Graduate Policies and Procedures

Registration and Enrollment Requirements

Following the receipt of your admission letter, per State legislation effective January 1, 2012, all entering Texas college students must receive a vaccination or booster (if the vaccination is five years old) against bacterial meningitis before enrollment in accordance with Texas Education Code, Section 51.9192. Entering students who are 22 years of age or older are exempt. Students who fail to provide proof of the required vaccination, or exemption, at least ten (10) days before the first day of classes shall not be permitted to attend classes and will be dropped from all enrolled classes. Questions concerning the bacterial meningitis requirement and forms should be directed to the Office of the Registrar, 972-883-2342 or go to registrar.utdallas.edu.

A graduate student must be registered in any session:

• during which they are taking courses, or taking examinations, required in his/her degree program.
• in which he/she requires guidance in the preparation of a thesis or dissertation required in his/her degree program.
• for at least one semester credit hour in the semester in which they plan to graduate, unless they have submitted a final approved dissertation/thesis to the Office of Graduate Education before the priority deadline published by the Office of Graduate Education. Graduating students may avail themselves of this rule only one time. Some programs may require additional semester credit hours in the semester a student plans to graduate.
• have paid all required fees in the semester in which he/she plans to graduate.

Priority deadline submissions require a nonrefundable/nontransferable fee.

Orientation

New student orientation sessions are designed to assist new students with an understanding of university rules and regulations and to provide information about registration procedures, academic programs, and student life. New student orientation programs are available for UT Dallas freshmen, undergraduate transfer students, graduate students, international students, and teaching and research assistants. Attendance is strongly recommended for all new students as a means of efficient matriculation into the University. International Student Orientation is mandatory for all F and J status international students. TA and RA orientation is mandatory for all newly appointed Teaching and Research Assistants.

Academic Good Standing

Registration in the graduate programs beyond the first semester (or summer session) is contingent on the student's being in good academic standing based on three main factors:

• Satisfactory progress in meeting admission conditions that were imposed at the time of admission.
• Maintenance of a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in graduate courses. Students changing graduate programs may petition the Graduate Dean if their cumulative grade point average is below a 3.00.
• Satisfactory progress in meeting program degree requirements.

If, at the end of a semester, a student's cumulative GPA is below 3.00, the student will be placed on academic probation. The student must earn sufficient grade points during the next two semesters of registration to raise the cumulative GPA to at least 3.00 exclusive of incomplete (I) grades. Failure to achieve this 3.00 cumulative GPA will result in immediate dismissal from the University.

A student must have a GPA of at least 3.00 to be eligible to graduate with a master's or doctoral degree.

Continuous Enrollment

Doctoral and Masters students performing dissertation or thesis work must maintain continuous enrollment of at least three semester credit hours during the fall and spring (long session) semesters of each academic year,unless they have been granted a leave of absence. A leave of absence request is not necessary for those students not engaged in dissertation or thesis work. A graduate student who fails to register in any given long session will be permitted to re-enroll through his/her program office in any two subsequent semesters provided the student was in good academic standing at the time of last enrollment.

A continuing student in good academic standing may register in one of three ways:

• online, with the department or program office,
• with the Office of the Registrar during registration, or
• early to increase the probability of enrollment in available courses.

The Office of the Registrar informs the instructor of the names of all students who are officially registered and have paid all required tuition and fees in each class. It is recommended that the student confirm with the instructor that his/her registration has been properly recorded within the first week of classes. It is the student's responsibility during his/her enrolled semester that he/she is attending the correct courses for which he/she is registered. Students are not permitted to sit in classes without being officially enrolled or auditing the course.

Dates of Early, Regular and Late Registration

Registration dates and procedures are listed in the online Comet Calendar and the Academic Calendar. These online resources contains important dates and information that will be useful throughout the semester. Failure to consult and be aware of these dates and procedures does not excuse a student from information or regulations contained therein. The University reserves the right to make changes to both calendars at any time.

Schedule Changes: Dropping, Adding and Withdrawing From Courses

Dates and time limits for schedule changes can be found in the online Comet Calendar and the Academic Calendar. All dates and formal procedures for registration and late registration are listed at registrar.utdallas.edu/registration.

A new student seeking to drop or add courses to his/her schedule must obtain permission from his/her graduate advisor in the degree program. Drop/Add forms may be obtained from advising offices.

Drop/Adds may not be processed after Census Day. Any drops prior to and including Census Day will not show on the student's transcript. Withdrawals after Census Day will show as a W (withdraw) on the transcript.

After the last day indicated in the online Comet Calendar and the Academic Calendar for a graduate student to withdraw, the course withdrawal will be approved only on a documented emergency basis for reasons extrinsic to curricula matters. To secure such approval, the student must complete a Drop/Add form and obtain the signature of the instructor certifying that the student was passing at the time of the proposed withdrawal. The student should then submit the Drop/Add form and a written petition detailing the nature of the emergency with written documentation from employer or doctor, as appropriate, to the graduate advisor and then to the Dean of Graduate Studies. If the petition is approved, the grade assigned by the instructor on the Drop/Add form will determine the grade which will appear on the student's transcript: a passing grade will appear as a W on the transcript; a failing grade will appear as an F. Students who cease to attend classes without securing approval in the manner prescribed above will receive the grade of F for that course. Courses may not be dropped after the last day of classes in the semester.

A student who habitually withdraws from a significant fraction of his/her schedules may lose the right to withdraw or may be dismissed from the University for failure to make adequate academic progress.

Any student on a Teaching/Research Assistantship wishing to drop a course at any time during the semester must secure the signature of the academic dean of his/her school and the Dean of Graduate Education.

The Office of the Registrar, upon recommendation of the instructor and with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Education, may require a student to drop a course for which the student has not satisfied the prerequisite.

UT Dallas operates multiple sessions with different academic calendar and Census dates. If a student registers in a shorter session, it is the student's responsibility to review the online Comet Calendar deadlines that affect the drop/add/withdrawal procedures. The same holds true for the summer session.

Paying Fees as a Part of Registration

A student is not registered or eligible to attend classes until all tuition and fees have been paid in full or until the student has arranged installment payments with the Bursar by the payment deadline in the online Comet Calendar or the Academic Calendar. If a student's registration has been canceled for nonpayment, a reinstatement fee and a late fee will be charged (see online course schedule for current fees). A student who has not completed the payment of all tuition and fees by the end of the semester will be subject to one or more of the following actions at the University's option:

• bar against readmission at this institution,
• withholding of grades, degree and official transcript,
• all penalties and actions authorized by law.

Leave of Absence

A request for a leave of absence must be made through the academic department or program to the Dean of Graduate Education and is recorded on the student's academic record by the Office of the Registrar. A leave of absence will not be approved for more than one academic year. Exceptions may be approved by the Associate Graduate Dean of the academic department. The leave of absence does not alter the time limits placed on graduate degrees. At the end of an approved leave of absence period, the student will be automatically reinstated to an active student status and will be exempt from the readmission requirements.

Withdrawal (Resignation) from the University

A student who wishes to withdraw entirely from the University must complete the proper withdrawal form and procedures in the Office of the Registrar. The grade assigned by the instructor on the withdrawal form will determine the grade which will appear on the student's transcript:

• a passing grade will appear as a W on the transcript
• a failing grade will appear as an F

Withdrawal after the final drop date requires the same procedures as listed in the previous section on Schedule Changes.

Involuntary Withdrawal

The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to providing a learning environment conducive to students developing to their fullest potential, with consideration for the safety, health, and well- being of campus community members. It is occasionally unavoidable for a student to experience issues that restrict their ability to progress in a successful or even safe manner. In such circumstances, students are strongly encouraged to consider taking a voluntary leave from their studies in order to focus time and energy on addressing the cause of what led to the need to withdraw. In rare instances, and only when all other reasonable options have been exhausted, the University will determine whether an involuntary withdrawal is necessary.

Readmission of Former UT Dallas Students

Students who were previously enrolled at The University of Texas at Dallas, may return to the University by following the re-application process through Apply Texas to return to the university if they have not registered for at least three successive semesters (not including summer semesters) at UT Dallas. The university reviews applications for readmission holistically.

Additional Requirements

Upon readmission, students must meet the requirements of the catalog in effect for the term. If accepted, students will be bound by all conditions of the current catalog. Readmission students are subject to the requirements set forth by legislative or regental action, and changes become effective on the date of enactment.

All students readmitted will have their Texas residency re-determined in accordance with Texas law.

Students who attended another college or university since they last enrolled at UT Dallas must submit official transcripts of all such work to the following address:

The Office of the Registrar
The University of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road
ROC 13
Richardson, TX 75080-3021

See "Academic Suspension" in the Academic Policies and Procedures section for more information regarding students returning to the University following academic suspension.