Graduate students must be continuously enrolled each fall and spring semester while completing their degree program. If for any reason a graduate student is unable to enroll in any given semester, they must ask for a leave of absence. The time of absence will not affect the limitation of time for completion of the degree requirements.

In addition, students must be aware that to be eligible to graduate, students must be enrolled in at least one course or in sustaining credit during the semester they intend to graduate. For example, if you are planning to graduate in February, you must be enrolled in the winter session.

To be considered full-time, graduate students must be enrolled in 9 credits in the fall and spring semesters. Students who receive assistantship contracts must be enrolled full-time.

According to the University, graduate students enrolled in fewer than 9 credits each fall and spring term is considered part-time. However, for federal financial aid eligibility, students generally need to be enrolled “half-time” which would be 4.5 credits – but because there are no courses for 1.5 credits, this means 6 credits in practice. If you have any questions about eligibility for financial aid, please consult the Office of Student Financial Services.

Students who have earned credits as a continuing education non-degree student (CEND) at the University of Delaware may “roll in” a maximum of 9 previously earned graduate credits after they matriculate in a program. The CEND courses can be transferred if they are courses at the 600- through 800-level, if the course was appropriate to the specific degree program, and if the course is approved by the student’s advisor and the School of Education Director or his/her designee. The request must be submitted using a Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form.

Graduate credits that have been earned from another accredited institution will be evaluated by the student’s academic department. The request must be submitted by using a Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form. A maximum of 9 credits can be transferred in provided that the coursework was not used to satisfy previous degree requirements. University policy states that any courses used in fulfillment of a previous degree cannot be counted toward a subsequent degree.

If you would like to substitute a required course with another course, you must fill out a Course Substitution Form and have the course approved by your advisor and the School of Education Director or his/her designee prior to enrolling in the course.

According to the University of Delaware Student Handbook, students who are supported by the University with any type of graduate assistantship during the summer months (e.g., teaching assistants, research assistants, fellows) are required to be enrolled in at least 3 credits during the 7.5 week summer session. They must work in an environment that is related to the student’s degree program and their funding amount will meet the minimum requirement per month in June and July.

According to the University of Delaware Graduate Catalog, a student must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be considered for an advanced degree. In addition, all grades received from courses applied toward the degree program must equal 3.0 or higher. All courses taken after the student has acquired a graduate student classification are applied to their cumulative index. Courses for which the grade is below a C- will still be applied to their cumulative index even though they do not count toward the degree.

The time limit for the completion of a degree begins with the date of matriculation and is specified in each student’s letter of admission. The University requires the completion of a master’s degree within a maximum of ten consecutive semesters. Doctoral degree students who have already acquired a master’s degree are given ten consecutive semesters, and those who have not received a master’s degree have a time limit of fourteen consecutive semesters. A student completing all requirements for a master’s degree and subsequently given permission to continue toward the doctoral degree is given ten additional consecutive semesters. Students who declare a change in their degree program are given ten consecutive semesters from the beginning of the first year in the latest program.

If circumstances arise that make it impossible to complete the degree program in the allotted time, a student may request a time extension. An extension petition must be approved first by the student’s advisor and then by the School of Education Director or his/her designee.

University policy states that for all Ph.D. students, at least one continuous academic year must be devoted exclusively to full-time study (9 credits/semester) in their major field. The residency requirement may be fulfilled in the fall and spring semesters, but not during summer or winter sessions. This policy does not apply to Ed.D. or master’s students.

All CEHD faculty and student research must receive Human Subjects approval and clearance. This generally pertains to students in the Ph.D. program and the Ed.D. program, but certainly applies to anyone who is collecting information from or about people. If you don’t obtain the proper human subjects clearances, your dissertation or E.P.P. may not be cleared for graduation.

You can ask your faculty advisor or contact Assistant Dean, Graduate Student Services Christina Johnston at (302) 831-6955 or cmj@udel.edu if you have additional questions about your program.