Graduate School Policies

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Because variation exist in the requirements for the degree programs, it is important for students to become well acquainted with the specific requirements of their program. The following description covers University requirements and serves as a general guide.

These are the minimum degree requirements of The Graduate School. Requirements of specific degree programs may vary. Students should confer with individual departments to determine if the program requires more than the minimum credit hours required by The Graduate School.

Master’s Degree

The University offers several Master’s degrees. Depending up on the program, these Master’s degrees may have alternative plans of study: Plan A requires the writing of a thesis; Plan B does not. Because departmental policies regarding thesis requirements vary, students should confer with department chairpersons or graduate program directors/coordinators to determine which of the following plans is required. Plan A requires no less than 30 semester credit hours: a minimum of 18 credit hours of course work in the major department with an additional 4 to 6 credit hours of thesis. Thesis guidelines are available through The Graduate School. Plan B requires no less than 32 semester credit hours: a minimum of 18 credit hours in the major department. This option may require a Master’s project in lieu of the thesis and/or comprehensive exams.

The University also offers the M.P.A. (Master of Professional Accountancy) and M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) through the School of Business and the M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration) through the Department of Political Science (College of Arts and Sciences).

Specialist in Education Degree (Ed.S.)

The Specialist in Education degree requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond a baccalaureate degree or a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond a Master’s degree. A thesis for the Ed.S. is optional. If a student already has a Master’s degree, their graduate GPA must be a 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for full admission to The University of South Dakota for the Specialist in Education degree.

Doctoral Degrees

There are several Doctoral degrees offered by The University of South Dakota.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is a terminal research degree with a focus on education practice. The Ed.D. requires a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, or 60 credit hours beyond the Master’s degree, whichever is greater. A dissertation is required. A maximum of 15 credit hours of dissertation may be applied towards the degree.

Clinical Doctorate (e.g. Au.D., D.P.T.) is a practice-focused terminal degree in clinical fields. Depending upon the discipline, the clinical doctorate may require more than 100 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree and an extensive clinical experience. A dissertation is not required.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is the terminal degree in many fields and is a research-focused degree. The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 84 credit hours, or 54 credit hours beyond the Master’s degree. A dissertation based on in-depth original research is required. Fifteen credit hours of dissertation are required by The Graduate School. The degree program may entail more than 15 credit hours of dissertation and/or other specific requirements.

Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is the law degree typically awarded by an accredited US law school after successful completion of three years of post-graduate law study. Law students are prepared for careers in leadership in the administration of justice, private practice, public service, business, and several other law-related careers.

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) is the first professional degree awarded in the field of medicine. Medical students complete two years of basic science education in Vermillion followed by two years of clinical science education at one of several sites in South Dakota.

A full-time graduate-student course load is 9-12 credit hours. During the regular academic year, the normal maximum registration for a graduate student is 12 credit hours per semester. The normal registration during an eight-week summer session is nine credit hours of course work; however, 12 credit hours may be allowed in exceptional cases or when registration includes thesis/dissertation research. The Graduate Dean may certify that a student enrolled for less than 9 credit hours is to be considered full time for purposes such as financial aid, insurance, etc. Students on graduate assistantships must enroll for at least 9 credit hours during the academic year, and at least one credit hour during a summer session.

To be considered a full-time student, a student must be enrolled in a minimum of nine credit hours of graduate course work during each academic semester, at least five hours of graduate course work during the 10-week summer session, or at least three hours of graduate course work during a 5-week summer session. Students receiving compensation from graduate assistantships during the summer must register for at least one credit hour.

To be eligible for overload status (i.e. more than 12 credits), a student must have approval by the Graduate Dean.

Residence refers to fulltime registration, regardless of where a student lives. Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of two academic years of residence or full-time graduate registration except for executive-format programs. Departmental requirements concerning residency may vary for Master’s students. To ensure that they meet any residency requirements, graduate students should check with individual departments if they plan to obtain graduate credit through off-campus courses.

A maximum of nine graduate credit hours from other regionally accredited institutions may be transferred toward a Master’s degree program. These transfer credits must have been completed no more than seven years prior to conferment of the USD graduate degree. The transfer credit approval form must be signed by the student’s advisor, department chairperson, and approved by the Graduate School. More than nine credits may be transferred toward Educational Specialist and doctoral degrees. Check with the academic department for information on the number of credits that may be approved for transfer and the time limits on these credits. Typically, no more than 30 credit hours from a Master’s degree are transferred to a Education Specialist or doctoral program.

An official transcript must be sent directly to the Graduate School to verify all requests for approval of transfer credit, unless such transcript is on file with The Graduate School. Requests for approval of transfer credit should be made during the first session in residence in order to avoid any misunderstanding regarding acceptance of such credit. Final approval of all transfer credit rests with the Graduate School and any exceptions to this policy the Graduate Dean. The following conditions must be met before credit can be accepted:

1. The student must have been in good standing in the institution from where the credit is transferred.
2. The grades in courses transferred are “B” or better; “N”, “P”, “S” or similar designations are acceptable for up to three credit hours with approval. (Note, only three credit hours of “N”, “P”, or “S” may be on the program of study, whether these are from transferred or USD courses).
3. The institution is regionally accredited at the Master’s level.

Transfer credit from another institution will be recorded on a USD transcript only if the transfer work is accepted as part of a USD graduate degree.

The entire work for the Master’s, Specialist in Education, Clinical Doctorate, and Doctorate in Education must be completed within a period of seven calendar years from the date of the first registration. For the Ph.D., all requirements must be completed within 5 years following the date of admission to Ph.D. candidacy. By special permission of the Graduate Dean, the time may be extended.

Graduate credits earned more than seven years prior to the date of intended graduation must be validated. The method of validation is to be decided upon by the student’s advisory committee and sent to the Graduate Dean for final approval. Normally, validation may include repeating of the course, satisfactorily completing a final examination for the course, demonstration of relevant professional experience, or specific additional questions on the comprehensive examination.

Course numbers are coded by a prefix to indicate disciplines or significant sub-discipline, and a three-digit number. The 500 series indicates beginning level graduate courses.

Where appropriate, graduate lectures may be given in conjunction with an undergraduate course of the same title. In all such cases, it is the instructor’s responsibility to maintain a documented difference in the quality and depth of work appropriate to graduate education. No USD course work numbered 400 or below may be used on a program of study to fulfill graduate degree requirements. The 700 series is clearly and solely graduate material at Master’s or Specialist level. The 800 series indicates Doctoral levels of study.

Students may use WebAdvisor (http://www.usd.edu/registrar/registration-for-current-students.cfm) to drop and/or add courses after initial registration until the end of the Drop/Add period. After the Drop/Add period, which is typically the first week to ten days of the semester, the student must obtain a Drop/Add form from the Registrar’s Office located in Belbas Center. This form must be properly completed, signed by the instructor(s), the student’s advisor, and the Graduate Dean. It is then submitted to the Registrar’s Office for processing. The deadline and procedure for adding and dropping classes are available at http://www.usd.edu/registrar.

Students wishing to change their degree programs must meet the admission criteria for the new degree program. These criteria may include graduate admission tests or prerequisite course work. Once the student has determined and completed any required admissions tests or course work, they may obtain the Change of Degree Program form from The Graduate School. The student should complete the top portion of the form, present it to the current department chairperson or graduate director for approval and then present it to the intended degree program for approval. The Graduate School will request that records of the student be sent to the intended degree program. The intended program will review the student’s file and will notify The Graduate School regarding approval or denial of the change of degree program request. The student is then notified by The Graduate School regarding the approval of their request for a Change of Degree Program.

Additional Master’s degrees may be earned by a student at The University of South Dakota with the following restrictions: no more than nine credit hours from a previous Master’s degree may be applied toward another degree, provided the course work does not exceed the seven-year time limit. Approval of the program must be obtained from the chairperson of the major department, the chairperson of the department in which supporting courses are completed, and the Graduate Dean.

The University of South Dakota recognizes the importance of confidentiality of student information and complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. The current policies of USD regarding the release of information and the rights of students with respect to information maintained on their records are included in the Student Handbook available at http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/student-resources.cfm

The Graduate School website and Graduate Student Listserv are two valuable sources of information for new and continuing students. All graduate students receive mailings from the Graduate Listserv unless they choose to unsubscribe.

The graduate student admitted to a graduate program must make satisfactory academic progress each term toward completion of the graduate degree being sought. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress are subject to academic probation. If the cumulative GPA of graduate students receiving assistantships falls below a 3.0, the student will not continue to receive the assistantship without the express approval of the department chair and the Graduate Dean.

Grades

In addition to overall satisfactory performance, graduate students must maintain a “B” average in all work included in the program of study submitted for their degrees, with no more than one-third of the credit hours with grades of “C”. No grade below a “C” is acceptable for graduate credit. All grades of “Incomplete” on the program of study must be removed prior to graduation. Grades of “D”, “F”, or other unsatisfactory designations are not acceptable. This does not mean that grades of “D” and “F” may not be assigned to graduate student but that credit for courses in which such grades have been earned will not be counted toward a graduate degree although they are included in GPA calculations. For repeated courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, only the last grade is used in computing the grade point average. For the Law School, only the first grade is used in computing the grade point average. For the Medical School, all grades are averaged in the grade point average. Repeated courses are marked with an “R” or “Repeated.”

The candidate’s graduate committee, with approval of the Graduate Dean, may approve one course, not to exceed three credit hours, to be taken at the graduate level for a grade designation of S (satisfactory).

Students and non-students at The University of South Dakota who wish to audit a course may do so with the approval of the instructor and the dean of the school/college in which the course is offered, providing that there is space in the classroom after all registered students have been accommodated. Participation in class as an auditor is at the discretion of the instructors. No USD credit is granted for courses that are audited. All auditors must submit a “Request for Audit” form to the Registrar’s Office (form available at http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/student-resources.cfm). Regular tuition and fees are charged for audited courses. An auditor wishing to change registration from audit to credit must do so during the regular drop/add period. The auditing fee is non-refundable.

If a student has more than one course of unsatisfactory work and/or has not maintained a 3.0 graduate GPA, The Graduate School may place the student on probation and/or dismiss him/her. Degree programs review academic standing of all their graduate students each term, notifying students directly of academic probation, and for recommending dismissal of a student to the Graduate Dean. A graduate student may be recommended for dismissal from the program at any time for failure to meet the degree program’s or The Graduate School’s standards of academic performance and progress.

It is the policy of The Graduate School that any department, through due process, may deny a graduate student admission or continued enrollment in a program. The reasons for denial or dismissal include: (1) academic performance that does not meet the standards of the department and The Graduate School, or (2) conduct in violation or unfavorable of the ethical or professional standards of the degree program or discipline involved. Academic appeals are handled through the Graduate Academic Appeal Policy (see below). In addition, general campus rules and policies relating to student conduct are found in the Student Handbook available at http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/student-resources.cfm. For further information, call the Office of Student Life (605) 677-5331 or The Graduate School (605) 677-6287.

A procedure has been established for impartial review and hearing of any academic grievance. The University’s graduate academic appeal procedures can be found in Appendix A of this document. A student pursuing an academic appeal should confer with the Graduate Dean before initiating the process. All other grievance proceedings should contact the Director of Student Rights & Responsibilities (srr@usd.edu) or the Affirmative Action Director (equalopp@usd.edu).

The student is responsible for ensuring that the following requirements have been completed and should stay in close contact with his or her advisor throughout the graduate program. Students can obtain a list of deadline dates for the semester the student expects to graduate at http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/student-resources.cfm.

1. Admittance: Student is admitted on either full or provisional admission. Any student admitted provisionally must attain full admission status prior to being considered as a candidate for a graduate degree. To change status from provisional to full, the student must meet all provisions of their initial admission. The change of status form is available in The Graduate School, 107 Slagle Hall. Students in the School of Education must go to the Graduate Student Services Office in Room 114 at Delzell Education Center to obtain the form.
    
2. Immunization verification: An Immunization Form must be completed for all on-campus (both Vermillion Main Campus and University Center in Sioux Falls) students before the student may register for classes. This policy also applies to special students. Once a student has been admitted, The University of South Dakota’s Student Health Department will send the required form to the student’s residence to be completed immediately.
    
3. Advisor assignment: An advisor and committee are assigned by the department.
    
4. Meet with advisor: The student meets with advisor and register for class. Discuss program of study and overall plan for the program.
    
5. Program of Study: A Program of Study must be filed with The Graduate School in the semester before the expected date of graduation. The program is determined after a student has consulted with his/her advisor. The Program of Study presented for fulfillment of degree requirements must be comprised of all graduate work and at least 50% of the course work at the 700-course level or above. No more than two workshop courses may be included on a Program of Study without permission of the Graduate Dean. Approved transfer credits should be indicated on the Program of Study. The transfer approval and transcript must accompany the Program of Study, if not already on file in The Graduate School. Only nine credit hours may be transferred from other institutions as part of a Program of Study. The form is available electronically at http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/student-resources.cfm. The Graduate School cannot accept the Program of Study until the student’s advisory committee and major department chairperson have signed it.
    
6. Ph.D. Candidacy: A student is formally admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. upon successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam. The structure, expectations, and timing of comprehensive examinations vary among Ph.D. granting departments. Consult specific degree programs for more information about the Comprehensive Exam.
    
7. Application for Degree: An Application for Degree must be made no later than the designated deadline for the semester in which the student expects to graduate. The deadlines and forms are available at http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/student-resources.cfm. Failure to file an Application for Degree at the appropriate time can delay graduation.
    
8. Final Evaluation of a Graduate Student: The method of evaluation of graduate students is at the discretion of the degree program. It may be a written and/or verbal evaluation, or any other method that requires the student to demonstrate their depth and scope of knowledge. More information on the final evaluation of a graduate student is explained in each program section. Students writing a thesis or dissertation will be required to complete a verbal defense of their research. Devotion to the demands of advanced learning while utilizing a variety of intellectual skills is expected of the graduate student. While progress toward a graduate degree is continually assessed, every department is required to evaluate and assess the quality of the learning experience of each student at the end of the program of study. The final examination for Master’s, Specialist, and Doctoral level candidates will be open to all members of the graduate faculty. Participation in this examination, however, is only with the prior consent of the chairperson of the committee.
    
9. Graduation Approval: The Graduation Approval form contains the results of the oral and/or written final evaluation of the graduate student, and thesis or dissertation grades and accepted credit hours. The form is to be retained by the chairperson of the advisory committee until degree requirements are completed, at which time the Graduation Approval is submitted to the Graduate School. The deadline for the approval is approximately three weeks prior to graduation.
    
10. Thesis/Dissertation Submission: The final thesis or dissertation must be submitted to The Graduate School, for Master’s degree students under Plan A and all Doctorate students. The documents must be submitted in unbound form approximately two weeks before graduation. Two copies of the thesis or three copies of the dissertation are to be submitted on or prior to the date established by the Graduate School each session. A Guide to Preparing the Dissertation or Thesis is available at http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/student-resources.cfm.
     
11. Commencement: Candidates are urged to attend the commencement exercises for the degree that is being sought. Students who have completed all requirements for a degree, but whose formal graduation is delayed, may obtain a Letter of Certification of Completion of Degree Requirements from the Graduate Dean. PLEASE NOTE: If a student fails the written or oral examinations, The Graduate School must be notified in writing immediately so that the student’s name can be removed from the commencement program. The memo should also indicate if the student is to be allowed re-examinations and under what conditions. Permission to repeat a failed examination is at the discretion of the committee, which normally requires an intervening period of additional study.