All graduate students in degree status must enroll in: academic course work; independent study; thesis, professional project, or dissertation credits; one of the continuation courses (thesis, dissertation, or professional project continuation; field placement continuation; graduate assistant teaching or research; comprehensive and qualifying exam preparation; graduate standing continuation); or a combination of these every fall and spring term until graduation to maintain their graduate student status, unless all degree requirements are complete and a graduation application has been submitted. Continuation courses allow those graduate students who have completed their course work but are still working on other degree requirements to be considered full-time, half-time or less than half-time. Degree-seeking students who are still completing degree requirements and fail to enroll for a fall or spring term are discontinued. (See the Readmission section of this bulletin.)

Thesis, Dissertation, or Professional Project Continuation

Students who have completed all credit requirements for their degree but need to continue work on their thesis, dissertation or professional project may retain graduate status by enrolling in Master's Thesis Continuation (9994/9995/9996), Doctoral Dissertation Continuation (9997/9998/9999), or Professional Project Continuation (9991/9992/9993). Each of these non-credit courses allows students to be considered the equivalent of less than half-time status if completing less than 12 hours per week, half-time status if completing more than 12 to less than 20 hours per week, and full-time status if completing 20 hours or more per week, respectively. A student's status is dependent on the contact hours/amount of course work expected of students/faculty during the term, as outlined in the university policy, that guides the awarding of credit. (See the Credit section of this bulletin).

Field Placement Continuation

Students who have completed all credit requirements for their degree but still must participate in a practicum or internship experience may retain graduate status by enrolling in Field Placement Continuation (9977/9978/9979). Each of these non-credit courses allows students to be considered the equivalent of less than half-time status if completing less than 12 hours per week, half-time status if completing more than 12 to less than 20 hours per week, and full-time status if completing 20 hours or more per week, respectively, depending on the amount of work being devoted to their placement each term.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistants and fellows who are enrolled in less than seven credits in a term and enroll in a non-credit Graduate Assistant Teaching (9975), Graduate Assistant Research (9976) or Graduate Fellowship (9974) course are considered full-time students.

Comprehensive or Qualifying Exam Preparation

Students who are preparing for comprehensive or qualifying exams may retain graduate status by enrolling in the appropriate Master’s Comprehensive Exam Preparation course (9984/9985/9986) or Doctoral Qualifying Exam Preparation course (9987/9988/9989). These non-credit courses are graded on an SNC/UNC basis, and they may be taken alone or in conjunction with credit courses. Each of these non-credit courses allows students to be considered the equivalent of less than half-time status if completing less than 12 hours per week, half-time status if completing more than 12 to less than 20 hours per week, and full-time status if completing 20 hours or more per week, respectively.

The Master's Comprehensive Exam Preparation course or the Doctoral Qualifying Exam Preparation course is normally taken during the term in which the student anticipates taking the exam. These courses are generally taken only once. If students either fail the exam or for some reason do not take the exam, they may register for the appropriate Exam Preparation course for a second term, which requires the submission of a Request to Repeat a Course form.

Graduate Standing Continuation

Students are required to be enrolled every fall and spring term. If a student does not meet the conditions for a temporary withdrawal or is not yet ready to graduate but needs to remain active as a student, then the student should register for this non-credit course entitled Graduate Standing Continuation (9970). Graduate Standing Continuation is designated as less than half-time only. It may not be used in conjunction with other courses, and it will not qualify students for loans or loan deferment.

Continuation Course Registration Procedures

Registration for a continuation course requires that a student meet with their adviser or thesis/dissertation director (and director of graduate students or chair if required by department policy).

1. A student should determine the number of hours per week that their desired status requires, and agree to complete that number of hours. If the student becomes unable to work that number of hours, they must notify their department so that their status can be changed appropriately.
2. The instructor of record monitors the hours that the student is completing toward the enrollment status assigned. If the status changes, the instructor should notify the Graduate School immediately.
3. The student is issued a permission number for the appropriate course by their department.
4. The student registers themselves for the course on CheckMarq. The student must register on CheckMarq for the continuous enrollment course on or before the deadline to Add/Drop as per the Graduate Academic Calendar.

Enrollment information may not be accurate for students who are not registered by the deadline to Add/Drop and may affect requests for information provided through the Office of the Registrar (such as enrollment verification requests from lending institutions, insurance companies, etc.).