Mar 28, 2024  
2007-2009 Graduate Catalog 
    
2007-2009 Graduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Admission to Graduate School


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Once The Graduate School has received the application, it is forwarded to the intended department of study. When the designated department(s) receives the application packet, the department will then recommend the admission or denial of the applicant to the Graduate Dean, who will make the final decision as to admission status. Students may be accepted to The Graduate School with either full admission or provisional admission. When the recommendation of admission status is forwarded to The Graduate School, the applicant will then be notified of the action taken on the application. The School of Education applicants return completed applications directly to the Student Services Office, 114 Delzell Education Center. Students applying to programs in the Health Sciences and School of Law should refer to the individual department for instructions.



Classification of Graduate Students

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The designation “graduate student” applies only to those who have been granted full or provisional admittance. All other students holding a baccalaureate level degree not admitted to a graduate program, yet wishing to take course work at The University , will be designated as special student-graduate.

Full Admission

Full admission to a graduate degree program is granted when the applicant satisfactorily meets all of the following requirements:

  1. Baccalaureate degree or an equivalent degree from an institution with full regional accreditation for that degree.
  2. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.7 or graduate GPA of a 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale.
  3. All other academic requirements of the specific graduate program are fully met. Such requirements are detailed in this catalog under the departmental listings and may include specific graduate test scores, prerequisite course work, and/or other admission requirements.

Provisional Admission

Provisional admission may be granted to an applicant who does not meet the conditions for full admission but who gives evidence that he/she may be capable of graduate level work. Reasons for provisional instead of full admission include, but are not limited to:

  1. Baccalaureate degree from an institution not having full regional accreditation.
  2. An undergraduate GPA of less than 2.7, based on a 4.0 scale.
  3. Deficiencies in departmental requirements for undergraduate education or other prerequisites for study toward a graduate degree in that academic program.

In order to gain full admission status, the student must demonstrate to departmental faculty that he/she is capable of keeping a grade point average of 3.0 or better during the first semester of study. Once this has been demonstrated, the provisional student needs to speak to their advisor about petitioning for full admission status.

Special Student-Graduate Status

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Students who are granted Special Student-Graduate status are not considered graduate students. Students with this status are not admitted to a graduate degree program. A public university has an obligation to make its resources available for a broad range of purposes including ongoing education for the interested public. Anyone holding an undergraduate regionally accredited baccalaureate or professional degree may register for individual courses at the graduate level without submitting an application to a degree program.

The special-student applicant is not required to furnish transcripts or recommendations and there is no minimum grade-point requirement. A student in this classification must complete a Special Student-Graduate application and meet prerequisite conditions, as determined by the instructor, for admission into specific courses. A student who is designated as a Special Student-Graduate, has not been admitted to the Graduate School; he/she has only been given permission to enroll in graduate courses. The Graduate School does not maintain files on special students but has access to the records at the Registrar’s Office. Should a special student wish to work toward a graduate degree later, he/she will be required to apply for admission into a degree program. Students with Special Student-Graduate status are not eligible for financial aid, including graduate assistantships.

Courses taken as a special student will be applicable to a graduate degree only by special action of an admitting department and permission of the Graduate Dean. Credit earned by a student enrolled in course work as a Special Student -Graduate status may or may not be acceptable toward a degree. Only six graduate credit hours earned as a special student may apply toward a degree once the student has been accepted.

Denial of admission to a degree program does not prohibit the applicant from enrolling as a special student. The special student may enroll for individual courses for which he/she is qualified with the consent of the department in which the course is offered.

Undergraduates Taking Graduate Courses

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Undergraduate students who are within nine credit hours of completing the requirements for their baccalaureate degree at The University of South Dakota and whose undergraduate record is such that he/she could qualify for admission to the Graduate School, may register for a limited number of courses for graduate credit. The total undergraduate and graduate course registration may not exceed the normal limit of graduate registration of twelve credit hours. Permission for an undergraduate to take graduate course work must be approved by the Graduate Dean. Such permission does not constitute admission to The Graduate School. Forms for petitioning to take graduate courses before completion of the requirements for the Bachelor’s degree are available in The Graduate School. Undergraduate students taking graduate coursework are still considered to have undergraduate status, although their graduate coursework is not credited toward their undergraduate degree.

Advisor and Committee Assignment

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At the time of admission to the graduate program or shortly thereafter, a committee will be established for each student. A temporary advisor is assigned to each student at the time of admission. This faculty member will serve as the student’s advisor for the first registration or until a permanent advisor or committee chairperson is assigned by the department.

An advisory committee consisting of three or more Graduate Faculty members is to be appointed following admission to a program. This committee must include the student’s major advisor and two or more other graduate faculty members, one of whom must be a graduate faculty member from an academic discipline outside the candidate’s department or division. Outside faculty members may be also be adjunct graduate faculty. For Master’s degrees, the committee is composed of at least three Graduate Faculty members, including the outside member. For most doctoral committees, the committee is composed of at least five Graduate Faculty members, including the outside member. For doctoral committees in the School of Education, the advisory committee is composed of four members including the outside member. The advisory committee will approve the student’s Program of Study, administer the written and/or oral examinations, approve the thesis or dissertation where applicable, and certify to The Graduate School that the candidate has satisfactorily met all requirements for an advanced degree. The student works closely with his/her advisor in determining who will serve on their advisory committee.

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