Exceptions to the following policies are rare and are granted only on a case-by-case basis and upon recommendation of the program administration and with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School.
Full-Time and Part-Time Status
To be considered academically full time, a graduate student must be enrolled in at least nine credit hours on the Tuesday of the second week of classes during a regular semester (fall and spring semesters). Enrollment in PSY 8800 “Psychology Internship” is also considered full-time enrollment. Enrollment in zero (as is the case when enrolled in 7990 - “Final Enrollment”) to eight credit hours is acceptable for full-time status for two sequential regular semesters in a master’s program or four sequential semesters in a doctoral program when the student has completed at least nine credit hours per semester for the prior two sequential regular semesters. If a student does not complete his/her degree within these two reduced-credit-hour semesters for a master’s student or four reduced-credit-hour semesters for a doctoral student, then the student will be disqualified from further reduced-credit-hour full-time status until the student has enrolled in at least nine credits per semester for two sequential regular semesters.
A student may enroll in up to 12 credit hours during a regular semester and nine credit hours during a summer term. However, students with full-time jobs are normally limited to a maximum of six credit hours during fall and spring semesters. Oxley College of Health Sciences students have been granted an exception to this policy. For federal financial aid purposes, half-time enrollment is enrollment in a minimum of five credit hours during the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Enrollment in zero to eight credit hours other than as described above constitutes part-time enrollment.
Graduate students who are not United States residents and are attending the University on a student visa must be enrolled prior to the first day of classes and must be full-time students as required by federal regulations. During the fall and spring semesters, full-time enrollment is defined as nine credit hours.
For those international students who enroll for the first time at the graduate level during the summer, full-time enrollment depends on which summer term in which they start classes. The University of Tulsa has two summer terms, each running over a period of five weeks: Summer Term I and Summer Term II. Instead of having a single summer term divided into two sessions, we will have two five-week terms, each treated separately and independently for purposes of classifying students as full-time vs part-time. Under this structure, full-time status will be defined as three or more credit hours taken during a single summer term. Students who take six credit hours for graduate classes that run ten weeks will also be classified as full-time.
Credit Hour Policy
The last digit of the course number indicates the number of credit hours for that course.
The University of Tulsa follows institutionally established equivalencies that meet or exceed the Oklahoma State Regents’ requirements in each area:
- For traditional classroom courses, one credit hour at The University of Tulsa requires 845 instructional minutes (including final examination time) over a 16-week semester.
- For laboratory courses, one credit hour requires a minimum of 2380 meeting minutes over a 16-week semester (170 minutes per week over 14 weeks).
- Courses offered during a summer term or during any other academic term that is shorter than a semester must observe the same academic standards regarding instructional or laboratory hours as those courses offered during a standard academic semester.
Enrollment and Course Selection
Graduate enrollment for the summer and fall terms usually begins in March. Spring term enrollment begins in October. Enrollment (including the addition of any courses to existing enrollment) will close at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday of the second week of classes for the fall and spring semesters. Enrollment instructions will be sent to advisors and students once courses have been posted for the succeeding semester but before the enrollment period begins. All enrollment requests should be completed with the assistance of the appropriate graduate program advisor. Non-degree Seeking Students are not eligible for online enrollment and should work with the Graduate School Office to enroll. Non-degree Seeking Students must secure approval of the appropriate instructor for each graduate course in which they wish to enroll.
A student must be enrolled to make use of University resources (e.g., library or faculty time) during the fall or spring semester. No student may attend classes after the first class session, take qualifying exams, comprehensive exams, or graduate during a semester unless properly enrolled. Any graduate student who has enrolled in the required number of hours for a degree, but has not finished all requirements must enroll in Graduate Residency.
Failure to enroll for one or more semesters without an approved leave of absence may require an application for readmission to the degree program if the six-year Statute of Limitations has expired for the student’s coursework.
The last day of the semester is the day prior to graduation for the spring semester and the last day of classes during the summer and fall semesters, unless indicated otherwise by the instructor.
Graduate Residency (7961)
When a student has enrolled in the required number of hours for the degree but has not finished all requirements for the degree, he or she enrolls in Graduate Residency (7961). This requirement is particularly applicable, but not restricted, to the semester in which the student completes work for the degree.
If a student is not enrolled in coursework but wishes to make use of University resources (e.g., library or faculty time), to complete other academic milestones required by the program or Graduate School (e.g., take a qualifying or comprehensive examination, have an oral defense of a thesis or dissertation), or to be considered for graduation during a given semester, the student must be enrolled in Graduate Residency (7961).
Final Enrollment (7990)
Students who enrolled in a semester and complete their degree requirements after the end of that semester, but before the start of the next semester are required to enroll in Final Enrollment (7990). There is no tuition charge for enrollment in 7990. Students may only enroll in 7990 after all of the requirements for the degree have been met.
Circumstances where enrollment in Final Enrollment 7990 is applicable:
- Students who submit their thesis or dissertation after the end of the term (i.e. commencement) but before the beginning of classes for the next semester.
- Non-thesis students who have taken all required courses for the degree but received an “Incomplete” in one or more courses.
- Students who are transferred by their employer prior to their last semester at The University of Tulsa, and successfully petition the Graduate School to attend another accredited institution to complete their degree program. The credits are then transferred to appear on the student’s University of Tulsa transcript as prescribed in the transfer credit policy (see Transfer Credit).
If the student does not satisfy any of the above three conditions for enrolling in Final Enrollment, they will need to enroll in at least one hour of Graduate Residency or Thesis/Dissertation.
Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit (4000/6000)
In some programs, upper-level undergraduate courses, designated in this Bulletin by 6000-level course numbers, may be taken for graduate credit with the approval of the graduate program advisor. Students enrolled in these courses for graduate credit will be given assignments beyond those required for undergraduate students in the same course. Students who have previously enrolled in a course at the 4000-level may not enroll in the same course at the 6000-level.
The faculty responsible for the program must submit a written justification for any master’s degree program containing more than 40 percent of its total credit hours (excluding the removal of deficiencies) in 6000-level courses. Such justification must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Undergraduate courses taken for graduate credit must be 6000-level courses approved for registration. Graduate tuition must be paid for such courses.
Double-Counting
“Double-counting” refers to the use of a limited number of credit hours obtained at The University of Tulsa toward the requirements of two separate degrees or programs. With proper advising, this allows the student to earn two degrees for fewer total credit hours than the sum of the credit hours for the individual degrees. Credit hours may never be counted for three or more programs.
At the departmental level, graduate program advisors may stipulate that credits cannot be double-counted in their programs, and it is up to the department to define the number of credit hours allowed for double counting up to the maximum defined in this policy.
Two Master’s Degrees: Students pursuing two independent master’s degrees may double-count, with prior approval of both graduate program advisors, no more than nine credits. Both degrees must be completed within the time allowed.
Master’s and Juris Doctorate: In general, no more than nine credits may be double-counted from juris doctorate requirements towards a separate master’s degree. Any double counting of graduate level courses towards juris doctorate requirements is up to the College of Law. Both degrees must be completed within the time allowed.
Master’s and Doctorate (Distinct Disciplines): In general, no more than nine credits may be double-counted and prior approval of both graduate program advisors is required. Both degrees are completed within the time allowed. The master’s degree must be awarded before the doctoral degree.
Master’s En Route to Doctorate (Same Discipline): Upon recommendation by the graduate program, a doctoral candidate may earn a master’s degree in the same discipline, upon completion of the master’s degree requirements or upon successful passing of the comprehensive exam. The degree may not be awarded retroactively.
Graduate Degree and Graduate Certificate: Certificate courses may be used toward the completion of a degree as determined by the graduate program advisor. Both the graduate degree and certificate must be completed within the time allowed. A graduate certificate may not be awarded retroactively.
5000-level Courses: The University has select graduate courses taught at the 7000-level that are cross-listed at the 5000-level and may be taken by undergraduates for undergraduate credit. This option is intended for exceptional undergraduates with at least junior standing, and may be eligible to double count towards future TU graduate program requirements, following approval by the relevant graduate program advisor. Enrollment in 5000 level courses requires the approval of the undergraduate program advisor, the instructor of the course, and the graduate program advisor for the discipline in which the course is offered.
Undergraduate students in a 5000-level course must meet all the requirements and complete all of the same assignments as required for the graduate students in the 7000-level of the course. Undergraduate students are evaluated in exactly the same way as the graduate students in that course.
Approved undergraduate students are limited to two 5000-level courses a semester, as long as all other coursework is 4000-level or lower. If a student is taking a 6000- or 7000-level course as a non-degree seeking graduate student while also completing an undergraduate degree, only one 5000-level courses may be taken in the same semester. Any exception to this requires the approval of the Graduate Dean. See the Graduate Bulletin for more information about course options under Non-degree Seeking Status.
Successful completion of 5000-level coursework does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. If a student is officially admitted to a graduate degree program with previously completed 5000-level coursework, the relevant graduate program advisor is responsible for approving any double counting. Double counting of 5000-level coursework is capped at up to nine hours for graduate programs requiring 36 hours or less, twelve hours in programs with 37 to 45 hours, and up to fifteen hours for programs requiring in excess of forty-five hours. Any grades associated with the 5000-level credit hours will not be included when computing the student’s graduate cumulative G.P.A. The limits listed above are a maximum allowable amount only and it is not guaranteed that all students would be able to double-count coursework, even if it was below that maximum limit for that program.
Students may not receive credit for a course at the 5000-level and then later retake the same course at the 7000-level. It is up to graduate program advisors to approve the number of credit hours allowed for double-counting for individual students, up to the maximum outlined in this double-counting policy.
Auditing
A student may elect to audit a course and will have all the privileges of students taking the course for credit, except taking the final examination or receiving credit for the course. Students must pay the same tuition rate for an audited course as they would if the course was taken for credit. The credit hours from audited courses are not counted when determining a student’s full-time status.
An auditor may elect to take a course for credit at any time within the first three weeks of a regular semester if the course instructor and the Dean of the Graduate School give their permission. The schedule for auditing courses during a summer term should be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.
Excused Absences
Students who participate in an officially sanctioned, scheduled activity shall be given an opportunity to make up exams or other assignments that are missed as a result of this participation. Officially sanctioned participation occurs when the student is representing The University of Tulsa and participation is a requirement of a class or scholarship. The manner in which missed tests or other assignments are made up is left to the discretion of each individual faculty member; however, students shall not be penalized and should be informed of the instructor’s makeup policy, preferably in writing, at the beginning of each semester. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor prior to the scheduled exam or other missed assignment, and to perform the make-up work as scheduled. Only absences reported by the Registrar to the faculty will be considered excused.
Students who are absent for personal reasons (e.g., contagious illness requiring quarantine, significant hospitalization, a death in the immediate family) are covered by the Absence Notification Policy of the Student Success Center. All absences are considered on a case-by-case basis by the instructor in accordance with the policies of the academic unit and college.
Withdrawal
Voluntary Withdrawal from the University. Official withdrawal from the University requires a standard procedure originating through the Graduate School. It is financially and academically advantageous to students to follow the official withdrawal procedure. Students withdrawing prior to the start of the seventh week of a regular semester are entitled to a partial refund of tuition calculated from the date of their official withdrawal. Nonattendance of classes does not constitute official withdrawal.
Medical/Psychological Withdrawal. Students wishing to withdraw or take a leave of absence from the University based on a medical or psychological reason should contact Student Access to discuss their reasons for seeking a withdrawal or a leave of absence, the medical documentation required, their plans while on leave, and to work out any conditions that may be necessary for an easier transition back to The University of Tulsa. It should be noted that a student may voluntarily withdraw before the twelfth week of classes through the normal withdrawal process. The complete policies are available at Student Access.
Students should seek clarification from the Graduate School as to how this affects their academic status as a full-time or part-time student. However, the six-year statute of limitations regarding course credit is still in effect. The student should also check with the Office of Student Financial Services or their loan provider regarding the effect of a leave on loan obligations or any other financial aid issues. Any financial support currently being provided to the student may or may not be available upon the student’s return. The student will be responsible for working directly with the Bursar’s Office, Housing Office and any other campus offices regarding how a leave of absence may affect any obligations to those offices.
Withdrawal from the University for Military Service. Students who are called to active military duty at any time during their enrollment will be eligible for a full refund or credit of their tuition for the semester of their withdrawal. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their situation with their graduate program advisor to consider alternate arrangements. For example, students who are called to report for active duty near the end of a semester may choose to take “incompletes” in their courses, rather than repeating the entire semester when they return to the University. The University will work closely with students to minimize the impact a withdrawal will have on their academic progress. All students called to active military duty are required to meet with the Director of Veterans Affairs.
Non-voluntary Withdrawal from the University. Students may be required to withdraw from the University for habitual absence from class, habitual idleness, or any other behavior that prevents them from fulfilling the purposes implied by their registration in the University. A grade of “W” will be entered for each of the courses in which a student is registered. Students who have been required to withdraw must apply for readmission to the Graduate School.
Voluntary Withdrawal from a Course. Withdrawal from a course prior to the start of the fourth week of a regular semester is considered a cancellation of enrollment, and the course is not shown on students’ academic records.
Withdrawal from a course after the start of the fourth week and up to and including the twelfth week of a regular semester will be considered a partial enrollment for which a grade of W (withdrew) will be recorded.
Withdrawals are not permitted after the end of the twelfth week of a regular semester. The schedule for withdrawal from courses and refund of tuition is printed in the schedule of courses for each semester. Any formal withdrawal shall constitute a forfeiture of any and all right to the subsequent make-up of incomplete grades.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credit is limited to six hours at the master’s level and twelve hours at the doctoral level. Only credit hours are transferable; any grades associated with transferred credit hours will not transfer and will not be included when computing the student’s G.P.A. at The University of Tulsa. The graduate program advisor is responsible for determining the applicability of transfer work to the student’s program. Any such graduate credit must have been earned at an accredited graduate school and completed within the six-year statute of limitations. Transfer credit will not be granted for any coursework with a grade below B-. Credit for transfer work will be recommended by the major program advisor to the Graduate School only after the student has completed the same number of credit hours at The University of Tulsa with at least a 3.0 grade-point average. Transfer Credit forms are available in the Graduate School Hub. Coursework used to satisfy requirements for one graduate degree may not be used to meet the requirements for a second graduate degree. Credits earned under the Study Abroad program will appear on The University of Tulsa transcript with grades of either “P” or “F”. Veterans must also submit Military Training transcripts for evaluation of credit. All transfer credit is subject to final approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Internships
Individual departments may enroll students in internships that contribute to their educational goals. Whether credit is offered for paid internships is at the discretion of the department. To earn credit there must be a course number associated with the internship, a professor of record, prior approval by the professor of record, and agreement on how the student will demonstrate having achieved the credit-worthy academic goals of the internship. Like independent study courses, there may be multiple sections of the course with different professors of record as appropriate. Management of the number of such sections and how they are administered will be left to the governance of the college faculty and its dean.
Transfer of Records
The Office of the Registrar will forward official transcripts to other institutions or prospective employers when requested in writing by students. No transcript is issued for students who have not met their financial obligations to the University. The University issues transcripts electronically through the National Student Clearinghouse. Visit the Office of the Registrar webpage for instructions on ordering transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse. The University does not issue unofficial transcripts or copies of transcripts from other institutions.
Reading Days
No academic activities including classes, labs, or assignments will be scheduled during designated reading days prior to final exams at the end of each semester.
Academic Honesty
In keeping with the intellectual ideals, standards for community, and educational mission of the University, students are expected to adhere to all academic policies. Cheating on examinations, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty violate both individual honor and the life of the community, and may subject students to penalties ranging from failing grades to dismissal.
Academic misconduct includes, but is not confined to, plagiarizing; cheating on tests or examinations; turning in counterfeit reports, tests, and papers; stealing tests or other academic materials; knowingly falsifying academic records or documents of the college; and turning in the same work to more than one class without informing the instructors involved. Academic misconduct also includes unauthorized or inappropriate use of University computers, vandalism of data files or equipment, use of computer resources for personal reasons unrelated to the academic and research activities of the University, plagiarism, violation of proprietary agreements, theft, or tampering with the programs and data of other users.
The University of Tulsa expects students and instructors to have prepared the work or research that bears their name, and to give acknowledgment in the use of materials and sources. Students are expected to do their own work and research, to prepare their own reports and papers, and to take examinations without the assistance of others or aids not allowed in the testing procedure. The standards and ideals of learning at the University assert that students develop and learn as they participate directly in the process of learning, rather than by substituting the labor and experience of others.
In particular, plagiarism is presenting as one’s own efforts the work of someone else without proper acknowledgment of that source. Exact copying is to be enclosed in quotation marks with an appropriate indication of its origin. Paraphrasing, wherein the basic sentence structure, phraseology, and unique language remain the same, is also plagiarism. The failure to acknowledge unique, unusual, or new ideas and facts not the product of one’s own investigation or creativity is plagiarism. Submitting work that was created, researched, or produced by someone else is plagiarism. When in doubt in a particular course on these matters, it is the student’s responsibility to seek guidance from the instructor of the course.
Unauthorized re-use of work or the turning in of the same work to more than one class without informing the instructors involved constitutes academic misconduct. Falsification of academic records by knowingly and improperly changing grades on transcripts, grade sheets, and related documents, class work reports, tests, and projects, and knowingly falsifying documents related to the meeting of academic requirements or to academic achievements constitute academic misconduct.
Submitting a report of another’s research, submitting a paper researched or written by someone else, having someone else take a test, and submitting joint projects as if they were solely one’s own are all forms of academic misconduct that are unacceptable. Falsification of data or creation of false data by instructors or students in research or experimental procedures is considered academic misconduct and is a form of research misconduct. Plagiarism may also be a form of research misconduct in addition to academic misconduct.
Specific policies exist in the various colleges in addition to the overall University policies published in this Bulletin and other campus policy guides. The full Graduate School Academic Misconduct Policy can be found on the TU Portal.
Faculty lectures and classroom discussion may not be recorded without the written permission of the instructor. When permitted, such recordings are for private use only and may not be posted or otherwise distributed.
Ethical Conduct in Academic Research and Scholarship
The integrity of the research process is an essential aspect of a university’s intellectual and social structure. Research is defined as all investigative, scholarly, and creative activity that supports the intellectual endeavors of the University. Although incidents of misconduct in research may be rare, those that do occur threaten the entire research enterprise.
The integrity of the research process must depend largely upon self-regulation. Formalization of the rights and responsibilities underlying the scientific method is imperative in the research process. The University is responsible both for promoting academic practices that prevent misconduct and also for developing policies and procedures for dealing with allegations or other evidence of fraud or serious misconduct. All members of the University community-students, staff, faculty and administrators-share responsibility for developing and maintaining standards to assure ethical conduct of research and detection of abuse of these standards.
In dealing with this problem, it is important to create an atmosphere that encourages openness and creativity. Good and innovative science cannot flourish in an atmosphere of oppressive regulation. Moreover, it is particularly important to distinguish misconduct in research and scholarship from the honest error and the ambiguities of interpretation that are inherent in the scientific process and are normally corrected by further research. The policies and procedures outlined below apply to faculty, staff, and students; however, they are not intended to address all academic issues of an ethical nature. For example, discrimination and affirmative action are covered by other University policies.
The primary way to encourage appropriate conduct in research and scholarship at the University is for faculty to promote and maintain a climate consistent with high ethical standards. To reduce the likelihood of misconduct in research and scholarship, the faculty and administration should facilitate the following:
- Encouragement of intellectual honesty.
- Assurance that quality of research, scholarship, and creative activity is emphasized.
- Acceptance of responsibility by supervisor as appropriate to the discipline.
- Establishment of well-defined research procedures.
- Appropriate assignment of credit and responsibility.
Misconduct in research and scholarship is inappropriate behavior by members of this University community. Allegations of misconduct in research and scholarship will be handled according to the policies and procedures included in the Research Misconduct Policy.
This brief summary does not replace the detailed policy. The full detailed policy can be found on the TU Office of Research and Sponsored Programs website.
Grading
Grades
An overall scholastic average of 3.0 is required in all graduate work taken at The University of Tulsa. All coursework taken for graduate credit is computed in the average, including the initial grade in a course that is repeated. Grades earned in the College of Law are not computed in the graduate grade point average. No graduate credit is earned for a course in which the student received a grade below a C.
The Master of Athletic Training and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs in the Oxley College of Health Sciences require students to meet higher grading standards. Students in the MAT program must receive a “B” or higher in each required ATRG course. CRNS, Acute Care, and Family Nurse Practitioner Program-specific courses with prefixes DNPA, DNPC, DNPF as well as DNP 8023, DNP 8033, and DNP 8003 will require a grade of “B” or higher for program progression.
Thesis and dissertation enrollments are evaluated on a satisfactory-unsatisfactory basis. At the end of each semester when the thesis or dissertation is in progress, either an S (Satisfactory) or a U (Unsatisfactory) is assigned. Research hours with a grade of S count toward graduation requirements, while research hours with a grade of U do not. These grades are permanent and have no impact on a student’s grade point average, but may affect the graduate student’s academic standing. Academic units may also use U grades to request dismissal of a student from the program.
No graduate credit will be given for work receiving a pass/fail grade, with the exception of certain master’s reports, certain College of Law courses, certain Oxley College of Health Sciences courses, certain internship work, and credit earned through study abroad. A grade of P signifies that graduate work has been completed that would otherwise receive a grade of B or higher. No graduate credit can be awarded for experiential learning that occurs prior to admission into a TU graduate program and which has not been under the supervision of a University of Tulsa faculty member.
Incompletes
An I (Incomplete) grade indicates that some portion of the student’s work is lacking, for an acceptable reason, at the time grades are reported. It is the responsibility of the student to fulfill the requirements for the course within a maximum of one calendar year from the date on which the course was originally to have been completed, or within a more restricted period of time as designated by the instructor on the Contract for Grade of Incomplete. If the student is unable to do so because of circumstances beyond his or her control, the student may petition the instructor of the course and the Dean of the Graduate School for an extension of time.
When the instructor grants an incomplete, a Contract for Grade of Incomplete form must be completed and filed in the Graduate School Office. This form, to be signed by the instructor and by the student, should specify what must be done to remove the incomplete and give a deadline for completion of the unfinished work. The faculty may give a maximum of one calendar year for completion of the work or specify less than one calendar year on the contract. Following the expiration of the contract deadline or one calendar year, if an earlier deadline is not specified, a grade will be assigned by the instructor of record or the symbol (IZ) will be added to the transcript indicating that the course is no longer valid and the incomplete may not be removed.
These regulations do not apply to non-coursework enrollment (which includes enrollment in Practicum, Advanced Practicum, Internship, Externship, Project, Report, Research and Paper, Pre-Dissertation Research, Research Experience, Independent Study, Directed Reading, or Qualifying Exam Prep) in which completion of the work necessary to satisfy that enrollment is not required at the end of the semester. An I (Incomplete) is assigned at the end of each semester when non-coursework enrollment is in progress and adequate progress has been made for that semester. The non-coursework supervisor will submit a grade change form to the Graduate School when the student has successfully completed the work necessary to satisfy that enrollment.
NG Transcript Code
The NG code is assigned in lieu of a grade only when a course does not fit in the timeframe of a regular semester or summer session in the TU academic calendar (e.g. internship, externship, and practicum) and the course is still in progress when grades are due under the regular academic calendar. The faculty member assigning the code of NG will replace the code with a final grade when appropriate, normally when the timeframe for the respective course has been completed.
The process of certification or licensure in some disciplines may require that the graduate student submit to and pass a background check. It is the graduate student’s responsibility to consult with her/his faculty advisor regarding such requirements and to meet such requirements in order to be properly certified or licensed.
Intellectual Property
A student’s research project for the master’s or doctoral degree may result in a patentable discovery, whereby the inventor may be a student or a student and advisor. Timely disclosure of the findings to The University of Tulsa Intellectual Property Committee will not delay a student’s graduation. The University of Tulsa recognizes the potential benefits of the intellectual capital of its faculty, staff and students: to society, to the University, and to themselves. The University has placed a high priority on realizing those benefits.
Technical information, discoveries, inventions, computer algorithms, and patents resulting from investigation or research conducted by employees or students of The University of Tulsa which is financed in whole or in part from funds administered by the University, or as a direct result of an employee’s duties or a student’s academic pursuits with the University, or made in whole or in part by the utilization of University resources or facilities, are the property of The University of Tulsa. The intellectual property shall, on request, be assigned to the University or its designee, unless the University relinquishes its rights therein to the inventor. Creators of intellectual property at The University of Tulsa share in the recognition and rewards derived from these works.
Academic Standing
Statute of Limitations
The work for a degree must be completed within six years. This policy remains in effect even if a student is absent or not enrolled during several semesters. A student who allows the time limit to expire and is subsequently readmitted must also meet the new requirements for the degree as stipulated by the program at the time of readmission.
Graduate work more than six years old must be validated by the department for currentness in the discipline. In addition, the student’s knowledge resulting from this graduate work must be determined to be current and the student deemed competent by examinations, or by other means of evaluation at the discretion of the major program.
When all work toward the degree is out-of-date, it is possible to validate six of the out-of-date hours to be applied toward future work on the degree. All petitions for extension must be recommended by the student’s advisor and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.
A more stringent statute of limitations may be imposed under the particular requirements of individual programs.
Leave of Absence
A leave of absence will be considered for up to one academic year for medical/psychological or other extenuating circumstances upon submission of a request for a leave of absence to the Dean of the Graduate School. The Graduate School will work with Student Access to review the request and notify the student if the Dean approves the requested leave. Any medical documentation submitted in support of the request for a leave of absence will be forwarded to Student Access, which will maintain all documentation in confidential student files.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students may be granted a leave of absence for extenuating circumstances by the Dean of the Graduate School after consultation with the program director. After any leave of absence, the DNP student must reapply to the program. Reapplication to the DNP program does not guarantee admission.
Students should seek clarification from the Dean of the Graduate School as to how a leave of absence affects their academic status as a full-time or part-time student. However, the six-year statute of limitations regarding course credit is still in effect. The student should also check with the Office of Student Financial Services or their loan provider regarding the effect of a leave on loan obligations or any other financial aid issues. Any financial support currently being provided to the student may or may not be available upon the student’s return. The student will be responsible for working directly with the Bursar’s Office, Housing Office, and any other campus offices regarding how a leave of absence may affect any obligations to those offices.
Probation and Dismissal
Prospective students having a cumulative grade point average below a 3.0 or marginal test scores can be admitted on probation and must establish a 3.0 average in the first nine hours of graduate work and within a specified time period. Additional requirements (e.g. successful completion of deficiency courses, completion of specified graduate courses with specified minimum grades, etc.) can be placed on a student who is admitted probationally. Failure to meet any of the conditions of probation can lead to dismissal from the Graduate School.
Students who have not maintained a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in graduate courses at the end of any semester or summer session in a given graduate degree program will be placed on probation. Upon approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, a student on probation will be allowed to enroll in up to nine additional credit hours to achieve the required 3.0 graduate grade point average. Only courses taken at The University of Tulsa will be used to determine the grade point average for the purpose of removing probation. If the average is not improved to 3.0 after the additional nine hours, and within one semester of enrollment for full-time students or three semesters for part-time students, the student can be dismissed from the graduate program. Exceptions for additional hours beyond the nine hours to achieve the required 3.0 average are granted on a case-by-case basis upon recommendation of the major program and with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School.
If a student in a joint degree program is placed on probation or dismissed by either the College of Law or by the Graduate School in a particular graduate degree program, that action shall pertain only to the student’s status within the particular degree program from which they are on probation or dismissed. The student can opt to continue pursuing studies within the other college or degree program. In such cases, the student will be obliged to satisfy the normal requirements of the college selected or degree program selected, which can include credit for some work done in the discontinued degree program, as determined by the Dean of the College of Law or the Dean of the Graduate School.
If a student has not made satisfactory progress toward the completion of a degree program because of Incompletes in coursework, the student can be placed on probation and further enrollment can be affected until the work is submitted for the incomplete courses, grades are submitted, and the student’s academic progress is evaluated.
A student can be placed on probation or dismissed from the Graduate School for reasons other than poor grades, even if he or she is in good academic standing. This includes, but is not limited to, the falsification of application materials, failure to satisfy stipulations imposed upon admission to the program, failure to maintain the standards of academic, ethical, or professional integrity expected in a particular discipline or program, and failure to satisfy other program or Graduate School requirements in a timely fashion as defined by established policies. Decisions are made by the Dean of the Graduate School, and if applicable, will be based on recommendation of the major program.
Dismissal decisions involving students in the School of Nursing will be initiated by program administrators, with input from the Graduate School. School of Nursing administrators will then communicate the decision to dismiss from the School to the Graduate School, where the decision to dismiss from the Graduate School can be made, if appropriate.
A student who wants to appeal a probation or dismissal decision can do so by following the procedures in The Committee for Petitions of the Graduate Council document.
Graduation and Commencement
Students who fulfill all requirements for their degree will be graduated at the end of the semester in which the requirements were met. Students who have fulfilled all degree requirements during a summer term will graduate on the last day of classes for the entire term, even if the requirements were completed during the first summer session. A Degree Application should be filed online when a student enrolls for the final semester of the degree program. The University will confer a degree to a student who has completed all of the requirements for the degree, even if a student has not applied for graduation.
To graduate and receive a diploma, the student must be enrolled the semester of graduation, all academic degree requirements must be completed, the cumulative grade point average for University of Tulsa courses applied to the degree must be at least 3.0, all incompletes for courses being applied to the degree must be removed from the student’s record, and all indebtedness to the University must be satisfied.
If a requirement for the degree is completion of a thesis or dissertation, the thesis or dissertation should be electronically deposited with the library via ProQuest by April 15 to participate in commencement at the conclusion of the spring semester. The Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are conferred at the first commencement exercises after the completion of all graduation requirements. Each candidate is expected to attend the ceremonies.
Students who wish to participate in commencement exercises but have not submitted their thesis or dissertation by the deadline must petition their advisor and the Dean of the Graduate School in writing by April 15th (for spring). The petition represents an exception to policy. Enrolled students who complete all degree requirements and upload the final drafts of their thesis or dissertation on ProQuest after April 15 but before commencement may walk that semester upon review and approval of the Dean of the Graduate School.
Students that have completed all degree requirements, including final submission of their thesis or dissertation, but are not able to participate in the Commencement exercises for their final semester, may petition the Graduate School to delay walking to a later semester. However, participation in Commencement may only be postponed for up to one year from the semester the student was originally eligible to walk.
May Commencement Policy
Deserving non-thesis graduate students who have no more than six credit hours remaining to complete all the requirements for their degree by the end of the summer session may petition to take part in May graduation ceremonies; this includes having their names printed in the commencement program if they petition before the April 15 deadline. The student must submit the petition on the Graduate School Hub. Please call the Graduate School for information regarding the petition deadline.
Master’s Degree Requirements
The following are minimum requirements only, and programs may have additional requirements. Students are responsible for compliance with all Graduate School requirements as set forth in this Bulletin.
Residence
Candidates for most master’s degrees at The University of Tulsa must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate study. Not more than six credit hours of approved graduate work completed in residence elsewhere may be accepted for credit toward the degree.
All graduate students must be enrolled during the final semester of completion of degree requirements. (See Graduate Residency and Final Enrollment.)
Public Access to Theses
All theses are expected to be public documents. These are bound and available in the library upon submission and acceptance by the Graduate School. Any exceptions must be agreed to in writing by the Dean of the Graduate School, an appropriate University officer, and/or the external funding source, if any, at the time the thesis proposal is presented and prior to the commencement of the research. The University of Tulsa policy on intellectual property rights applies to research conducted by University of Tulsa students. A request to sequester or embargo a thesis is an exception to policy and may only be granted for a limited period of time.
Thesis
Many programs require a candidate for the master’s degree to submit a thesis presenting the results of scholarly investigation of a topic connected with the major field of study. In the case of creative work such as art and writing, the requirement may be satisfied by a creative production of acceptable quality. No fewer than one and in most cases no more than six credit hours may be earned by the thesis or creative production.
An individual advisor or thesis director should be chosen as soon as practical in accordance with department policies. The establishment of the thesis committee, composed of at least three members of the graduate faculty for the purpose of providing advice and guidance, should also occur early in the student’s research endeavor in order to maximize the committee’s benefit to the student. At least one half of the committee members must have regular appointments in the student’s home department. The thesis committee must be recommended by the program administration to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval. Any travel-related or other associated costs for a student, faculty member, or committee member to participate in a thesis defense are the responsibility of the student and will not be reimbursed by the Graduate School. It is strongly recommended that a student and his/her thesis advisor make prior arrangements to cover such costs.
Candidates must follow the guidelines for preparing a thesis set forth in the Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines and Checklist available on the Graduate School Hub. The thesis shall be presented to the thesis committee in preparation for the thesis defense or oral examination.
The Graduate School Office should receive a request to approve the date, time, and place of the oral examination at least two weeks prior to the oral examination. The committee will examine the thesis and report to the chair supervising the research or creative work. Theses are graded on a satisfactory-unsatisfactory basis. The committee chair should notify the Graduate School of the thesis committee’s decision following the defense.
An electronic copy of the thesis must be presented to the Graduate School for review. Theses submitted to the Graduate School for review should be successfully defended prior to submission. The student will be notified when the manuscript has been reviewed and is responsible for making any necessary corrections. The student should then upload an electronic PDF version of the corrected thesis to the ProQuest site to begin the binding process and meet the final requirements for degree completion. During the upload to ProQuest, students will be prompted to order bound paper copies through ProQuest. All students are automatically charged for three bound copies. One for Special Collections in McFarlin Library, one for the home department, and one for the student to keep. Additional copies may be requested by the home department and students should check with their advisor to see if additional copies are necessary before submitting for binding. Payment for any binding costs will be done at the time that the PDF file is uploaded to ProQuest and is the responsibility of the student.
Students may request to have their thesis electronically embargoed for up to two years on the ProQuest site, but prior approval must be granted by petitioning the Dean of the Graduate School and the PDF file is still uploaded in the meantime and binding costs paid ahead of time. If the thesis is not uploaded to ProQuest within six months after the successful completion of the thesis defense, the student may be required to re-defend and update the thesis.
Students graduating at the end of the spring semester must complete their oral examinations and upload the final drafts of their theses in the library by April 15 to participate in commencement. Students who upload the final draft of their thesis in the library after April 15 but before May commencement may walk that semester upon review and approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. The deadline for students graduating at the end of the fall semester and the summer semester is the last day of classes for that semester. Summer and fall graduates will automatically be included in the following May commencement ceremonies.
An abstract of not more than 150 words shall be prepared by the candidate for inclusion in the final thesis.
Some programs offer curricula not requiring a thesis. These are discussed in the appropriate sections on specific program requirements.
Comprehensive Examination or Qualifying Examination
Candidates may be required by the major program to pass an oral or written comprehensive examination in the major and minor fields in addition to the regular course examinations.
Doctoral Degree Requirements
The following are minimum requirements only; programs may have additional requirements. Students are responsible for compliance with all Graduate School requirements as set forth in this Bulletin.
Information regarding comprehensive exams, dissertation committee structure, and other specific requirements may be found under Biological Science, Chemical Engineering, Clinical Psychology, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, English Language and Literature, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Mechanical Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering.
Any exception to the doctoral degree requirements must be approved by the major program administration and the Dean of the Graduate School.
Residence
Candidates for doctoral degrees must complete a minimum of 72 credit hours of graduate study. Some doctoral programs require a minimum of 90 hours (60 hours beyond the master’s degree). At least two consecutive semesters in residence at The University of Tulsa as a full-time student are required. Not more than 12 hours of approved graduate work that was not applied to another completed degree program and in residence elsewhere may be accepted for credit toward the degree.
Comprehensive Examination or Qualifying Examination
Ph.D. students may be required by the major program to pass an oral or written examination or both as comprehensive examinations in the major and minor fields in addition to the regular course examinations. Students pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) are exempt from the comprehensive examination requirement.
Candidacy
A student who is admitted to a Ph.D. degree program is not a candidate for a doctoral degree until he or she has passed a qualifying examination or comprehensive examination, and has an approved proposal or prospectus for a dissertation topic. After approval of the dissertation topic by the appropriate committee within the program, the student’s department will recommend the student for candidacy. Usually a student has completed all coursework before being recommended for candidacy. After the recommendation is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School, the student is then a candidate for the doctoral degree.
Public Access to Dissertations
All dissertations are expected to be public documents. These are bound and available in the library upon submission and acceptance by the Graduate School. Any exceptions must be agreed to in writing by the Dean of the Graduate School, an appropriate University officer, and the external funding source, if any, at the time the dissertation proposal is presented and prior to the commencement of the research. The University of Tulsa policy on intellectual property rights applies to research conducted by University of Tulsa students. A request to sequester a dissertation is an exception to policy and may only be granted for a limited period of time.
Dissertation
An individual advisor or dissertation director should be chosen as soon as practical in accordance with department policies. The establishment of the dissertation committee, composed of graduate faculty for the purpose of providing advice and guidance concerning the student’s research, should also occur early enough in the student’s research endeavor to give the student the full benefit of the committee’s counsel and to act as a resource for the student. The dissertation committee must be recommended by the program administration to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval. At least one half of the committee members must have regular appointments in the student’s home department. A doctoral student must enroll in at least one credit hour of Research and Dissertation during the course of the degree completion. Individual programs may require more hours of dissertation research to qualify for graduation.
Candidates must follow the guidelines for preparing a dissertation set forth in the Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines and Checklist available on the Graduate School Hub. The dissertation shall be presented to the dissertation committee for their review.
The Graduate School Office should receive a request to set the date, time, and place of the oral examination at least two weeks prior to the oral examination. Any travel-related or other associated costs for a student or faculty member to participate in a dissertation defense are the responsibility of the student and will not be reimbursed by the Graduate School. It is strongly recommended that a student and his/her dissertation advisor make prior arrangements to cover such costs.
The committee will examine the dissertation and report to the chair supervising the research. Dissertations are graded on a satisfactory-unsatisfactory basis. The committee chair should notify the Graduate School of the thesis committee’s decision following the defense.
An electronic copy of the dissertation must be presented to the Graduate School for review. Dissertations submitted to the Graduate School for review should be successfully defended prior to submission. The student will be notified when the manuscript has been reviewed and is responsible for making any necessary corrections. The student should then upload an electronic PDF version of the corrected dissertation to the ProQuest site to begin the binding process and meet the final requirements for degree completion. During the upload to ProQuest, students will be prompted to order bound paper copies through ProQuest. All students are automatically charged for three bound copies. One for Special Collections in McFarlin Library, one for the home department, and one for the student to keep. Additional copies may be requested by the home department and students should check with their advisor to see if additional copies are necessary before submitting for binding. Payment for any binding costs will be done at the time that the PDF file is uploaded to ProQuest and is the responsibility of the student.
Students may request to have their dissertation electronically embargoed for up to two years on the ProQuest site, but prior approval must be granted by petitioning the Dean of the Graduate School and the PDF file is still uploaded in the meantime and binding costs paid ahead of time. If the dissertation is not uploaded to ProQuest within six months after the successful completion of the defense, the student may be required to re-defend and update the dissertation.
Students graduating at the end of the spring semester must complete their oral examinations and upload the final drafts of their dissertations in the library by April 15 to participate in commencement. Students who upload the final draft of their thesis in the library after April 15, but before May commencement may walk that semester upon review and approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. The deadline for students graduating at the end of the fall semester and the summer semester is the last day of classes for that semester. Summer and fall graduates will automatically be included in the following May commencement ceremonies.
An abstract of not more than 350 words shall be prepared by the candidate for inclusion in the final dissertation.
The Committee for Petitions of the Graduate Council
Students have the right to appeal any graduate academic decision. Grade appeals are governed by the grade appeal policy of individual Colleges. In all other cases, students should attempt to resolve issues at the appropriate level and work with the relevant faculty members, the Graduate Program Advisor, Chair of the Department and other appropriate academic agents. If a student cannot resolve the issue, they have the right to appeal the decision to the Graduate School. Appeals to the Graduate School must be in writing.
The Committee for Petitions of the Graduate Council considers petitions submitted in writing by any person who believes that he or she was treated improperly on a graduate academic matter, but only after attempts have been made to resolve the problems by discussions with relevant faculty members, the Graduate Program Advisor, the Chair of the Department, and the Dean of the Graduate School. Only academic issues involving procedures and affecting status in the graduate program are considered. The Committee makes recommendations to the Dean regarding the disposition of:
- student petitions requesting departure from established Graduate School policies,
- petitions involving charges of academic misconduct involving graduate students (these cases may be brought by the student or by the faculty member involved),
- petitions involving a perceived academic impropriety arising from an action taken by an instructor, a department, an administrator, or a committee charged to administer academic policies of a particular department or college.
Committee membership includes at least three graduate faculty from at least three different colleges offering graduate study. The Dean of the Graduate School designates the chair; the Committee elects the vice-chair, who presides in the absence of the chair and also in cases in which the petition being considered originates in the chair’s college. When a committee member is from the department where the petition originates, that member participates in the deliberations regarding the petition, but neither chairs the Committee nor votes on the disposition of the petition. Three or more committee members constitute a quorum; and a majority of three committee members is needed to sustain a charge. A tie vote indicates that the charge was not proven and is therefore rejected.
The Committee elects a secretary who keeps the minutes of all meetings. Written records of the proceedings are preserved for three years, along with any written statements of evidence presented. A copy of the written record is available to the petitioner upon request. Costs incurred in producing the copy are the responsibility of the petitioner. The petitioner has the right to see contrary evidence submitted to the committee and to write a rebuttal.
The person bringing the complaint must file the petition with the Graduate School during the semester in which the incident occurred, or during the subsequent two semesters. The petitioners may appear before the Committee, but only at the Committee’s invitation, and the Committee may also invite other concerned parties to attend. The petition is available to anyone against whom allegations are made so that those individuals may have the opportunity to respond.
The Committee conveys its findings and recommendations in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School. The petitioner and any accused person may see the final report and may write a response to be kept with the final report.
Any appeals concerning the outcome of the petition may be addressed to the Provost of The University of Tulsa and must be submitted within 7 calendar days after the petitioner or accused person has been notified of the outcome. For further details concerning jurisdiction, procedures, and confidentiality issues concerning The Committee for Petitions of the Graduate Council, call the Graduate School Office.
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