Enrollment

Registration

All students are required to be in status each semester. This means that students must be registered or be on an approved leave of absence. Individuals who are not in status will be withdrawn from The Graduate Center. Registration materials are mailed to students prior to the start of each semester. Students who do not receive their registration materials for the new semester before the end of the previous semester are responsible for notifying the Registrar that they have not received their materials. It is expected that all registrations will be completed by the first day of classes.

A student delinquent in his or her financial accounts (or who owes books to the library) shall be denied the right to register or receive a leave of absence or official withdrawal, as well as the right to be issued grades, transcripts, or a degree. In addition, students who fail to meet satisfactory progress requirements or who have any outstanding obligations to the offices of Financial Aid, Admissions or Residence Life may be denied the right to register.

Tuition Level

Tuition charges are based on a student’s "Level," which is determined by the number of graduate credits and requirements completed by the student and (in the case of transfer credits) accepted by the program and the Registrar. A student may attain full-time status either by registering for a minimum of twelve academic credits or by receiving certification for an equivalent academic commitment composed, in part or entirely, of Weighted Instructional Units (WIUs), which are assigned for teaching, exam preparation, research, and clinical activity. Students whose combined total of course credits and WIUs is over six are required to pay full-time tuition. Students are advised to consult each semester’s Announcement of Courses brochure for the tuition rates.

Current Tuition (2007-2008)

Auditing Courses

Matriculated students may audit courses in which they have an interest, but must formally register for audit courses in the same manner as any other course with the approval of the Executive Officer. The registration card should indicate "AUD" in the credits field. Auditor status cannot be changed to credit status after the change-of-program period has ended. Likewise, credit status cannot be changed to auditor status after the same period. The grade of "AUD," which carries no credit, cannot be changed to any other grade.

Non-matriculant Enrollment

Enrollment in courses by students who are not matriculated in the program is at the discretion of the Executive Officer. In no instance will anyone be permitted to accumulate a total of more than two courses or eight credits (whichever is less) as a non-matriculant without written approval from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Program Changes

During the first three weeks of each semester, students have the option of adding or dropping courses. All such requests must be approved by the Executive Officer and be made on a "Change of Program" (Add/Drop) form. After the first three weeks of the term, if a student elects to withdraw from a course, a "Course Withdrawal" form should be submitted to the Registrar. A grade of "W" will be assigned, and the student remains liable for tuition.

Withdrawal from the Program

Written notice of voluntary withdrawal from the program must be approved by the Executive Officer. In the event a student is considering such action, he/she must meet with the Executive Officer to discuss this decision. Notification of official withdrawal must be submitted to the Registrar prior to the end of the third week of classes of a given semester to avoid full tuition liability for that semester. To resume doctoral study, a former student must apply to the program for readmission. Students who have not registered by the end of the first week of a given semester or been granted a leave of absence will automatically be withdrawn from The Graduate Center.

Readmission

Readmission following a withdrawal is at the discretion of the student’s program. In the event a student wishes to be considered for readmission to the program, he/she must meet with the Executive Officer to discuss the situation and the relevant circumstances. The Executive Officer must approve a student’s being readmitted to the program and a special "Application for Readmission" must be filed in the Office of the Registrar. Academic work (including courses, examinations, and dissertation proposals) completed before the student withdrew from The Graduate Center will be reevaluated upon readmission and may be credited toward completion of the degree at the program’s discretion.

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence will be granted to a student wishing to interrupt doctoral study following a meeting with the Executive Officer, whose approval must be obtained. No more than four semesters of total leave time will be granted to any student. Each leave request should be made in writing prior to the semester during which the leave will be taken. Requests for an extension of a leave of absence, for no more than one additional year. must follow the same procedure. Any international student with F-1 (student) or J-l (exchange visitor) status should consult the Office of International Students before applying for a leave. Official leave of absence time is not counted toward the time limit for completion of degree requirements. During the period of a leave of absence, no changes in academic status, including such matters as the scheduling and taking of qualifying examinations, application for en-route degrees, and advancement to candidacy, may be effected.

Full-Time Residence

Doctoral students are required to spend at least one year in full-time residence. Full-time residence consists of a schedule of no fewer than 12 credits, or the equivalent, for each of two consecutive semesters. During this academic year students are expected to participate in a research practicum under the mentorship of faculty to develop their competency in research. This residency must be completed during the first three years of matriculation.

Advancement to Candidacy

Before a student can be certified as a candidate for the doctoral degree, he or she must have completed all required coursework, the pre-dissertation research project, the second examination and be registered for the current semester. After advancement to candidacy, the student is expected to maintain matriculation until the completion of all remaining requirements for the degree. These include (a) enrollment in Dissertation Seminar, (b) completion of the dissertation proposal, and (c) completion and defense of the dissertation. Failure to continue to register each semester following candidacy will terminate the student’s enrollment in the program.

Time Limit for Degree

All requirements for the degree must be completed no later than eight years after matriculation. A student who matriculates after the completion of 30 credits of acceptable work or who enters the program with 30 transfer credits must complete all requirements within seven years. Periods of official leaves of absence are excluded from the time limits set for completion of degrees. Extension of a time limit must be initiated by the Executive Officer and requires approval of the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students must be making satisfactory progress toward the degree in order to maintain status at The Graduate Center and be eligible for any student financial assistance. A student is not making satisfactory progress if, for example, he or she has a grade point average below 3.00, has accumulated more than two open grades (INC, INP, ABS, ABP, NGR), has completed more than 45 credits without having passed the First Examination, has not met with his/her major adviser during the dissertation stage, or has exceeded the time limit for the degree.

Master of Philosophy

The Graduate Center awards the master of philosophy degree (M.Phil.) to doctoral students who are advanced to candidacy. Students will receive, along with the usual notice of advancement, an application-for-degree form for this degree.

Awarding of Degrees

Degrees are awarded three times per academic year. For the degree to be awarded (and for the dissertation to be deposited), the candidate must meet the following enrollment requirements: for the degree to be awarded in February, candidates must be enrolled the preceding fall semester; for May/June, the concurrent spring semester; for October, the preceding spring semester.

Grading System

Doctoral matriculants will be graded in all courses creditable toward the doctorate as follows. (Credits with grades of "P" or "SP" do not figure into the computation of the grade point average but do count toward the degree.)

A (+ or -) = Excellent

B (+ or -) = Good

C (+ or -) = Fair (lowest passing grade)

SP = Satisfactory progress (for research courses requiring more than one semester for completion)

W = Withdrew without academic penalty. This is a student-initiated grade, which may be requested from the fourth through the tenth week of the semester. Under no circumstances can a student withdraw and receive a "W" grade after the tenth week of the semester without the written permission of the course instructor and the Executive Officer and the approval of the Vice President for Student Affairs. This grade carries tuition liability.

WA = Administrative withdrawal. This grade, which does not affect the grade-point average, is administratively assigned.

F = Failure

P = Pass. Each program is authorized to use the grade of "P" for such courses and under such conditions as the Executive Committee of the program deems appropriate.

Abs = Absent from final examination. This is a temporary grade indicating that the student missed the final examination, which is the only work in the course not completed.

Incomplete Grades

To resolve incomplete grades, students must fulfill their obligations within one calendar year after the "INC" grade is assigned. After one year, an incomplete grade ("INC") will be automatically transformed into an "INP" (permanent incomplete). Extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances upon written application and with the permission of the instructor of the course, the Executive Officer, and the Vice President for Student Affairs. Students with more than two incomplete courses will be brought to the attention of the Executive Officer to determine whether or not they are making satisfactory progress. Students will not normally be regarded as making satisfactory progress if they have more than two"INC"s on their records. Students should be aware that continued registration and financial aid awards are conditional upon satisfactory progress. Credits for which students have an "INC" as of the end of the third week of classes of a given semester are not counted toward advancement to the next level for that semester.

Denial of Student Services

A formal policy prohibits all college services to any student who is delinquent in any financial account with the University (including books owed to the library), who is in default for any loan administered through the University, or who has failed to attend the required exit interview for federal or state student loan programs administered through the University. Denial of services means that students are not permitted to register and are not issued a copy of their academic transcript, degree, or certificate, nor are they eligible to receive additional student aid until the default/delinquency has been satisfied.

Reporting Personal Changes

Students receiving financial aid providing for a dependency allowance must report any change in number of dependents to the Office of Financial Aid. Any change of name or address must be reported, in writing, immediately to the Registrar’s Office.

New York State Residency

For the purposes of determining tuition charges, a student is considered a resident of the state of New York if he or she has his or her principal place of abode in the state of New York for a period of at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes for the semester with respect to which the residency determination is made, states his or her intention to permanently live and maintain his or her principal place of abode in New York State, and is not in the United States on any temporary visa. All students requesting a change of residency status must file a City University Residence Evaluation Application with the Registrar’s Office, along with sufficient supporting documentation, no later than the end of the third week of classes of the semester for which the change is to be effective.

Remission of Tuition and Fees

A student is entitled to full refund of tuition and non-instructional and general fees in the event that courses are cancelled or a student’s registration is cancelled by The Graduate Center or one of the senior colleges. In the event of a student’s withdrawal, a proportionate refund of tuition may be granted. A refund of tuition may be obtained only upon a submission of a written, official withdrawal from classes, delivered to the Office of the Registrar. If a student is not entitled to a refund, even if withdrawn from classes, the student is liable for any unpaid tuition and fees. Students should consult the Student Handbook of The Graduate Center to determine the proportionate tuition refund to which they may be entitled.

Research, Travel, and Dissertation Support Funds

Funds are available for limited support of specific activities of matriculated students who are registering during the semester for which the stipend is requested. Applicants for these stipends must have on file the CUNY Student Aid Form and submit an "Application for Student Travel and Research Fund Award." This application form also is used for the Ph.D. Alumni Association Awards.

These funds provide stipends (limited to one per academic year per student) in the amount of $300 or less for the following: (1) Registration and/or travel expenses for participation in professional conferences and seminars where the applicant is invited to make a presentation; (2) Research-related expenses such as out-of-town travel and duplicating costs; (3) Costs for research supplies; (4) Costs for experimental subjects; (5) Dissertation-related expenses including materials, research supplies, typing and duplicating. Because the total amount available for this purpose each year is limited, applications are considered on the basis of financial need, including extraordinary circumstances that the student can document, and are processed on a "first-come" basis. Stipends are paid for one-half of their expenses upon presentation of receipts for expenditures after they have been incurred. Receipts must be submitted within two weeks of the end of the period for which they were requested.

Office of International Students

The Office of International Students provides advice and assistance to students from outside the United States, particularly with regard to immigration issues relating to F-l student and J-1 exchange visitor status (student category). Each semester, the office conducts a special orientation session for international students. New international students should contact the office as soon as possible after their arrival so that the office can review their immigration documents and status. Because it is the student’s responsibility to comply with all existing government regulations, students are urged to familiarize themselves with the regulations and procedures that apply to their specific visa status. Students should keep copies of all documents relating to their immigration status and bring their passport, 1-94, and the latest copy of Form 1-20 or IAP-66 when consulting the Office of International Students. International students should consult the Student Handbook for further information.

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