Graduate Student Handbook

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Contact your advisor to discuss your goals and desired timeline for program completion. As you plan your academic journey, consider the following suggestions and resources. 

• Whenever your curriculum allows, select courses that relate to your interests.
• Choose research topics that will be applicable to your future career.
• Think early about a topic and a feasible research method for your culminating project. Often topic and research method courses are available in specific disciplines.  
• Learn about the professional aspects of your field and become involved in related courses of study, conferences or internships as soon as possible. This improves learning and enhances career possibilities.
• Your degree audit found in eServices under Academic Records reflects your program of study. This can be updated using the customize my program of study form. 
• Degree maps for each graduate program can be found in the University Catalog offer a recommended course sequence for completion of the program.

Graduate programs must meet the minimum academic requirements established by Minnesota State and St. Cloud State University. The School of Graduate Studies enforces these requirements.

Graduate students are expected to complete the graduate program(s) curriculum as listed in the university catalog and as displayed in the degree audit, including required major/core courses, research methods or statistics, electives, culminating projects, and GPA requirements.

Students, with advisor review and recommendation, may request to modify an approved program of study in the following ways:

• Selection of electives;
• Selection of a culminating project;
• Course substitutions – replacement of a course with an appropriate equivalent;
• Waiver of requirements – waiver of a specific requirement based on prior education or experience. Credits must be replaced.

As allowed by related policy:

• Transfer credit
• Credit for prior learning
• Advanced standing (doctoral students)
• Validation of out of date credits

Students seeking to customize the program of study should submit a Customize my Program of Study form. This program of study also customizes your degree audit and becomes your contract with the University.

Advisor Assignment and Changes

• Graduate students are assigned an initial advisor at the point of admission. Often your graduate program director will be your default advisor. 
• A Change of Advisor must be approved by the new advisor, the chair or graduate director of the academic unit, and the School of Graduate Studies.

Course Type Limitations

Up to 9 credits combined of credit for prior learning, independent study (600), credit by arrangement (501) or professional workshop/continuing education (588) may be applied to a master’s degree.

Culminating Projects

• Master's students will select one of the culminating project options available for their program.  
• Doctoral students will complete a dissertation. 

Prerequisite Courses

Courses designated as deficiencies or prerequisites at the time of admission cannot be used on a Program of Study.

Program of Study Course Changes

All course changes must be approved by by petition or customize my program of study form. Verbal approval by your adviser is not sufficient.

A maximum of 9 semester credits of graduate work completed at other accredited universities or extension credits earned from this university may be considered for application to the master's degree, specialist degree or sixth-year program.
Doctoral students should review the doctoral credit policy and consult the policy of their graduate program for the number of acceptable transfer credits.

• The grade recorded must be a B or above, or an S or P in S/U or P/F grading systems.
• An official transcript sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies by the institution awarding the credits is needed before an approved transfer credit could be added to the transcript at St. Cloud State University.
• With the prior approval of the graduate advisor and the School of Graduate Studies, a maximum of 15 semester credits of appropriate graduate credit may be transferred from other universities of the Minnesota State System or from accredited universities through bilateral or international agreements and applied to a program at St. Cloud State University.
• A Customize my Program of Study form must be submitted and approved to have transfer credit considered.
• Review the Graduate Studies Transfer policy for complete information on transfer credits.

St. Cloud State expects admitted graduate students to make continued progress toward the completion of their graduate degree or certificate.

Admitted graduate students are expected to maintain continued registration for fall and spring terms until the completion of the degree. Students may be required to complete courses during the summer term(s) as listed on the program degree map. Students unable to fulfill this requirement may seek an approved leave of absence by completing the my educational plans are changing form.

Students who have not requested and received an approved leave of absence and who are not enrolled for 4 or more terms will have their program of study and graduate admission end-dated and will be required to reapply for admission to return to admitted student status.

All degree-seeking graduate students must be registered for at least one graduate credit in the term in which the degree is conferred (awarded).

Leave of Absence/Stop-Out

If a temporary lapse in a student's academic program is necessary due to military service, medical leave, parental leave, or other individual reasons, a student may request a leave of absence or “stop-out” period through the School of Graduate Studies by completing the my educational plans are changing form. An approved leave of absence includes the understanding that a student will not use university resources beyond those available to the public or engage in significant consultation with the faculty to complete graduate work.

Regardless of status, a student must complete a graduate program within the seven-year time to degree allowed by the School of Graduate Studies

Resident Requirements

To ensure the integrity of a graduate degree or certificate earned at St. Cloud State University, the School of Graduate Studies requires a minimum number of credits be completed in residence or through St. Cloud State University. Resident credits include those offered in-person, online, at graduate centers, or through cohort groups established by the University.

• Students completing a master's or specialist degree must earn a minimum of 15 semester credits through St. Cloud State University.
• A graduate certificate requires a minimum of 9 semester credits earned through St. Cloud State University
• For doctoral programs, a minimum of 45 credits must be earned in residence at St. Cloud State University.
• Individual departments may establish residence policies requiring a period of full-time study. Students should consult with their adviser to determine specific departmental requirements.

Time Allowed for Program Completion

All credits (including transfer credits) used in meeting requirements for a graduate certificate, master's degree, post-graduate certificate program, and specialist degree must be earned within seven years prior to the awarding of the degree. Under extenuating circumstances, students may request permission from their advisor and School of Graduate Studies for up to a one-year extension. The total time limit for completion of the degree will not exceed eight years.

An approved leave of absence does not affect the time limits for degree completion.

Validation of Out-of-Date Courses

Graduate courses taken at SCSU more than seven years prior to the date of graduation must be validated (approved) if used in meeting degree requirements. A graduate faculty member in the discipline determines the student's currency in the course learning outcomes. 

• Graduate courses more than seven years old taken at other universities may not be validated.
• A course in which a student received a grade of C or less cannot be validated for use on the student's graduate program,
• A maximum of one-half of the total program credits may be validated.
• Students can request to validate courses through the customize my program of study form. 

Credits Earned Before Admission

Only six graduate credits earned at St. Cloud State University before formal acceptance to a graduate program, or the credits completed in the first semester of registration (whichever is greater), will be permitted to apply toward completion of a graduate program.

• In unusual circumstances credit earned in excess of these figures may be considered for approval by the graduate dean through the petition procedure.

Graduate Course Load

• A graduate student at the doctoral level enrolled for 6 credits or more is considered a full-time student. The recommended normal load in a semester is 6 credits.
• A graduate student at the certificate, master's, or specialist level enrolled for 6 credits or more is considered a full-time student. The recommended normal load in a semester is 6-12 credits.
• The maximum allowable load without special approval is 15 credits.
• The maximum load during summer (the combined total for Intersession, Summer Session I, and Summer Session II) is 15 credits.
• Load includes the total credits of all courses carried, including on-campus, off-campus, online, and any other college courses taken concurrently with those at St. Cloud State University.
• A student who wishes to enroll for more than the established maximum must complete a seek registration permission form. 

Independent Study

Independent study is available for advanced students wishing to work out a special problem in the major area of concentration. These courses carry the designation: [name of department or program] 600, Research, Creative Work or Scholarly Activity.

Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit (501)

Under certain circumstances, upper division (300- or 400-level) undergraduate courses may be applied to master's degree requirements through the 501 Credit by Arrangement process.
The student must submit an advisor-approved Seek Registration Permission form prior to registering for the course.

• The student also must make arrangements to complete the special graduate requirements of the course.
• Students who receive approval must register for [name of department or program] 501 [title of course].
• A maximum of six credits earned under the 501 course number may be applied to a master's degree program.
• This procedure is open only to students admitted to a graduate degree program.

Undergraduate Registration in Graduate Level Courses

Undergraduate students in their final semester of study are permitted to register for graduate-level coursework (500-level courses) with prior approval from the School of Graduate Studies. Graduate-level courses completed under this provision do not apply toward the undergraduate degree.

Undergraduate students will complete the seek registration permission form to request to register. The following conditions must be met.

• Students are entering their final semester of undergraduate study.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.
• Have nine (9) or fewer semester credits remaining to complete their baccalaureate degree at St. Cloud State University.
• Total credit load (undergraduate and graduate combined) does not exceed 16 semester credits.

Additional guidelines:

• Courses numbered 600–699 are restricted to graduate students unless specifically required as part of an approved curriculum for a 5-year accelerated bachelor’s to master’s degree program.
• Graduate courses that are part of an approved 5-year accelerated program are waived from the undergraduate degree and apply directly to the graduate degree, in accordance with the policy governing accelerated programs.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

• Graduate students are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress if they maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA.
  • A 3.25 grade point average is required for the Specialist degree in Education Administration. 
• Students who have not achieved the required grade point average are not eligible to take either the oral or written final culminating examinations.
• Continuation in the program of study may be denied at any time during the program by not maintaining the standard of scholarship of the University.

Unsuccessful Grades

Additional Courses if Standard of Scholarship Has Not Been Maintained

Graduate students, accepted as candidates for the master's degree, specialist degree, sixth-year program, and doctoral degree, whose records show less than a 3.00 average (3.25 for the Specialist in Educational Administration) at the completion of the approved program of courses may register for a maximum of nine additional semester credits to be earned in courses approved by petition.

• The credits will be selected with the adviser and may include repeated and new courses.
• If, after the completion of these nine additional credits, the average is still less than a 3.00 (3.25 for the Specialist in Educational Administration), the student will be dismissed from their program.

Receiving an Incomplete

• The course instructor must agree to provide you with an incomplete grade (I, IP, RC).
• All incompletes must be completed and grades submitted by the instructor.
• Remind your professor to submit a grade change for all incompletes, IP or RC grades. This includes dissertations, field studies, theses, creative works and starred papers.

Completion of Attempted Credits

Graduate students must complete at least 66.67 percent of all credits attempted at the University.

Students whose completion rate falls below 66.67 percent will be placed on probationary status and will have a registration hold placed on their record.

• To register for classes, these students will need to submit an advisor-approved petition outlining plans to improve completion rates or to demonstrate progress toward the degree.

Enrollment Requirement for Program Completion

Repeating a Course for Improvement of a Grade

Repeating courses at St. Cloud State University is permitted, however, the university may limit the number of times a student repeats a course. No courses or grades are removed from the transcript when a student repeats a course. Graduate students must receive written permission from their advisor and approval from the School of Graduate Studies prior to repeating a course for the third time and may only retake a course if their original grade was C-, D, F, NA, or U or W. Repeating courses can affect:

• A student who fails in the first course of a sequence cannot take the following courses in that sequence until the course has been completed with a passing grade.
• The original grade will appear on the student’s transcript with a mark of R indicating that the course was repeated but will not count in the GPA. Only the improved grade is calculated into the GPA. 
• The repetition of a course in which a “U” was earned will also be marked with an “R” on the transcript. 
• Courses in which the mark of “S” is given are not included in the computation of the grade point average. 

Repeating a Course

Students may only receive credit once for the completion of a course unless otherwise stated in the course description.

The maximum number of credits allowed is stated in the course description.  For each enrollment the student receives credit hours and a grade.

Academic Forgiveness

St. Cloud State will provide options for qualified students to have their GPA improved through academic forgiveness. Students who experience a less than successful start to their academic careers or graduate program may benefit from available one-time academic forgiveness options. Students requesting one-time academic forgiveness are still subject to SCSU policies about academic progress, as well as the academic and professional competencies required by the program, college, or school. (Examples of students who might benefit from this redress include individuals who left SCSU under suspension or on warning, students whose prior GPA is preventing access to their desired program of study or to other academic opportunities, or graduate students who had extenuating circumstances or may have been admitted to a program that was’t the best fit for their knowledge or skill set.)

Checking Your Program's Accuracy

Ensure information submitted on a Customize my Program of Study form or by Petition is accurately reflected on your degree audit. It is your responsibility to regularly review the degree audit. 

Common Delays

• A course listed:
  • May not have been taken for graduate credit.
  • May have a grade below “C.”
  • May not meet the seven-year limit.
• Too many credits earned under non-degree admission (Only six credits earned under non-degree admission can count toward the degree).
• Failure to complete at least 66.67 percent of credits attempted at the University.      
• Inclusion of deficiency or prerequisite courses.
• Inclusion of undergraduate courses.
• Have not meet the required minimum degree program hours.
• Not fully admitted to a graduate program
• Missing official transcripts for all transfer courses or such transcripts indicate courses do not qualify for transfer credit.

Doctoral Program Credit Requirements

A doctorate is awarded upon completion of a graduate level academic program of at least 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree in an applied professional field.

• At least 45 credits must be completed through St. Cloud State University.
  • Of the 45 credits, 9-12 credits of dissertation or equivalent project must be completed.
  • At least 36 of the 45 credits must be in doctoral only courses (700/800 level).
  • This 45-credit requirement may be decreased upon recommendation of the faculty and approval of the president of the university.
• Credits completed as part of a master’s degree may be requested for advanced standing.
  • Advanced standing credits are evaluated by the faculty as meeting post-baccalaureate requirements of the doctoral degree beyond the 45 credits required to be completed through St. Cloud State University.
  • No more than 16 credits of the doctorate may be master’s dual enrollment courses.
    • Master’s dual enrollment courses are open to undergraduate students and graduate students at the master’s level.
  • GPA of credits accepted toward advanced standing, 3.00 (B) or better.
  • Credits over 10 years old at the start of the graduate program may only be used for advanced standing with evidence of currency in the subject matter.
• Credits accepted in transfer, per the graduate transfer credit policy, and credits accepted in advanced standing may not reduce the credits completed through St. Cloud State University below the 45 required.
• Graduate programs must clearly state the number of credits allowed toward advanced standing. Individual doctoral programs may have different credit limits.
• Consult with your advisor and review your academic program’s handbook for program-specific information on credit limitations for advanced standing.

Minnesota State Procedure 3.36.1

Continuous Enrollment Requirement

All doctoral students must maintain continuous enrollment throughout their degree program until the university confers the doctoral degree, unless on approved leave of absence.

• Continuous registration is defined as registration in a minimum of 1 doctoral credit for a minimum of two of every three terms (summer, fall, spring). Credits may consist of required or elective courses, dissertation, or continued enrollment (891).
• A doctoral student must register for a minimum of 1 doctoral credit the term in which the degree is conferred.
• Additional requirements or deadlines may be established by graduate programs. When a conflict exists, the School of Graduates Studies policies/procedures take precedence.

Time Limit for Completion of a Doctoral Degree

All credits (including transfer credits) used in meeting the requirements for a doctoral degree must be earned within the seven-year period prior to the awarding of the degree.  Under extenuating circumstances, doctoral students may request permission from their culminating project chair and School of Graduate Studies for a one year extension. Up to 3 extensions may be approved. The total time limit for completion of a doctoral degree will not exceed ten years.

Graduate programs may set their own, more rigorous (shorter) time limits.  When a conflict exists, the School of Graduate Studies policies/procedures take precedence. Consult with your advisor and review your academic program’s handbook for program-specific information and time limits.

An approved leave of absence does not affect the time limits for degree completion.