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University
Graduate
School
2000-2002
Academic Bulletin

University Graduate School  
Kirkwood Hall 111 
Indiana University 
Bloomington, IN 47405 
(812) 855-8853 
Contact Graduate Office 
 

Academic Regulations

Residence
All candidates for graduate degrees (with the exceptions outlined below) must complete at least 30 credit hours of graduate work while enrolled on campuses of Indiana University. Of these hours, at least one semester or two summer sessions of full-time work must be taken in University Graduate School degree-granting units on the Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, South Bend, or Southeast campus. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must spend two consecutive semesters during one academic year on the Bloomington or Indianapolis campus.

Transfer of Credit
Upon recommendation of the department and with the approval of the dean, work taken for graduate credit at other institutions may be transferred in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. No course may be transferred from another institution unless the grade is B or higher and unless the course was completed within the time limit prescribed (see “Graduate Credit—General” section below). The following restrictions apply:

  1. Candidates for the M.A., M.S., LL.M., or M.A.T. degree may offer up to 8 hours of graduate credit from other institutions.
  2. Candidates for the M.A.T. degree who are graduates of Indiana University may offer up to 12 hours of graduate credit from other institutions.
  3. Candidates for the M.F.A. degree may offer up to 20 hours of graduate credit from other institutions.
  4. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree may offer up to 30 hours of graduate credit from other institutions.
It must be emphasized that the transfer of credit is not an automatic occurrence. Students must obtain the written consent of both their departmental advisor and the dean before credit earned at other institutions will be added to their records.

Work Done at More than One Indiana University Campus
Students who plan to earn a degree through a degree-granting unit on one Indiana University campus and who plan to take a substantial number of hours on one or more of the other Indiana University campuses in partial fulfillment of degree requirements should have their programs of study approved in advance by the degree-granting unit. The residency requirement must be met on the campus where the degree-granting unit is located.

Correspondence Study
Credit earned in correspondence courses may not be counted toward any advanced degree. It is possible, however, that such work may be used by the student to make up entrance deficiencies.

CIC Traveling Scholar Program
This program enables Indiana University doctoral-level students to take advantage of special resources available at other CIC institutions1 that do not exist at Indiana University. Students in the program register and pay fees at Indiana University but attend one or more of the participating institutions, each for no more than two semesters or three quarters. For further information, contact the University Graduate School office.

Auditing
Students may register for courses on an auditing basis. Courses in which a student is so enrolled carry no credit but are listed in the student’s transcript. An auditing fee is charged.

Full-time Study
Ordinarily, students shall be considered full time if they are registered for 8 hours of credit (4 credit hours during each summer session) and their programs of study meet with the approval of the departments. Courses taken as an auditor may not be counted in the definition of “full-time study”; however, courses taken to remove undergraduate deficiencies for admission may be counted.

Students holding appointments as associate instructors, graduate assistants, or research assistants must ordinarily be registered for 6 credit hours during each full semester and 3 credit hours (4 credit hours in case of 4-credit courses) during the summer session to be considered full time. They may count work required by their appointments toward computation of full-time graduate work. In departments where work loads are different in the first and second semesters, the student’s registration for the two semesters combined must total at least 12 credit hours.

For academic purposes, the University Graduate School will consider as full time certain students who are exceptions to the above definitions: M.A., M.S., and LL.M. candidates whose completed courses and deferred thesis credits total 30 hours; M.F.A. candidates whose completed courses and deferred thesis credits total 60 hours; and Ph.D. students whose completed courses and deferred dissertation credits total 90 hours, providing they are working on theses or dissertations for the completion of the degree. Such students, however, must enroll in at least one hour of graduate credit each semester. For master’s candidates, such enrollment will be limited to the five-year period allowed for completion of the master’s degree; this enrollment for doctoral candidates will be limited to the seven-year period after passing the qualifying examination. Students who have already accumulated 90 or more hours of graduate credit and who hold university-administered student appointments as associate instructors, graduate assistants, or research assistants amounting to at least 0.375 FTE (15 hours per week work load) will be required to enroll for at least 6 hours of credit during each semester they continue to hold an appointment, such hours to be charged at the allocated fee rate.

Students may take no more than 16 hours of credit in any semester nor more than a total of 16 credit hours in all the summer sessions in any one year without permission of their graduate advisor. Students who are employed are advised to take into account the demands that such activities make on their time and to reduce their course loads accordingly.

Transfer from One Department to Another
Matriculated students wishing to transfer from one department within the University Graduate School to another should first consult their graduate advisors or advisory committees and the graduate advisor of the new department about the wisdom of the change. International students desiring to make such a change must also obtain the approval of the Office of International Services. Application to the new department may then be made using the Application for Transfer of Department within the University Graduate School form, available in individual departments and schools. Students expecting to receive a degree from the department they are transferring from should be sure that the effective date of the transfer falls after the degree will be conferred, since degrees can be conferred only in the department in which the student is enrolled.

Graduate Credit-General
Only courses listed in this bulletin or specifically allowed by it may be counted toward the requirements for a degree offered by the University Graduate School. These courses are ordinarily numbered at the 500 level or above. In certain cases, courses at the 300 and 400 level have been specifically approved for graduate credit; all such courses are listed in this bulletin. Normally, these courses require a higher level of performance and significantly more work (such as an increased number of readings, additional papers, extra class sessions, oral class presentations) for the graduate students than for the undergraduates. Each instructor should identify the graduate students enrolled in the course during the first week of classes and should outline the nature of the work expected of them at that time. In certain other unusual instances the dean may approve, upon recommendation and justification by the student’s advisory committee, other 300- or 400-level courses for graduate credit, typically to count toward requirements in the student’s outside minor. Such approval should be requested before the course is taken.

In many departments there are strict limitations on the number of 300- and 400-level courses that may be counted toward advanced degree requirements; see departmental notices for details. For descriptions of 300- and 400-level courses, see the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin or the School of Liberal Arts Bulletin.

Not all courses listed in this bulletin are offered every year and on every campus. Inquiries concerning the availability or suitability of a particular course should be directed to the appropriate departmental chairperson.

The number of hours of credit given a course is indicated in parentheses following the course title. The abbreviation “P” refers to the course prerequisite or prerequisites. Similarly, the abbreviation “R” indicates recommended prerequisites. Courses eligible for a deferred grade are marked by the sign *.

Revalidation
Normally, a course may not be counted toward degree requirements if it has been completed more than (a) five years prior to the awarding of the degree for master’s students or, (b) seven years prior to the passing of the qualifying examination for Ph.D. students. The graduate advisor, after consultation with the advisory committee, may, however, recommend to the dean that course work taken prior to the above deadlines be revalidated if it can be demonstrated that the knowledge contained in the course(s) remains current. Currency of knowledge may be demonstrated by such things as (a) passing an examination specifically on the material covered by the course2; (b) passing a more advanced course in the same subject area; (c) passing a comprehensive examination in which the student demonstrates substantial knowledge of the content of the course 1; (d) teaching a comparable course; or (e) publishing scholarly research demonstrating substantial knowledge of the content and fundamental principles of the course. Each course for which consideration for revalidation is being requested should be justified separately.

Courses taken while an undergraduate and counted toward the requirements of a baccalaureate degree may not also be counted toward a graduate degree. With only three exceptions, courses counted toward the requirements for one advanced degree may not be counted toward requirements for another degree at the same level.

In the case of the M.F.A., course work completed as part of an M.A., M.S., or M.A.T. degree may, with the approval of the student’s department, be counted toward the M.F.A., provided it otherwise meets the conditions stated in this bulletin.

In the case of the Dual Master’s Program certain reductions are allowed in the total number of hours required if the two degrees had been taken separately. The Dual Master’s Program involves two degrees at the master’s level; the degrees may be under the jurisdiction of the University Graduate School or of another school (e.g., Journalism, Library and Information Science, Public and Environmental Affairs). For further information, see below (under “Requirements for Master’s Degrees”) and the departmental entries for Comparative Literature, Environmental Programs, Fine Arts, Geography, History, History and Philosophy of Science, Journalism, Library and Information Science, and Music. Work counted toward a master’s degree may also be counted toward the Ph.D. if it has been approved by the student’s advisory committee and if it otherwise meets the conditions stated in this bulletin, including the rules governing the transfer of credit from other institutions.

Grades
Grade points are assigned at Indiana University according to the following scale, and grade point averages are computed taking into account any plus or minus accompanying a letter grade.
A = 4.00 C = 2.00
A– = 3.70 C– = 1.70
B+ = 3.30 D+ = 1.30
B = 3.00 D = 1.00
B– = 2.70 D– = 0.70
C+ = 2.30 F = 0.00
Ordinarily a minimum of a B (3.0) average in graduate work is required for continuance in graduate study, and for all graduate degrees. Courses completed with grades below C (2.0) are not counted toward degree requirements, but such grades will be counted in calculating a student’s grade point average. Some departments may require an average grade in graduate courses higher than 3.0, while others may count no courses completed with grades below 3.0 toward degree requirements (see departmental entries). No work may be transferred from another institution unless the grade is a B (3.0) or higher.

The dean may review a grade record at any time and may place a student on academic probation if the record justifies such action. When the grade point average of a student falls below 3.0, or the student is not making sufficient progress toward the degree, the dean will notify the student that he or she has been placed on probation. Unless the student brings this record up to a 3.0 grade point average, or begins making satisfactory progress in the next semester of enrollment, the student will not ordinarily be allowed to continue in the University Graduate School.

Pass-Fail Option
Students in good standing (i.e., with a grade point average of 3.0 or better) who have completed graduate course work sufficient for a master’s degree may, with the written consent of their graduate advisor or of their advisory committee, enroll in courses outside their major and minor areas on a pass-fail basis under conditions stated in a memorandum available from the University Graduate School office. Such courses may not be used to fulfill departmental language or research-skill requirements. Enrollment under this option will be made at the beginning of the semester and may not be changed after the date fixed for dropping and adding of courses.

Incomplete Grades
The grade of Incomplete may be given only when the completed portion of a student’s work is of passing quality. It is the responsibility of the student who has incurred the grade of Incomplete in any course to satisfy the requirements of that course within one calendar year from the date on which the Incomplete is recorded. The student is expected to finish all necessary work in time for the instructor to assign a regular grade before the expiration of this time period. If the student is unable to do so because of circumstances clearly beyond control, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of the course, the graduate advisor, and the dean within the year of such circumstances and to request an extension of time. According to university policy, every overdue Incomplete will be changed to F after one calendar year. Both the student and the instructor shall be notified of this change in grade. This change will be made unless the dean has received notice of a regular grade duly assigned before that time or has approved a request for an extension of time. A change of the grade F will be considered only if the request that this be done is accompanied by an explanation of the circumstances involved. Students may not register in a course in which they have a grade of Incomplete.

These regulations do not apply to research and reading courses in which completion of the course work is not usually required at the end of the semester. Such courses are indicated in departmental listings by the sign *; incomplete work in those courses will be denoted by R (deferred grade).

Withdrawal from Course Work
Withdrawals prior to the “Last Day to Drop a Course with an Automatic W” (see official calendar for each semester) are automatically marked W. According to university regulations, withdrawal after this date is permitted only with the approval of the dean of the student’s school for urgent reasons related to the student’s health or equivalent distress. In all such cases, the student must submit a request for late withdrawal to the advisor or to the departmental chairperson. This request must be supported by the instructor of the course, the graduate advisor, and the departmental chairperson and then be forwarded to the dean with an accompanying statement outlining the reasons for the request. If the dean approves the request, the student’s mark in the course shall be W if the work completed up to the point of withdrawal is passing; otherwise a grade of F shall be recorded. Failure to complete a course without an authorized withdrawal will result in the grade of F.

Addition of Course Work
A student who wishes to enroll for additional course work after the first two weeks of a regular semester or after the first week of a summer session may do so if the instructor of the course, the graduate advisor, and the departmental chairperson recommend to the dean that this be done, and if the dean approves such a recommendation.

Foreign Languages and Research Skills
Individual departments determine whether foreign languages or research skills or both are to be required. Where such requirements exist, students must select the specific language(s) or research skill(s) from those approved by the major department and listed in its statement of departmental requirements. Another language demonstrably useful in the student’s research program may be substituted upon special recommendation of the major department and approval by the dean. A student whose native language is not English may, with the permission of the major department, either (1) demonstrate the required proficiency in that native language, or (2) use English to meet foreign language requirements. Proficiency in English may be demonstrated by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination. (For further information regarding the TOEFL examination, see the section “International Students.” ) Reading proficiency in a foreign language is normally established in one of three ways:

  1. By achieving an appropriate score on an examination administered on the Bloomington campus by the respective language department. Students should contact the language department for details.
  2. By completing, with a grade of B (3.0) or better, the reading course _492 (e.g., F492 for French, G492 for German). Students may register for the first course in the sequence, _491, to prepare for _492; those who feel they have sufficient preparation may register for _492, though they should consult the language advisor first.
  3. By receiving, in the cases of Catalan, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish, a grade of B (3.0) or better in a literature or civilization course at Indiana University numbered 300 or higher (exclusive of individual readings and correspondence courses) in which the reading is done in the foreign language.3
For details consult the respective language departments.

In certain departments, reading proficiency may be demonstrated by presenting an original translation for approval by a faculty examiner designated by the appropriate language department.

Proficiency in Depth
In certain departments, students have the option of substituting proficiency in depth in one language for reading proficiency in two languages. Proficiency in depth in a language is defined as the ability to read rapidly without the aid of a dictionary and the ability to speak, understand, and write comparable to that expected of students who have successfully completed fourth-year composition and conversation courses. For information about demonstrating proficiency in depth, students should consult the graduate examiner in the foreign language department concerned. Courses taken to fulfill research-skill requirements may, at the discretion of the student’s major department, be counted for graduate credit in a student’s program of study provided such courses are listed in this bulletin as carrying graduate credit. Each course must be passed with a grade of B (3.0) or higher to satisfy the proficiency requirement.

Area Certificates
Certificate programs are available in a number of areas; for further information students should see the departmental entries in this bulletin. Such certificates can be pursued only in conjunction with a degree program and cannot be awarded before the completion of all requirements for the degree.



1 The member institutions of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) are the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Indiana University, the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, The Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

2 If the qualifying examination is used for this purpose, the number of courses to be revalidated by this method should be limited to two in order to avoid compromising the integrity of the qualifying examination process.

3 Courses in Russian offered to meet this requirement must be approved by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures.




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Last updated: 20 Aug 2001
Comments: iupubs@indiana.edu
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