Graduate Student Appeals

1. Each graduate program must have a committee charged with responding to any appeal referred to it by the Graduate School.

2. Graduate students who do not meet requirements for admission (see “Admission to the Graduate School ”) or registration (see “Graduate Registration and Scheduling of Courses ”) are not eligible to enter, reenter, or continue in Graduate School. The only method to enter, reenter, or continue is through appeal to the Graduate Council Standing Committee on Graduate Appeals. An appeal must be made in accordance to the following procedures:

   1. The student must present a letter of petition to the Graduate School outlining the reasons for appealing.

   2. The graduate coordinator for the program where the student was or wishes to be must provide a letter of response to the Graduate School that includes the decision of the program-level committee. This letter must include a justification and may recommend support for the appeal, support with conditions, or denial of support. The appeal will not be heard by the Graduate Council Standing Committee on Graduate Appeals until this response is received. If appealing as a non-degree-seeking entree or master’s +30 graduate student, this letter of response is not required.

   3. A student may present letters of recommendation and/or additional documentation in support of their appeal.

3. As per the qualifications for graduate admission (see “Admission to the Graduate School  ”), students are admitted in either regular or conditional admission status. A department, through its committee charged with responding to appeals and with the support of the head and graduate coordinator, may submit an appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School to offer regular admission to an applicant eligible only for conditional admission. Strong justification and evidence must be presented to warrant such extraordinary appeals. The Dean may rule independently on these appeals or refer them to the Graduate Council Standing Committee on Graduate Appeals; decisions of the Dean may be appealed to the same committee.

4. Students who are not in regular admission status are ineligible to hold assistantships. A department or other campus unit may submit an appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School to offer an assistantship to a graduate student admitted conditionally. The Dean may rule independently on these appeals or refer them to the Graduate Council Standing Committee on Graduate Appeals; decisions of the Dean may be appealed to the committee.

5. Students who wish to transfer credit from non-U.S. institutions must appeal to do so through special petition to the Graduate Council Standing Committee on Graduate Appeals. In such cases, the evidence presented in favor of transfer must be extremely persuasive. (See also “Transfer of Credits” in the Graduate Rules and Regulations section entitled “Course and Credit Regulations .”)

6. Students who wish to transfer credits older than six years or who do not complete a degree within the specified time (six years for a master’s degree, seven years for a Ph.D. degree, six years for an Ed.D. degree, and five years for a DNP degree) must submit a request in writing for a time extension to the graduate coordinator. If the graduate coordinator approves the transfer or time extension, a notation of approval is submitted to the Graduate School for action (approval or disapproval) by the Dean.

7. Master’s and doctoral students are permitted only two attempts to pass the comprehensive requirement. Appeals requesting additional attempts to satisfy all or part of the comprehensive requirement shall be considered by the Graduate Council Standing Committee on Graduate Appeals. These appeals must adhere to the same procedures set forth above.

8. Grade appeals, violations of the Student Code of Conduct, and tuition and fee appeals that involve graduate students are not heard by the Graduate Council Standing Committee on Appeals or the Dean of the Graduate School but are governed instead by other University policies/committees.