Graduate Programs
Academic Regulations

Each graduate student assumes full responsibility for knowledge of the rules and regulations of the Graduate Program and departmental requirements concerning the individual degree program. A statement on student rights is included in the Student Handbook. Copies of the handbook are available in the Division of Student Affairs.

Withdrawal from Graduate Studies

If a student no longer wishes to be a graduate student, he/she must complete a “Withdrawal from Graduate Studies” form available in the Graduate Studies Office. If the student later wishes to be readmitted to Graduate Studies, he/she must complete an application for admission, pay the nonrefundable application fee, and meet admission requirements in effect at that time.

Drop, Add and Withdrawal from the University

Drop Policy

Within First Nine Weeks. With permission of a student’s advisor, a course may be dropped during the first nine weeks of the semester. Drops executed during the first week will leave no record on the student’s academic transcript. A drop executed during the second through ninth week will result in a grade of W (withdrawal).

After First Nine Weeks. Courses may not be dropped after the first nine weeks of a semester unless it can be clearly demonstrated that one of the following exists:

1. serious illness or injury of the student as verified by the student health service or private physician;
2. serious personal or family problems as verified by a minister, physician, or other appropriate professional; or
3. necessary change in work schedule which conflicts with the class being dropped, as verified by the student's employer submitted in writing on company letterhead.

In the event of such certification, and the approval of the student’s advisor and the registrar, the student shall receive the grade of W. Under no circumstances may a course be dropped after the last day of class or after administration of the final exam, whichever occurs first.

A student will not be permitted to drop a course after the first nine weeks of the semester simply to avoid a poor grade. Students should consult the summer term timetable for the appropriate summer deadlines.

Add Policy

Adding Courses. With permission of the student’s advisor, a course may be added through the first week of class for the fall and spring semesters. All course section adjustments must be completed during the first week of the semester. Students should consult the summer term timetable for the appropriate summer deadlines.

Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawing from University. All official withdrawals (dropping the student’s entire schedule) from the university are processed by the Division of Student Affairs. Withdrawals executed during the first week of the fall and spring semesters will leave no record of the courses for which the student signed. Withdrawals executed after the first week of the semester will result in a grade of W (withdrawal) in all courses for which the student signed. Students should consult the summer term timetable for the appropriate summer deadlines. Under no circumstances may a course be dropped after the last day of class or after administration of the final exam, whichever occurs first.

Course Loads

A full load is nine semester hours. Four hours will be considered a half-time load and six hours will be considered a three-quarter load. Undergraduate hours taken to meet degree requirements will be included with all graduate hours to determine course load.

The maximum load for a graduate student is 15 semester hours during fall and spring semesters and six semester hours per session during summer. To register for more than the maximum during any semester requires approval of the appropriate Graduate Coordinator.

Students who are employed full-time must secure permission from the appropriate Graduate Coordinator to enroll for more than six hours of graduate coursework. Graduate assistants and others who have part-time duties with the university may only enroll for an appropriate fraction of the maximum load such as follows:

• Assistants employed 20 hours per week—maximum of 9 semester hours.
• Assistants employed 15 hours per week—maximum of 12 semester hours.
• Assistants employed 12 hours per week—maximum of 15 semester hours.

Course Numbers

Courses numbered 500 and above are for graduate credit. Courses in the 700 group are for graduate students only. Courses in the 500 and 600 groups are the same as specified 300-and 400-level courses for undergraduates but have additional requirements beyond those expected of undergraduate students. They may be taken for graduate credit when offered in the course schedule under the 500/600 number if the student has not already completed the undergraduate equivalent. The last two digits for these 500/600-level graduate courses are the same as their undergraduate equivalents.

The course descriptions for 500-level courses appear in numeric sequence under the equivalent 300- level course. The 500 number appears in parentheses after the 300 number. No more than three semester hours of 500-level coursework may be applied toward a degree. The course descriptions for 600-level courses appear in numeric sequence under the equivalent 400-level course. The 600 number appears in parentheses after the 400 number.

Prerequisites

Graduate study in any department must be preceded by sufficient undergraduate work in the major field and/or related areas to satisfy the department that the student has adequate background for graduate work in that field. The catalog lists some, but not necessarily all prerequisites, since these may vary with the individual student’s background, goals, and competencies.

Graduate students taking undergraduate prerequisite courses must make a “C” or better in each course. Students who do not achieve the required grade in undergraduate prerequisite courses will not be allowed to take additional graduate coursework until a satisfactory grade is achieved in the undergraduate course(s) in question.

Course Substitutions and Student Petitions

A course substitution request may be filed when there is just cause for the substitution (e.g., course was previously taken for undergraduate credit). Each course substitution request requires approval from the advisor, the graduate coordinator, and the College Committee. To avoid possible delay in graduation, students should obtain these approvals prior to scheduling any course which they believe can be substituted for a required course.

Graduate students wishing to petition for changes in their program or for other matters should consult with their advisor.

The appropriate forms for submission of course substitution and overload requests or student petitions may be obtained from the graduate program coordinator. Graduate Council approval is also necessary, in addition to the approvals stated previously, for any requests involving university policy. If the petition warrants action by the Graduate Council, the student will be notified both of the meeting date and of the final decision by the dean of graduate studies.

Transfer Credit

A maximum of 12 semester hours completed at a regionally accredited institution may be transferred into a student’s master’s program if all of the following conditions are met: (For M.Ac. or M.B.A. students, only six of the 12 hours may be applied toward required courses. For M.S.A.O.M. students, a maximum of six hours may be transferred from any one university unless approved by the supervisory committee.)

1. if taken for graduate residence credit, i.e. no correspondence or extension credit allowed (see below);
2. if passed with a grade of B or better;
3. if part of an otherwise satisfactory graduate program (B average);
4. if the transferred coursework was not earned more than six years prior to the semester in which the student completes all degree requirements; and
5. if approved by the student’s advisor, the appropriate graduate coordinator, and the dean of graduate studies. NOTE: If already matriculated at UT Martin, approval should be obtained before enrolling in the proposed course(s).

Transferred work will not be counted in computing the grade point average on courses completed in the graduate program.

The total number of transferred residence courses may exceed 12 semester hours when within the University of Tennessee system. Credits transferred into the master’s program will not reduce the residence requirements. No correspondence work may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.

No credit designated as extension credit at other institutions may be transferred into a student’s master’s program.

Grades and Grade Appeals

Graduate students are required to make an overall minimum grade point average of 3.00 (B) in courses taken for graduate credit. No more than two grades of C may be applied toward a graduate degree awarded by the College of Business and Public Affairs. Students earning more than two grades of “C” in courses required for graduation can petition the College of Business and Public Affairs’ Graduate Committee to repeat “C’s” in excess of two. Approval must be granted by both the committee and dean of graduate studies before retaking a “C.” Graduate credit is allowed only for courses completed with grades A, B, C, and P (Pass or Progress). Grades of D or F are counted in computing the scholastic average but carry no credit toward graduation.

Only the subsequent grade received in any course which is approved for repeat (see below) will be used in calculation of the grade point average. Transferred work will not be counted in computing the grade point average of courses completed in the graduate program. The grade of P (Progress) or N (Insufficient Progress) will be assigned to students registered for thesis or final project courses. The work of a student who is passing a course satisfactorily but cannot complete all the requirements due to illness, accident, or unavoidable circumstances may be reported as Incomplete (I). Any faculty member may give an "Incomplete" (I) in any course to a student whom the faculty member regards as deficient in English in that course, but who is otherwise passing. The "Incomplete" (I) will be removed when the Department of English certifies to the instructor that the student has made the necessary improvement. It is expected that the student will remove the Incomplete during the next semester after it is received. The student granted a bona fide I by his/her instructor may have the first five weeks of the next regular semester to erase the Incomplete before it is computed as an F. Thereafter, it shall be computed as an F until changed by student action within one calendar year of receiving the I or by automatic action after one calendar year when the I shall become a permanent F. The student need not be enrolled to remove the Incomplete.

When a graduate student wishes to appeal a grade, the appeal process must be initiated within the first three weeks of the next semester. The aggrieved student shall first discuss the matter with the faculty member involved to see if there is some error or misunderstanding which can be resolved between them. Failing this, the student should follow the appeal process that is described in the Student Handbook if he/she wishes to pursue the matter.

Repeating a Course

No graduate student will be allowed to repeat a course for the purpose of raising a grade. Students wishing to repeat required courses in which they have received a grade of D or F must have the prior approval of their advisor, the graduate program coordinator, and the dean of graduate studies. Students in the College of Business and Public Affairs earning more than two grades of “C” in courses required for graduation can petition the College of Business and Public Affairs’ Graduate Committee to repeat “C’s” in excess of two. Approval must be granted by both the committee and dean of graduate studies before retaking a “C.” Violation of these regulations will result in the deletion of the grade and credit for the invalid repeat from the official university records. A student’s enrollment in UT Martin’s equivalent of any non-transferrable course does not constitute a repeat.

Dismissal and Reinstatement Policies

1. Graduate students admitted on a conditional or unclassified basis must maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA or be dismissed.
2. Graduate students who fail to maintain a cumulative 3.00 average will automatically be placed on academic probation. Such students will be continued on probation until a 3.00 cumulative average is achieved as long as they maintain a 3.00 semester average on graduate work during the probationary period. If they fail to achieve a 3.00 semester average any semester during the probation period, they will be dropped from the Graduate School.
3. Students may be reinstated to Graduate Studies only one time, and should begin the process by consulting with the appropriate coordinator. Reinstatement, however, is not automatic and requires approval of the dean of graduate studies. The approval will be based upon recommendation of the appropriate graduate committee (for students dropped from the program for reasons outlined in #1 above) or upon recommendation of the appropriate coordinator (for students dropped from the program for reasons outlined in #2 above).
4. A student may appeal a negative decision for reinstatement by sending a written statement to the Graduate Council. The student will be notified when the petition will be brought before the Council and will have an opportunity to appear in person to present his/her case. The dean of graduate studies will notify the student of the council’s decision.

Appointment of an Advisor

The graduate coordinator in the student’s major area is the general advisor for all graduate students in that program. A permanent advisor in his/her major should be appointed during the first semester of enrollment.

Intent to Graduate

An Intent to Graduate Card must be filed no later than the beginning of the semester prior to the anticipated final semester. This card may be obtained from the advisor or graduate coordinator.