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Successfully Completing Your Degree


Continuous Enrollment Notification



Graduate students who have begun their graduate program Fall, 2012, have a new requirement called "Continuous Enrollment." Note that this is ONLY for graduate students beginning this semester and hereafter.

This stipulates that as you are finishing up your degree, such as writing your thesis, and you have an incomplete in BIOL 601 (Thesis Option) or BIOL 577 (Non-Thesis Option), then you need to enroll in UNIV 695.

The benefits of this new requirement are:
1) You are able to continue use of library databases and other university services
2) Your advisor, department, and the university are able to keep track of you to facilitate the completion of your degree

Please carefully read the excerpt from the 2012/2013 Graduate Catalog below:

Continuous Enrollment in Thesis, Dissertation or Exit Option

Most students, both full- and part-time, prefer to pursue an advanced degree by taking classes continuously (e.g., at least one course every fall and spring semester until completion). Thus, it is important that students file degree plans in a timely manner and, for those who interrupt their program of study, to note the maximum time period allowed for fulfilling all requirements for the degree sought. (See section entitled “Time to Complete Degree/Revalidation of Courses”)

Once a student has begun work on a thesis, dissertation, or other exit option, it is expected that such work should progress continuously through each regular academic semester. A student working on an exit option should enroll in the course(s) for which academic credit is given for that option. Once all other degree requirements as stipulated on the degree plan are met, students who have an incomplete grade in exit option courses must maintain their enrollment with the university in order to make use of academic and nonacademic services (e.g., laboratories, library, faculty access). Enrollment must be maintained every semester during which a student is continuing to complete an exit option. Students enrolling in no other credit hours who have not completed exit option requirements in their program will be enrolled in UNIV 695 until a final grade is received for the exit option activity and the degree is completed, or the time period to complete the degree is exceeded. The requirement for continuous registration does not apply during a summer term. (See Educational Leadership department for policies on continual enrollment for dissertation completion.) Students must complete a Request to Enroll in UNIV 695, Continuing Enrollment and submit the form to the School of Graduate Studies to request initial registration for UNIV 695.

Students seeking an exception to this policy should submit a petition to the School of Graduate Studies.

Failure to Register for UNIV 695: After the student has requested registration for one semester of UNIV 695, the Office of the Registrar will automatically register and assess tuition and fees for each semester of UNIV 695 until continuous registration is interrupted. Continuous registration is interrupted by completion of the degree, non-payment of the tuition bill, or expiration of the time limit to complete program of study. All students who meet the criteria delineated in this policy must initiate continuous enrollment registration through the School of Graduate Studies or petition for a leave of absence from the University. Any student who fails to initiate registration or interrupts continuous registration without obtaining a leave of absence from the School of Graduate Studies must enroll in one credit hour of UNIV 695 for each of the delinquent semesters upon reenrollment and/or reinstatement, or as a condition of having the degree conferred. Any student requesting reinstatement in a degree program must submit an online application for readmission to the School of Graduate Studies.