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GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK

Academic Degree Requirements

Program of Study

The academic requirements for each degree program are established by the organizational unit issuing the degree, as approved by the colleges, the Graduate Council, the Faculty Senate, the Board of Trustees, and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. In addition, the student should be aware of policies which pertain to each of the following, as required by the Graduate School and/or the department: transfer of credit, grade point average requirements, residence requirements, thesis/dissertation requirements, language requirements, and comprehensive examinations. These requirements will differ, depending on whether one is pursuing the M.A., M.A.T., M.Acc., M.B.A., M.Ed., M.F.A., M.I.S., M.M., M.P.A., M.S., M.S.W, M.T.L.M., Ed.S., Ed.D., or Ph.D. degree. To see the specific requirements for each degree program, click on one of the following:

M.A.	M.A.T.	M.Acc.	M.B.A.	M.Ed.	M.F.A.	M.I.S.
M.M.	M.P.A.	M.S.	M.S.W.	M.T.L.M.	Ed.S.	Ed.D.	Ph.D.

As appropriate, each student will be required to constitute two committees: the advisory committee, for advice and guidance on course requirements, and the thesis/dissertation committee, which will oversee the writing of the thesis or dissertation. The thesis/dissertation committee must approve the awarding of the final degree. The forms necessary to constitute these committees are available on our website: http://www.uark.edu/grad.

Students whose research will require approval by the Institutional Review Board (for research with human subjects), the Animal Care and Use Committee (for research with animals), the Biosafety Committee (for research with recombinant DNA), the Radiation Safety Committee, or the Toxic Substance Committee, will be required to receive approval from these committees before beginning their research. If such approval has not been received, the student will not be granted a degree. For more information about these committees, please see the website of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

Students are subject to the policies pertaining to academic honesty and research misconduct. Also, click here for Faculty Handbook and refer to the section on Academic Responsibilities of Faculty.

Students who feel that their rights have been violated may pursue a grievance. Click here for the grievance policy.

Time to Complete a Degree

All requirements for a master's degree must be completed within six consecutive calendar years from the first semester of enrollment in that program.

All requirements for an educational specialist (Ed.S.) degree must be completed within six consecutive calendar years from the first semester of enrollment in that program.

All requirements for a doctoral degree must be completed within seven consecutive calendar years from the date of admission to the program.

Change of Major/Declare a Major/Pursue an Additional Degree

The graduate student may only request to pursue a 2nd degree once s/he has been fully admitted to an initial degree program. The graduate student should contact the Graduate School to initiate this process.

Change from a master's degree to a different master's degree: All course work may be applied toward new degree with approval of the program faculty.
Change from a doctoral degree to a different doctoral degree: Student forfeits any doctoral residence previously established.
Change from a doctoral degree to a master's degree: Student forfeits any doctoral residence previously established.
Pursue a master's degree while pursuing a different master's degree: Can apply a maximum of 6 hours of credit to both degrees.
Pursue a master's degree while pursuing a doctoral degree: No courses taken in the semesters used to satisfy doctoral residence may be applied to a master's degree.
Pursue more than one doctoral degree: Doctoral residence must be satisfied separately for EACH doctoral degree.
Pursue a doctoral degree after completion of a current master's or educational specialist degree: Student must complete an application to the program.

Master's Degree Program of Study

Master's Degree Program of Study: Course Work

The program of study is specified by the degree program. However, there are a number of policies that need to be adhered to when developing a master's program of study.

3000-Level Courses

Courses numbered at the 3000-level may be taken by graduate students for graduate credit only when the courses are not in the student's major area of study and when the courses have been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School for graduate credit in the student's program before the Official Enrollment Report (commonly the eleventh class day). No more than 20 percent of the graded course work in the degree program may be comprised of 3000-level courses carrying graduate credit. A form is required and may be obtained from the Graduate School or our web page. The instructor of the proposed course must hold graduate faculty status.

4000-Level Courses

Because 4000-level courses can carry dual level credit, a 4000-level course which has specifically been created to carry ONLY undergraduate credit must be individually petitioned to carry graduate credit. A memorandum from the instructor (who must hold graduate faculty status) and from the adviser agreeing to use the course as part of the master's program of study must be submitted to the Graduate School.

Transfer of Credit

A maximum of 6 hours of course work may be transferred from another institution towards a master's degree at the University of Arkansas. A form is required and may be obtained from the Graduate School or our home page. An official transcript must be on file with the Graduate School.

The following are the criteria for acceptable transfer credit:

The course must have been regularly offered by a regionally accredited graduate school.
The course must not have been used to satisfy a requirement for any degree previously granted.
The course must have been a bona fide graduate level course, approved for graduate credit and taught by a member of the graduate faculty.
The student desiring to transfer graduate credit must have been enrolled as a graduate student in the graduate school at the institution offering the course.
The course must appear on an official transcript as graduate credit from the institution offering the course.
The grade on the course must be a "B" or "A". (The student's grade point average is NOT to include grades on transfer courses.)
The course must be recommended by the student's major advisor and be applicable to the degree requirement at the University of Arkansas.
The course must not have been taken by correspondence or for extension credit.
The course must be acceptable to the department concerned and to the Graduate Dean.
The student must have satisfied the 24-week state residence requirements.
The course must have been taken within the time limit of the student's program at the University of Arkansas.
Credit from foreign universities is not acceptable for transfer because of academic and procedural differences between U.S. regionally accredited and foreign institutions.

Note: Graduate credit cannot be transferred to satisfy any of the requirements for the M.B.A. degree unless the school at which the course was taken is accredited by A.A.C.S.B. This requirement is not specified by the Graduate School, but by the Graduate School of Business.

Change of Grades

All courses included in a program of study must have an acceptable grade (a letter grade or a mark of CR). A mark of "S" does NOT carry any degree credit, and any course with a mark of "S" cannot be included in a final program of study. If the course is to be included in a program of study, the mark of "S" must be changed to an acceptable grade or a mark of "CR". A "Change of Grade Notice" form must be submitted by the instructor of the course when a course grade is changed. Please note that all work for the course must have been submitted by the student to the instructor by the last day of final examinations in order to be eligible for graduation for that specific semester (as verified by the "Date Work Completed" entry on the "Change of Grade Notice" form).

Master's Thesis Option: Thesis Registration

Those presenting a master's thesis as a part of the requirements for the master's degree must register for a minimum of six semester hours of master's thesis. Registration beyond six hours carries no degree credit. Consult your thesis director concerning registration for thesis. NOTE: The mark of "R" is the only acceptable mark reported when a thesis is in progress. A grade or mark may be assigned to the thesis when it has been accepted by the committee. Any grade assigned by the committee for thesis is to be recorded on the Record of Progress for the Master's Degree.

Master's Program of Study: Comprehensive Examination

The master's comprehensive examination should be scheduled at least one (1) week before graduation. See the Master's Calendar for specific deadlines. A Master's Degree Record of Progress form must be submitted to the Graduate School for each graduate student.

Educational Specialist Program of Study

Ed.S. Program of Study: Course Work

After a student is accepted into an Ed.S. program, a committee with a minimum of three members will be appointed and a program of study will be established outlining the minimum requirements. Only the adviser and one other member of the student's committee may be from the program area sponsoring the program. The committee's responsibilities include the determination of deficiencies, the acceptability of previous graduate work, the approval of the candidate's program of study, the approval of the original project or research paper, and the conduct of a final examination. This examination will be a comprehensive oral evaluation scheduled near the end of the candidate's program and will include one or both of the following: (1) evaluation of the original project, research paper, or report, and (2) evaluation covering material related to the background and professional preparation of the candidate. A written examination may not be taken to substitute for the oral examination. A written account of the original project, research paper, or report will be filed with the program area sponsoring the candidate's program of study.

Ed.S. Program of Study: Transfer of Credit

Transfer of credit is not acceptable for Ed.S. degrees.

Ed.S. Program of Study: Application

An application to pursue the Ed.S. program must be filed with the Dean of the Graduate School by the student.

Ed.S. Program of Study: Residence Requirement

A minimum of 30 weeks of resident study at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in an approved program is required. Credit earned in any University of Arkansas center, off-campus workshop or special course will not count as residence study in the Ed.S. program. The only exception is course work completed at the Pine Bluff Graduate Resident Center by students pursuing the Ed.S. degree in education with a specialization in adult education, educational administration, or vocational education.

Doctoral Degree Program of Study

Doctoral Degree Program of Study: Course Work

The Graduate School considers a doctoral degree to be a research-based degree, rather than a course-based degree. Therefore, the Graduate School does not set any minimum requirements for course work for a doctoral degree. The Graduate School does require 18 hours of dissertation registration.

Doctoral Degree Program of Study: Transfer of Credit

Transfer of credit is not acceptable for doctoral degrees. For doctoral candidates, the program of study can be adjusted in lieu of work taken at other colleges or universities and recognized by the candidates' committee but it will not appear on the University of Arkansas academic record.

Doctoral Degree Program of Study: Application

Prospective doctoral student must file an application for the doctoral degree with the Dean of the Graduate School before registering for the first semester of graduate work beyond the master's degree. No requirements for the doctoral degree can be fulfilled until the student has been accepted to the program.

Doctoral Degree Program of Study: Residence Requirement

All candidates for a doctoral degree must have satisfied the residence requirement in order to be eligible for graduation. Ed.D. candidates must fulfill this requirement by selecting any one of four plans. This selection must be made in consultation with the adviser after admission to the program. Ph.D. candidates must fulfill this requirement by completing a minimum of two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study (nine hours or more per semester or six hours plus a 50% assistantship). Further information is available in the Graduate School Catalog.

Doctoral Degree Program of Study: Candidacy Examinations

When the student has passed candidacy, the Graduate School must be notified in writing from the major adviser or department head.

Doctoral Degree Program of Study: Foreign Language Examinations

Graduate students in degree programs that require a foreign language must satisfy this requirement before graduation. The degree program specifies the manner in which this requirement can be satisfied.

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