Graduate School Academic Policies and Procedures 2010-2012
Appendices

Appendix 1 - Schools and Colleges, Graduate Degrees [ back to the top ]

University of Wisconsin-Madison Schools and Colleges

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences	Wisconsin School of Business
School of Education	College of Engineering
Graduate School	School of Human Ecology
Law School	College of Letters and Science
School of Medicine and Public Health	School of Nursing
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies	School of Pharmacy
School of Veterinary Medicine

Graduate Degrees Offered at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Master of Accountancy (M.Acc.)

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Master of Engineering (M.Engr.)

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

Master of French Studies (M.F.S.)

Master of International Public Affairs (M.I.P.A.)

Master of Music (M.M.)

Master of Public Affairs (M.P.A.)

Master of Science (M.S.)

Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)

Doctor of Audiology (Ph.D.)

Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)

Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

For a list of programs and degrees offered by each department, see UW-Madison Graduate Academic Programs, grad.wisc.edu/education/academicprograms/index.html. Also see the current Graduate School Catalog, www.wisc.edu/grad/catalog.

Appendix 2 - Payroll Benefits [ back to the top ]

	Fellow	Trainee	Research Assistant	Project Assistant	Teaching Assistant
Subject to State and Federal Income Taxes	yes*	yes*	yes	yes	yes
Withholding	no**	no**	yes	yes	yes
Covered by Social Security	no	no	no	yes***	yes***
W2	no****	no****	yes	yes	yes
Health Insurance (if at least 33.33% time appointment or an equivalent)	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Remission of nonresident portion of tuition (if at least 33.33% time appointment or an equivalent)	yes	no	yes	yes	yes
Remission of resident portion of tuition (if at least 33.33% time appointment or an equivalent)	no	no	yes#	yes#	yes#
Represented by a Labor Union	no	no	no	yes	yes
Vacation	no	varies	no	yes	no
Sick Leave	no	varies	no	yes	yes

* May deduct tuition, fees, and books from stipends when calculating taxable income.
** Except international students. See your payroll coordinator.
*** Half-time enrollment is required for exemption.
**** The university provides fellows and trainees a summary of stipend payments each January.
# Does not include segregated fees which are the responsibility of the student.

Appendix 3 - Grading System [ back to the top ]

Grades are assigned only by instructors and are reported only by letter grade. Plus and minus grades are not accepted.

The university uses the following grading system:

	Grade	Grade-points per credit
A	Excellent	4
AB	Intermediate	3.5
B	Good	3
BC	Intermediate	2.5
C	Fair	2
D	Poor	1
F	Failure	0

The following grades have no associated grade points and are excluded from the graduate Grade Point Average (GPA):

S	Satisfactory
U	Unsatisfactory
I	Incomplete (a temporary grade when work is not completed)
P	Progress
#S	Pass - used in the Pass/Fail system, does not count for graduate student credit
#U	Failure - used in the Pass/Fail system
PI	Permanent Incomplete
DR	Dropped
W	Withdrew
CR	Credit
N	No Credit
IN	Incomplete in Credit/No Credit Course (a temporary grade when work is not completed)
M	Missing - used for audited courses
NR	No Report (a temporary grade for a graded course when a final grade has not been submitted by the instructor; a final grade for an audited course when the student did not meet the instructor's minimum standards)
NW	No Work - used for non-attendance in a course
Q	Question on Credits

Appendix 4 - Grade-Point Average Calculation [ back to the top ]

An interactive online GPA calculator is available via the Wisconsin School of Business Undergraduate Academic Services Office, bus.wisc.edu/undergrad/advising/gpa_calc.asp.

To calculate graduate GPA:

• Refer to the grading system table, Appendix 3, to find the grade-point value of each letter grade on your transcript.
• Multiply the grade-point value by the number of credits for the course. For example, a three (3) credit AB would be calculated as:

  	3.5	grade-points for an AB
  	x    3	credits
  =	10.5	grade-points

• Continue this calculation for every course numbered 300 and above that you took as a graduate student. Do include independent study courses and seminars. Do not include research courses; each department determines course numbers for their research courses. Do not include courses taken as a special student. If you have questions about which courses are not used in calculating your GPA, contact the Graduate School Office of Academic Services and Fellowship Administration, 217 Bascom Hall, 262-2433, gsacserv@bascom.wisc.edu.
• Add the total number of grade points earned and the total number of credits earned.
• Divide the total number of grade points by the total number of credits.

  	215	grade points
  	/    60	credits
  =	3.58	GPA

  This final figure is your graduate GPA.

Appendix 5 - Graduate School Minimum Degree Requirements: Masters [ back to the top ]

Master's Degrees: M.A., M.Acc., M.B.A., M.Engr., M.F.A., M.F.S., M.I.P.A., M.M., M.P.A., M.S., M.S.W.

To make progress toward a graduate degree, students must meet the Graduate School requirements in addition to the requirements of the department or program. See department or program Criteria for Satisfactory Progress, available in the Graduate School Catalog.

Overall Graduate GPA 3.00	Other Grade Requirements Yes
The Graduate School requires an average grade of B or better in all course work (300 or above, not including research credits) taken as a graduate student unless conditions for probationary status require higher grades. Grades of Incomplete are considered to be unsatisfactory if they are not removed during the next enrolled semester.
Probation Policy Yes The Graduate School regularly reviews the record of any student who earned grades of BC, C, D, F, or Incomplete in a graduate course (300 or above), or a grade of U in research credits. This review could result in academic probation with a hold on future enrollment or in being suspended from the Graduate School.
Specific Courses Determined by department	Specific Credits Determined by department
Examinations Determined by department	Language Requirements Determined by department
Other Assessments Yes	Time Constraints Yes
A master's degree requires a minimum of 16 graduate credits (300 level or above, no audits or pass/fail) taken as a graduate student at UW-Madison. M.F.A. candidates are required to complete a minimum of 24 graduate credits (300 level or above, no audits or pass/fail) taken as a graduate student at UW-Madison. Master's degree students who are absent for five or more years will not be given credit for prior work.
Advisor Yes Every graduate student is required to have an advisor. An advisor is a faculty member, or sometimes a committee, from the program responsible for providing advice regarding graduate studies. An advisor generally serves as the thesis advisor. In many cases, an advisor is assigned to incoming students. A committee often accomplishes advising for students in early stages of their studies. Students can be suspended from the Graduate School if they do not have an advisor.
Review Policy To ensure they are making satisfactory progress toward a degree, students are encouraged to meet with their department advisors on a regular basis. The Graduate School regularly monitors the progress of all graduate students.

Appendix 6 - Graduate School Minimum Degree Requirements: Doctoral Degrees [ back to the top ]

Doctoral Degrees: D.M.A., D.N.P., Ph.D.

To make progress toward a graduate degree, students must meet the Graduate School requirements in addition to the requirements of the department or program. See department or program Criteria for Satisfactory Progress, available in the Graduate School Catalog.

Overall Graduate GPA 3.00	Other Grade Requirements Yes
The Graduate School requires an average grade of B or better in all course work (300 or above, not including research credits) taken as a graduate student unless conditions for probationary status require higher grades. Grades of Incomplete are considered to be unsatisfactory if they are not removed during the next enrolled semester.
Probation Policy Yes The Graduate School regularly reviews the record of any student who earned grades of BC, C, D, F, or Incomplete in a graduate course (300 or above), or a grade of U in research credits. This review could result in academic probation with a hold on future enrollment or in being suspended from the Graduate School.
Specific Courses Determined by department	Specific Credits Determined by department
Examinations Yes	Time Constraints Yes
Doctoral students are required to take a comprehensive preliminary examination after they have cleared their record of all Incomplete and Progress grades (other than research and thesis). Doctoral students have five years from the date of passing the preliminary examination to take the final oral examination and deposit the dissertation. A candidate for the Ph.D. degree who fails to take the final oral examination within five years after passing the preliminary examination is required to take another preliminary examination and be admitted to candidacy a second time.
Other Assessments Yes	Time Constraints No
A Ph.D. degree requires 32 graduate credits (300 level or above, no audits or pass/fail) taken as a graduate student at UW-Madison. Deposit of the doctoral dissertation in the Graduate School is required.
Language Requirements Determined by department
Minor Requirements Determined by program Individual programs determine whether or not a minor is required.  If required, minor options are as follows. Option A minor requires a minimum of 9 credits in a single program of study. Selection of this option requires the approval of the minor department. Option B minor requires a minimum of 9 credits in one or more departments and can include course work in the program. Selection of this option requires the approval of the program. Minimum course requirements for the minor include: Average GPA of 3.00 on all minor course work. Course work must be graduate level (the equivalent of UW-Madison courses 300 level or above; no audits or pass/fail). Maximum 3 credits of independent study (e.g., 699, 799, 899, 999). Research and thesis cannot be used to satisfy the minor (e.g., 790, 890, 990). No more than 5 credits of course work completed more than five years prior to admission to the Ph.D.; course work taken ten years ago or more may not be used.
Advisor Yes Every graduate student is required to have an advisor. An advisor is a faculty member, or sometimes a committee, from the program responsible for providing advice regarding graduate studies. An advisor generally serves as the dissertation advisor. In many cases, an advisor is assigned to incoming students. A committee often accomplishes advising for students in early stages of their studies. Students can be suspended from the Graduate School if they do not have an advisor.
Review Policy To ensure they are making satisfactory progress toward a degree, students are encouraged to meet with their department advisors on a regular basis. The Graduate School regularly monitors the progress of all graduate students.

Appendix 7 - Enrollment Requirements [ back to the top ]

This is a quick guide to full-time enrollment requirements. It is very important for you to read the glossary section, Enrollment Requirements . It is your responsibility to know your enrollment obligations. Failure to enroll for the correct amount of credits to enable certification as a full-time student may affect your visa eligibility, financial aid, fellowships, assistantships, external funding, or department requirements for satisfactory progress.

ALL of the following credit requirements (except F-1 and J-1 visa requirements) must be satisfied by graded, graduate-level courses; courses numbered below 300, audit, and pass/fail do not satisfy the following enrollment requirements.

Categories	Minimum enrollment for full-time status: Fall or Spring	Minimum enrollment for full-time status: Summer (general 8-week DHH session)
Dissertator	Exactly 3  cr. directly related to research	Not required unless receiving summer degree.  If graduate assistant, trainee, or fellow 3 cr. required.
RA, non-dissertator	8 cr.	2 cr.
TA 33%, non-dissertator	6 cr.	Not required unless receiving summer degree, 2 cr. minimum.
TA 50%, non-dissertator	4 cr.	Not required unless receiving summer degree, 2 cr. minimum.
PA 33%, non-dissertator	6 cr.	Not required unless receiving summer degree, 2 cr. minimum.
PA 50%, non-dissertator	4 cr.	Not required unless receiving summer degree, 2 cr. minimum.
Fellow, non-dissertator	8 cr.	2 cr. for 12-month appointments.  Not required for 9-month appointments.
Trainee, non-dissertator	8 cr.	2 cr.
International student (F-1/J-1 visa), non-dissertator, if no other category in this list	8 cr.	4 cr. when summer is admit semester. (2 cr. when summer is admit semester and student holds RA appointment or at least 33% TA or PA appointment)
If none of the above, full time enrollment is:	8 cr.	4 cr.

Minimum requirements: Graduate students who do not need to maintain full-time status (including TAs and PAs) have a 2 credit* enrollment minimum during fall and spring semesters. Graduate students must be enrolled at least at the minimum requirement in the semester in which they receive a degree; master’s degree students expecting a summer degree must enroll in a minimum of 2 graduate credits*.

Maximum permitted: Maximum credit load for non-dissertator graduate students is 12 credits during fall and spring, and summer semesters.  Exceptions are Social Work masters students (15 credit maximum fall and spring) and Business masters students (18 credit maximum).  Any exceptions to this policy must be obtained via the Overload Request process.

*ALL credit requirements (except F-1 and J-1 visa requirements) must be satisfied by graded, graduate-level courses; courses numbered below 300, audit, and pass/fail do not satisfy the following enrollment requirements.

Appendix 7 updated 1/7/11.

Last Updated: July, 2010

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