Academic Programs Catalog

MAXIMUM. Graduate students may carry up to 16 credits each semester. The maximum number of credits, however, is determined by the department or school. A student load above 16 credits requires approval by the student's dean.  Enrollment in doctoral dissertation research (course number 999) credits need not be counted in determining maximum credits.

For Ph.D. students, a maximum total of 36 credits of doctoral dissertation research (course number 999) are permitted.

MINIMUM. All students using University services (faculty consultation included) for graduate work must be registered each semester. Minimum registration consists of one course of 1 credit.

In order to be considered full-time for academic purposes, students must carry the minimum number of credits per semester or summer session as defined below: 
  

All graduate assistants are classified as full-time students during the semester (s) of their appointments as long as they are enrolled for the minimum required credits for the assistantship.

Full-time status for doctoral students is defined as a minimum of 1 credit for those students who:

1. have successfully completed all comprehensive exams and are actively engaged in dissertation research (DD status); or
2. are doing department-approved off-campus fieldwork related to preparation of their dissertation. This off-campus fieldwork (DG status) will be granted for one semester at a time up to a maximum of three semesters. The dean's office of the student's college will request the change of status by the Office of the Registrar at least one month prior to the beginning of the semester for which the status is requested.

Federal agencies such as the Department of Education, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of Homeland Security may have separate and distinct full-time status requirements.

Graduate assistants must be registered each semester in which they hold assistantships. The minimum and maximum credit loads are as follows:

For a quarter–time graduate assistant, minimum enrollment is 6 credits for master’s degree students and 3 credits for doctoral  students (including credits in courses  numbered 899 or 999); maximum enrollment is 16 credits (excluding  credits in courses numbered 899 or 999).

For a half–time assistant minimum enrollment is 6 credits for master’s  degree students and 3 credits for doctoral  students (including credits in courses  numbered 899 or 999); maximum enrollment is 12 credits (excluding  credits in courses numbered 899 or 999).

For a three–quarter–time assistant, minimum enrollment is 3 credits (including  credits in courses numbered 899 or 999); maximum enrollment is 8 credits (excluding  credits in courses numbered 899 or 999).

Minimum enrollment for doctoral students who have successfully completed all comprehensive exams is 1 credit.

Deviation from the minimum enrollment requirements listed above is permitted only during:

1. summer session, when a 3–credit minimum enrollment is allowed for all types of assistants with 1-credit minimum for doctoral students successfully completing all comprehensive exams.
2. the semester in which the degree is granted, when all types of assistants must enroll for at least the number of credits required to complete the degree or meet the university minimum registration requirement.

Any deviation from the maximum enrollment requirements listed above must have the approval of the dean of the college prior to enrollment.

In meeting the credit requirements, graduate assistants should be enrolled in courses that are recognized as being of graduate level unless the student's department or school has granted written permission for course work constituting an exception to this rule. Visitor credits may count as part of a graduate assistant's credit load, if approved, in writing, by the student’s department chair or unit director and the Dean of the Graduate School.

A graduate assistant unable to fulfill the duties of their appointment because of illness or injury, or pregnancy shall notify the administrator of their major unit as soon as circumstances permit.

For purposes of this Policy, “illness or injury” includes mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of the mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, including preventative care; or pregnancy-related conditions, or childbirth.¹

A. Leave Related to the Graduate Assistant’s Individual Illness or Injury (Including childbirth or pregnancy-related conditions)

During the illness, injury, or childbirth or pregnancy-related conditions, the major unit shall adjust (reduce, waive, or reschedule) the graduate assistant's duties as those duties and the assistant's physical circumstances reasonably dictate. If total absence from duties becomes necessary for the graduate assistant’s own illness or injury, the major unit shall maintain the stipend of the appointment, provided the graduate assistant is still enrolled, for a period of two months² or to the end of the appointment period or of the semester, whichever should occur first.

The graduate assistant shall have the right to return to the assistantship, within the original terms of the appointment, at such time as they are able to reassume the duties of the position.
 
B. Parental Accommodation

A graduate assistant who adopts a child or becomes a parent by birth and is not covered under section A, above, shall be entitled to parental leave of up to two (2) months to commence on or before the date of adoption or the date of birth, the first four (4) weeks of which will be paid by the major unit and the balance of which will be unpaid. Such leave shall not exceed beyond the graduate assistant’s previously scheduled appointment end date. It must be requested in writing, where possible, no less than four (4) weeks prior to the scheduled start of the leave.

Eligibility for parental leave is determined under the following conditions: (1) It must be completed within six (6) weeks of the birth or adoption of a child; (2) It may not extend beyond the graduate assistant’s previously scheduled appointment end date; and (3) It must be requested in writing no less than four (4) weeks prior to the scheduled start of the leave.
 
C. Leave Related to the Graduate Assistant’s Family Member’s Illness or Injury

A graduate assistant unable to fulfill the duties of their appointment because of a family member’s³  illness or injury is entitled to paid time up to 3 working days per appointment period⁴  (i.e., 6 hours for ¼ time appointments, 12 hours for ½ time appointments, and 18 hours for ¾ time appointments).

A Graduate Assistant who does not use the paid family sick leave during their appointment period will not be entitled to carryover the unused paid family sick leave to any subsequent appointment.⁵

Frequently Asked Questions

¹Other reasons permitted for leave include: (1) If the employee or the employee’s family member is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, for medical care or psychological or other counseling for physical or psychological injury or disability; to obtain services from a victim services organization; to relocate due to domestic violence or sexual assault; to obtain legal services; or to participate in any civil or criminal proceedings related to or resulting from the domestic violence or sexual assault; (2) For meetings at a child’s school or place of care related to the child’s health or disability, or the effects of domestic violence or sexual assault on the child; or (3) For closure of the employee’s place of business by order of a public official due to a public health emergency; for an employee’s need to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency; or when it has been determined by the health authorities having jurisdiction or by a health care provider that the employee’s or employee’s family member’s presence in the community would jeopardize the health of others because of the employee’s or family member’s exposure to a communicable disease, whether or not the employee or family member has actually contracted the communicable disease.

²This two-month period applies to time off for the graduate assistant’s own illness or injury, and does not apply to time off for the graduate assistant’s family member.

³“Family member” refers to: (a) A biological, adopted or foster child, stepchild or legal ward, a child of a domestic partner, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis; (b) A biological parent, foster parent, stepparent, or adoptive parent or a legal guardian of an employee or an employee’s spouse or domestic partner or a person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child; (c) A person to whom the employee is legally married under the laws of any state or a domestic partner; (d) A grandparent; (e) A grandchild, (f) A biological, foster, or adopted sibling; (g) Any other individual related by blood to the employee; or (g) an individual whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.

⁴Appointment periods are per term- fall semester, spring semester, and the combination of summer I and II semester.

⁵There is no payout of unused paid family sick time accruals upon separation or termination.






 




 

 

Most fellowships require full–time pursuit of a graduate program. Unless the fellowship carries specific requirements for determining eligibility, the department or school is responsible for determining and certifying the full–time status of the student. All predoctoral graduate fellows paid through the university must be registered during the period for which payment is made.