Policies

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Academic and Departmental Probation, Termination, and Appeals

Probation In addition to dismissal for failure to meet the usual examination and grade requirements, departments and graduate-degree-granting area programs have the right to place a student on departmental probation. After at least 30 days of probation, the degree-granting program can dismiss any graduate student who is deemed to be making insufficient academic progress or whose

Academic Leave of Absence

Submitting a request Students are able to request a leave of absence from their academic program. They should first notify their advisor of their request and then inform the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). For doctoral candidates (those who have successfully completed their comprehensive examination and have filed a D3 in the Graduate School), they

Annual Review of Graduate Student Progress

The Graduate School requires all master’s, educational specialist and doctoral students to submit an annual report of academic progress. At a minimum, graduate students should report on their academic progress, completion of required forms, awards and honors, conferences, presentations, publications, service activities, creative activities, funding activities, employment and job placement. Academic program faculty or administrators

Appealing Graduate Assistantship Evaluation or Termination

A student with a graduate assistantship may appeal a decision regarding an assistantship in the following circumstances: Unfair dismissal. Prejudiced or capricious academic program evaluation. Stipend not commensurate with that of other graduate students with the same status in the same academic program. If you are a graduate student and believe one of the above

Assistance, Accommodation, and Leave Policy for Pregnant Students, Students with Pregnancy-Related Conditions, and Parenting Students

Eligibility Graduate students who are full-time, in good academic standing, and progressing toward degree completion are eligible for the assistance, accommodation, and leave policy. The policy applies to students currently experiencing pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions and/or parenting. Pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions include (but are not limited to) pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, and conditions

Body Format for Thesis or Dissertation

General Formatting Information Save as: “research.pdf” Students are to follow the style manual recommended by their academic program. Margins: Left Margin – 1.5 inches; Top, Bottom, and Right Margins – 1 inch Line Spacing: All standard text should be double-spaced. References, bibliographic works, and endnotes should be consistent with the formatting standards of your selected

Choosing an Advisor

Doctoral A doctoral student selects an advisor or co-advisors by mutual consent from doctoral faculty members who are dissertation supervisors in the department or area program in which the major work is planned. Doctoral advisors must be members of the doctoral faculty. To determine whether a faculty member has doctoral faculty status, refer to the list of

Commencement Ceremony Participation

Certificate recipients There is no ceremony for students earning only a graduate certificate at this time. Students graduating in the current term Students are who are completing a graduate degree in the fall or spring term are eligible to participate in the fall or spring ceremony respectively provided that they: Have the necessary degree paperwork on file.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination consists of written and oral sections. It must be completed at least seven months before the final defense of the dissertation. The two sections of the examination must be completed within one month.

Conflict of Interest and Student Interaction with Industry

Conflict of Interest All graduate students who hold an assistantship or are student employees are required to self disclose any outside employment or business activities and interests that could interfere with their regular duties or represent a conflict of interest (University of Missouri Collected Rules and Regulations, Section 330.015.D). To disclose, go to ecompliance.missouri.edu and complete

Curriculum Changes for an Approved Graduate Certificate Program

Deferred Pay for Graduate Assistantships

Graduate students with assistantships on a 9-month, monthly paid appointment may be eligible for pay deferral to have their assistantship pay allocated over 12 months. Full policy provisions and eligibility criteria are described in HR-219 Pay Periods and HR-105 Employment Documentation. Elections for deferred pay must be made prior to the first pay cycle of the academic year

Disability Services: Accommodations, Services, and Policies

Doctoral Faculty Nomination/Reappointment Procedures

Doctoral Student Academic Progress

Doctoral Student Academic Progress A doctoral student must successfully complete the comprehensive examination within a period of five years beginning with the first semester of enrollment as a PhD student. In addition, the program for the doctoral degree must be completed within five years of passing the comprehensive examination. Individual departments or area programs may stipulate

Educational Specialist Process

ELPA, LTC and SISLT process Step 1: Advisor assignment Upon admission, the academic department will assign a faculty advisor to the student. Before registering for courses each semester or session, the student consults with the advisor to determine appropriate courses to fulfill program requirements. If an advisor is unable or unwilling to continue to serve

Electronic Dissertation and Thesis Basics

The master’s degree student When required for a master’s program, a thesis must be written on a subject approved by the student’s thesis committee. It must be the student’s own work and must demonstrate a capacity for research and independent thought. In addition to these guidelines, master’s students should also consult: Thesis process Academic process

Extensions

A request for an extension is distinct from an appeal process: a request for extension is the appropriate course of action when a student has failed to meet the time frames associated with degree programs. Request for Extension A request for extension is the appropriate course of action when a student has failed to meet

Fellowship and Assistantship Acceptance Deadline

The University of Missouri is a signatory to the Council of Graduate Schools’ resolution regarding the offering and acceptance of financial aid. Specifically, students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support for the coming academic year before April 15. When a student accepts an offer before this date and subsequently desires to withdraw

Forming a Doctoral or Thesis Program Committee

Every graduate student must form a faculty committee to oversee the process of thesis or dissertation completion. A thesis committee is composed of three members of the MU faculty: a major advisor from the academic program (i.e., department, unless it is an interdisciplinary program not housed in a department), a second reader from the academic

Freedom to Publish Thesis and Dissertation Research

Freedom to publish and share results are major criteria for assessing the appropriateness of any research project, particularly those involving graduate students. Consistent with the mission of the University of Missouri, the integrity of a student’s academic/research experience shall be preserved, including the ability to complete and publish a thesis or dissertation in a reasonable

Full- and Part-time Enrollment

Full-time enrollment for graduate students is defined as enrollment in 9 credit hours per semester in the fall and spring semesters and/or 4.5 hours in the summer session. Full-time enrollment for doctoral candidates (after successful completion of their comprehensive examinations) is 2 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters and/or 1 hour in the

Grading & Credit

Grading Policy Graduate students’ grades in all courses counting toward an advanced degree may be reported as: A +/-, B +/-, and C +/-. Faculty members are not required to use a plus/minus grading scale; that decision should be based on the faculty member’s evaluation of student performance and/or polices of their academic program. Grade point averages are calculated

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships give students opportunities for professional experience, academic training and financial support while pursuing advanced degrees. Tasks Those holding graduate assistantships are assigned relevant professional and academic experiences that may include: Teaching or assisting in a course under the supervision of a director or mentor. Grading for a course. Assisting in a program-sponsored laboratory

Graduate Certificate Plan of Study

A Graduate Certificate Plan of Study form must be submitted to the Graduate School at least one term before the conferral of the certificate. Graduate School staff will update the plan of study form with grades from the student’s last term if necessary. The original form becomes part of the student’s official academic record. Note: If a

Graduate Faculty Membership

Graduate Minor Proposal

Graduate Student Progress

Satisfactory progress The progress of each graduate student is evaluated annually by the student’s advisor and/or director of graduate studies. The definition of satisfactory progress and procedures for its verification may vary among departments/programs. If a department/program has instituted guidelines that differ from those applying generally to graduate students, these guidelines should be made available to students

Graduate Student Tuition Support Program Eligibility

The Graduate Tuition Support Program, administered by the MU Graduate School, waives tuition for qualified graduate students. Students must meet established criteria to be considered for the program. Eligibility Eligible Qualifying graduate assistants and fellows — Graduate students (including those who are spouses or dependents of benefit-eligible employees) who hold qualifying assistantships or fellowships from academic

Instruction of Graduate Students

Graduate instructors must possess a relevant academic degree and hold a degree at least one level above the level of instruction, except in programs for terminal degrees or when equivalent experience is established. Graduate Faculty Status is required to teach a graduate or cross-level course at the University of Missouri. Graduate students do not qualify

International Applicants

The application process for international applicants is very similar to the process for domestic applicants. However, international applicants do have to show English proficiency to be admitted and a minimum amount of financial support to be issued immigration documents. Click on a category below for more details.

International Travel Registration

Students traveling abroad using any University of Missouri funding, including travel scholarships from the Graduate School, at least one month prior to departure, in accordance with the University of Missouri Collected Rules and Regulations, must register in the Student International Travel Registry and complete all pre-departure requirements. The Student International Travel Registry requires students to

Intimate Relations with Graduate Students

Consensual romantic relationships between members of the University community are prohibited when one participant has evaluative or supervisory authority over the other. Such prohibited relationships include supervisory relationships between an employee (faculty, staff or student) and a student, as well as between a supervisor (faculty, staff or student) and a subordinate. Implicit in the idea

Leaves of Absence for Assistantships and Fellowships

Graduate students are responsible for resolving all issues pertaining to their support (assistantship, fellowship, etc.) with their advisors before taking any approved leave of absence. Issues may include the date when support will be terminated and under what conditions students may be reinstated. Notifying administrators A student with a graduate assistantship who is unable to

Master’s Degree Plan of Study

After performing satisfactorily for a minimum of one semester, the student completes the Plan of Study for the Master’s Degree (M1) form (or the Plan of Study for the Dual Master’s Degree (DM1) form if the student is enrolled in a dual master’s degree program) with the advisor’s assistance. The form is forwarded through the program’s director of graduate

Medical Requirements

The University of Missouri requires all new students to submit an MU Immunization/TB Screening Requirements form and verification of TB screening before registering for classes. The completed form must be submitted directly to the MU Student Health Center. You will also be required to submit evidence of immunization in the form of a copy of one

Minimum Admission Requirements

All applicants must: (1) have earned a U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. If the applicant’s degree is from a non-U.S. college or university, the institution must be recognized and approved by the Ministry of Education or Commission responsible for higher education in the country where the degree is earned. The

Mizzou’s Mandatory Training Programs

Not Anymore All graduate students who are new to Mizzou are required to complete an online, video-based educational program called Not Anymore. This includes all first-year students and transfer students. Not Anymore provides critical information about sexual assault, consent, dating and domestic violence, stalking, bystander intervention and much more. New students who do not complete the training will have an enrollment

Performance & Renewal Evaluation Criteria for Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantship evaluation methods The responsibilities of graduate assistantships and the performance evaluation method should be provided in writing to the student by the immediate supervisor at the beginning of the assistantship. An appeal process is available for students in graduate assistantships who assert they have not been fairly evaluated. Conducting evaluations The faculty or staff member who

Probation & Termination Policies for Graduate Students

Probation In addition to dismissal for failure to meet the usual examination and grade requirements, departments and graduate-degree-granting area programs have the right to place a student on probation — and, after at least 30 days of probation, to dismiss them from the program — any graduate student who is deemed to be making insufficient academic

Qualifying Examination – Remediation

Qualifying Examination – Remediation For any degree program that utilizes a non-coursework based qualifying examination, a student may have a minimum of four weeks, but not more than one additional semester, to remediate a qualifying exam failure. Failure of a coursework-based qualifying examination falls under policies specific to Grade Point Average and GPA and Probation.

Qualifying Titles for Graduate Assistantships and Fellows

A graduate student is eligible for a waiver of resident and non-resident tuition (if applicable) if they have an assistantship that meets the eligibility requirements of FTE (at least 10 hours dedicated for the assistantship per week), stipend level, and title. The student must be enrolled in a graduate degree-seeking program and be in good

Scheduling Exams

Exams (e.g., qualifying, comprehensive, thesis/dissertation defenses) are to be administered only when MU is officially in session. If an exam requires a written and oral section, both can only be administered during a regular semester session, i.e., the period between start and end date (including exam week) of Fall, Spring, and Summer sessions, excluding holidays

Sick Leave

Sick Leave During an academic year, which includes the summer, enrolled graduate students may be absent from normal student responsibilities for up to (but no more than) ten workdays in succession for reasons of illness or illness-related care. Students who are receiving University of Missouri financial support will continue to receive support during that period.

Student Responsibility to Know Academic Regulations

It is each graduate student’s responsibility to know and observe all regulations and procedures relating to the program the student is pursuing. In no case will a regulation be waived or an exception be granted because students plead ignorance of, or contend that they were not informed of, the regulations and procedures. Responsibility for following

Supplemental Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Materials

Multimedia files Multimedia files may be included with your research file, and submitted by uploading to Canvas along with the research file. Alternatively, they can be submitted to our office on a CD. Only the following formats are acceptable for multimedia files: Images: GIF (.gif), JPEG (.jpg), pdf (.pdf), TIFF (.tif) Video: Apple Quicktime (.mov),

Supplemental Materials for Thesis and Dissertation Submission

Additional materials for thesis and dissertation submission Thesis/Dissertation Processing Fee This fee is used to pay for the service that archives all theses and dissertations submitted to the University of Missouri. This fee is submitted online. Publishing Agreement The purpose of this form is to obtain your approval to allow the company that does all

Technology and Your Thesis or Dissertation Supplemental Materials Submission

Portable Document Format (pdf) All thesis and dissertation materials must be submitted in pdf format. pdf files can be created with a variety of programs, including word processors (e.g. Microsoft Word) and full versions of pdf editors (e.g. Adobe Acrobat). MU’s computer labs feature the full versions of both Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat. There

Tuition Support Program Charge-Back Process: Grants & Contracts

The grant from which a student is funded may be responsible for some or all of the resident tuition waived by the Graduate Student Tuition Support Program if: The student’s assistantship meets all the eligibility criteria for a tuition waiver. At least some portion of that appointment is paid by a grant. There are no prohibitions imposed