The Graduate Restart Program is available to help graduate students who were previously unsuccessful have a fresh restart in the same graduate degree program.
Admission Criteria
The following criteria must be met to apply to the restart program:
- You have been previously admitted and enrolled in a graduate program at MU.
- At least 3 years has passed since your last enrollment in an MU graduate program.
- During your past enrollment at MU, you must have earned a cumulative GPA below 3.0.
- You must apply to the same MU graduate degree or graduate certificate program.
- A clear justification and an academic plan must be provided.
- You must receive an endorsement from the Department Chair or the Director of Graduate Studies for the academic program.
Application Process
- Graduate Restart Program Application: Complete the Graduate Restart Program application form on and submit it to the director of graduate studies of your degree/certificate program. You will be asked to provide the following information.
- Explain what factors resulted in the previous graduate academic record and how those obstacles will be overcome if you are allowed to return.
- Discuss how earning a graduate degree will help you meet long-term career goals.
- Submit a detailed first year academic plan developed by both you and your academic advisor demonstrating how you will successfully complete the degree program if you are admitted through the Graduate Restart Program.
- Academic Program Review: Academic programs will review the Graduate Restart Program application form. Once they decide to accept you, they will approve the application form and send it along with an endorsement letter to the Graduate School.
- Endorsement Letter: The appropriate Department Chair or Director of Graduate Studies must submit a letter of support strongly advocating for your petition to the Graduate Restart Program.
- Approval Process
- Each student who petitions to the Graduate Restart Program will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- To participate in the Graduate Restart Program, you must meet all requirements for full graduate admissions; no conditional admission is allowed through this program.
- Petitions to the Graduate Restart Program can only be granted to an eligible student once.
Enrollment Requirements
For students granted full admission through the Graduate Restart Program, the following requirements must be met while enrolled:
- You must be in Good Standing (3.00 GPA or higher) with the university each semester, or you may be subject to academic dismissal.
- During the first year of re-enrollment, you will regularly meet with your faculty advisor, who will actively monitor your academic performance to help ensure positive academic progress is occurring.
- You will comply with the academic plan that was submitted in the application to the Graduate School.
Credits and Grades from the Previous Graduate Program(s) at MU
- Selected course credits from the previous graduate program may be considered for inclusion in the re-started program, subject to approval by the project/capstone, thesis, or dissertation committee.
- Grades from the previous program will not be included in the calculation of their future GPA regarding academic standing, which will be reset for the restarted program.
- All previous courses and grades will remain on the permanent record, whether they are applied toward the restarted degree or not.
- An official notation will be added to your transcript, signifying that you are eligible for participation in the Restart Program with an effective date of the new GPA calculation.