In addition to meeting Graduate College rules for Satisfactory Academic Progress, students must also adhere to program Satisfactory Academic Progress policies.

These policies must be on file with and approved by the Graduate College and distributed to all beginning students.

Program guidelines should include dates by which students will receive annual reports on their progress and be notified of any concerns. When a student fails to meet program guidelines for satisfactory progress, the student must receive written notification with a clear statement of what the student must do and a date by which such actions must be completed. The Graduate College should receive a copy of letters of unsatisfactory progress. Students must be given an opportunity to appeal or rebut, and program guidelines must indicate a process for such appeals. Students who fail to remediate by the deadlines specified may be dismissed from the program. Students have the right to appeal such decisions to the Graduate College, but the Graduate College will limit its review to whether or not the program followed their established policies.

Departments will necessarily vary in their definitions of academic progress. Some possible criteria are listed below. Not all will apply to all departments and some departments may have other indicators of progress.

Possible Criteria for Satisfactory Academic Progress

1. Specific (core) courses that

   1. Must be completed by a certain time and/or

   2. Must be completed with a certain GPA and/or

   3. May not be GRO-able

2. Internships/clinical experiences/practica that have evaluation beyond the grade or that must be completed by a certain time

3. Annual evaluation that goes beyond GPA, such as judgment by advisor (and/or others) as to research potential and/or specific skills (e.g., clinical, writing, laboratory)

4. Must have completed various milestones by certain times (e.g., approved prospectus, successful passing of qualifying exams, comprehensive exams, constitution of thesis or dissertation committee, capstone courses, clinical or internship requirements)

5. More stringent time to degree than Graduate College’s policy

6. Specific grade requirements such as

   1. Minimum GPA in major requires a higher than 3.0 GPA or

   2. No courses below a B in major, or specific courses

   3. Minimum cumulative GPA above the Grad College requirement

7. Rules for comprehensive exams (master’s and orals), such as

   1. When they must be taken

   2. Repeatable? Under what circumstances?

   3. Relation between written and oral, e.g.,

      1. How much time between

      2. What constitutes a PASS for written

      3. Whether or not writtens may be re-taken, if so, just failed questions or whole exam

   4. How/who grades exams. Criteria for PASS

   5. Any special program requirements (such as a grad rep, specified length, etc.)