Policies and Procedures
Graduate Policies
IU Indianapolis Resources
IU Resources
Purdue Resources
The academic policies and procedure pertaining to graduate programs in the Fairbanks School of Public Health are available in the student handbooks on the school's website.
Academic Probation - In order to remain in good academic standing, graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and progress satisfactorily toward graduation as outlined by the graduate program. Students are notified in writing if they have deficient academic progress and they may be placed on probation until the deficiency is rectified.
Dismissal - Academic progress is monitored at the conclusion of each term. Graduate students may be considered for dismissal if they fail to maintain adequate academic progress toward graduation.This standard is set by the faculty of each program or by the student's dissertation committee.
Reinstatement - Graduate students who seek reinstatement to the program after dismissal must reapply and be admitted to the program before they may enroll in courses.
Grade Replacement - All courses taken to meet the requirements of the graduate program are used to calculate the semester and cumulative GPA. Grades are not replaced when a graduate course is repeated; both the original and repeated grades are included in the calculation of the GPA.
Incomplete Grades: A grade of incomplete (I) indicates that a 'substantial portion' of the work in a course has been satisfactorily completed by the student as of the end of the semester. The incomplete can be given to a student facing a hardship such that it would be unjust to hold the student to the established time limits for completing the work. Students should contact their instructor to determine if they are eligible for the incomplete. Poor performance is not grounds for an incomplete.
In some cases, the instructor may recommend or require a student to attend another term (or portion of a term) of the course to remove the incomplete. In this case, the student should not register for the course a second time. Instead, they should make arrangements with the instructor to remove the "I." Note that sitting in on a course to remove an "I" does not count towards a student's official credit enrollment for financial aid and loan deferment purposes.
Once the student has completed the work the instructor will change the incomplete to the appropriate letter grade.
A grade of incomplete must be removed within the time specified by the instructor of the course; if not, the grade automatically changes to an F one calendar year after the Incomplete was given.
Withdrawal: Students must formally withdraw from a course or courses in the timeframe allowed by the Registrar's Office. Failure to withdraw properly will result in receiving a grade of F in the course(s). Students are responsible for all course fees, plus any applicable late fees, through the time of official withdrawal. This information including deadline dates can be found at Student Central.
Dropping Classes During Automatic W Period: After the 100 percent refund period, all drop requests require the approval of an academic advisor. Students will receive a W (withdrawn) on their transcript.
Dropping Classes After Automatic W Deadline: After the automatic W deadline students will need approval from their academic advisor, instructor, and school's dean. Additional information may be required to consider a drop this late in the semester. These requests are considered only in extraordinary circumstances beyond a student's control. Students may contact their instructor for other options such as obtaining an "I" incomplete grade. No drop requests will be processed once final exams begin.
Residency Requirement for Degrees: Candidates for master's degrees must complete at least 30 credit hours of graduate work in the Fairbanks School of Public Health. The DrPH candidates must complete all required courses in the Fairbanks School of Public Health, unless an exception is made by the program director. Candidates for the PhD degrees must complete at least 60 of the 90 required credit hours of graduate work in the Fairbanks School of Public Health.
Updated: April 2024
