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This Policy Guide presents common policies that apply to graduate students and provides guidance to you in advising your students. It is important that students are dealt with fairly and advising takes place consistent with policies. Please contact the College of Graduate Studies anytime you are unsure how to advise your students.
All master’s programs of study must have 50 percent of the content composed of 6000 level courses. 6000 level courses are exclusively graduate courses that may be taken by master’s and doctoral students. Accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs design the curriculum especially so that students who are enrolled may start taking 6000 level courses without special approval beyond admission to the acc ... More
This is current policy that applies to all graduate students and is enforced for all graduate programs.
When it applies, Interpretation, Possible exceptions, Form, Best Practices.
All credit hours making up the Program of Study at the time of graduation must be no more than 7 years old.
Applies to all master’s and doctoral students.
Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR § 214.2(f)(5)(ii) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Duration of status/Change in educational levels. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html
Interpretation, Possible exceptions, Form, Best Practices.
Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR § 214.2(f)(6)(iv) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Full course of study/Concurrent enrollment. www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html
Student’s must maintain a Graduate Status GPA of 3.0 or better in order to graduate and should not not earn more than two low grades including WF’s, U’s and C+ or less. Students will be dismissed immediately by the College of Graduate Studies if their GPA falls below a 2.0.
Any student who has maintained less than a 3.0 Graduate Status GPA for 9 semester hours or more will be placed on probation. Any student failing to achieve a 3.0 Graduate Status GPA at the end of the 9 semester hours following probation will be dismi ... More
Code of Federal Regulations:F-1 Students8 CFR § 214.1(e) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Employment8 CFR § 214.2(f)(9)(i) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Employment/On-campus employment8 CFR § 214.2(f)(9)(ii) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requ ... More
When it applies, Possible exceptions, Form, Best Practices.
Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR § 214.2(f)(6)(i)(g) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Full course of study/General. www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html
Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR § 214.2(f)(6)(i) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Full course of study/General; 8 CFR § 214.2(f)(6)(iii) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Full course of study/Reduced Course Load. www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html
International Students
Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR § 214.2(f)(15)(ii) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Spouse and children of F-1 student/Studyhttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html
Graduate students must meet certain requirements each term that they receive fellowships, assistantships, and tuition remission: admitted to a degree programenrolled full-time (see Full-time Enrollment Requirements for details)have maintained good academic performance and progress during each term of the award
This policy applies to all graduate assistantship students (job codes 9181, 9182, 9183, 9184, 9186, 9187) and university-wide fellowship students.
A full-time degree-seeking graduate student must take at least 9 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters. A half-time load is defined as enrolled in at least 4.5 credit hours in fall and spring terms. During the summer term, full-time is 6 credit hours and half-time is 3 credit hours. There are two special cases:For master's students pursuing a thesis option, full-time enrollment is defined ... More
This is current policy that applies to all graduate students, per federal requirements.
Grade changes for graduate students may be requested by the instructor no later than the end of the next major semester if the degree has not been conferred. If the degree has been conferred, grade changes may not be requested.
Any instructor of a graduate course may request a grade change for a graduate student when an administrative grading error has occurred, the student completed the work after grades were due (resolving “I” grade), or a student request for grade change ... More
Graduate students are not allowed to be appointed more than 20 hours per week in fall and spring and up to 30 hours per week in summer.Agreement is contingent upon full-time enrollment as specified in the Graduate Catalog.An assistantship may be curtailed, diminished, or terminated at any time, by reason of any one of the following: failure of the employee, in the academic judgment of the College ... More
All graduate assistants.
When it applies, Form, Best Practices.
Graduate Certificate programs are different from master’s and doctoral degree programs and have different rules and requirements. Graduate Certificate programs are meant to provide a narrowly focused curriculum that would supplement an existing graduate program and provide current state-of-the-art content in that topical area. The following policies specifically apply to graduate certificate progr ... More
Applies to all graduate certificate students
Fellowships are awarded on the basis of academic merit to the most highly qualified students. In order to receive and retain fellowships students must:Meet general financial support requirementsMeet general fellowship requirementsMeet any fellowship-specific requirementsMust not be employed full-time in on-campus or off-campus jobs
This policy applies to students nominated for or awarded university-wide fellowships.
The College of Graduate Studies pays for health insurance coverage for qualifying university fellowship students and assistantship students with appointments totaling 20 hours per week.
This policy applies to students with university fellowships that are accompanied by tuition waivers and graduate assistants who have a single appointment of 20 hours per week (.50 FTE) or two appointments of at least 10 hours per week (.25 FTE) and t ... More
A Graduate Status GPA is calculated on graduate courses taken at UCF since admissions into the degree or certificate program, and used to monitor the student’s progress in the program. A 3.0 Graduate Status GPA is required to maintain regular graduate status, receive financial assistance, and qualify for graduation. This GPA requirement cannot be petitioned.
The Graduate Status GPA is computed on all graduate students enrolled in a degree or certificate program.
To support the university’s teaching mission and help students prepare for their teaching experiences, the university requires graduate students who will serve as graduate teaching associates, assistants, and graders to complete training prior to assuming their GTA responsibilities. In addition, graduate students with English as a second language who will serve as graduate teaching associates or a ... More
GTA Training requirements apply to all students who will be appointed as GTAs (job codes 9183, 9184, 9187). SPEAK Test requirements apply to all international students admitted to the university Fall 2004 or later who will be appointed as associates ... More
Faculty supervisors of GTAs are required to assess their GTA students each semester and complete a GTA Performance Assessment form. The assessment must be shared with the GTA student.
This policy applies to all students who are appointed as graduate teaching associates, assistants, or graders (job codes 9183, 9184, 9187). A GTA must have a GTA Performance Assessment submitted for each term that the student serves as a GTA.
All students receiving an incomplete in a course must have a written plan for resolving the incomplete. Those receiving financial aid must resolve the incomplete by the agreed upon date in the plan.Incompletes that are not made up in a year revert to F’s.Incompletes cannot be used in a program of study and must be changed to another grade before graduation certification.Students receiving fellowsh ... More
This is current policy that applies to all graduate students.
Up to 6 hours of independent study may be used in a master’s program of study. The 6 hours of independent study may be partially used to satisfy the requirement of 24 hours of core and elective courses, exclusive of thesis and research, in a master’s program of study.There are no limits on the hours of independent study that may be used in a doctoral program of study. Independent study hours may n ... More
Up to 6 hours of independent study in a master’s program is existing policy. The requirement of 24 hours of core and elective courses in a master’s program of study that may include independent study applies to all students who were admitted in Summe ... More
For masters’ applicants to programs that do not require the GRE or GMAT and for applicants to masters’ programs located in the College of Business Administration, Rosen College of Hospitality Management and the Physical Therapy DPT program, a course-by-course evaluation of the student’s official transcript must be submitted to a credential evaluation service recommended by UCF (WES or Josef Silny) ... More
International applicants that have received their education outside of the United States must have the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree, or higher, to be admissible as a graduate student at UCF. Applicants for masters’ programs in the College o ... More
Courses should be added to a student’s records by the last day of regular registration/add for the term.
Any graduate student who was not enrolled in courses by the regular registration deadline may request a late add of courses for a term with evidence of an extraordinary event preventing the add during regular registration. Faculty and staff may reque ... More
Students and/or the program should drop courses by the last day of registration / drop for the term.
Any graduate student may request a late drop of courses for a term within 6 months of the end of the term (refunds only if within 6 months) if they can provide compelling justification for why they were unable to drop courses by the normal deadline a ... More
Students who have passed candidacy, with documentation submitted to the College of Graduate Studies may enroll in dissertation hours.
All doctoral students who have passed candidacy are eligible to enroll in dissertation hours in future terms. If a student passes candidacy by the withdrawal deadline, the program may request to swap any research hours the student is currently enroll ... More
Students may withdraw from courses until the withdrawal deadline for the term.
Any graduate student may request a late withdrawal of courses for a term if they can provide compelling justification for why they were unable to withdraw from courses by the normal deadline and/or evidence of an acute event that occurred within the ... More
Code of Federal Regulations: 22 CFR § 62.14 - Title 22: Foreign Relations –– Exchange Visitor Program/Insurancehttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.htmlFlorida Board of Governors regulations: 6.009 – Students http://www.flbog.org/documents_regulations/regulations/6_009_Admission_of_International_Students.pdf
Students who are suffering from a medical condition that prevent the succesful completion of a term.
All students in a graduate career who have experienced a medical event that has prevented completion of the term are eligible to request a medical withdrawal. The request must be filed within one year from the end of the withdrawal term. Students may ... More
When it applies, Interpretation, Possible exceptions, Best Practices.
Minimum University Admissions Requirements – regulations:UCF-2.003 (Admission of Graduate Students)UCF-2.0031 (Post-baccalaureate Non-degree Students)UCF-2.009 (Admission of International Students)
All applicants to graduate programs.
Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR § 214.2(f)(6)(i)-(ii) - Title 8: Aliens and Nationality –– Special Requirements for admission, extensions, maintenance of status/Full course of study-Institutions of Higher Learninghttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html
All new employees who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must complete payroll sign-in at ISC in order to receive paychecks and benefits if applicable.
Possible exceptions, Form, Best Practices.
Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 graduate status GPA in order to be eligible to graduate. Graduate students should not earn more than two low grades including U’s and C+ or less. Note that WF’s are calculated as F’s.
All graduate students whose graduate status GPA falls below a 3.0 will be placed on probation by the College of Graduate Studies and given 9 semester hours to raise their GPA above the minimum 3.0. Also, students who have earned up to two low grades ... More
A Program of Study is a listing of course work agreed to by the student and the degree program specifying course degree requirements. It must be formulated jointly by the student and the appropriate committee or adviser in the program area. Programs of Study for students seeking a master’s or specialist degree should be on file with the College of Graduate Studies by the end of the student’s seco ... More
All graduate students in degree programs must have a Program of Study. Masters' programs of study must be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies by the second major semester or the term prior to the graduation term, with all transfer work compl ... More
Code of Federal Regulations:22 CFR § 62.4(b)-(g) - Title 22: Foreign Relations –– Categories of participant eligibility22 CFR § 62.20 - Title 22: Foreign Relations –– Professors and research scholars22 CFR § 62.21 - Title 22: Foreign Relations –– Short-term scholars22 CFR § 62.21 - Title 22: Foreign Relations –– Specialistshttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html
A full graduate assistantship is 20 hours per week in fall or spring and 30 hours per week in summer. If a hiring department wishes to appoint a student for total hourly commitments that extend beyond a full assistantship, it must request an exception for the student using the Supplemental Assignment Form. Approval is required from the student’s academic program, thesis/dissertation faculty advise ... More
This policy applies to second-year or later graduate assistantship students; first-year graduate students should not be given a supplemental assignment. International students on visa are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week during fall or ... More
Up to 9 hours of formal course work taken at another institution or from UCF may be transferred into a master’s program, at the discretion of the programORUp to the entire hours of a graduate certificate program taken at UCF may be transferred into a master’s program, at the discretion of the program.Please refer to the section on transfer work for more information.
Will apply to all students admitted to a UCF graduate certificate program for Fall 2009 or later. Students admitted to a graduate certificate program prior to Fall 2009 may transfer up to 9 hours of formal course work taken at another institution or ... More
Graduate assistants and graduate students who receive certain university-wide fellowships receive tuition support (formally referred to as "tuition remission") as part of their financial package. Tuition remission is in the form of either tuition waivers or tuition payments from university funds. Certain university-wide fellows and GTA appointments qualify for tuition waivers; all other graduate a ... More
This policy applies to certain university-wide fellows and assistantship students. Students and their assistantships must meet all assistantship requirements in order for this policy to apply to them (see Graduate Assistantship Requirements for detai ... More
Up to 30 hours of an earned master’s program may be included in the credits for a doctoral program from hours taken at another institution or from UCF, at the discretion of the program, provided the master’s program is in the same discipline as the doctoral program. Of the 30 hours, it is important for programs to determine where the 30 hours will apply to the doctoral program – either as formal c ... More
Will apply to all doctoral students.
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