Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures

Academic Dismissal

The Office of Graduate Education make decisions on whether a student is dismissed from the institution. Conditions that can lead to dismissal include the following: 

 The student is currently on probation and: 

1. Has an F in two or more courses (for repeated courses, the most recent grade counts) 

2. Must repeat three or more major courses to meet the B (3.0 GPA) average requirement. 

3. Has violated probationary requirements 

4. Has exceeded the six-year study limit 

Students who are at risk of being dismissed from their program are reviewed the the Office of Graduate Education prior to the start of each semester. Students dismissed from their program will be contacted before the start of the semester. Students can appeal this decision to the Academic Appeals Committee. Instructions on how to appeal will be outlined in a student's dismissal letter.

Academic Integrity

By enrollment at Stevens, all graduate students promise to be fully truthful and avoid dishonesty, fraud, misrepresentation, and deceit of any type in relation to their academic work. 

The Graduate Student Code of Academic Integrity is a policy that aims to ensure the ethical pursuit of knowledge in coursework, research, scholarship and creative activity. 

All graduate students are required to read, understand, and abide by the Graduate Student Code of Academic Integrity. 

The Graduate Student Code of Academic Integrity applies to all graduate students at Stevens and to undergraduate students enrolled in courses of level 600 or higher. Undergraduate students enrolled in 500-level courses are bound by the Undergraduate Honor System. 

Academic Probation & Watch List

Graduate students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress while enrolled. The minimum Cumulative GPA required for maintaining satisfactory academic progress is 3.0; thus, students whose Cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 will be considered as not making satisfactory academic progress and be subject to being placed on Academic Probation.  If a student meets the criteria listed below, they may be placed on Academic Probation or the Academic Watch List.  Prior to the start of each semester, Graduate Academics & Student Success will send Academic Probation letters to students who meet the criteria listed below:  

Masters Students
Students may be placed on Academic Probation for one or more of the following reasons. The student:  

• Has received an F in a course that has not been improved by repeating the course 

• Has less than a 3.0 Cumulative GPA average after earning 10 or more credits 

• Has received three or more C's  

Doctoral Students
To ensure we have the highest expectations of our doctoral students, they may be placed on Academic Probation for one or more of the following reasons. The student:  

• Has received a C or below in a course 

• Has less than a 3.30 GPA 

Repeated incidents of probation may lead to loss of doctoral funding.  Students are removed from Academic Probation when the condition that led to being placed on Academic Probation is resolved.   At the end of each semester, Graduate Academics & Student Success reviews all graduate students’ academic progress. Students who meet one or more of the criteria listed above will receive an Academic Probation letter. Students must meet with the faculty advisor to complete a Probation Remediation Action Plan. This plan outlines how students will improve in future terms.   Students will have one month from receiving their Academic Probation letter to submit a complete plan, signed by their faculty advisor, to Graduate Academics and Student Success. Being placed on Academic Probation for more than one semester may lead to a student being academically dismissed.

Watch List
Students who fail a course or have a Cumulative GPA less than a 3.0 when they have earned less than 10 credits will be placed on the Watch List. Students on the Watch List have not been placed on Academic Probation, but are encouraged to utilize academic support resources to improve academically in future semesters.  At the end of each semester, Graduate Academics & Student Success contacts these students via email and outlines support services that students can utilize.

Auditing Courses

To audit a course is to register for a course and attend class sessions without receiving credit for the course. This course will count as an enrolled course for the purpose of computing overload charges, should any be required. You may register to audit a course with the approval of the instructor and Graduate Academics & Student Success.  

To register for a course that you would like to audit, you must submit a "Change Grading Basis" request on Workday. This request must be submitted prior to the Add/Drop deadline.

Academic Advising

All graduate students are assigned a faculty advisor at the time of admission. Faculty advisors can provide guidance on students’ course selection, career goals, and academic progress. They can also approve various administrative academic requests. Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor as early as possible in their academic career. 

Assistantships

Select graduate students are awarded assistantships (i.e. Teaching Assistantship, Research Assistantship) upon admission. Students offered an assistantship typically receive funding to cover all or part of their tuition and/or fees, and a stipend, but the details vary by student and semester. In exchange for funding associated with these awards, a student will work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year. The specific responsibilities associated with a given assistantship will be determined by the student’s academic unit and supervising faculty.

Students awarded assistantships must remain in good academic standing and continue to make satisfactory academic progress to continue to receive their funding.

Conditionally Admitted Students

Students who are conditionally admitted are assigned a set of required courses that they must complete to continue in and/or graduate from their chosen program of study. Admission conditions are assigned by the academic unit during the application review process and are communicated to relevant students in their admission letter. Admissions conditions vary but typically require a student to complete a given course or set of courses with a certain grade in their first term of enrollment. Students will not be allowed to continue their studies until they have satisfied their assigned admission conditions.

Course by Application

Under special circumstances, a course may be offered by application in a semester in which the course is not scheduled. Students interested in working individually with an instructor to complete a given course must discuss this option with their faculty advisor or the instructor of the course and identify a regular meeting pattern.  

After this has been approved by the instructor, the student must submit a Course by Application Request on Workday. This request will be routed to their faculty advisor and Graduate Academics & Student Success. The Office of the Registrar will then enroll the student in a “CA” section for the term.

Course Registration

Adding a Course
Courses can be added during the Add/Drop period held during the first two weeks of each semester. During the summer session, the Add/Drop period is one week. Students must register for courses on Workday.  

Adding a course after the Add/Drop period requires the written approval of a student’s faculty advisor, the instructor of the course, and Graduate Academics & Student Success. These requests are handled on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed to be approved. 

Dropping a Course
Courses can be added during the Add/Drop period held during the first two weeks of each semester. During the summer session, the Add/Drop period is one week. Students must drop courses on Workday.

When a course is dropped, it is not visible on a student’s record; it is as if they never enrolled in the course. After the Add/Drop period, students can no longer drop courses; instead, they will be withdrawn. 

Withdrawing from a Course
Students may withdraw from a course up until the 10th class session of the semester. Students must submit a Course Withdrawal request on Workday to be withdrawn. Course Withdrawal requests are sent to a students’ faculty advisor, the Office of International and Scholar Services if they are international, and Graduate Academics & Student Success. Requests may be denied if the withdrawing from the course violates the student’s F-1 status. 

After the 10th class session, permission to withdraw from a course will be reviewed by the student’s faculty advisor and Graduate Academics & Student Success.  

When a student withdraws from a course, a grade of W is recorded for that course and will appear on the transcript. A grade of W does not affect the student's graduating GPA. 

A student who withdraws from a course may be given a partial refund of tuition fees, depending on the date of withdrawal. Refund and course withdrawal deadlines are outlined in the Academic Calendar. 

Course Substitutions/Waivers

Faculty advisors may approve of course substitutions or waivers for a student’s degree requirements. Any substitutions must be approved by the student's faculty advisor and Graduate Academics & Student Success. These requests must be submitted through an Academic Override Request on Workday and can only be initiated by an advisor (not the student).

English Language Requirements

All international student applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting the results of a TOEFL or an IELTS test. Depending on these scores, some students may be required to take an English Language Communications course during their first semester at Stevens.  

Those students will receive a letter from the English Language Communication (ELC) department prior to the start of their first semester. This letter will outline which ELC course they must take and instructions on how to register for it.  

Graduate Academics & Student Success, along with the ELC department, reviews all incoming students’ enrollments to ensure they have enrolled in their required ELC course. If a student has not enrolled in a required ELC course before the start of the semester, they will be manually enrolled in an ELC course and dropped from a traditional course.  

To read more about the English language requirements, please visit this page.

Fellowships

Institutional
Select graduate students are awarded Fellowships (I.e.: Provost Doctoral Fellowship, Robert Crooks Stanley Fellowship, Excellence Doctoral Fellowship) during their academic program. Students who are offered a fellowship typically receive funding to cover all their tuition and/or fees, as well as a stipend, but the details vary by student and semester.  

In exchange for funding associated with these awards, a student will work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year. The specific responsibilities associated with a given fellowship will be determined by the student’s academic unit and supervising faculty. Students awarded fellowships must remain in good academic standing and continue to make satisfactory academic progress to receive their funding.   

External
Select graduate students can receive funding through various external fellowships such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the Fulbright U.S. or Foreign Student Program. For more details and to apply for an external fellowship, students should visit the organization’s website directly. 

Full-Time Status

Full time graduate students must enroll in at least 9 credits or 3 courses per semester and may take up to a maximum of 12 course credits per semester. Students interested in taking more than 12 credits must follow the procedure for requesting a Credit Overload. 

Students holding an F-1 or J-1 Visa must maintain full-time status. International students may also be considered full-time under the following circumstances and if a Reduced Course Load Request is approved and on file with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services: 

• Student is taking the doctoral qualifying examinations within the next six months 

• Students in their last semester and have less than 9 credits required in order to complete their degree

Grading

The grading schemes for courses that earn graduate credit is as follows: 

The following grades are assigned administratively by the Office of the Registrar under the specified conditions: 

Grade Appeal Procedure

A student wishing to appeal the final grade for a course must first attempt to resolve the issue by discussion with the instructor within one month of the end of the semester. This is the starting point for all grade appeals.  

In the event that the issue cannot be resolved between the student and the instructor, the student may appeal to the Department Chair no later than two weeks after the instructor's decision. A student wishing to appeal the decision of the Department Chair must do so to the Dean of the School offering the course no later than one week after the Department Chair's decision. The decision of the Dean is final; no further appeal is possible.

Grade Change

A final grade in a course may be changed only if either:  

• an error in grading or grade computation was made or 

• an INC/ABS petition was filed before the end of the semester in which the course was taken

In either of these instances, a grade change may be filed within one semester after the term in which the course was taken. To file a grade change for a course, the instructor is required to submit a Grade Change Request on Workday, which will be reviewed by the Department Director and Graduate Academics & Student Success. This request can be submitted by faculty only (not students).

Grade Point Average

Two different GPAs are calculated each semester for students: 

• The single semester GPA is determined from all courses taken at Stevens during a given semester. 

• The graduating GPA, or Program of Study GPA, is calculated from all courses taken at Stevens that are part of the student’s degree requirements. Additional courses not required for the student's degree are not factored into this GPA.  

The "graduating" GPA, or Program of Study GPA, is what is looked at when evaluating a student's graduation eligibility.

Graduate Conference Funding

The Graduate Conference Fund provides eligible doctoral and master's students with funding to present their research at national and international conferences in their field of study. Master’s students can receive up to $500 one time during their academic career at Stevens. Doctoral students can receive up to $1,500 up to two times during their academic career.  

To read more about eligibility requirements the application process, please visit this page.

Graduation Requirements

Master's Programs
In order to graduate, a student must have a minimum of a 3.0 Program of Study GPA. They must also have successfully completed the credits required for the degree. Students should refer to the Academic Catalog for their degree requirements.  

Students must apply for graduation (Program Completion) in the first two weeks of the start of the term in which they expect to graduate.  

Incomplete Petition

Students who have attended at least 10 class sessions, are in good academic standing in the course, and have completed all of the course requirements prior may request an Incomplete. Students must first discuss this with the course instructor. If the instructor approves, the student and instructor will identify a date by which all the course material will be submitted. 

After a student has discussed the possibility of an Incomplete with their instructor and the instructor has approved, the student must submit an Incomplete Request on Workday. This request will be reviewed by the student’s faculty advisor, the course instructor, and Graduate Academics & Student Success. If it is approved, the Office of the Registrar will administratively assign ‘INC’ as an interim grade for the course. Once the work is completed, the instructor should submit a final letter grade for the course.  

Students have one academic year to complete the work for the class. After one academic year, the Incomplete will be converted to an F.

Institutional Withdrawal

Students who want to withdraw from the institution must complete an Institutional Withdrawal Request on Workday. Students are encouraged to speak with their faculty advisor prior to withdrawing from the institution. If a student who withdraws from the institution wishes to return later, they will need to reapply. 

Students wishing to pause their studies for up to one year should pursue a Leave of Absence instead of an Institutional Withdrawal.

Leave of Absence

All graduate students are expected to maintain continuity of enrollment, except for summer sessions. If students are unable to meet this requirement, they must request a Leave of Absence on Workday.  

A Leave of Absence is granted for a limited time period, usually six months or one year. If a student must extend their Leave of Absence, they must request a Leave of Absence Extension Request on Workday, which will be reviewed by Graduate Academics & Student Success. Ph.D. students must also inform their research advisor of their leave. 

Graduate students are expected to complete their degree in six years. However, time spent in the Armed Forces of the United States while on Leave of Absence is not included in the six-year limit to complete the degree.   

Being on a Leave of Absence does not waive a review of an action on a student's academic performance.  

Students who do not maintain continuity of enrollment and who do not obtain a leave of absence may be discontinued from their program. Re-enrollment requires permission from Graduate Academics & Student Success and the Program Director/Department Chair.

Maintenance of Full-Time Status (DEAN 999)

Students who have completed all required credits but need to maintain full-time status while completing their thesis, special project, dissertation, or other degree requirement must enroll in DEAN 999 and pay the associated fee along with the Part-Time General Services Fee.  

For international students, enrollment in DEAN 999 will maintain their full-time status as a student and keep them in compliance with their F-1 Visa regulations. 

Students who need to enroll in DEAN 999 must submit a Pre-requisite Override Request on Workday which will be reviewed by Graduate Academics & Student Success. If approved, students will be able to enroll in DEAN 999.

Maintenance of Active Record (DEAN 890)

Students who completed all required credits but need to maintain an active record, typically for degree conferral purposes, must enroll in DEAN 890 and pay the associated fee. DEAN 890 is an ungraded placeholder course that keeps a student’s record active; no coursework is required.  

Students who need to enroll in DEAN 890 must submit a Pre-requisite Override Request on Workday which will be reviewed by Graduate Academics & Student Success. If approved, students will be able to enroll in DEAN 890.

Non-Matriculated Students

Students can take up to three courses on a non-matriculated basis. Credit earned through these courses can apply towards a Master’s degree or Graduate Certificate, if a student decides to matriculate into a program in the future. Tuition is charged on a per-credit basis. 

To enroll in courses as a non-matriculated student, please visit this page. 

Practicum

Practicum Overview 
Students enroll in practicum courses to gain valuable work experience in their related field of study. F-1 international students enrolled in a practicum course will require Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Work Authorization issued by the Interntional Student and Scholar Services Office to complete the practicum course. To read more about the process of receiving CPT, please visit ISSS’ CPT FAQ page.  

While enrolled in a practicum course, students will work with their instructor at regular intervals during the semester to discuss their engagement and relate their experience to their program of study.  

Full-time vs. Part-time Hours 
Students are not permitted to work full-time (more than 20 hours per week) during Fall or Spring semesters unless it is their final term of enrollment, they are enrolled in less than 9 credits, and they have received an approved Reduced Course Load request. Students are permitted to work full-time (more than 20 hours per week) during Summer semesters, unless Summer is a student’s final term of enrollment, in which case final term rules apply. 

Enrolling in a Practicum Course 
To enroll in a Practicum course, students must submit a Pre-Requisite Override Request on Workday. They must upload a copy of their offer letter to this request. This request will be reviewed by the course instructor and Graduate Academics & Student Success. If approved, students will be able to enroll in the course. 

The deadline to enroll in a Practicum course is two weeks after the add/drop deadline. Under no circumstance will applications be considered past the deadline. Students are responsible for ensuring that they receive job offers well ahead of the practicum enrollment deadline. Exceptions will not be made for delays with job offers. 

Credit Enrollment 
Students can enroll in 1 credit of Practicum during a Fall or Spring semester. Students can enroll in up to 2 credits of Practicum during the Summer.  

Students who feel their engagement is worthy of more than 1 credit in a Fall or Spring semester, or more than 2 credits during the Summer, must discuss this with their practicum instructor. If the instructor agrees that the student’s engagement is worthy of more than 1 or 2 credits, the student must submit a 1-page write-up to Graduate Academics & Student Success that outlines what they will be doing in their job and why they believe it is worthy of more credit. This request will be reviewed by the Senior Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

Program Changes

A student wishing to change their program of study before their first graduate semester starts is treated as a new student applying for admission. Students must submit an application through Graduate Admissions, which will be reviewed by the academic unit. Upon review, an official admission letter will be sent to the student. 

A student wishing to change their program of study after they have completed coursework must also apply through Graduate Admissions. This application will be reviewed by the academic unit and students will be sent an official admission letter. All coursework completed in the student’s previous program must be evaluated by the Program Director/Associate Department Chair for Graduate Studies. If approved, the previously completed courses will be moved to the student’s new graduate record during their first semester in their new program.

Students wishing to change their degree credentials (i.e.: going from a Master’s in Science in Electrical Engineering to a Master’s in Engineering in Electrical Engineering) must apply through Graduate Admissions, as different degree credentials constitute different degree requirements.  

Program changes should be initiated as soon as possible to allow students ample time to complete their degree requirements in a timely manner. 

Readmission Policy for Graduate Student Service Members

Service members who need to suspend their studies due to military service should inform the Office of Graduate Education and request a Leave of Absence for the duration of their assignment.

Service members on an approved Leave of Absence due to military service who resume their studies in the semester immediately following the conclusion of their military service may reenroll without reapplying.

Services members on an approved Leave of Absence due to military service who do not resume their studies in the semester immediately following the conclusion of their military service will be required to reapply.

Service members who reenroll and/or are readmitted should meet with their academic advisor to review their degree requirements and generate a plan for program completion.

The Office of Graduate Education will be available to assist service members with course selection and registration.

Retaking a Final Examination

Retaking a final examination for the purpose of improving a grade in any graduate course is generally prohibited. Extenuating circumstances, such as illness during an exam, being called away in an emergency, etc., can be presented to the instructor to allow for permission to retake the final examination. Additional approval by Graduate Academics & Student Success may also required.  

If either the instructor or Graduate Academics & Student Success denies the request, an appeal may be made to the Academic Appeals Committee.

Repeating Courses

If a student repeats a course, the new grade replaces the original grade for purposes of calculating the graduating GPA. The earlier attempt of the course remains on the transcript with the grade earned as well as a note indicating that the course was repeated.  

Since both grades remain on the transcript, the ranking GPA is computed using both grades. Please note that if a course that has been passed previously is repeated and a grade of F or W is earned for the repeated course, then the last passing grade remains as the grade of record. 

Special Problems Course

Under special circumstances, a student may take a Special Problems course which are 800 at the Master's level and 801 at the Doctoral level. Special Problems courses allow students to investigate a relevant research topic under the guidance of a faculty member. A written report is required, which should have the substance of a publishable article. No more than six credits can be taken for a Special Problems courses.  

To enroll in a Special Problems course, students must submit a Pre-Requisite Override Request on Workday. This request will be reviewed by the instructor and Graduate Academics & Student Success. If approved, students will be able to enroll in the course. 

Taking Graduate Courses as an Undergraduate

500-level
Undergraduate students with at least Junior standing can enroll in 500-level courses if they satisfy the pre-requisite requirements. Students who do not meet the pre-requisite requirements must submit a Pre-requisite Override Request on Workday, which will be reviewed by the course instructor and Graduate Academics & Student Success. If approved, students will be able to enroll in the course. 

600-level
Undergraduate students with at least Junior standing and a 3.25 or higher GPA can enroll in 600-level courses if they satisfy the pre-requisite requirements. Undergraduate students cannot take more than two 600-level courses in a given semester.  

Students must submit an Undergraduate Permission to Take Graduate Level Courses on Workday. This request will be reviewed by Graduate Academics & Student Success and the student’s faculty advisor. If approved, a staff member will manually enroll a student in the requested course. 

All enrolled courses are counted as part of the student's regular credit load for computing charges. 

Time Limit

A maximum of six years is allowed for the completion of a graduate degree.  

In extenuating circumstances, students can request an extension of this six-year time limit by submitting a Graduate Time Limit/Expected Completion Date Change Request on Workday. This request will be reviewed by the student’s faculty advisor and Graduate Academics & Student Success. 

Transfer Credits

Master's Degree 
Up to 9 transfer credits may be accepted toward a 30-credit Master’s degree, a 36-credit Master’s degree, or a 48-credit MBA, if these credits have not already been used to obtain an academic degree. All transfer credits must show a grade of ‘B’ (3.0 GPA) or higher, and these courses must be approved by the academic unit for transfer.  

Doctoral Degree
A prior Master’s degree may be transferred for up to 30 credits towards a Doctoral degree with approval of the department within the discipline. Up to one-third of additional course credits may be transferred with the approval of the thesis committee and Graduate Academics & Student Success. Credits may not be transferred towards dissertation research. All transfer credits must show a grade of ‘B’ (3.0 GPA) or higher. 

Transfer Credit Request Process 
Students who wish to transfer credits must submit a Transfer Credit request on Workday, which will be reviewed by Graduate Academics & Student Success, and subsequently sent to the Associate Department Chair for Graduate Studies for review. If approved by all parties, the Office of the Registrar will award the credit towards the student's degree/record. 

Tuition & Fees

Students are charged tuition and fees based on their course enrollment each semester. Students enrolled in full-time credits (9-12 credits) are charged flat-rate tuition and students enrolled in part- time credits (8 or less credits) are charged per credit tuition.  

To review tuition rates for any given academic year or to read a breakdown of student fees, please visit this page. 

Waiving a Pre-Requisite or Co-Requisite for a Course

Students wishing to waive a pre- or co-requisite for a course must request permission of the course instructor and Graduate Academics & Student Success to enroll in the course. This can be done by submitting a Pre-Requisite Override Request on Workday. 

In this request, students must outline what experience (either academic or practical) they have that makes them qualified to waive the pre-requisite/co-requisite course. If approved, students will be able to enroll in the course.