students should not register for more than 12 semester hours during a semester.
Nine hours constitutes a full load for a graduate assistant, and a graduate assistant must register for at least six graduate-level semester hours during each semester.
Students in graduate degree programs are required to maintain continuous
registration (fall and spring semesters) for thesis, dissertation, project, or
directed study until work is completed. Students are not required to enroll in
any summer term unless they are using campus facilities or they are completing
degree requirements in that term. Continuous registration begins the semester
approval for his/her thesis, dissertation, project, or directed study topic is
received. Approval of this topic is documented on the "Petition for Topic
Approval" form which is filed by the student with the
To change from one degree program to another, a graduate student must fill out the application for admission to the new program, pay the $35 application fee, and provide supporting documentation as specified in this Catalog. Contact the Graduate Admissions Office for additional information.
Complete information regarding grading policies, grades, credits, and obtaining transcripts is provided in the undergraduate Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements section of this Catalog. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with that information in addition to the following information pertaining specifically to graduate students:
|
Graduate Grades |
||
|
Letter |
Meaning |
Grade Points Per Semester Hour |
|
A |
Commendable |
4 |
|
B |
Satisfactory |
3 |
|
C |
Marginal |
2 |
|
U |
Unsatisfactory |
0 |
|
I |
Incomplete |
* |
|
IP |
In Progress |
* |
|
W |
Withdrawal |
* |
|
P |
Pass |
* |
|
N |
No Credit |
* |
|
AU |
Audit |
* |
|
NR |
No recognition given for audit |
* |
Certain graduate courses, such as research seminars, tutorials, internships
or theses, may be designated for Pass/No Credit or Pass/Unsatisfactory
grading upon recommendation of the offering department and approval of the
Graduate Council. The grade of P in such a course shall be considered as
evidence of satisfactory performance. A grade of N (No Credit)
will not affect eligibility for continued enrollment nor will it apply toward
requirements for the degree.
Grade Point Average. The grade point average for a graduate student
is based only on those courses in his/her approved program of study taken at
UNC Charlotte. It is determined by multiplying the number of grade points for
each grade (A=4, B=3, C=2, U=0) by the number of
semester hours credit received in that course, adding all accumulated grade
points together, and then dividing by the total number of semester hours the
student has attempted except those for which the student received a grade of I,
IP, W, P, N, AU, or NR. When a course not listed as "May be
repeated for credit" is repeated, no additional credit hours attempted
accrue and the hours earned and grade points of the previous grade are replaced
by those of the current grade.
Repeating a Graduate Course. A graduate student will be allowed to repeat a maximum of two courses in which the student has been assigned a grade of C, U or N (but not an I). If the course grade has resulted in termination of enrollment, the student must appeal to be reinstated in order to repeat the course. A given course may be repeated one time only. Whenever a course is repeated, no additional hours attempted accrue, and the new grade replaces the previous grade in computing the grade point average and in the assignment of academic credit. The record of the first attempt will remain a part of the student's permanent record and will count in the number of marginal (C) grades accumulated. Successfully repeating a course does not change the number of marginal (C) grades accumulated. Enrollment will be terminated if a student receives a grade of U in a repeated course.
Requirements for Continued Enrollment
A student enrolled in any graduate program must maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree. He/she is expected to achieve a commendable or satisfactory grade (A or B) in all course work attempted for graduate credit.
An accumulation of three marginal (C) grades will result in termination of the student's enrollment in the graduate program. If a student makes a grade of U on any course, enrollment will be terminated.
A graduate student whose enrollment has been terminated because of grades is ineligible to attend any semester or the summer session unless properly readmitted.
A student readmitted to a graduate program through the reapplication procedures will be expected to complete the degree program with satisfactory or commendable performance. Should the student receive a grade of C or U after being readmitted to the program, his/her enrollment in the graduate program will be terminated.
Students in good standing seeking reinstatement for a term that is
two years or more after the term he/she last attended also must apply for
readmission to the Graduate School.
Students whose enrollment is terminated for academic reasons must appeal their suspension and be reinstated in order to continue their program of study. After notification of termination is received, the student initiates the appeal procedure by submitting a letter to the Dean of the Graduate School explaining any extenuating circumstances. The Graduate School will forward this letter to the student’s program for a recommendation. Letters of appeal from post-baccalaureate students also are sent to the Dean of the Graduate School.
The department/college will designate a readmittance committee to consider the student’s appeal. The committee will be composed of faculty members other than the faculty member(s) who assigned the grade of C or U that resulted in the suspension. The readmission committee recommends to the Dean of the Graduate School that the student either be reinstated to or dropped from the program. The readmission committee makes a recommendation in each case on its individual merits. The student will be notified of the decision in writing by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Transferred Credit from Other Institutions. Determining the applicability of transferred credits to graduate program requirements is the responsibility of the student’s graduate program coordinator. See "Degree Requirements" section of this catalog for the number of hours that may be transferred and "Time Limit" for completion of courses. General rules governing transferred credit are:
1. Courses applied toward a degree earned at another institution may not be transferred to UNC Charlotte.
2. At the time of admission transferred credit may be accepted from another regionally accredited institution upon approval of the student's adviser and the Dean of the Graduate School.
3. The grade in any course accepted for transferred credit must be the equivalent of that awarded for commendable (A) or satisfactory (B) work as defined by UNC Charlotte.
4. Courses accepted for transfer are subject to the same time limitation as courses taken in residence.
5. To be considered for transferred credit, the courses must have been undertaken at a regionally accredited institution.
6. Courses in which credit is accepted must be appropriate for approved University programs and curricula in which the student is enrolled.
7. The University is not obligated to accept any credit from another institution. To obtain approval to take a course at another institution and receive transfer credit, a UNC Charlotte student must complete a Graduate Transfer Credit request form prior to taking the course and file it in the Graduate School.
8. The student must request that an official transcript be mailed to the
Graduate School, listing the course(s) to be transferred upon completion of the
course. The Graduate Transfer Credit form for this purpose is available
in the Registrar's Office or the Graduate School.
Credit by Examination. A student currently enrolled at UNC Charlotte may pass a specially prepared challenge examination and receive credit for a University course without having to do the normal coursework. The student contacts the program in which credit is sought to request administration of an examination. Since it may not be appropriate to award credit by examination for some courses, the decision to offer an examination is that of the program. If the graduate program authorizes an examination, the student is instructed to pay the fee for credit by examination and to bring the receipt of payment to the examination. Credit by examination will be indicated on the transcript, but no grade points will be awarded. Failure on such an examination will incur no grade-point penalty. No student may challenge a course for which either a passing or failing grade has been received at UNC Charlotte.
Each student should make application for his/her degree on a form obtained from the Graduate School or the Registrar's Office no later than the filing date specified in the University Calendar. The application must be accompanied by the filing fee in effect at the time of the application. Degrees are awarded at commencement exercises held at the end of the spring and fall semesters; however, the diploma and transcript will reflect the term in which all requirements were completed.
Second Master's Degree. A student is permitted to earn a second master's degree subject to the following conditions:
(1) no work applied to a previously
awarded degree may be applied to the new degree program
(2) the student must be admitted to a degree program different from that of
his/her previous graduate degree(s)
(3) the student must successfully meet all requirements for the new degree.
Any student or applicant may appeal any decision affecting his/her status as a graduate student, except course grades, by submitting a written petition to the Appeals Committee of the Graduate Council in care of the Graduate School after remedies have been exhausted in the appropriate college.
The petition shall briefly describe the facts which support his/her claim
and the remedy being sought. The petition must be submitted within six calendar
months of notification of the action being appealed. After receiving the
petition, the chairperson of the Appeals Committee will schedule a hearing as
soon as possible. A hearing will be held within 60 days of receipt of the
written petition of appeal. Evidence will be received from the petitioner and
other parties having information bearing on the appeal. The chairperson of the
Appeals Committee shall report its decision on any appeals matter (a) directly
to the Dean of the Graduate School and (b) to the Graduate Council at the first
meeting following the hearing. The Dean of the Graduate School shall advise the
petitioner in writing of the decision of the Appeals Committee within 30 days
after the end of the hearing. Questions about the procedure should be addressed
to the Dean of the Graduate School.
Course grades are appealed through the program offering the course and then, if necessary, through the college in which the grade was assigned. Course grades may not be appealed to the Graduate Council.
Residence Requirements. Generally, no more than six semester hours
of transferred credit are accepted toward a master’s degree. All other work
must be residence credit.
Residence credit is credit that is earned under the conditions specified herein and may be applied toward the attainment of graduate degrees at UNC Charlotte. These conditions must be satisfied regardless of the location in which the course is given.
1. Instruction: The instructor must be a member of the UNC Charlotte Graduate Faculty.
2. Course(s): The content of each course must be approved by regularly established college, Graduate School and University curricular processes before the course is scheduled or offered.
Residence credit may also be awarded by virtue of an examination
administered by the faculty of the department offering credit. A student also,
with the prior approval of the appropriate UNC Charlotte department and of the
Dean of the Graduate School, may take graduate courses for residence and course
credit at other regionally accredited institutions.
Program Approval. Each student's individual program of study must be
approved by his/her department/college. Up to six hours of transferred credit
may be included in the approved program of study.
Admission to Candidacy. Upon successful completion of a minimum of 18
semester hours of graduate work and in no case later than four weeks prior to
the beginning of the semester in which he/she expects to complete all
requisites for the degree, a student should file for admission to candidacy on
a form supplied by the Graduate School. This application is a check sheet
approved by the student's adviser, department chairperson and college dean
listing all coursework to be offered for the degree (including transferred
credit and courses in progress).
Minimum Hours and Quality. A student is expected to satisfactorily
complete a minimum of 30 to 60 semester hours of approved courses, depending
upon his/her individual program, with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better. At least
half of the semester hours in the approved program must be in courses numbered
6000 or above. No more than six hours evaluated as C may be counted
toward the minimum hours required for the master's degree.
Comprehensive Examination. After admission to candidacy, each student
must successfully complete a comprehensive examination. The examination may be
written, oral, or both, depending upon the student's specific program
requirements. Students must be enrolled during the semester in which they take
the comprehensive examination.
Time Limit. Candidates must complete all requirements for a master's degree, including accepted transferred credit, within six years of the end of the first semester in which they registered in the Graduate School. Courses that exceed this time limit must be revalidated or retaken--whichever the graduate program decides necessary--if they are to count in a degree program.
Revalidation is ordinarily accomplished by taking a special examination designed by the faculty of the graduate program. Students may not revalidate courses with a grade of C or lower, courses that are internships or other forms of practica, or courses taken at other institutions.
A student who is in his/her fifth year and does not anticipate finishing
within the allotted time, must meet with the program's graduate coordinator to
develop a plan for revalidation of out-of-date courses and completion of the
degree program. This plan must be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School
for review and approval.
Thesis. The plan of study for a master's degree may or may not include completion of a thesis. The thesis and non-thesis approaches are designed to meet the needs of students preparing for different types of careers and represent qualitatively different educational experiences. Consequently, the academic departments and the Dean of the Graduate School discourage any switching from one plan to another. If a switch from a thesis to non-thesis plan is approved, the grade of I for the thesis work will be changed to W on the transcript with no refund of tuition for the course(s). At the time that the graduate program approves the student’s thesis topic, the Petition for Topic Approval must be filed with the Graduate School. This form is available in the Graduate School.
The thesis must be submitted for final approval by the student's thesis
committee at least three weeks before the date of the oral examination in which
the thesis is defended. Following the successful completion of this defense,
the master's candidate must submit three unbound copies of the approved and
error-free thesis to the Graduate School no later than the filing date
indicated in the University Calendar.
Course and Other Requirements. The course and other requirements for specific degree programs are presented in the section of this Catalog on Graduate Programs.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is conferred by the University after the student has demonstrated outstanding scholarship in an approved program of study. Candidates must satisfy all University degree requirements in addition to all standards established by the doctoral faculty of their particular program. Specific program degree requirements are listed under the respective doctoral programs in this Catalog. In some cases, requirements in a given program are more stringent than the minimum requirements established by the Graduate School.
Ordinarily, a student must complete at least 72 post-baccalaureate credit
hours in order to earn the Ph.D.
Program of Study. The maximum amount of credit that a Ph.D. student may count toward a doctorate from a master's degree program is 30 semester hours. This rule applies whether the master's degree was earned at UNC Charlotte or elsewhere.
If the master's degree was earned at UNC Charlotte, no more than six hours may be transferred from another institution into a doctoral program with the approval of the student's advisory committee. Ordinarily, no transferred hours may be applied to the doctoral program if the master's degree was earned at an institution other than the UNC Charlotte. Applicants with records of high quality who wish to transfer more credit than this policy allows should consult the graduate program.
No more than six hours taken when the student was in post-baccalaureate
status may be applied toward the doctoral degree.
Program Approval. By the end of the first semester of the third
post-baccalaureate year in the program, and no later than the filing of the
petition to sit for the qualifying examination, a student's program of study
must be approved by his or her advisory committee and submitted to the Dean of
the Graduate School.
Language and Research Tool Requirements. Some doctoral programs
require proficiency in a foreign language and/or another research tool. These
requirements and the ways to fulfill them are specified in the program
descriptions.
Course and Other Program Requirements. The course and other
requirements for each degree program are indicated in the program descriptions
in the following pages.
Time Limit. Candidates must complete all work beyond the master's
degree, including accepted transferred credit, within eight years from the time
they first register as doctoral students. Courses that exceed this time limit
must be revalidated or retaken--whichever the graduate program decides necessary--if
they are to be applied to a degree program. Some programs may require students
to complete their degrees in fewer than eight years.
Residence. All doctoral students are required to complete a
substantial residency requirement during which they have sustained contact with
the graduate faculty. This requirement is specified in the program
descriptions.
Graduate Faculty Representative. The graduate faculty representative
is a member of the doctoral student's advisory committee appointed by the
Graduate School. This faculty member’s role is primarily procedural. He/she
must (1) assure that the doctoral student is treated fairly and impartially by
his or her advisory committee, and (2) assure that University standards and
policies are upheld. This representative is appointed prior to the student's
taking the qualifying examination and must participate in the examination, in
the dissertation topic approval process, and in the final examination. A
student's advisor may consult with the Dean of the Graduate School regarding
selection of this representative.
Qualifying Examination. Each student must complete a qualifying
examination. Students who enter a Ph.D. program directly from a baccalaureate
program must sit for this examination before the end of their third
post-baccalaureate year in the program; students who enter a Ph.D. program from
a master's degree program must sit for it before the end of their first year in
the doctoral program. To sit for this examination, the student must have at
least a 3.0 GPA and must have removed any conditions upon admission.
Re-examination. A student who fails the qualifying examination may
petition the program faculty to be re-examined. The re-examination may take
place no sooner than the beginning of the semester following the one in which
the failure occurred. A student who fails the qualifying examination a second
time may not continue in the doctoral program.
Candidacy. The dissertation topic may be proposed after the student
has passed the qualifying examination. A doctoral student advances to candidacy
after the dissertation topic has been approved by the student's advisory
committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. Candidacy must be achieved at
least six months before the degree is conferred.
Dissertation. The doctoral program of study must include 18 hours of dissertation credit. The doctoral candidate must be continuously enrolled in dissertation credit hours beginning with the semester after the dissertation topic is approved until the semester of graduation.
The dissertation must be submitted for final approval by the student's committee at least three weeks before the date of the final examination in which the dissertation is defended. Following the successful completion of this defense, the doctoral candidate must submit three unbound copies of the approved error-free manuscript to the Graduate School no later than the filing date indicated in the University calendar.
The Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation on microfilm
and in Dissertation Abstracts International by University Microfilms
International of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The student is responsible for paying the
microfilming and optional copyrighting fees. Any other arrangements for
publications of the dissertation must not interfere with publication by
University Microfilms International.
Final Examination. Each candidate must pass a final examination over
the contents of the dissertation. Sometimes called the "dissertation
defense" or the "dissertation oral," this meeting is
traditionally open to members of the University community. No student is
permitted to take the final examination more than twice.
Ed.D. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree is conferred by the University after the student has successfully completed all requirements in an approved doctoral program of study in the College of Education. Specific program degree requirements are described in the College of Education section of this Catalog.
Graduate Certificate Requirements
The graduate certificate is awarded for successful completion of a coherent 12-15 hour program of faculty-directed study proposed by a unit of the graduate faculty and approved by the Graduate Council. Students are admitted to a specific graduate certificate program and are advised by faculty in the unit offering the graduate certificate.
Since the graduate certificate is not a degree, students may apply the credits earned in the certificate program toward a degree that they pursue either in conjunction with the graduate certificate or after the certificate has been awarded.
Students may enroll in a graduate certificate program only or may complete the certificate in conjunction with a graduate degree program at the University. Hours taken toward a graduate certificate may be counted toward a graduate degree program with the consent of the graduate program coordinator.
Graduate certificate programs generally require 12-15 hours, including at least six hours at the 6000-level or above. Up to six hours taken on post-baccalaureate status at UNC Charlotte may be applied toward a certificate with the approval of the program coordinator. Although a student ordinarily may not transfer hours from another institution into a certificate program, some programs may allow up to six hours of transferred credit. The graduate certificate is awarded to a student who has completed the specified program of study with a GPA of 3.0 or better within four years from the time of enrollment in the first certificate course.
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