The general policies, procedures and requirements for advanced degrees are stated below; however, each advanced degree has requirements, specific to that degree. These specific requirements are detailed in the program descriptions that follow this section. These requirements must be consulted, so that the graduate student may be fully apprised of the conditions he/she must meet in order to receive an advanced degree.

The policies and regulations described in this catalog cannot be superseded or invalidated by either oral or written agreement with faculty, staff, or administrators, unless such agreement is confirmed in writing by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Registration

The University of Louisville uses a touch-tone and an on-line web registration system. The schedule of courses for each term may be reviewed at htmlaccess.louisville.edu/classS-chedule/setupSearchClassSchedule.cfm. A limited number of paper copies of the schedule may be available through the Registrar's Office, Dean's Offices, or Campus Bookstore. Students must first contact their department advisor to discuss course selections. The service indicator is changed within the department. If a student is in good standing and admitted UNCONDITIONALLY, he/she may proceed with the registration process. If, however, a student still has conditions on his/her admission, he/she must contact their department for further instructions. If a student is on academic probation, he/she must contact the Graduate Dean's office for further instructions. A student must participate in touch-tone or on-line web registration. No in-person registration is permitted. A student may add courses through the touch-tone or on-line system through the first day of classes. One may also drop or withdraw from courses by touch-tone or on-line (for more information consult: louisville.edu/student/services/registrar)

Full-and Part-Time Study

Full-time study is defined as being nine (9) hours of credit during a regular semester, six (6) hours during the summer term, or in degree candidacy status.

Full-Time Study for University Fellows and Graduate Assistants

All University Fellows and Graduate Assistants must be enrolled as full time students during the period for which they are receiving financial support.

Course Loads

Unless a department or program requires a larger number of hours for all full-time students, the maximum number of hours that may be taken in a regular semester is 12; or 15 hours if 3 or more hours are research credit. The maximum number of hours that may be taken in the summer session (both terms) is 12, including research hours.

Overloads

Any student who wishes to enroll in more than the maximum number of hours must obtain the permission of the Dean of the Graduate School. Permission to enroll for excess hours is rarely granted.

Continuous enrollment

Continuous enrollment is defined as being registered in both fall and spring if registering for coursework. If a student has been admitted to either masters or doctoral degree candidacy, continuous registration is defined as fall, spring and summer terms (only one term of registration is required in summer terms).

Satisfactory Progress

All graduate students are expected to make steady and satisfactory progress toward the completion of degrees. Students who fail to enroll for a period of more than 12 months will be considered to have withdrawn from the program. Students who seek to return after such a period of time are required to apply to their departments for readmission. Based on the request of the department, the Dean of the Graduate School will consider the student for readmission. Prior to reapplying, students should speak with their department. Students may submit a re-enrollment form to the Office of the Registrar if it has been less than two years since their last enrollment.

Satisfactory progress also involves maintaining the standards of academic and professional integrity expected in a particular discipline or program and, in some disciplines, may include demonstration of the ability to function as a professional practitioner. Failure to maintain these standards or demonstrate such abilities may result in termination of the student's admission to the program.

Degree Candidacy

Degree Candidacy is intended to meet the enrollment need of students who have completed all formal course work and thesis/dissertation hours but who are continuing to perform research for the Masters or Doctorate degree or complete course requirements in other required course-work. It is the responsibility of the student and his/her mentor to maintain contact throughout the program of study to ensure continuous progress towards the timely completion of the degree.

Doctoral students may not enroll in Degree Candidacy until successful completion of the qualifying exam in addition to completion of the required course work in their program of study.

Although a student must complete all required courses before entering Degree Candidacy, students have the option of taking additional specialized courses, e.g. courses offered by visiting or new faculty, while in Degree Candidacy (in those cases payment of both the candidacy fee and the course tuition will be required).

When necessary, a student may enroll in Degree Candidacy in order to meet the requirement that all students must be enrolled in the Graduate School during the semester in which he/she wishes to graduate.

Enrollment in Degree Candidacy requires the approval of the Graduate School. Once a student is admitted to candidacy, enrollment in Degree Candidacy status must be continuously maintained year round (i.e. Fall, Spring, and Summer) until the degree is awarded. The only exception to this policy of continuous enrollment is if the Graduate Dean has granted the student a formal leave of absence.

Once a student enrolls in Degree Candidacy, the Registrar will automatically enroll the student in Degree Candidacy until the student applies to graduate. Failure to pay the candidacy fee will be cause to cancel a student's Degree Candidacy. In order to restore Degree Candidacy, the student must receive approval of his/her department Chair and that of the Graduate Dean. To reestablish Degree Candidacy, the student will be required to pay the candidacy fee for each semester during which candidacy was voided and/or not maintained.

Extension of Time

The Graduate School has policies on time limitations for both Master's (six (6) years) and Doctoral (four (4) years after Qualifying Exam) students. Requests for extension of time must be submitted in writing to the Chair or Graduate Coordinator of the student's department. Once reviewed by the department, the request is forwarded to the Graduate Dean with supporting documentation for his review. While extensions of time are rare, each request is reviewed thoroughly with an appropriate outcome communicated to all interested parties. Students must be considered in good standing for the request to be considered.

Academic Standing

Good Standing

A graduate student is in good standing when his/ her graduate grade point average is 3.0 or higher. Graduate grade point average includes all coursework listed on a graduate transcript, whether the courses are undergraduate or graduate-level. A student must be in good standing in order to receive their degree.

Academic Probation

A student who has a graduate GPA which falls below a minimum level of academic quality (3.0 on a 4-point scale) will be placed on academic probation until the student regains a 3.0 average or is dismissed. Students are ordinarily not permitted to continue on academic probation for more than one semester. Upon request of the student's academic department, the Graduate Dean may approve continuation beyond a single semester.

Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism and Cheating

It is expected that a student in the Graduate School will refrain from plagiarism and cheating. Plagiarism and cheating are serious breaches of academic conduct and may result in permanent dismissal. Each student is advised to become familiar with the various forms of academic dishonesty as explained in the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. A plea of ignorance is not acceptable as a defense against the charge of academic dishonesty.

Instructors may use a range of strategies (including plagiarism-prevention services at the university) to compare student works with private and public information resources in order to identify possible plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Comparisons of student works will often require submitting a copy of the original work to the plagiarism-prevention service. The service may retain that copy in some circumstances.