_________________________________________________________________ 2. ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION _______________________________ Students seeking admission to the Graduate School should request a copy of the Graduate Admission Bulletin, which contains information and application forms. The student must submit two official transcripts from each senior-level college he or she has attended. Specific information about obtaining transcripts and taking the Graduate Record Examinations General Test (GRE) is contained in the bulletin. The applicant should also consult the graduate adviser for the program to which he or she is applying, since many programs require additional material. A nonrefundable processing fee of $50 is charged each applicant to the Graduate School; $75 is charged each applicant to the Master of Business Administration and Master in Professional Accounting degree programs in the Graduate School of Business. Under certain circumstances, applicants to the Graduate School may be eligible for a waiver of the $50 application fee; additional information about the fee waiver is given in the Graduate Admission Bulletin. Information for minority students is available from the Graduate Opportunity Program Office in the Office of Graduate Studies. Applicants from other countries should write for the bulletin Information for Prospective International Students, available at no charge from the Graduate and International Admissions Center. ADMISSION The requirements for admission to the Graduate School are as follows: 1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited United States institution or proof of equivalent training at an institution outside the United States. 2. A grade point average of at least 3.00 in upper-division work (junior- and senior-level) and in any graduate work already completed. 3. A satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examinations General Test (GRE). GRE scores more than five years old will not be accepted. Applicants to the Master of Business Administration and Master in Professional Accounting degree programs must submit satisfactory scores on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT); applicants to doctoral degree programs in business administration must submit satisfactory scores on either the GRE or the GMAT. Information about these tests is available on campus from the Measurement and Evaluation Center, the Office of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate and International Admissions Center. Information is also available from the Educational Testing Service at the following addresses: for information about the GRE, P O Box 6000, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6000; for information about the GMAT, P O Box 6103, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6103. International students must also submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Additional information for international students is given on the next page. 4. Adequate subject preparation for the proposed graduate major. 5. A recommendation for admission by the Graduate Studies Committee in the proposed major. Applicants are not guaranteed admission even though they meet these minimum requirements, because some graduate programs set higher standards and many have limited space and facilities. All complete applications are forwarded to the Graduate Studies Committee to which they are directed. The vice president and dean of graduate studies must approve all admissions. Students who belong to minority groups or who because of a physical disability have not participated in traditional educational experiences may find that their performances on standard tests like the GRE do not adequately reflect their ability for graduate study. Applicants who feel that their grade point averages or their scores are not valid indicators of ability should explain their concerns in a letter to the graduate adviser of the program to which they are applying. Admission with Conditions Almost all of the students who are admitted to the Graduate School have qualifications equal to or higher than the minimum standards outlined above. However, a Graduate Studies Committee may recommend, with the consent of the graduate dean, that a student be admitted to the Graduate School with conditions. The graduate adviser may require the student to maintain a certain grade point average or to take a certain number of semester hours of coursework. A conditionally admitted student may also be required to remedy deficiencies in undergraduate preparation by taking upper-division or graduate courses. The graduate adviser notifies the student of these conditions at the time of admission. A student who does not fulfill the conditions within the specified time may be barred from subsequent registration in the Graduate School. If the student changes his or her major before the conditions have been fulfilled, the conditions remain in effect unless the graduate adviser in the new program petitions for them to be changed. Admission as Not-a-Degree-Student Those who are eligible for admission to the Graduate School but wish to take courses without becoming candidates for advanced degrees may apply to a graduate program as not-a-degree students. Under certain conditions, not-a-degree students may petition their Graduate Studies Committee to recommend to the graduate dean that they become degree candidates. The term "not-a-degree student" should not be confused with "nondegree student," which is used to identify the student who holds a bachelor's degree, is enrolled as an undergraduate, and is not seeking a second degree. Applying for Admission Application for admission to the Graduate School consists of submitting to the Graduate and International Admissions Center the official application form, transcripts, test scores, and processing fees. The Graduate Admission Bulletin contains instructions and forms. Students may also indicate their interest in assistantships and fellowships on these forms. Each graduate program requires the submission of additional materials. These materials vary by program, but examples include letters of reference and personal statements. Information about required materials is available from the graduate adviser of each program. Because graduate programs set their own application deadlines, the applicant must be sure to inquire about the deadline for the program to which he or she is applying. February 1 is often the application date for the fall semester and the summer session, but some programs set different dates. Graduate programs also have various admission deadlines for the spring semester; none of these deadlines is later than October 1. It is the applicant's responsibility to meet the deadline set by the graduate program. A list of program deadlines is given in the Graduate Admission Bulletin. Applicants should also note that some programs grant admission only for the fall semester. Information about graduate program deadlines is available from the graduate adviser of the program or from the Graduate and International Admissions Center. Information about admission, including deadlines, is also given on the Graduate and International Admissions World Wide Web home page, http://www.utexas.edu/office/giac/. The Graduate and International Admissions Center processes all files for summer admission that are complete by May 1 and all files for fall admission that are complete by August 1. October 1 is the final date for submission of all required materials for admission for the spring semester. International Students In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission, applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate sufficient competence in English to study effectively at the University. These applicants are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and to submit their scores to the Graduate and International Admissions Center. Copies of the TOEFL information bulletin are available from American embassies and consulates, offices of the United States Information Agency, and TOEFL Services, P O Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6151, USA. Since transcripts from foreign universities require special evaluation, prospective international students are advised to submit their application forms, test scores, and transcripts at least six months before the beginning of the semester for which they are applying. A nonrefundable $75 processing fee is required with each application for admission to the Graduate School; $100 is charged with each application to the Master of Business Administration and Master in Professional Accounting degree programs in the Graduate School of Business. DO NOT SEND CASH. Cashier's checks, bank money orders, bank drafts, and personal checks are accepted. All payments must be in US dollars and drawn on US banks. International students on nonimmigrant visas must maintain approved comprehensive health insurance or coverage. The student's registration bill includes the insurance premium. READMISSION A former graduate student in good standing (with no academic or disciplinary bars) is eligible to resume graduate study as far as the Graduate School is concerned. He or she must submit an Application for Readmission to the Graduate and International Admissions Center by the appropriate deadline: May 1 for readmission for the summer session; July 1 for the fall semester; and December 1 for the spring semester. The student must also obtain the approval of the graduate adviser in the program in which he or she was last enrolled. To change to a different major, the student must submit an Application to Another Graduate Major to the Graduate and International Admissions Center; for additional information, see the section "Application to Another Graduate Major (Change of Major)" in chapter 3. A student who has been admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree must register every fall and spring semester as described in the section "Continuous Registration for Doctoral Candidates" in chapter 3. REGISTRATION University students register for each semester and summer session through the Texas Enrollment Exchange telephone registration system (TEX). Complete information about TEX and the registration process is given in the Course Schedule. Registration for New Graduate Students Applicants are notified by mail of their admission or denial. Admitted applicants should notify their graduate advisers as soon as possible whether they plan to accept admission. Either in an interview or by correspondence, the admitted applicant should then learn the specific requirements of his or her graduate program. Students should consult the Course Schedule to learn whether preregistration advising is required in their major area. Late Registration The period of late registration is given in the Course Schedule. During this period, a student may register with the consent of the graduate adviser; a late fee of $25 is imposed. After this period, registration is permitted only under exceptional circumstances, upon recommendation of the graduate adviser, and with consent of the graduate dean and the registrar. Registration for Continuing Graduate Students Continuing graduate students should consult the Course Schedule to learn whether advising is required in their major area. Registration in the Graduate School beyond the first semester or summer session depends on satisfactory progress in fulfilling any admission conditions that were imposed, meeting any requirements made in writing by the Graduate Studies Committee, and maintaining a grade point average of at least 3.00 for all upper- division and graduate courses. For further information about grade requirements, see the section "Graduate Credit" in chapter 3. Course Load MAXIMUM COURSE LOAD The maximum course load for a graduate student is fifteen semester hours in a long-session semester or twelve semester hours in a twelve-week summer session. A heavier course load must have the recommendation of the graduate adviser and the approval of the graduate dean. It is permitted only under exceptional circumstances. FULL-TIME COURSE LOAD The Graduate School recognizes nine semester hours during a long- session semester and six hours during a summer session as a minimum full-time course load. Individual graduate programs may require more. Under various circumstances, graduate students must be registered for a full-time load, defined as follows: Holders of fellowships and scholarships: Nine hours each semester and six hours each summer session (in any combination of summer- session terms). Assistant instructors, teaching assistants, assistants (graduate), and graduate research assistants: Nine hours each semester and three hours each summer-session term in which the appointment is held. Students living in University housing or receiving certain student loans: Nine hours each semester and three hours each summer-session term. A student enrolled in whole-session courses in the summer must be registered for at least six hours. International students: Nine hours each semester. The International Office advises students about exceptions. No minimum load is required in the summer. Agencies that grant loans or provide for educational funding may establish different definitions of full-time status. The student should be familiar with the regulations of any agency to which he or she has an obligation. IN ABSENTIA REGISTRATION Students must be registered and apply to graduate by the deadline published in the academic calendar in the semester or summer session in which they graduate. In absentia registration is designed solely for the purpose of registering students who have completed all requirements for the degree, including all coursework, in a given semester or summer session but have missed the deadline for submission of the thesis, report, or dissertation that semester. All in absentia registrations are initiated by degree evaluators in the Student Services Division of the Office of Graduate Studies. Only one registration in absentia will be approved. The fee for in absentia registration is $25. Master's Degree To be registered in absentia for a given semester or summer session, the student must have met the following requirements during the preceding semester: 1. The student must have applied for the degree by the deadline given in the academic calendar. Applying for the degree involves submitting the Graduate Degree Candidate card, the Application for Candidacy, and the Program of Work and paying the graduation fee. 2. The student must have been registered for course 698B or 398R. Students pursuing the master's degree without thesis or report must have been registered and must have completed all coursework required for the degree. The student must then have met the following requirements by the in absentia deadline. This date falls before the first class day of the semester or summer session in which the student will be registered in absentia. 1. The student must have fulfilled all requirements for the degree, including acceptance of the thesis or report, completion of all examinations, and removal of all symbols X from the Program of Work. A student will not be registered in absentia if the symbol X appears for any course in the Program of Work. A student who has completed all other work must register for a conference course on the credit/no credit basis until the symbol X is removed. This is true even if the thesis or report has been submitted. 2. The student must have cleared all fines and bars. The student must file for graduation and pay the graduation fee in the semester of in absentia registration. Doctoral Degree To be registered in absentia for a given semester or summer session, the student must have met the following requirements during the preceding semester: 1. The student must have applied for the degree by the deadline given in the academic calendar. Applying for the degree involves submitting the Graduate Degree Candidate card and paying the graduation fee. 2. The student must have been registered for course 399W, 699W, or 999W. The student must then have met the following requirements by the in absentia deadline. This date falls before the first class day of the semester or summer session in which the student will be registered in absentia. 1. The student must have completed all coursework for the degree and must have defended the dissertation successfully. An approved copy of the dissertation must have been submitted to the Graduate School with the Graduate Studies Committee's certification. 2. The student must have cleared all fines and bars. The student must file for graduation and pay the graduation fee in the semester of in absentia registration. ADDING AND DROPPING COURSES Before classes begin, a student may add or drop a course through TEX as described in the Course Schedule. The student may also add or drop a course through TEX during the first four class days of a long-session semester. From the fifth through the twelfth class day, he or she may add or drop a course with the approval of his or her graduate adviser and of the department in which the course is given. After the twelfth class day, the student may add a course only under rare and extenuating circumstances approved by the graduate dean. In each summer-session term, the student may add or drop a course through TEX during the first two class days. On the third and fourth class days he or she may add or drop a course with the approval of his or her graduate adviser and of the department in which the course is given. After the fourth class day, the student may add a course only under rare and extenuating circumstances approved by the graduate dean. A student may drop a course with the required approvals through the last class day of a semester or summer term. He or she receives a refund for courses dropped by the twelfth class day of a long-session semester or by the fourth class day of a summer term. From the thirteenth through the twentieth class day of a long-session semester, and from the fifth through the tenth class day of a summer term, the student may drop a course with no academic penalty; the symbol Q is recorded. If the student drops a course after that time, the instructor determines whether the symbol Q or a grade of F should be recorded. If the student is in a warning status because of failure to maintain a grade point average of at least 3.00, he or she may not drop a course without the recommendation of the graduate adviser and the approval of the graduate dean. Specific deadlines for adding and dropping courses are given in the academic calendar. WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY Dropping an entire course load constitutes withdrawal from the University for that semester. To withdraw from the Graduate School, the student must file with the graduate dean a withdrawal petition, a form that also explains refund policies. The student's identification card must be presented. The student may withdraw through the last class day of the semester. If the student abandons his or her courses without withdrawing, the instructor in each course determines what grade should be recorded. Students in a warning status because of failure to maintain a grade point average of at least 3.00 may not withdraw without the recommendation of the graduate adviser and the approval of the graduate dean.