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Graduate Education Policies

The Graduate School's policies are formally approved guiding and governing principles that assist in the conduct of graduate education. Learn more about the Structure and Organization of Graduate Education Policies.

 

Academic policies

Academic policies are directly concerned with the pedagogical mission of the Graduate School, and are enacted by Graduate Council as the representative body of Graduate Faculty. Recent Actions of Graduate Council.

GCAC-201 Scholarly and Professional Goals for All Graduate Degree Students
GCAC-202 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-203 Graduate Course Designations
  Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements
GCAC-204 Graduate Course Definitions - 500- vs. 800-Level Courses
  Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements
GCAC-205 Concurrent Offering of Graduate and Non-Graduate Courses
  Procedure:
P1 - Concurrent Offering of Graduate and Non-Graduate Courses
GCAC-206 Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements
 

Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements

Guidance:
Overview of the Graduate Council Curricular Review Process

Guidance:
Developing Graduate Program Proposals

Guidance:
Graduate Course Proposal Submission

Guidance:
Guide to Creating Learning Objectives for Graduate Courses and Programs

Reference:
CourseLeaf Curriculum Inventory Management (CIM)

GCAC-207 Degree Program Options
  Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements
GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs
  Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements
GCAC-209 Concurrent Degrees
 

FAQs:
Concurrent Degrees - FAQs

Form:
Concurrent Graduate Degree Programs Plan of Study - Instructions and Fillable Form

Procedure:
P1 - Approval of a Concurrent Degree Proposal and Integrated Study Plan

Procedure:
P2 - Adding a Master's-Along-the-Way

GCAC-210 Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs
 

FAQ:
Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs - FAQs

Form:
Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate Semester Report (PDF)

Form:
IUG/Joint Degree Career Swap Form (PDF)|(DOC)

Form:
Request for an Undergraduate Student to Take 500- or 800-Level Courses (PDF)|(DOC)

Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements

GCAC-211 Joint Degree Programs
 

Form:
IUG/Joint Degree Career Swap Form (PDF)|(DOC)

Form:
Joint Medical/Graduate Semester Report (PDF)|(DOC)

Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements

GCAC-212 Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Programs
 

Form:
Template for Graduate or Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Bulletin Listing (DOC)

Procedure:
P1 - Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Programs

Reference:
CourseLeaf Curriculum Inventory Management (CIM)

GCAC-213 Residency and Related Policies for Off-Campus Degree Programs
 

Form:
Expedited Review Process for Limited Off-Campus Course Offerings (PDF)

Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements

Procedure:
P2 - Expedited Review Process for Limited Off-Campus Course Offerings

Procedure:
P3 - Fulfilling the Essential Elements of Residency in Off-Campus Graduate Degree Programs

GCAC-214 Collaborative Graduate Education Programs with Institutions Outside of the United States
 

Guidance:
Collaborative International-Concurrent Graduate Degree Programs (CI-CGDP)

Guidance:
Collaborative International-Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Degree Programs (CI-IUGDP)

Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements

GCAC-215 Common Course Numbers
  Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements
GCAC-216 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-217 Degree Titles
  Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements
 
 

University Faculty Senate Policies Relevant to Graduate Programs and Curricula

42-10 Course Uniformity

42-23 Credit Requirements by Types of Instruction

43-00 Syllabus

 

General Information

Form:
Graduate School Application Fee Form (HTML)

Reference:
Pennsylvania Department of Education Certificate Candidates

Admissions Policies

GCAC-301 Qualifications for Admission
GCAC-302 Classification of Students
GCAC-303 Provisional Admission
 

Form:
Program Provisional Form (PDF) - Requires access to the Graduate School Resource Portal

GCAC-304 Nondegree Admission
GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students
 

Procedure:
P1 - Admission Requirements for International Students

Procedure:
P2 - Determining Academic Eligibility for Admission of International Students – Academic Credentials

Procedure:
P3 - Determining English Proficiency for Admission of International Students

Procedure:
P4 - Petitioning the Graduate School for Provisional Admission and Other English Proficiency Exceptions

GCAC-306 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-307 Concurrent or Second Doctorates
GCAC-308 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-309 Transfer Credit
 

Form:
Transfer of Credit From an External Institution (PDF)|(DOC)

Form:
Transfer of Penn State Nondegree Graduate Credits to Penn State Graduate Degree (PDF)|(DOC)

Form:
Transfer of Graduate Course From Penn State Undergraduate Transcript to Penn State Degree Graduate Program (PDF)|(DOC)

Form:
Transfer of Penn State College of Medicine Credits to Penn State Graduate Degree Program (PDF)|(DOC)

Form:
Transfer of Penn State Law Credits to Penn State Graduate Degree Program (PDF)|(DOC)

Form:
Transfer of Penn State Law Credits to Penn State School of International Affairs Graduate Program (PDF)|(DOC)

GCAC-310 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-311 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-312 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-501 Credit Load
GCAC-502 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-503 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-504 Visiting or Auditing a Course
GCAC-505 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-506 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-507 Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Courses
 

Form:
Request for an Undergraduate Student to Take 500-or 800-Level Courses (PDF)|(DOC)

GCAC-508 Change of Degree or Program
GCAC-509 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-510 University Employee Credit Status
GCAC-511 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-512 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-513 Registration
GCAC-514 Continuity of Registration and Resume Study
GCAC-515 Registration Requirements When Course Work Has Been Completed
GCAC-516 Registration for Work Done Away from Campus
 
 

University Faculty Senate Policies Relevant to Registration and Graduation

34-30 Academic Registration Hold

34-81 Enrollment

34-83 Change in Class Meeting Time

86-00 Candidate Responsibilities and Options

Research Degree Policies - Doctoral (Ph.D.)

GCAC-601 Residency Requirement - Research Doctorate
 

FAQS:
Residency Requirement - Research Doctorate - FAQs

GCAC-602 Ph.D. Committee Formation, Composition, and Review - Research Doctorate
 

Form:
Research Doctoral Committee Appointment Form

Procedure:
P1 - Ph.D. Committee Formation, Composition, and Review - Research Doctorate

GCAC-603 Ph.D. Committee Responsibilities - Research Doctorate
 

FAQs:
Ph.D. Committee Responsibilities - Research Doctorate - FAQs

Form:
Annual Assessment of Ph.D. Student Progress - SAMPLE (PDF)

Procedure:
P1 - Distance Participation Request

GCAC-604 Qualifying Examination - Research Doctorate
 

FAQs:
Qualifying Examination - Research Doctorate - FAQs

Form:
Report on Doctoral Qualifying Examination (PDF)|(DOC)

Additional Information:
Extensions to Qualifying Examination Time Limits due to COVID-19

GCAC-605 English Competence - Research Doctorate
 

FAQs:
English Competence - Research Doctorate - FAQs

GCAC-606 Comprehensive Examination - Research Doctorate
 

Additional Information:
Extensions to Comprehensive Examination Time Limits due to COVID-19

GCAC-607 Dissertation - Research Doctorate
 

Procedure:
P1 - Dissertation - Research Doctorate

GCAC-608 Final Oral Examination - Research Doctorate
GCAC-609 [Policy Renumbered]
GCAC-610 Time Limitation - Research Doctorate
 

Additional Information:
Extensions to Time Limits for Doctoral Students due to COVID-19

GCAC-611 Minor - Research Doctorate
 

Procedure:
P1 - Adding a Minor - Research Doctorate

Form:
Request to Add Graduate Minor (PDF)

Reference:
List of Graduate Council-Approved Stand-Alone Graduate Minors

Research Degree Policies - Master’s (M.A., M.S.)

GCAC-630 Admission - Research Master's
GCAC-631 Degree Requirements - Research Master's
GCAC-632 Time Limitation - Research Master's
 

Additional Information:
Extensions to Time Limits for Master's Students due to COVID-19

GCAC-641 Minor - Research Master's
 

Procedure:
P1 - Adding a Minor - Research Master's

Form:
Request to Add Graduate Minor (PDF)

Reference:
List of Graduate Council-Approved Stand-Alone Graduate Minors

GCAC-642 Culminating Experience - Research Master's

Professional Degree Policies - Doctoral

GCAC-700 Degree Requirements - Professional Doctorate
 

Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements

GCAC-701 Residency Requirement - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-702 Professional Doctoral Committee Composition - Professional Doctorate
 

Form:
D.Ed. Professional Doctoral Committee Appointment Signature Form

Professional Doctoral Committee Appointment Signature Form

GCAC-703 Professional Doctoral Committee Responsibilities - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-704 Qualifying Examination - Professional Doctorate
 

Form:
Report on Doctoral Qualifying Examination (PDF)

Additional Information:
Extensions to Qualifying Examination Time Limits due to COVID-19

GCAC-705 English Competence - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-706 Comprehensive Examination - Professional Doctorate
 

Form:
Examination Request Form (PDF)|(DOC)

Additional Information:
Extensions to Comprehensive Examination Time Limits due to COVID-19

GCAC-707 Professional Doctoral Culminating Experience – Professional Doctorate
 

Form:
Examination Request Form (PDF)|(DOC)

GCAC-708 Time Limitation - Professional Doctorate
 

Additional Information:
Extensions to Time Limits for Doctoral Students due to COVID-19

GCAC-709 Minor – Professional Doctorate
 

Procedure:
P1 - Adding a Minor - Professional Doctorate

Form:
Request to Add Graduate Minor (PDF)

Reference:
List of Graduate Council-Approved Stand-Alone Graduate Minors

Professional Degree Policies - Master's

GCAC-730 Admission - Professional Master's
GCAC-731 Degree Requirements - Professional Master's
 

Procedure:
P1 - Graduate Curricular Proposal Requirements

GCAC-732 Time Limitation - Professional Master's
 

Additional Information:
Extensions to Time Limits for Master's Students due to COVID-19

GCAC-741 Minor - Professional Master's
 

Procedure:
P1 - Adding a Minor - Professional Master's

Form:
Request to Add Graduate Minor (PDF)

Reference:
List of Graduate Council-Approved Stand-Alone Graduate Minors

GCAC-742 Culminating Experience - Professional Master's

Administrative Policies

Administrative policies are enacted by the Graduate School. They set operational standards and behavior expectations, and communicate policy roles and responsibilities to ensure that all policies are operationalized, enacted, and enforced. Recent Actions of The Graduate School.

This page was generated on March 19, 2024 at 3:32 AM local time. This may not be the most recent version of this page. Check the Penn State Graduate School website for updates.