General Requirements for Graduate Study

[1] Minimum Semester Hours

The candidate must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours in courses for which graduate credit is given. Graduate credit will be given for 5000-, 6000-, 7000- and 8000-numbered courses. A minimum of 15 semester hours of 6000-level courses are required for the master’s degree. No course below the 5000-level may apply toward a graduate degree.

Undergraduate courses may not be repeated at the graduate level with the expectation of credit. Any student taking a graduate course which is double listed with an undergraduate course must do work of graduate caliber to receive graduate credit. No credit may apply toward a graduate degree unless it is included in the student’s approved program of study.

[2] Residence Credit

The candidate must take a minimum of 24 credit hours at UCA. Acceptance of transfer credit does not reduce the minimum residence requirement of 24 hours.

[3] Grades and Quality Points

Grades of A, B, and C will allow students to receive graduate credit representing 4, 3, and 2 quality points, respectively. Grades below C are recorded and are considered in determining the quality-point ratio but are not accepted toward completion of the graduate program.

All grades, once reported, remain a matter of permanent record and are used in calculating the cumulative GPA. Any appeal or question concerning an assigned grade must be made within one calendar year from the time the grade was awarded.

Calculation of the graduate grade point average includes all residence course work attempted. No transfer credit grades are used to calculate the cumulative GPA.

A graduate student is expected to maintain a cumulative 3.00 average. A student whose cumulative grade point average is less than 3.00 is on academic probation. In the next semester or summer term in attendance, the student should achieve a cumulative 3.00 or at least show meaningful improvement towards a 3.00 GPA. If the cumulative 3.00 is not met or meaningful improvement shown, the student is ineligible to continue graduate studies at UCA.

A GPA of 3.00 or above is required for graduation. Up to six hours beyond the degree requirements can be used to meet this GPA, but all such hours must be approved by the student’s advisor.

The grade of X (incomplete) is given only if satisfactory completion of the remaining course requirements can result in a passing grade for that semester’s work. An X grade is not computed in the GPA. One calendar year is the maximum time limit for removal of an X grade except in independent study courses and theses. If one year passes and the X has not been removed, the grade is changed automatically to an F. An individual instructor may specify a shorter time period for removal of an X. The instructor is required to state, in writing, the requirements for removing the grade of X at the time it is assigned. One copy of the requirement is to be given to the registrar, one to the student, and one to the department chair; one copy is retained by the instructor. Failure of the student to meet these requirements may result in the X becoming an F. A student may not re-enroll in a course for which an X is in effect. No student may be cleared for conferral of a graduate degree until all incomplete (X) grades have been removed.

To obtain the qualitative index of a student’s scholarship, the total number of quality points (QP) accumulated is divided by the total number of semester credit hours (SCH) attempted to give the ratio known as the grade point average (GPA):

QP ÷ SCH = GPA

For example, if a student has earned 96 quality points on 30 semester hours attempted, the GPA is 3.20 (96 ÷ 30 = 3.20). The following list shows quality points earned for each letter grade:

[4] Attendance

Attendance and tardiness are primarily a student-teacher-class issue, but the university has an interest in the proper fulfillment of such obligations by the student. In the case of absences indicating that the student has been negligent about class attendance, registration in the given class may be canceled and a grade of WF (Withdrawn Failing) recorded; in flagrant cases the student may be suspended from the university.

[5] Full-Time and Maximum Course Loads

A student who carries 9 or more graduate hours in any semester is considered a full-time graduate student. A student who is enrolled in 3 or more semester hours in a 10-week summer session is considered a full-time graduate student. The maximum study load for a student shall be 15 hours for each semester and 6 semester hours for each summer term. Permission to take more than a maximum credit load requires written approval of the student’s advisor, the department chair, and the graduate dean.

[6] Advisement

At the time of admission to graduate study, the student is assigned to an advisor who is a regular faculty member in a department offering graduate work in the student’s field of specialization. The graduate advisor will be responsible for

1. Helping the student plan a unified and balanced program of study adapted to the student’s particular interests, needs, and abilities and directed toward the student’s field of specialization;
2. Recommending the student for degree candidacy; and
3. Assisting the student’s progress toward satisfactory completion of the program of study.

Graduate students are encouraged to make appointments with their advisors each semester of enrollment.

[7] Thesis/Dissertation

Departments determine whether they require, or provide an option for, master’s students to submit a thesis. All PhD candidates will complete a dissertation. The Thesis and Dissertation Preparation Guide outlines the general timeline, policies, and procedures for producing a thesis or dissertation at the University of Central Arkansas. It is important to read and understand fully the contents of the manual, which is available from the Graduate School web site at https://uca.edu/graduateschool/thesisdissertation/. The student must allow sufficient time for conducting the research and writing the thesis or dissertation.

Students and faculty will comply with all university policies regarding research and the use of human subjects and animals in research.

Continuous Enrollment: Students submitting a master’s thesis must register for at least one hour of graduate thesis credit each semester (Fall, Spring and Summer) after enrolling in their first thesis course. Doctoral students must register for at least one hour of dissertation credit each semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer ) following approval of dissertation proposal until the work is completed, whether the student is in residence or away from the campus.

[8] Appeal Procedures

Appeal procedures for graduate students related to grades, student educational records, academic policy/requirements, and professional program selection are outlined in the Student Handbook.

[9] Academic Integrity

Integrity in scholarship and research is an essential characteristic of our academic life and structure in the university. Any activity that compromises the pursuit of truth and the advancement of knowledge besmirches the intellectual effort and may undermine confidence in the academic enterprise. The Graduate School expects students to conduct their academic endeavors with honesty and integrity. The definition of academic misconduct and appeal procedures for graduate students who are accused of academic misconduct are specified in the Student Handbook. UCA’s Policy for responding to allegations of research misconduct is linked from this page: https://uca.edu/sponsoredprograms/policiesandprocedures/.

[10] Policy on Research with Human Subjects

Graduate or undergraduate student research projects may involve the use of human subjects. “Human subject” is defined as an individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual or (2) identifiable, confidential information about the individual. Both federal and university regulations require that all proposed research projects involving human subjects be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board prior to the initiation of such studies.

Specific information regarding procedures for obtaining appropriate review of proposed research projects involving human subjects is available from the office of the dean of the student’s college, the Graduate School, the Office of Sponsored Programs, or the Research Compliance web site.

[11] Policy on Intellectual Property

University policy on intellectual property applies to all graduate students. An invention or discovery resulting from projects supported in whole or in part by funds, personnel, or facilities provided by or administered by the Board of Trustees of the University of Central Arkansas is the property of the university. The university has a policy of sharing with the inventor any income derived from such discoveries. Information on UCA’s Intellectual Property Policy is available on the web at https://uca.edu/researchcompliance/intellectual-property-and-technology-transfer/.

[12] Statute of Limitations

All requirements for a master’s degree must be satisfied within six consecutive years and for a doctoral degree within ten consecutive years.

[13] Second Master’s Degree or Graduate Certificate

Subject to review by the graduate dean, college dean, department chair, and program advisor, students holding valid master’s degrees or graduate certificates from accredited graduate institutions, including UCA, may apply no more than six hours of approved course work completed as a part of the first master’s degree toward a second master’s degree or three hours toward a graduate certificate. Transferring these hours for specific courses in the program for the second master’s degree or certificate will be indicated in writing, approved by the program advisor and submitted to the Graduate School. These courses and those for which they substitute must be approved by the department chair. All remaining courses applied to satisfy the requirements for the second master’s degree or certificate must be taken in residence at the University of Central Arkansas. If graduate credit earned for a prior graduate degree is equivalent to and constitutes a logical part of the student’s program, application of previously earned credit above the established policy may be allowed when recommended by the student’s major professor/advisor, advisory committee, and department chair, and when approved by the dean of the Graduate School.  Acceptance of transfer credit does not reduce the minimum residence requirement of 24 hours.

The second master’s degree or certificate will be subject to the general regulations governing master’s degrees or certificates except as stated above.

[14] Maintenance of Standards

The university reserves the right to deny further attendance to a student who lacks the personal qualities, professional characteristics, or scholastic attainments essential for success. Such a student desiring to re-enroll will supply the university with evidence that the difficulties have been corrected.

[15] Withdrawal Policy

A student may officially withdraw from a course or the university so long as the withdrawal is within the dates specified in the academic calendar for the semester. If a student withdraws from a course or the university during the change-of-course period, no grade will be recorded.

After the change-of-course period, a withdrawal grade (W – Withdrawn, WP – Withdrawn Passing, or WF – Withdrawn Failing) will be recorded according to the deadlines specified in the academic calendar for the semester and, when applicable, at the discretion of the course instructor, so long as the course instructor has not already dropped the student for non-attendance.

If a student discontinues attendance without officially withdrawing, an instructor may drop the student for non-attendance and report a withdrawal grade, but must do so by the deadline date for a student to officially withdraw with a WP or WF specified in the academic calendar for the semester.