Handbook | Enrollment | Enrollment Status
d. Enrollment Status
The Graduate School defines full-time graduate student status as enrollment for nine (9) or more credits; part-time graduate student status is defined as eight (8) or fewer credits in a semester. Degree candidates may be considered full-time graduate students regardless of the number of credits for which they register provided their Graduate Program Director or Department Head/Chair certifies that they are working full-time on research. Doctoral students who are satisfying their residency requirement must, however, be enrolled for nine (9) or more credits each semester. For loan deferment purposes, half-time is defined as six (6) credits. Immigration law requires that foreign students be enrolled at full-time status. Audited courses do not count toward enrollment status.
e. Statute of Limitations/Expected Grad Term
The Statute of Limitations (SOL) is the period within which all degree requirements must be completed. It is determined during the acceptance process using the following guidelines:
Master's degrees:
- SOL's are set to three (3) years with the exceptions noted below;
- for an M.F.A. degree, SOL is four (4) years;
- for part-time off-campus programs in engineering, music, education, public health, and management, SOL is four (4) years.
Doctoral degrees:
- for doctoral students without an earned master's degree in their major field, SOL is set at six (6) years;
- for doctoral students with a related master's degree, SOL is set to four (4) years.
The Expected Grad Term is the last term during which you will be allowed to register before your statue of limitations expires. Students who have submitted a Degree Eligibility Form will see that their Expected Grad Term has been adjusted to note the actual expected graduation term. For example: Expected Grad Term of 1065 means that you are eligible to register through the Summer 2006 semester, and that your Statute of Limitations expires at the end of summer 2006 (August 31, 2006).
f. Statute of Limitations Extension
A graduate student may be granted additional time to complete his/her degree program by the Graduate Dean provided the student's Graduate Program Director makes such a recommendation and provided satisfactory and reasonable progress is being made.
g. Leave of Absence
1. Personal Leave of Absence:
Registration for Continuous Enrollment and payment of a Program Fee does not constitute a leave of absence. A student must formally request a leave of absence by petitioning his/her Graduate Program Director who, in turn, provides justification for the request to the Graduate Dean. If the Dean grants a leave of absence, the student's statute of limitations will be appropriately increased. Graduate students on a leave of absence must maintain continuous enrollment by registering for the Continuous Enrollment course and paying the Program Fee every semester during their leave. A student on a leave of absence is not considered to be actively completing a degree program; therefore, loan deferments cannot be signed during this period of time.
2. Health Leave of Absence/Withdrawal:
When a student's physical health or mental health precludes successful completion of his/her academic course work, the student may receive a health leave of absence or withdrawal from the University, upon recommendation by the appropriate physician or therapist of the University Health Services. Normally, the leave of absence/withdrawal will result from the student's voluntary efforts. In exceptional circumstances involving life-threatening behaviors, a student may be asked to leave the University involuntarily until those serious circumstances have been controlled. During the period of a health leave of absence, the student must maintain his/her status by registering for Continuous Enrollment and paying the Program Fee. Accordingly, the Graduate School will adjust the student's statute of limitations for the duration of the leave of absence. The full policy is available in the Graduate School Bulletin and from the Office of the Graduate Dean or the Office of the Graduate Registrar.
h. Withdrawal/Dismissal
1. Voluntary Withdrawal:
Graduate students voluntarily withdrawing from the University must send a letter to the Graduate Dean, via their Graduate Program Director, indicating the reasons for the request. The student's Graduate Program Director must endorse the request and attest to the student's current academic standing. The student, or Graduate Program Director on his/her behalf, must still complete Add/Drop forms for all courses in which he or she is enrolled.
2. Failure to Enroll:
Graduate students who have not enrolled will automatically be withdrawn from the University for failure to maintain continuous enrollment (see Penalty for Not Enrolling by the Deadline).
3. Administrative Withdrawal:
Graduate students may be administratively withdrawn from the University, after due notice, for failure to satisfy overdue financial obligations or to comply with administrative requirements of the University. See the "General Information" section of the current Graduate School Bulletin for further information.
4. Academic Dismissal:
A graduate student who in any two semesters, consecutive or otherwise, has semester averages of below 2.8 is subject to academic dismissal upon recommendation of the Graduate Program Director and approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.
5. Unsatisfactory or Unreasonable Progress:
Graduate students who are not making satisfactory or reasonable progress toward the completion of their degree program are subject to termination. Upon the recommendation of the Graduate Program Director and the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, students will be notified of any formal termination by the Graduate School.
i. Absences for Religious Reasons
Chapter 151C of the Massachusetts General Laws as amended guarantees that "any student in an educational or vocational training institution, other than a religious or denominational educational or vocational training institution, who is unable, because of his religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in an examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such examination or study or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to make up such examination, study, or work requirement which he may have missed because of such absence on any particular day; provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the said student such opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his availing himself of the provisions of this section."
