Bulletin Revisited

Course Load Requirements

Graduate students (except Physical Therapy students) may enroll for a maximum of 12 semester credit hours of graduate level work in any long semester although the normal full-time load is 9 semester credit hours. Physical Therapy students will take the number of hours each term as indicated on the degree plan. Graduate students who are not on probation and who have at least a 3.5 grade point average on all graduate work they have attempted at Angelo State University may, with the written permission of the Dean of the Graduate School, register for a maximum of 15 semester credit hours of graduate-level work in the semester in which they are graduating.

Graduate students may enroll for 6 or 7 semester credit hours of graduate work each summer term, but the total load for the entire summer session shall not exceed 12 semester credit hours of graduate work except that 15 semester credit hours may, with the prior written approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, be allowed for the student who is graduating. Both summer sessions are considered one semester. Physical Therapy students will enroll in up to 20 sch in a long term and up to 12 sch between both summer sessions. Since this is a cohort program, Physical Therapy students will take the number of hours each term as indicated on the degree plan.

A graduate, teaching, or research assistant who works one-half time or less for the University may, with the approval of the supervising faculty members and department head, register for a maximum load of 9 semester credit hours of graduate work per semester. An assistant who works one-quarter time or less may, with the approval of the supervising faculty member and department head, enroll for a maximum of 12 semester credit hours of graduate courses. Assistants who work half-time are required to enroll for a minimum of 6 semester credit hours per semester except in their last semester prior to graduation, and those who work one-quarter time are required to enroll for a minimum of 9 semester credit hours per semester except in their last semester prior to graduation.

Time Limits

All work (including thesis if required or elected and any transfer credits) must be completed within a period of 6 years from the date of the earliest credit to be counted toward the degree. Under certain circumstances, a time extension of up to 4 years may be granted on a course by course basis. Time extensions are never granted for transfer work.

If a time extension for one or more courses is desired, a written application must be presented to the Dean of the Graduate School. It must explain (1) why the degree was not completed in a timely manner, (2) a schedule for completing the program, and (3) information indicating that the student's knowledge of the subject matter in each course for which an extension is requested remains current.

Time extensions are not routine. Courses taken more than 10 years before graduation are almost never allowed to be used toward the master's degree. Additional courses are frequently assigned to the student who has not completed the degree within the 6-year time limit.

Sitting Out a Term

Re-entry Student

Students who have not taken graduate classes for a year or longer will need to resubmit the Graduate Application. Readmission is not guaranteed as admission requirements and degree requirements may have changed since your last enrollment. Students who are readmitted must consult with their program director to revalidate their Degree Plan.

Non-degree and Transient Student

Most non-degree and transient students are approved on a semester by semester basis. Non-degree and transient students who wish to attend for more than one semester must call the Graduate Office and receive approval to register before they can register for the next semester. An exception to this rule would be non-degree seeking students in education pursuing additional certification. These students are approved to enroll for one and one-half years without having to get additional approval.

Full-time Student

A Graduate student shall be considered on full-time status if:
1. the student is enrolled for a minimum of 9 semester credit hours of graduate course work in a long semester or a minimum of 6 semester credit hours distributed in any way across the two summer terms; OR
2. the student has a Graduate Assistantship or Teaching Assistantship and is enrolled for a minimum of 6 semester credit hours of graduate course work in a long semester or a minimum of 3 semester hours distributed in any way across the two summer terms; OR
3. the student is working full time on a thesis and is enrolled in either 6399 or 6699.

Dropping a Course

Courses may be dropped during the first 12 days of a long semester or during the first 4 days of a summer term and no grade will be given. Such courses will not be listed on the student's permanent record. A student dropping a course after the registration period, but prior to the deadline published in the University calendar, will receive a W grade in the course.

A student dropping a course after the withdrawal deadline will receive a grade of "F". Ceasing to attend class does not constitute a formal course drop, and failure to drop a course properly will result in a failing grade in the course. To drop a course, the student must get a drop slip signed by the professor of the class and take it to the Registrar's Office.