Graduate Catalog - Virginia Tech Graduate School

Graduate Catalog

2023-2024

Policies, Procedures, Academic Programs

Graduate School Policies

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Student Life and Related University Policies
- University Policies for Student Life
- Physical Examination
- Medical Insurance Coverage
- Required Insurance for Students Traveling Internationally
- Automobiles and Bicycles
Graduate Application and Admission
- Credentials
- International Applicants
Admission Categories and Graduate Student Classifications
- Regular Admission
- Provisional Admission (Master's only)
- Conditional Admission
- Non-degree Status
- Commonwealth Campus Status
- Graduate Certificate Status
- Visiting Graduate Student Status
- Eligibility of Faculty/Staff for Graduate Degrees
- Undergraduates Taking Graduate Courses
Enrollment and Registration Procedures
- Course Enrollment and Changes in Enrollment
- Continuous Enrollment
  - Leave of Absence
- In Absentia Status
- Graduate Cooperative Education Program
- Change of Campus
- Simultaneous Graduate Degrees
- Registration at the Time of Examinations and for Degree Completion
- Readmission
- Changes of Status
- Change of Graduate Program
General Academic Information
- Grading System
- Grade for Thesis/Dissertation/Major Paper
- Incomplete, X, NG and NR Grades
- Grading System Requirements
- Repeating Courses
- Auditing
- Graduate Credit
- On-line Courses/Independent Study in Absentia/Continuing Education
Academic Progress
- GPA Requirements
  - Scholarly Ethics and Integrity
- Inclusion and Diversity Training
- Probation due to Unsatisfactory Grades
- Satisfactory Progress toward a Graduate Degree
Enrollment Limits and Requirements
- Full Time Enrollment
- Graduate Student Employment/Assistantships
- Virginia Tech Employees
- Fellowship and Scholarship Recipients
Graduate Assistantships
- Types of Assistantships
- Additional Employment for Students Holding a Graduate Assistantship
- Academic Eligibility to Hold a Graduate Assistantship
Graduate Degree and Certificate Requirements
- General Degree Requirements for Graduate Students
- Scholarly Ethics and Integrity
- Inclusion and Diversity
- Plan of Study
- Justification of ’Old’ Course Work
- Supporting Courses
- Plan of Study Changes
- Change of Thesis Option
- Grades on Plan of Study Courses
- Repeating Courses on the Plan of Study
- Graduate Advisory Committees
Credit Hour Requirements for Degrees and Certificates
- Master's Degree
- Second Master's Degree
- Simultaneous Degrees
- Education Specialist Degree (Ed. S.)
- Doctoral Degrees
- Residency Requirements for Doctoral Degrees
- Graduate Certificates
Examinations
- Scheduling Examinations
- Examining Committees
- Successful Completion of Required Examinations
- Final Examination (Master's)
- Qualifying Examination (Doctoral)
- Preliminary Examination (Doctoral)
- Final Examination (Doctoral)
- Enrollment and Examinations
Graduation
- Procedures for Graduation
- Graduation Clearance Procedures
- Commencement Participation
- Degree Conferring Dates
- Academic Regalia
Thesis and Dissertation
- Master's degrees
- Doctoral degrees
- Independent Effort
- Dissertation Format
- Proprietary or Classified Theses and Dissertations
- Advisory Committee Approval of the Thesis or Dissertation
- Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD)
- Deadline for ETD Submission
- Degree Completion and Graduate School Approval of the ETD
- Copyrighting and Microform
- Intellectual Property
Appeals
- Graduate Student Appeals
- The Departmental Appeal
- The University Appeals Procedure

Full Time Enrollment

Full-time enrollment for graduate students, for purposes of tuition and fees, consists of a minimum of 9 credit hours during academic year semesters. However, the Commonwealth of Virginia does not count students as full time unless they are enrolled for at least 12 credits, and in most academic contexts, 12 credits is considered full time. The maximum number of credit hours is 18 during academic year semesters. Overloads (19 credit hours or more per semester) require permission from a graduate dean.