Registration, Enrollment, and Grades
Abidance of Guidelines
All students, including visiting, inter-institutional, and professional school students, enrolled in Graduate School courses at UMB are subject to Graduate School grading and registration guidelines and policies.
Students must have been approved for admission by the Graduate School to be eligible for registration and enrollment; only those who have been approved to enroll may attend classes.
Students are not officially enrolled without an active course registration entered into the University’s student information management system (SIMS). If a student does not register for at least one course in each semester (fall and spring), their registration eligibility is interrupted; they may request a leave of absence or must request re-entry and permission to re-enroll.
Full- and Part-Time Enrollment
Graduate students must be registered for a minimum of 9 total credit hours per semester to be considered a full-time student or to be enrolled on a full-time basis.
Students receiving a graduate assistantship must be enrolled on a full-time basis. Graduate assistants must register for 7 credits of ABGA 900, 901, or 902, whether receiving a half-time or a full-time assistantship. Thus, graduate assistants must register for an additional (minimum) 2 credits to be enrolled on a full-time basis. Additional information regarding the terms of enrollment for a graduate assistant are cited in the Financial Assistance/Graduate Assistantships part of this publication.
Students receiving need-based assistance (federal Title IV funds) need to be registered for at least 6 credit hours to be eligible for federal aid. Enrollment must include “regular” credit-bearing courses; courses taken for audit do not count.
Summer Term Registration
In general, degree students are not required to be registered during the summer term as part of the Graduate School’s Continuous Enrollment policy. And, with the exception of first-term international students, there is no full-time enrollment requirement in the summer term. Full-time enrollment in the summer is defined as at least 9 credit hours of course registration. Summer term registration, however, is expected for certain student groups, such as 12-month graduate assistants and students attempting to qualify for need-based federal financial assistance.
Changing a Schedule or Course Registration(s)
Students must register for coursework each term (except summer and winter) to maintain eligibility for a degree. Adjustments to course registrations should only be made before the start of the semester and should be undertaken in consultation with the students’ instructors and/or advisors. After the start of the term, changes may be made only in accordance with stated timetables. Further, students must file the necessary form(s) for registration changes with the appropriate University officials’ signature(s) of approval before changes are complete or official.
Add
Week 1: Fall, spring, or summer term – Students may add course(s) through the end of Week 1 only. (Winter term — Students may add a course through the end of Day 2 only.) Complete an Add/Drop form.
Drop
Weeks 1-3: Fall, spring, or summer term (winter term: through the end of Day 2) – Students may drop course(s) through the end of Week 3 with proper approvals and with no notation on the transcript. Complete an Add/Drop form with the instructor and advisor or program director. Partial (80 percent) or no refund depending upon drop date.
Weeks 4-8: Fall and spring term (through end of Day 18 in the summer term) – Students may drop course(s) through the end of Week 8 with instructor and advisor or program director approval. A notation of WD will appear on the transcript. Complete an Add/Drop form with the instructor and advisor or program director. Course(s) dropped counts as an attempt. There is no refund.
Beginning the ninth week of the fall and spring terms (or beginning Day 19 of the summer term, or from Day 3 to the end of the winter term), students are not permitted to drop a course. The student must complete the course, negotiate/request an Incomplete, or request the instructor to grant a Withdraw Pass or Withdraw Fail (WP/WF – use the Course Withdraw Form). There is no refund.
Graduate nursing students — i.e., nondegree/CWO, PhD, MS, and DNP students — are expected to abide by the registration change (add/drop) timelines, rules, and guidelines established by the School of Nursing.
Withdrawing From a Course Withdraw Pass/Withdraw Fail
If a student withdraws from a course after the first eight weeks of a fall or spring semester course or the first two weeks of a summer course, and the Course Withdrawal Request form is appropriately completed and filed with signature approvals, the student will receive a withdrawal mark of WP or WF for each course attempted. A withdrawal mark of WP means that the student was passing the course at the time of withdrawal; a withdrawal mark of WF means the student was failing at the time of withdrawal. Each WP and WF mark will appear on the official transcript. WP/WF marks are not included in the calculation of semester, term, or cumulative grade-point averages. However, WF marks are included as course failures when determinations of academic probation or academic failure are made. There are no refunds for WP/WF marks.
Cancellation of Registration
Registered students compelled to leave the University before the start of a term must file a notice of cancellation of registration with the Graduate School. Failure to file this notice and obtain approval by the Graduate School will result in loss of refund.
Once the semester begins, students are subject to the other schedule adjustment guidelines, policies, and procedures (add/drop, withdrawing, etc.) cited herein.
Leave of Absence
Students who wish to continue in a degree program but cannot study in a particular semester, session, or year must take a leave of absence with the approval of their academic advisor and the Graduate School. Students must complete a Leave of Absence Request form and present it to their program director and the Graduate School for approval. The Graduate School notifies students of leave approvals and the terms of re-enrollment. While there is no limit to the number of times a student may request a leave of absence, leaves do not extend the time required to complete degree requirements. Leaves of absence are not required for the summer term and are not required of nondegree/coursework-only students.
A student who is in academic jeopardy (academic probation) or who is otherwise not making satisfactory progress toward their degree – and who is granted an approved leave of absence – may be subject to additional review and modified terms of enrollment upon their return.
Withdrawing From the Graduate School
Once admitted to a graduate program, students are obligated to continue their course of studies. Students who desire or need to cease pursuing their degrees after registration and after the start of the term must submit a notice of withdrawal from the University, bearing the proper (program/department) signatures, to the Graduate School. The date used in computing a refund is the filing date of the document for withdrawal. Students who withdraw during a semester and do not file an application for withdrawal receive marks of failure in all courses and forfeit the right to any refund that they would otherwise receive. Students seeking to re-enter graduate study after withdrawal must reapply for admission and compete with a new entering class.
Reinstatement
Students who “stop out” — that is, leave their studies for a period of time without formally withdrawing or taking an approved leave of absence — must request to be reinstated as returning students. The request may be made directly to the program/ department for review, with accompanying notification to the Graduate School. A student who has been away from studies (i.e., no active enrollment or registration) for more than two years must appeal for reinstatement to the student’s program and the Graduate School. This request must be made in writing and addressed to the program director and the Graduate School.
Depending upon the student’s academic standing at the time of departure and/or the length of departure, the student may be required to reapply and compete with a new entering class. The department is under no obligation to readmit the student. For students reinstated, a reassessment of the relevancy and applicability of prior courses toward the degree may be undertaken. Students in graduate studies in the School of Nursing must comply with its Policy on Students Who Stop-Out.
Change of Degree Intent
An enrolled student who needs or desires a change of degree intent (master’s to PhD or vice versa) must submit a written request to their advisor and program director. The request should include the reason(s) for the request and the effective semester of change. The request must be approved by the advisor and the program director and forwarded to the Graduate School for final approval.
Change of Program
An enrolled student who desires to change their program of study within the Graduate School must submit a written request to the program director of the desired program. The request must include the reason(s) for the request and the effective semester of change. The request also must be copied to the director and advisor from the program the student is leaving and to the Graduate School. In most cases, a new application for admission and supplemental documentation may be required.
Undergraduates Taking Graduate Courses for Undergraduate Credit
Subject to requirements decided by the program offering the course, undergraduate students may register for graduate-level courses — i.e., those numbered from 600 to 898 (except 799) — for undergraduate credit. A student seeking this option normally will be in their senior year; have earned an accumulated grade-point average of 3.0; have successfully completed, with a grade of B or better, the prerequisite and correlative courses; and be majoring in an appropriate department. Enrollment in a graduate- level course does not in any way imply subsequent Graduate School or program approval for credit for a graduate degree at the University of Maryland except in relation to approved five-year bachelor’s or master’s programs.
Undergraduates Taking Courses for Graduate Credit
UMB undergraduate students who have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 in the discipline in which they wish to take the course, and are within 7 credits of graduation, may register for some 400- to 600-level-and-above courses, which may later count for credit toward a graduate degree at UMB. Except in approved bachelor’s or master’s programs, the credits must be beyond those required for the student’s undergraduate degree. Credits in the senior year over those required for graduation cannot count for graduate credit without prior, written approval of the instructor in the course, the director of the respective graduate program, and the Graduate School dean.
Grades
The Graduate School permits instructors to assign final grades using the “plus or minus” grading system. The available letter grades and corresponding quality point values used for grade-point average calculations are as follows:
| A |
4.00 |
| A- |
3.67 |
| B+ |
3.33 |
| B |
3.00 |
| B- |
2.67 |
| C+ |
2.33 |
| C |
2.00 |
| C- |
1.67 |
| D+ |
1.33 |
| D |
1.00 |
| D- |
0.67 |
| F |
0.00 |
All graduate students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better to remain in good academic standing and to graduate. If no grade is given to a student, the student automatically receives a No Mark (NM) on their record at the end of the term.
The NM remains on the record until a final letter grade is submitted. All No Marks and Incompletes on a student’s record must be reconciled (i.e., given the appropriate terminal grade) before the student graduates. Since graduate students must maintain an overall B grade-point average (a B- average does not constitute satisfactory academic progress), every credit hour of C in coursework must be balanced by a credit hour of A. However, a grade of A in master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation research will not balance a grade of C in a course.
Repeating a Course
Students must repeat courses in their designated degree program in which they receive a D or F. No student may graduate with an unresolved or unrepeated F on the record. Students who earn a grade lower than a B may repeat the course. The grade on any repeated course, whether it is higher or lower than the original grade, takes the place of the original grade. Students may repeat a course only once, unless the course has been designated or approved as a multiple repeat course for degree completion (e.g., lab rotations, special topics, thesis/dissertation registrations).
Pass/Fail
Programs may use a Pass/Fail (P/F) grading system at their discretion for independent field work, special projects, independent study, seminars, workshops, and departmental courses in instructional methods.
Audit
Courses taken for Audit (AU) do not count toward the minimum credit requirement for degree or postbaccalaureate certificate completion. Charges for audit courses are the same as credit courses, except for ABGA courses.
Changes to Grade Method
Changes to the method used for a student’s final course grade (i.e., letter grade to pass/fail or letter grade to audit) may not be made after the last day to drop a course (end of Week 8) for the term.
Temporary and Final Grades (Incompletes and No Marks)
Students should complete all the requirements of graduate coursework during the semester in which they take the course. The graduate faculty should issue final grades by the date listed on the final report of grades. No student may graduate with an Incomplete (I), No Mark (NM), or failing grade (F) in courses required for their degree program.
Incomplete Grades
An Incomplete grade (I) is appropriate (i.e., may be assigned by the instructor) when a student has an unexpected inability to complete a final assignment in a class. Students should not re-register for a course when an Incomplete has been assigned.
The student and the instructor/faculty member should create and sign a contract that facilitates completion of the outstanding assignment(s). Graduate faculty must change Incomplete (I) grades to final letter grades for all courses required for the degree.
They must assign letter grades within one academic year of the time at which the required course ended. This policy does not apply to the 799 and 899 research grades, where the graduate faculty may assign letter grades, Pass/Fail (P/F) grades, or Incomplete grades. Incomplete grades should be replaced by appropriate terminal grades before the examining committee approves the applicable research.
No Mark Grades
A No Mark grade (NM) is put in place opposite courses in which no final grade has been posted (i.e., when a faculty member is unable to submit a grade by the grade deadline). Students should not re-register for a course when a No Mark has been assigned except in the case of lab rotations and thesis/dissertation research.
Appeal of Grade
A student who thinks that a final grade in a course is the result of arbitrary or capricious grading may appeal to the Graduate School dean. The procedural guidelines for handling allegations of arbitrary and capricious grading appear in the Policies section of this catalog.
Credit by Examination
A graduate student may obtain graduate credit by examination in courses at the 400 level previously identified as acceptable by the appropriate program. Generally, credit by examination is not available for courses at the 600, 700, or 800 levels for courses that, in the judgment of the Graduate Council, require a continuing interaction between faculty and students to achieve the educational goals of advanced study. Students may receive credit by examination only for a course in which they are otherwise eligible to receive graduate credit. Programs may establish limits on the number of credits students may earn through credit by examination. Graduate students seeking this option must obtain the consent of their advisors. The fee for each examination is equivalent to the cost of graduate tuition for 1 credit. Students must pay the nonrefundable fee upon application for the examination.
Academic Record (Transcript)
A graduate student’s academic record (transcript) serves as a complete, official history of their academic progress at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. As such, it will not change except in accordance with stated Graduate School policies. Under no circumstances will the academic records change because of dissatisfaction with a grade or other academic accomplishment.
Course Numbering System
Course levels are designated as follows:
- 100-399: Undergraduate courses not acceptable for credit toward graduate degrees.
- 400-499: Junior and senior courses acceptable for credit toward some graduate degrees if specifically approved by the Graduate Council.
- 500-599: Professional school courses and certain postbaccalaureate courses acceptable for graduate degree credit only if approved by the Graduate Council.
- 600-898: Courses normally reserved for graduate students.
- 799: Master’s thesis research.
- 899: Doctoral dissertation research.
- 901-999: Interprofessional courses acceptable for graduate degree credit only if approved by the Graduate Council.
Credit Hour Definition
- An in-state institution shall award 1 credit hour for:
- A minimum of 15 hours, of 50 minutes each of actual class time, exclusive of registration, study days, and holidays;
- A minimum of 30 hours, of 50 minutes each of supervised laboratory or studio time, exclusive of registration, study days, and holidays;
- A minimum of 45 hours, of 50 minutes each of instructional situations such as practica, internships, and cooperative education placements, when supervision is ensured and learning is documented; or
- Instruction delivered by electronic media based on the equivalent outcomes in student learning of this regulation, and may include a combination of telelessons, classroom instruction, student consultation with instructors, and readings, when supervision is ensured and learning is documented.
COMAR - 13B.02.02.16 - http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/comarhtml/13b/13b.02.02.16.htm