Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Academic standing is determined after each semester/term.  Graduate students, including both admitted and graduate non-degree seeking (special) registrants, are expected to maintain an overall 3.00 GPA. Students whose GPA falls below 3.00 are placed on probation. Students placed on probation must raise their overall graduate GPA to 3.00 or above at the conclusion of their next term of enrollment.  Those who achieve the 3.00 are removed from probation and moved to full standing. Students who are on probation and who do not achieve the 3.00 GPA upon completion of the next term of enrollment will be academically dismissed unless the student's advisor, program director, and dean approve to extend the probationary period by an additional term.

MBA program students may be subject to additional requirements; see the MBA program section of this catalog for details.

Duration and Time Limits of Graduate Programs

While some graduate degree programs can be completed in an academic year, it may take longer to fulfill all requirements. For students who must satisfy undergraduate deficiencies or prerequisites, additional time will be required. Degree programs such as those leading to the MBA and MSN degree require longer than one academic year.

A period of seven years is allowed from the beginning to the completion of a graduate degree or a graduate certificate program; that is, the complete degree plan including all transfer credits allowed, must be fulfilled within seven years. The beginning date of the semester or summer session of enrollment for the earliest credits counted toward degree requirements marks the beginning of the seven-year period.

No extensions of this period will be granted except for unusual health reasons, leaves of absence for military purposes, or other extenuating circumstances approved by the Graduate Dean. A petition for extension may be filed with the Graduate Dean.

Academic Integrity

Graduate students must uphold the highest standard of integrity for their work and foster a personal and social ethic of honesty that meets academic and professional challenges as well as the needs of a democratic society and a diverse world. One of UW-Eau Claire’s expectations for graduate students is to avoid academic dishonesty in all forms through understanding the ethical standards of the university and the discipline.

Academic misconduct, intentional or unintentional, erodes the integrity of the pursuit of knowledge, which is primary to UW-Eau Claire’s mission. Any act of academic misconduct that results in undue advantage or violates the spirit of authorship is sanctionable. The Academic Integrity section of Your Right to Know student handbook describes both the process to be followed and the variety of sanctions that may be imposed by the instructor or program director in instances of academic misconduct. In the case of a finding of cheating or plagiarism on any graduate program project, examination or paper—including, but not limited to the comprehensive examination and graduate thesis—such action will result in expulsion from the graduate program or revocation of an awarded degree.