Students are expected to achieve a commendable or satisfactory grade (A, A-, B+, B, or S) in all coursework attempted for graduate credit. Students who fail to maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree or who do not achieve commendable or satisfactory grades in all their graduate course work are subject to academic probation and/or dismissal from their program of study and/or the Graduate School.

Any student whose cumulative GPA for all graduate courses falls below 3.0 will be placed on Academic Probation, effective for the next term during which the student is enrolled.

Probationary status will be removed and the student returned to Academic Good Standing if (1) the student’s GPA for each term during which the student is on probation is 3.0 or better, and (2) the student’s cumulative GPA for all graduate courses is at least 3.0 at the end of the semester in which the student completes nine (9) semester hours after being placed on Probation. Students on probation are ineligible for assistantships or fellowships.

A student will be academically dismissed from their program and will be ineligible to continue in the Graduate School for any of the following scenarios:

• if Probationary status is not removed upon the completion of 9 semester hours after being placed on Probation;
• if the student achieves a term GPA below 3.0 while on Academic Probation;
• if the Graduate School determines that it is not possible to return to Academic Good standing within the allotted credit hours for graduation;
• if the student meets the criteria to be placed on Academic Probation more than once in the same program;
• if the student earns three grades of B-, C+, C, F, or U, or any combination thereof;
• if the student earns two grades of F or U.

While on Academic Dismissal, students are not eligible to take graduate-level courses as a non-degree seeking student.

Should a student complete or withdraw from one academic program and begin study in another academic program, all grades remain part of the student’s academic record and contribute to the student’s cumulative graduate GPA.

Students may refer to Graduate Grading for a more detailed description of grading policies.