Policy Number: D12.0

Policy Name: GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

A. UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS

1. Satisfactorily meet program requirements of the college.

2. A program cumulative grade point average of 2.00 (a “C” grade).

B. ASSOCIATE AND BACCALAUREATE DEGREES

1. Successful completion of all required courses of the university and college, including cooperative employment where applicable.


2. Full payment or satisfactory adjustment of all financial obligations.


3. A minimum of 45 quarter credit hours shall be successfully completed in residence at the university in the college granting the degree (inclusive of service courses). If the student has successfully completed 45 quarter credit hours in residence, a petition may be submitted to the dean to study 15 quarter credit hours in absentia in the final year of the degree; at a minimum, 30 of the final 45 quarter credit hours are to be completed in residence.


4. A program cumulative grade point average of 2.00 (a "C" average).


5. Minimum number of quarter credit hours as required by that college, but in no case shall this be less than 90 quarter credit hours for the associate degree and 180 quarter credit hours for the baccalaureate degree.


6. Wellness requirements as published in the university’s official bulletin.


7. Demonstrated competence in writing skills as established in the university’s writing policies (see D16.0).


8. See notes at the end of this section.

Graduation requirements for an undergraduate academic award are based on the regulations and requirements printed in the RIT Bulletin in effect at the time of a student's matriculation into his or her program. A bulletin published after the matriculation date may be chosen by the student when it is to his/her advantage. The time limitation on this provision is that no student may graduate under the requirements of a bulletin published more than seven (7) calendar years prior to the date of graduation.

Courses are subject to change without notice and the university is not obligated to offer discontinued courses. Individual curriculum requirements may be adjusted upon the student’s request, with the faculty advisor’s and the dean’s approval.

D. ADVANCED GRADUATE CERTIFICATE

1. Satisfactorily meet program requirements of the college.

2. A program cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (a "B" average).

E. MASTER’S DEGREE

1. Successfully complete all required courses of the university and the college. Normally, the student should complete requirements within seven years of the time of initial registration for graduate study. Extensions of the seven-year rule may be granted through a petition to the dean of Graduate Studies who decides on behalf of the Graduate Council. In cases of unusual complexity, the dean of Graduate Studies may refer the matter to the Graduate Council for review. The dean of Graduate Studies will report annually to the Graduate Council, including all decisions for extensions. Students can apply through the dean of the college offering the master’s program. Students may appeal any decisions of the dean of Graduate Studies to the Graduate Council.


2. Full payment or satisfactory adjustment of all financial obligations.


3. A minimum of 45 quarter credit hours is required for the master’s degree, of which at least 36 quarter credit hours of graduate level course work and research (courses numbered 700-900) are required to be earned in residence at the university.

Exception: External master’s degree programs allow for varying amounts of acceptable graduate transfer credits and thus the residency requirement may be decreased, as approved by the Graduate Council and provost. Other exceptions pertaining to a group of students must be approved by the Graduate Council.

4. A program cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (a "B" average).


5. Each degree granting program shall reserve the prerogative to require a thesis when appropriate. The thesis requirement may be waived and replaced by other appropriate research or comparable professional achievement as an integral part of the graduate program.

1. Successfully complete all courses, research, examinations, defense of dissertation, and submission of a final accepted dissertation. The Ph.D. requires a minimum of three years of full-time study or the equivalent.
   
   
   1. Courses required for the degree are defined by the individual program. A minimum of 60 quarter credit hours of graduate-level coursework is required.

   A maximum of 36 quarter credits may be granted from previously completed coursework.

   In consultation with their advisor, students will develop a plan of study during their first quarter of study that must be approved by the Ph.D. program coordinator. Revisions to the original plan of study must also be approved by the program coordinator.

   2. The number of research hours will vary depending upon the amount of course credits earned. The sum of course and research credits will total a minimum of 99 quarter credits. There must be a minimum of 27 credit hours of research.
   
   
   3. Students must successfully complete a qualifying exam by the beginning of the third year of full-time study or its equivalent. Students are permitted two attempts to pass the exams.
   
   
   4. Upon successful completion of the qualifying exam, the student and advisor will organize a Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee will provide advice and guidance throughout the dissertation process.
   
   
   5. Students will obtain approval of the dissertation topic and admission to doctoral degree candidacy through successful completion of the Candidacy Exam. The Candidacy Exam, which is prepared by the Dissertation Committee, must be taken no later than six months prior to defending the dissertation.
   
   
   6. A doctoral dissertation will make an original contribution to knowledge in the field and will be written in acceptable scholarly form.
   
   
   7. The final examination of the dissertation is open to the public and consists of an oral presentation in defense of dissertation research followed by questions from the audience. The Dissertation Committee will be joined by one or two outside examiners, to be appointed by the provost in consultation with the Dissertation Committee. One of the outside examiners will chair the final examination. Students who are failed on the dissertation defense cannot attempt the defense a second time, but may be considered for the master’s degree.
   
   
2. Requirements for the degree must be completed within seven years of the date students pass the qualifying exam.


3. The student must register for a minimum of 9 academic credits for 3 consecutive quarters to establish residency.


4. A program cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (a "B" average) is required for graduation.


5. Full payment or satisfactory adjustment of all financial obligations must be made prior to graduation.

Note: Candidates for the university’s certificates, diplomas, and associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees are expected to attend commencement ceremonies.

Note: An original copy of each thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted for an advanced degree conferred by RIT is to be housed in the library, and will become the property of the library.

The library will assume the responsibility of fully cataloging all theses and dissertations and placing them in the RIT collection. Theses and dissertations will not circulate and, except with the written permission of the author, will not be duplicated.

Note: The graduate residence requirement implies that following the application of all waived credit, transfer credit and credit by examination, the remaining program results in a minimum of 36 quarter credit hours at the graduate level of the university.

G. GRADUATE THESIS/DISSERTATION POLICY

An "R" (registered) grade is given to indicate that a student has registered for graduate thesis or dissertation work for a graduate paper. The student has yet to meet the total requirements for the course or has continuing requirements to be met. Completion of work represented by the “R” will be noted by having the approved thesis/dissertation title, as received by the Registrar from the program, recorded on the student’s official transcript using the words "Thesis Accepted/Dissertation Accepted." "R" graded courses are allowed in the calculation of the residency requirement for graduate programs.

H. CONTINUATION OF THESIS/DISSERTATION POLICY

In those programs where a thesis is required, if the student has completed thesis/dissertation course work but has not finished the thesis/dissertation itself, it is the responsibility of the student to register each quarter for a one quarter hour Continuation of Thesis/Dissertation course. Programs may offer graduate students one quarter extension of time before the continuation of thesis/dissertation tuition is levied. For the quarter in which the continuation of thesis/dissertation tuition is not to apply, the student will register for "0" hours. Payment of all continuation of thesis/dissertation tuition is waived for all summer quarters.

1. All new and readmitted students matriculated into a graduate program after September 1, 1987, will be subject to this new Continuation of Thesis/Dissertation policy.
   
   
2. Once work has begun on a thesis/dissertation, it is seen as a continuous process until all requirements are completed. It is the student’s responsibility to register each quarter for a one quarter hour Continuation of Thesis/Dissertation course if the student has completed the program thesis course work but not the thesis itself.


3. The Continuation of Thesis/Dissertation course will be offered to accommodate this policy.


4. Students will be responsible to register each quarter and pay one quarter hour of continuation of thesis/dissertation tuition after they have completed the thesis/dissertation credits required by their program.


5. If the student does not register for the Continuation of Thesis/Dissertation course for one quarter hour of credit, the program may either:
   
   
   1. Register the student for "0" credits (using a drop/add form) for which no tuition is assessed in order to maintain registration for one quarter only, excluding summer;

or

2. Remove the student from the program.

Program chairs will inform the Registrar of their action.

6. The length of time to complete a thesis/dissertation is at the option of the program. However, the thesis/dissertation and all other graduation requirements must be completed within the period stipulated by the relevant policy.

Academic Senate:       

Staff Assistant
2106 Eastman Hall
asenate@rit.edu
(585)475-2016

Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs:         

Assistant Vice President
2109 Eastman Hall
stp1031@rit.edu
(585)475-5572

Effective Date: Approved May 1957

Policy History:
Last revised October 10, 1996
Edited November 2, 2006
Edited September 2010