The Graduate Catalog, 1997-1999 - Chapter 3

Mail us your Questions, Comments Registrar's Web Team 19 August 1997		The general requirements for graduate degrees are given in this chapter. Specific requirements and course descriptions for each graduate program are given in chapter 4. Detailed information about each degree program is available from the graduate adviser and the graduate coordinator for that program. Residence Each student must be enrolled in residence as a full-time student for at least two semesters or the equivalent and must complete the major portion of the degree program at the University of Texas at Austin. Additional Degrees at the Same or a Lower Level A student holding a master's degree may work toward a second master's degree in a different field. Those seeking a second master's degree in the same or a closely related field must have the permission of the graduate dean. Holders of the doctorate seeking an additional graduate degree must have the permission of the graduate dean. Limitation for Faculty No tenured member of the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin may pursue an advanced degree at this institution. Grade Point Averages Three grade point averages are calculated for graduate students: the overall graduate grade point average, the major grade point average, and the supporting-work grade point average. The overall graduate grade point average includes University courses, both graduate and upper-division, in which the student has earned a letter grade while registered in the Graduate School. It does not include the following: courses for which the symbol Q, W, X, I, CR, or NC is recorded; graduate or undergraduate courses the student took at the University before admission to the Graduate School; and courses taken at other institutions. The overall graduate grade point average is calculated by the registrar and appears on the student's official record maintained by the registrar. The major and supporting-work grade point averages include only courses that appear on the student's Program of Work. Policies governing the inclusion of courses on the Program of Work are given below; these policies differ from those above that govern the inclusion of courses on the official student record. As a result, a course may be included in the calculation of one of the grade point averages but not another. To receive a degree, the student must have an overall graduate grade point average of at least 3.00, a major grade point average of at least 3.00, and a supporting-work grade point average of at least 3.00. Additional information about grades and grade point averages is given in General Information.
Back to Top		Graduate Credit
		Only the courses that appear on the student's Program of Work are counted toward the degree. The following policies govern the inclusion of courses on the Program of Work. Courses Taken in Residence *Letter grades.* Courses in which the student earned a grade of A, B, or C while registered in the Graduate School may be included in the Program of Work. Limitations on the amount of undergraduate work that may be included are given in the section Reservation of Work for Graduate Credit below and in chapter 4. Thesis, report, dissertation, and treatise courses are part of the Program of Work, but they are not included in any grade point average. *Credit/no credit.* No more than 20 percent of the hours on the Program of Work for a master's degree may be taken on the credit/no credit basis, and no more than a comparable portion of the Program of Work for the doctoral degree. Transfer of Credit Ordinarily, all work for the master's degree must be done at the University of Texas at Austin. Under some circumstances, a maximum of six semester hours of graduate coursework in which the grade is A or B may be transferred to the Program of Work from another institution, but only on the basis of a petition by the Graduate Studies Committee and with the approval of the graduate dean. Students are encouraged to seek approval in advance for coursework they plan to transfer. A student seeking a transfer of credit must provide the Graduate School with an official transcript and an official explanation of the course numbering and grading system at the school at which the credit was earned. Only graduate courses may be transferred. Work counted toward a degree at another institution cannot be transferred. Students should not take courses at another institution the semester they plan to graduate, because the grades may not be received in time to certify the student's Program of Work for graduation. If a transfer of credit is approved, the student must still meet the residence requirement of two full semesters or the equivalent. No coursework listed on the Program of Work may be over six years old. No formal petition is necessary for coursework from other institutions to be used on the doctoral Program of Work, but use on the Program of Work is subject to the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee and the graduate dean when application for candidacy is made. Coursework transferred as described in this section appears only on the student's Program of Work. It does not appear on the official student record maintained by the registrar. Because it is not part of the official record, such coursework does not appear on the student's transcript and is not included in the overall graduate grade point average. Extension Credit Up to six semester hours of work done in extension classes through the University's Division of Continuing Education may be listed on the Program of Work, with the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee and the graduate dean. The extension credit must be in graduate-level courses; the courses and instructors must be approved in advance by the Graduate School and by the program in which the student would otherwise take the work on campus; and the student must be admitted to the Graduate School before taking the extension courses. Grades earned in extension courses under these conditions are included in the overall graduate grade point average. Correspondence Credit Courses taken by correspondence may not be counted toward graduate degrees. Credit by Examination Credit by examination may not be counted toward graduate degrees. Enrollment of Undergraduates in Graduate Courses Graduate Work for Undergraduate Credit An undergraduate may enroll in a graduate course under the following conditions: He or she must be an upper-division student and must fulfill the prerequisite for the course (except graduate standing). He or she must have a University grade point average of at least 3.00. He or she must receive the consent of the instructor of the course and of the graduate adviser for the department in which the course is offered. Some colleges and schools may also require the approval of the dean's office. Individual divisions may impose additional requirements or bar undergraduates from enrolling in graduate courses. Undergraduate students may not enroll in graduate courses that have fewer than five graduate students enrolled. A graduate course taken by an undergraduate is counted toward the student's bachelor's degree in the same way that upper-division courses are counted, unless the course is reserved for graduate credit as described in the next section. Courses reserved for graduate credit may not also be used to fulfill the requirements of an undergraduate degree. An undergraduate student enrolled in a graduate course is subject to all University regulations affecting undergraduates. Reservation of Work for Graduate Credit Under the following conditions, an undergraduate in his or her final semester or summer session may enroll in a graduate course and reserve that course for credit toward a graduate degree. The student must lack no more than twelve semester hours of coursework (or six semester hours in a summer session) to complete all requirements for the first bachelor's degree. The student must complete these twelve hours or fewer in the same semester or summer session in which he or she takes the graduate courses. The student may not register for more than fifteen semester hours in the final semester or for more than twelve semester hours in the final summer session. All courses reserved for graduate credit must be approved by the twelfth class day of the semester or the fourth class day of the summer session by the graduate adviser in the student's proposed graduate major area, the dean of the student's undergraduate college, and the graduate dean. A form for this purpose is available in the Office of Graduate Studies, Student Services Division. The student must graduate at the end of that semester or summer session. A course reserved for credit may be listed on the student's Program of Work for the master's or doctoral degree. It is included in the major or supporting-work grade point average; because it was taken before the student entered the Graduate School, it is not included in the overall graduate grade point average. An undergraduate student enrolled in a graduate course is subject to all University regulations affecting undergraduates. Credit for Teaching A student may earn three to six semester hours of credit toward the doctoral degree by completing two semesters of teaching in the major area at the University under the close supervision of a regular faculty member. With the graduate dean's permission, the teaching may be in a supporting or minor area. To obtain this credit, the student must receive a passing grade in the college teaching methodology course in his or her area, numbered 398T. A doctoral degree candidate may list this course in the Program of Work. With permission of the appropriate Graduate Studies Committee, the candidate for a master's degree may receive credit for no more than three hours of course 398T. Courses Counted toward Another Degree No course counted toward another degree may be counted toward a master's degree, either directly or by substitution. Work done for the master's degree may be included in the work for the doctoral degree, provided it is acceptable to the Graduate Studies Committee, the supervising committee, and the graduate dean and provided it has not already been used toward another doctoral degree. Students in a joint degree program must meet the course requirements for both degrees.
Back to Top		Chapter Three
		`Residence Additional Degrees Limitation for Faculty Grade Point Averages Graduate Credit` `Continuous Registration Leave of Absence Change of Major Warning Status and Scholastic Dismissal Time Limits` `The Master's Degree` `The Doctor of Philosophy The Doctor of Education The Doctor of Musical Arts` `Graduation` `Other Components of The University of Texas System` Graduate Catalog `Contents Chapter 1: Graduate Study Chapter 2: Admission and Registration Chapter 3: Degree Requirements Chapter 4: Fields of Study Chapter 5: Members of Graduate Studies Committees Appendix: Course Abbreviations` Other UT Pages `Catalogs Course Schedules Academic Calendars` `Registrar's Home Page Admissions Home Page` `UT Home Page`