ACADEMIC PROCEDURES
This section includes information about advisement, registration and standard schedules, academic progress, residency requirements, time limitations, final registration, and so forth. Much of the information is quoted from the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College. Assignment of Adviser. Students are assigned a faculty member adviser at the time of their admission to one of the graduate degree programs in the Department. The adviser will assist the student plan a program of study including selection of electives and give other advice concerning registration, comprehensive examinations, and so forth. Responsibilities of Student. Students are expected to make appointments with their advisers in a timely manner and prior to registration and other significant dates and activities. It is the responsibility of students to see that important dates and deadlines are met, appropriate signatures are obtained, and regulations of the University, the College of Education, and the Graduate College are fulfilled. Changing Adviser. A student may find that it is in her or his best interest to have a different adviser. The student should discuss the change with both the current and potential advisers and then process the Change of Graduate Adviser form which can be obtained from the Department office or the Office of Student Services. The adviser assigned to the doctoral student at the time of admission often is not appropriate to direct the student’s dissertation research. The Change of Graduate Adviser procedures are designed to cover these cases. Questions to Ask Your Adviser. Advisers obviously assist students plan their academic programs and provide guidance on various academic matters. They also can make suggestions about other aspects of graduate study and professional activities. For example, students might want to ask their adviser the following questions:
(The information in this section is quoted from the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College) Standard Schedule. Students registered in the Graduate College may register for no more than 15 semester hours of credit in graduate courses. In a schedule of mixed graduate and undergraduate courses, 2 hours of undergraduate credit may be substituted for 1 hour of graduate credit, with registration limited to a total of 18 semester hours. This equivalency applies to the calculation of academic load only. Graduate credit is not given for courses numbered under 100. The maximum for the eight-week summer session is 8 semester hours…Nine semester hours in the regular semester constitute full-time registration. (Fellows are required to carry at least 9 semester hours during a semester as a condition of their appointments.) One-quarter-time and one-third-time appointees are permitted to register for the maximum 15 semester hours per semester and 8 semester hours during the eight week summer session. (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Courses Not Included in Total Registration. In addition to a full schedule, a graduate student may register for courses printed in the Schedule of Courses as carrying zero semester hours credit (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Changes in Announced Credit. Graduate students may not register for more credit than that printed in the Schedule of Courses, but may register for less credit, or no credit, by permission of the instructor. The number of courses a graduate student may take for limited or no credit is subject to the consent of the adviser and the approval of the dean of the Graduate College (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Reduced Schedules for Teaching and Research Assistants and Other Appointees
As noted in the section on the Standard Schedule, one-quarter and one-third time appointees may register for up to 15 semester hours each semester. Extramural Registration. After admission to a departmental program in the Graduate College, registration for work done off campus may be accepted for residence credit under the following circumstances:
Extramural registration does not count toward residence credit in the following circumstances:
Guided Independent Study. Guided independent study credits do not count as residence credits. Not more than 9 semester hours of graduate independent study work can be applied toward an advanced degree. Such credit must be acceptable for the student’s Plan of Study and must be earned after the student has enrolled in the Graduate College (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). System of Course Numbers. Courses primarily for graduate students are numbered 200 or above in each department. Courses open to and carrying credit for both graduate and undergraduate students are numbered 100 to 199. Courses below 100 are not accepted for graduate credit. Graduate credit may not be earned for taking courses numbered below 100 by registering in such courses as readings, special projects, or independent student have course numbers of 100 or above (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Auditing of Courses. Upon the recommendation of the instructor and the adviser, the dean of the Graduate College may grant permission to graduate students to audit courses for zero credit. Auditing is permitted only for a student who is currently registered (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Dropping of Courses. All graduate students who drop courses after the deadline date established by the dean of the Graduate College for each session and published by the registrar shall receive the grade of F unless the entire registration is withdrawn. This regulation may be waived by the Graduate College dean only on the recommendation of the Student Health director or the Student Counseling Service. If a student withdraws after the deadline date, the student must obtain permission from the dean of the Graduate College before being permitted to reregister (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College).
ACADEMIC
STANDING, PROBATION, AND DISMISSAL Restriction of Students on Probation. A student on probation shall not be permitted to take comprehensive or final examinations leading to any degree or certificate, nor may the student receive any graduate degree or certificate (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Transfer of Graduate Credit. Graduate work at other institutions will be entered on the student’s Permanent Record by the registrar, and a report on this action will be sent to the student and to his or her major department. Credit for these courses toward an advanced degree at Iowa must have approval of the major department and the dean of the Graduate College (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Residence Transfer Credit. After admission to a departmental program in the Graduate College, residence graduate credit from another Iowa regents’ university may be counted as residence credit at this institution, provided such work is acceptable to the student’s major department on the basis of the department’s determination of its applicability toward the degree (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). (The student should review the sections on the residency requirements and the section on reduction of old credits.) Reduction in Credit. For courses or seminars in independent study, thesis, and research an instructor may report less credit than the number of semester hours for which a student is registered (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). MARKING SYSTEM Marks Carrying Graduate Credit. The following marks carry graduate credit: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, and S (satisfactory) (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Marks Carrying No Graduate Credit. The following marks do not carry graduate credit: D+, D, D-, F, I (incomplete), W (withdrawn without discredit), R (registered), and U (unsatisfactory) (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Audit. R is assigned when a student registered for zero credit attends as an auditor throughout the course. If the student fails to meet the instructor’s requirements for class attendance, W is assigned. (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Incomplete. The grade of I is to be used only when a student’s work during a session cannot be completed because of illness, accident, or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. In registrations for thesis, research, or independent student, the S/U grades may be applied. Students who receive the mark of I must remove that mark within the first session of registration after the closing date of the session for which it is given; otherwise the grade becomes F, except that students with I’s from the spring semester are exempt from completing the course during the succeeding summer session. Specific deadlines for submission of student work to the faculty and for the faculty’s report on I grades to the registrar are printed in the academic calendar. Courses may not be repeated to remove incompletes; removal of an I is accomplished only through the completion of the specific work for which the mark is given (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Thesis, Research, Readings, Independent Study, and Special Projects. Grades of S and U may be used for registrations in thesis, research, readings, independent study, and special projects. S – satisfactory means that the student receives credit for the work; U – unsatisfactory means that he or she receives no credit. Neither S nor U is used in computing grade-points averages (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Students should confirm with their advisor when grades of S or U rather than A, B, C, D, F will be assigned. Grades of S and U. Grades of S and U may be used for courses taken by a graduate student outside the major department or interdepartmental degree program, provided that the instructor of the course and the student’s departmental adviser approve the registration. Arrangements for S/U grading in these courses are accomplished by filing a card with appropriate signatures in the Registrar’s office at the time of registration, or no later than the last day of the third week of a semester or the third day of the second week of summer session. No changes from letter grades to S/U grades or vice-versa will be allowed after these dates (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Computed Grade-Point Average. The computed grade point average is based only upon graduate work graded A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT Master’s Degree. Of the minimum semester hours required for the degree, at least 24 semester hours must be completed under the auspices of The University of Iowa. After admission to a departmental program in the Graduate College, various forms of extramural registration may qualify toward fulfillment of this 24-hour residence requirement (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College) in addition to regular on-campus registration. However, at least 8 semester hours on campus are required, except for those departmental programs which have received approval for reduction of thison-campus requirement (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Specialist
in Education Degree. Of the minimum of 60 semester hours
required for the degree, at least 24 semester hours must be
completed in residence at this University, of which 15 semester
hours must be earned while the student is on campus within
one 12-month period or during two summer sessions Doctor of Philosophy Degree. The doctorate is granted primarily on the basis of achievement rather than on the accumulation of semester hours of credit; however, the candidate is expected to have completed at least three years of residence in a graduate college. A least part of this residence must be spent in full-time involvement in one’s discipline, at this University, beyond the first 24 semester hours of graduate work. In order to meet this requirement, Ph.D. degree students in any of the programs in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies must enroll as a full-time student (9 semester hours minimum) in each of two semesters (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). REDUCTION OF OLD CREDITS Master’s Degree. Credits for a master’s degree dating back more than ten years from the session in which the degree is to be conferred are not counted toward fulfillment of degree requirements (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Specialist in Education Degree. Courses successfully completed ten or more years prior to the final examination will be evaluated by the major department in order to determine the amount of credit that shall be allowed for such work. Evaluation of such old credits will be reported to the Graduate College by the departmental executive at the time of submission of the Plan of Study. Doctor of Philosophy. Courses taken ten or more years prior to the comprehensive examination will be evaluated by the major department in order to determine the amount of credit that shall be allowed for such work. Evaluation of such old credits will be reported to the Graduate College by the departmental executive at the time of submission of the Plan of Study (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). PLAN OF STUDY Master's and Specialist in Education Degrees. Applicants for the master's degree or the specialist in education degree must file a Plan of Study approved by the adviser and the departmental executive with the Graduate College within the session in which the degree is to be granted and by a date to be established by the Graduate College dean. The plan shall meet the requirements for the degree approved by the graduate faculty (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Plan of Study forms are available from the Office of Student Services, N310 LC, and the dates the completed forms are due to the Office is posted each fall. Doctor of Philosophy Degree. A formal Plan of Study must accompany the departmental request to the Graduate College for permission to conduct the comprehensive examination. The plan will provide a listing of all graduate courses taken which apply toward the degree and a listing of courses in progress or to be completed after the comprehensive examination (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). The form is available from the Office of Student Services, N310 LC. The dates the completed forms are due in the Office of Student Services are posted each fall. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS General Collegiate and Department Information. All degree programs in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies include comprehensive examinations; see the requirements for each degree for information about the areas included in these examinations. Students must be registered during the semester they take comprehensive examination. Students should consult with their advisers about faculty members to serve on the comprehensive examination committee. It is the student’s responsibility to ask faculty members if they will serve. Students should consult with each committee faculty member about recommended readings and references and other guides for preparing for the comprehensive examinations. The comprehensive examinations are administered for the College of Education by the Office of Student Services, and that Office posts the deadlines for filing a request for an examination and the dates for the examinations. Examinations are given each fall and spring semester. The Department does not give Ph.D. comprehensives during the summer. Depending on the availability of faculty members, M.A. and Ed.S. comprehensive examinations may be taken during the summer. Master's and Specialist in Education Degrees. The examining committee for the master’s degree and for the specialist in education degree consists of at least three members of the graduate faculty, ... at least two of whom are from the major department. If the examination covers work in another department, one member of the committee must be from that department (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Comprehensive examinations for these degrees are evaluated as satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with two unsatisfactory votes making the committee report unsatisfactory. If the department so recommends, a candidate who fails the examination may present himself or herself for reexamination, but not sooner that the next regularly scheduled examination period in the following session. The examination may be repeated only once (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Doctor of Philosophy Degree. Ph.D. students have both written and oral comprehensive examinations; the oral exams are to be arranged with the comprehensive examining committee as soon as possible following the written exam and before the end of the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange the date, time, and place for the orals; this should be done in consultation with the adviser. A student must be registered in the Graduate College at the time of the comprehensive examination, which must be passed not later than the session prior to the session of graduation (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). At least five faculty members serve on the examining committee for Ph.D. comprehensive examinations (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). The comprehensive examination will be evaluated by a convened meeting of the committee and reported as satisfactory, satisfactory with reservations, or unsatisfactory to the Graduate College within fourteen days after the completion of the examination. Two "unsatisfactory" votes will make the committee report unsatisfactory. In the event of a report with two or more votes of "satisfactory with reservations," the exact stipulations of the committee should be recorded with the report form. The statement must specify the time allowed for satisfying the stipulations, and must be specific in defining the area if further examination in a particular area is required, or in describing any additional courses or other procedures that are required. The candidate will not be admitted to the final oral examination until such stipulations have been satisfied. The executive of the major department should promptly send a written report to the Graduate College giving the date of removal of "reservations." In the case of a report of unsatisfactory on a comprehensive examination, the committee may grant the candidate permission to present himself or herself for reexamination not sooner than four months after the first examination. The examination may be repeated only once, at the option of the department (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Postcomprehensive Registration for Doctoral Students. The student is required to register each semester after passing the comprehensive examination until the degree is awarded. If a student fails to register, the student may not be readmitted to candidacy until the student has submitted an application which has been approved by the student’s adviser, the departmental executive, and the Graduate College dean. All registrations should accurately reflect the amount and type of work undertaken, the use of University facilities, and the amount of consultation with the faculty. In order to maintain continuous registration, a doctoral student may register (1) for required and/or elective courses, research, and thesis hours to complete the plan of study, or (2) for Doctoral Continuous Registration (000:002). Doctoral Continuous Registration requires a 2 s.h. tuition/fee payment. If a temporary lapse in a student's academic program is required due to military service, medical leave, or personal/family leave, a student may petition the Graduate College to be allowed to register for Ph.D. Postcomprehensive Registration (000:000), which allows for the assessment of a special minimum fee. If a petition is granted, it is to be understood that a student will not make significant use of University resources, or engage in significant consultation with the faculty. Registration in a Guided Independent Study or in a course for which tuition/fees are not assessed (Cooperative Education Internship, for example) will not satisfy the continuous registration requirement. No registration for the summer or winter sessions is required when the student makes no use of University resources. The exceptions are when the student is taking a degree at the end of the summer session, or when enrollment is required by the student's department (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). DISSERTATION FOR THE DOCTORAL DEGREE Preparation and Deposit of the Dissertation Copy. One copy of the dissertation, complete and in final form, must be presented at the Office of the Graduate College before the final examination, and not later than four weeks before the graduation date on which the degree is to be conferred. Two copies of the approved dissertation must be deposited at the office at least ten days prior to the graduation date. The final deposit can be no later than the end of the semester (summers excluded) following the session in which the final examination is passed; failure to meet this deadline will require reexamination of the student. Regulations regarding preparation of the dissertation copy shall be promulgated by the dean of the Graduate College. Written dissertations shall be made available to all members of the examining committee not later than two weeks before the date of the examination (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Students should obtain a copy of the regulations regarding preparation of the dissertation copy as soon as they begin work on their dissertation. It is their responsibility to prepare the dissertation copy according to these regulations and to meet all deadlines including those for deposit and for distribution to committee members. Final Examination. The work for the degree culminates in a final oral examination. This examination should include: (1) a critical inquiry into the purposes, methods, and results of the investigation – not a mere recapitulation of the procedures followed – and (2) intensive questioning on areas of knowledge constituting the immediate context of the investigation. The final examination may not be held until the next session after passing the comprehensive examination nor until the thesis is accepted for first deposit by the Graduate College; however, a student must pass the final examination no later than five years after passing the comprehensive examination. Failure to meet this deadline will result in a reexamination of the student to determine his or her qualifications for taking the final examination. The procedures to be followed are the same as those for the comprehensive examination. Final examinations for the doctorate are open to the public. The final examination will be evaluated as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Two unsatisfactory votes will make the committee report unsatisfactory. In case of a report of unsatisfactory in the final examination, the candidate may not present himself or herself for reexamination until the next session. The examination may be repeated only once, at the option of the department. The final examination is conducted by a committee of no fewer than five members of the graduate faculty appointed by the dean upon recommendation of the major department….one member of the committee must be a member of the graduate faculty from outside the major department. Upon recommendation of the major department, the dean may appoint additional qualified persons (not necessarily members of the graduate faculty) to serve as voting members of the examining committee. A voting member may be added at the discretion of the Graduate College dean (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Application for Degree. The student must file an application for an anticipated degree with the registrar not later than ten weeks after the start of the semester or one week after the start of the summer session in which the degree will be conferred. The student must have the application signed by his or her adviser. Failure to file the application by the deadline date will result in the postponement of graduation to a subsequent session (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). Deadline dates are printed in the academic calendar; they also are posted by the Office of Student Services. Enrollment in Final Session. The student must be enrolled during the session in which the degree is to be conferred. Students who must register for the session in which the degree is to be conferred but are away from the University campus during that session may meet this requirement by registering for independent study, research, or thesis. Doctoral candidates who have completed all work except the final examination may register for the postcomprehensive registration …, if such registration is appropriate. Master’s candidates who have completed all work except the final examination may register for a fee equivalent to the "postcomprehensive registration," if such registration is appropriate. Registration in a correspondence course will not satisfy this requirement (Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College). The fees for postcomprehensive registration and Master’s final registration are published in the Schedule of Courses for each session. |
Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies
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