Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog 2003-2004 Edition

Registration and
Academic Status

General Information

Before registering for the first time, a student should seek assistance from the Departmental Graduate Advisor representing the field of his or her major interest. This advisor will assist in planning the student's first registration. International students should consult the section on English Proficiency Requirements for information about additional requirements. Registration requirements for graduate students holding assistantships and fellowships are discussed in the section on Financial Assistance.

Full-Time Status

A full-time graduate student is considered full-time if he or she is registered for a minimum of:

9 semester credit hours during a fall or spring semester;
6 semester credit hours in a 10-week summer semester; or
3 semester credit hours in a five-week summer term.

A Q grade before the 12th class day does not count toward the certification of enrollment status.

Colleges and departments may impose additional semester credit hour requirements for students holding assistantships or fellowships which exceed the minimum stated above.

Students who have financial assistance should consult the Department of Student Financial Aid, (see page ) Texas A&M University, 2nd floor, The Pavilion, 1252 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1252, (979) 845-3236, for registration requirements.

Maximum Schedule

Graduate students may enroll for a maximum of 15 hours during a regular semester, 6 hours for a 5-week summer term and 10 hours for a 10-week summer semester. Requests for exceptions to exceed the maximum schedule must be made through the student's dean.

Continuous Registration Requirements

Students in graduate degree programs requiring a thesis, dissertation, internship or record of study, who have completed all course work on their degree plans other than 691 (Research), 684 (Internship) or 692 (Professional Study) are required to be in continuous registration until all requirements for the degree have been completed. The continuous registration requirement may be satisfied by registering either In Absentia or In Residence.

In order to qualify for In Absentia registration, a student must not have access to or use facilities or properties belonging to or under the jurisdiction of The Texas A&M University System at any time during the semester or summer term for which he or she is enrolled. Students who qualify for In Absentia registration are required to register each subsequent fall and spring semester for a minimum of one and maximum of four credit hours of 691, 684, 685 or 692. Departments and colleges may have additional or higher requirements.

Students who are subject to In Residence registration (i.e., on campus) are required to register each subsequent fall and spring semester and each 10-week summer semester for at least one credit hour. University departments and colleges may have additional or higher requirements. Unless a student plans to take examinations, or use University resources including any interaction with their graduate committee, registration during the summer will not be required to fulfill the continuous registration requirement. However, the University, colleges or departments may have additional or higher requirements.

International students may have additional registration requirements depending on their visa status. They should consult the student immigration advisor to obtain current information on these requirements.

Students who do not comply with the continuous registration requirement will be blocked from registration. They will be allowed to register only after receiving a favorable recommendation from a departmental review committee (not the student's advisory committee), the endorsement of the department head, and the approval of the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students holding assistantships or fellowships must be registered full time.

In Absentia

Students may register In Absentia if enrolled in a course which is offered on an individual basis and conducted away from the College Station campus and System campuses or facilities such as Agricultural Research and Extension Centers, Research Stations or other properties under the jurisdiction of The Texas A&M University System. Such courses may include, but are not limited to internships, problems, practicums, etc. To qualify for In Absentia registration, the student must not have access to or use of facilities of The Texas A&M University System at any time during the semester or summer term for which he or she is enrolled. The definition of "facilities" includes human resources and services such as those provided by graduate advisory committee members responding to drafts of theses, dissertations or records of study material, etc. Approval of the dean of the college and the head of the department offering the course is required for each student requesting In Absentia registration. A student holding a fellowship or assistantship may not register In Absentia .

Leave of Absence

Under unusual circumstances, a student may petition for a leave of absence. The entire advisory committee, if formed, and head of the department must approve the petition and send it to the Office of Graduate Studies. If the Dean of Graduate Studies approves the petition, the registration requirement will be set aside during the period of leave. Leaves will be granted only under conditions that require the suspension of all activities associated with pursuing the degree. The time period for the completion of the degree will stop with the leave and begin when the student returns to the program. Students should refer to the sections on Time Limits for master's and doctoral programs. A leave of absence is granted for one year. In case of extenuating circumstances, the leave of absence can be extended by the student's committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Students who return to the University after an approved leave of absence will not be required to submit an application for readmission to the Office of Graduate Admission.

Limitations for Staff Members

The following limitations were set by the Academic Council of Texas A&M University concerning advanced degrees for members of the resident staff of the University.

Members of the faculty above the rank of assistant professor normally will not be granted the doctoral degree at this institution. They may, however, enroll for graduate work.
Members of the faculty normally will not be granted a graduate degree by the University after receiving tenure at this institution. They may, however, enroll for graduate work.
Any exceptions to the above regulations must have the written approval of the concerned department heads, college deans, the Office of Graduate Studies and the Executive Vice President and Provost before the person applies for admission to graduate studies.
No department is to award a graduate degree to a faculty member above the rank of assistant professor of that same department.

Undergraduates Registering for Graduate Courses

Senior undergraduate students with a grade point ratio of at least 3.000 are eligible to enroll in a graduate course and reserve it for graduate credit by filing a petition obtained from the student's undergraduate college and approved by the course instructor, the student's major department head, the dean of the college offering the course and the dean of the student's undergraduate college.

Academically superior undergraduate students with a grade point ratio of at least 3.250 are eligible to apply graduate credit hours toward their undergraduate degree programs by filing a petition obtained from the student's undergraduate college and approved by the course instructor, the student's major department head, the dean of the college offering the course and the dean of the student's undergraduate college. Graduate credit hours used to meet the requirements for a baccalaureate degree may not be used to meet the requirements for a graduate degree.

VA Benefits

Veteran students should note that in order to receive full VA benefits they must be registered for not less than 9 credit hours of course work each full semester or 3 credit hours per 5-week summer term.

Course Load Requirements for International
(Non-Immigrant) Students

International (non-immigrant) graduate students must be registered for a minimum of 9 credit hours each semester or the minimum prescribed by the student's college or department. The only time an exception may be made is during a student's final semester when he or she needs to register only for the minimum number of hours required to satisfy degree requirements. If, at any time during a semester, a student drops below the minimum requirements indicated above, the student is in illegal status and subject to deportation.

If a student is required to attend the ELI on a part-time basis, he or she must then also be enrolled in the appropriate number of formal course hours at the University necessary to comply with the Immigration Service requirements stated above.

The law does not require international (non-immigrant) students to enroll during the summer unless their initial entry into the United States is based on admission to an institution for a specified summer term. In such cases, international graduate students must enroll for a minimum of 3 semester credit hours per 5-week summer term or 6 semester credit hours for the 10-week summer semester.

Classification

Each student has a classification which indicates the type of degree program in which the student is enrolled (undergraduate, graduate or professional), and reflects the student's progress within that program at the undergraduate and professional levels. The classifications are:

Code		Classification Definition
G6		Postbaccalaureate Non-degree Postbaccalaureate non-degree classification is intended for students with a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education. If at a later date, a postbaccalaureate non-degree student decides to pursue a graduate degree, the student must understand that limitations may be placed on course work taken while in G6 status. Specifically, the student must understand that a college or a department may decide whether or not to accept any G6 work toward the student's graduate degree; however, with the approval of the student's graduate advisory committee, the department head, the college dean and the Office of Graduate Studies, a maximum of 12 credit hours taken in postbaccalaureate non-degree status may be used on a student's degree plan. Admission to postbaccalaureate non-degree status does not establish eligibility for admission to degree-seeking status. Postbaccalaureate non-degree classification applications are handled on a first come, first served basis. Applications submitted within one month of registration may not be processed in time to begin that semester or term. Enrollment of G6 students in courses may be limited by college and departmental policies. Each postbaccalaureate non-degree student must be reviewed by his or her department of affiliation for continuation at the end of each semester. A postbaccalaureate non-degree student must maintain at least a 3.000 GPR on all course work attempted to remain eligible to register. University departments and colleges may have additional and higher requirements. Postbaccalaureate non-degree status normally is not available to international students.
G7		Graduate, Master's G7 classification denotes admission to a masters level program of study, including students in doctoral programs who have not yet completed either a masters degree or 30 hours of post-baccalaureate course work.
G8		Graduate, Doctoral G8 classification denotes admission to a doctoral level program of study.
G9		Graduate, Conditional G9 classification denotes conditional admission to graduate study. Admission is conditional on submission of required academic credentials and/or official test scores. When the required documents have been received, the student's classification will be changed. Approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies is required to change a student from G9 classification to the appropriate classification (i.e., G7 or G8).