Student Academic Status

Matriculated

Matriculation is an enrollment status applicable to the student who:

1. has met graduate admission standards established by a particular school/department;
2. has been accepted into a graduate degree program by the same school;
3. has registered for graduate courses at Ithaca College;
4. after acceptance into a graduate program, has begun attending classes in those courses.

Good Academic Standing

Graduate students are required to maintain a minimum semester GPA of 3.00 each semester in order to remain in good academic standing at the college level. Graduate students must achieve a minimum cumulative, final GPA of 3.00 in order to graduate.

Academic Warning

Upon completion of a semester or academic session of work at less than 3.00 semester GPA, the student will be issued an academic warning by the school Dean. Warning will be removed upon completion of a full semester’s coursework at 3.00 GPA or better, or upon completion of the degree program with a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA. A student must attain a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher while on academic warning to remain in their program.

This is the college-wide standard. A graduate program may have more specific requirements; additional information is available from the graduate chair or director.

Academic Dismissal

Two consecutive semesters or academic sessions below a cumulative 3.0 GPA will be grounds for dismissal from the degree program and college. In addition, any student receiving more than 3 credits of F will be subject to dismissal.

This is the college-wide standard. A graduate program may have more specific requirements; additional information is available from the program office.

Second Major Field

With consultation and approval from the student’s major advisor, a second major field may be listed on a student's transcript when 50 percent of the second program's additional coursework is completed (e.g., 15 additional credits for programs requiring 30 credits for completion). A second major field does not lead to an additional degree or additional certification.

Requirement for Continuous Registration

All students who are enrolled in a full-time on campus or online graduate degree-granting program are expected to maintain continuous registration for fall and spring semester, at a minimum, from the time of formal admission through completion of all requirements for the degree they are seeking. Graduate students are not required to maintain matriculation during the winter or summer terms unless it is required by their graduate program, or they intend to complete their final degree requirements during this period. Students must also be registered during the winter or summer term if they are taking examinations or completing/defending theses. Continuous registration can be accomplished either by registering for a credit-bearing course or by registering for the zero-credit continuing registration course. Registering for the zero-credit continuing registration course requires approval from the graduate program chair/director. This policy is in effect to ensure that, once enrolled, students make continuous progress toward the degree.

Students who wish to absent themselves from the established curricular sequencing for their program (which may expect participation in summer or winter terms or may only expect participation in sequential summer terms) are subject to all graduate program-specific policies related to breaks in continuous progression. Students should discuss with their graduate program chair/director any implications of a break from continuous progression, regardless of the reason, which may include the possibility that re-engagement with the degree program is not possible after such a break.

The continuous registration course requires graduate program chair/director approval and is not intended to be used on a routine basis. Graduate program chairs/directors can approve the use of the continuing registration course for up to two consecutive semesters, which includes winter and summer sessions for programs with mandatory coursework during those sessions. Enrollment in the continuing registration course for more than two consecutive semesters requires approval from the Office of the Provost. Enrollment in the continuing registration course for more than two summers requires approval from the Office of the Provost.

All breaks in continuous registration are factored into the college six-year requirement for degree completion. It may also be factored into graduate program-specific degree completion timeframes, which may be shorter than the college requirement. In other words, any breaks in continuous registration are counted toward the amount of time a student takes to complete degree requirements, which may not exceed the six-year requirement for degree completion (or a program-specific shorter degree completion requirement).

The fee for the continuous registration course is $150 per semester. Students will be billed for the continuing registration fee and may not receive their degree until the fee is paid. The graduate program chair/director may request that Student Financial Services waive the continuing registration fee. Fee waivers are only permitted for: 1) absences related to addressing physical or mental health needs or 2) academic barriers beyond the student’s control described previously.

Graduate program chairs/directors may recommend a waiver of the fee associated with the requirement of continuous registration for students in select circumstances, however students must still enroll in the associated continuous registration course. However, students must still enroll in the associated continuous registration course. Recommendations for fee waiver must be submitted in writing by the graduate program/department chair to the Office of the Provost by the last day of add/drop for the relevant semester. 

Neither payment of the continuous registration fee nor a waiver of the fee automatically exempts the student from financial aid obligations, the health insurance requirement, or other required college-related fees. All students with a break in continuous registration, regardless of reason, receiving financial aid must consult with the Student Financial Services as it may impact any financial aid package that is in place. Students with a graduate assistantship should discuss with their graduate program chair/director the terms of their assistantship and whether it will continue to be available upon resumption of coursework. International students should consult with the Office of International Programs to determine if their registration status, including the use of the continuous registration course, meets the requirements of the Immigration and Naturalization Service for documenting active status and degree progress.

Students who have begun a semester and then find that they cannot finish that semester should officially withdraw from their courses. Registration for the continuous registration course for that semester will be required if the student withdraws from all courses. The student account will be billed for the continuous registration fee and if any tuition refunds are due, will be deducted from that refund prior to disbursement. For withdrawal after the course withdraw deadline, students must cite extraordinary circumstances beyond their control and the inability to foresee such circumstances. Poor judgment and academic incompetence do not qualify as extraordinary circumstances. Withdrawing from courses such that the semester credit hours fall below a full-time course load may affect eligibility of students for college funding and other financial aid for that semester; in this case, students may be required to return funds.

Students who do not register for coursework, including the continuous registration course, will be considered as having separated from the college and will be administratively withdrawn from both their graduate program and the college. Students must then reapply and pay all associated fees for re-application. Readmission is not automatic. If readmitted, students are governed by requirements and regulations in effect at the time of readmission, meaning that degree requirements and course availability may change.

Withdrawal from the College

Student Initiated Withdrawal

Students deciding to withdraw from graduate study at any time before completion of their degree program should contact the chair of their program to initiate the withdrawal process. This process should include discussion with the graduate chair or director and school dean as to the reasons for withdrawal and implications for assistantship support. If, after these discussions, the student wishes to continue the withdrawal process, the dean of the school, or their designee, must complete a notification of withdrawal form on IC Workflow to initiate the process for the student to complete. Failure to follow this process may jeopardize the student's potential for readmission at a future date.

Withdrawals may have financial implications. Students are advised to consult the Student Financial Services website for contact information for Student Financial Services. Information on the Refund Procedure can be found in the financial aid portion of this catalog.

Administrative Withdrawal

Graduate students who have not registered for academic course work and/or are not making satisfactory progress on a thesis or other research projects may, at the discretion of the graduate chair or program director, be administratively withdrawn. Students will be notified in writing of the administrative withdrawal.

Semester Workload

One semester of coursework is defined as 9 credits or more in a single semester if full-time, or 6 credits or more accumulated across two semesters if part-time.

Unit of Credit

Credit is earned at Ithaca College in semester credit hours as measured by the Carnegie unit -- defined as one hour of classroom instruction and two hours of assignments outside the classroom for a period of 15 weeks for each credit.

Transfer Credit

Courses submitted for transfer credit must be appropriate and applicable to the student's degree or teacher certification program, and a grade of B or better must have been earned. Some graduate programs may have more restrictive policies regarding coursework that can be accepted for transfer credit. Transferable credits must have been earned not more than four years before matriculation, and no more than six credits may be transferred and applied toward a graduate degree. Grades earned in transferred courses are not applicable to the graduate cumulative GPA. Students who have matriculated and who wish to earn graduate credit elsewhere for transfer to Ithaca College should obtain approval in writing from the graduate chair or program director and the dean before registering for a course intended for transfer.

Students must submit the request Petition for Transfer Credit form online. The request must be supported by an official transcript sent directly to the Office of the Registrar at Ithaca College from the institution(s) at which the credit was obtained.

Credit for Workshops

Graduate workshops (700 level) are offered for graduate credit. With the approval of the adviser, a graduate student may count up to five graduate workshop credits toward a master's degree.

Credits for Ithaca College - Cornell University Exchange

This reciprocal arrangement between Ithaca College and Cornell University allows graduate students, with prior approval and within the stated stipulations, to cross-register for one course or up to 4 credits per semester at Cornell. Graduate students are charged tuition for reciprocal courses. This arrangement is available during the fall and spring semesters only and is contingent on space availability at Cornell.

Policies, costs, registration dates, and academic calendars are available on the IC to CU Exchange website. Further information and program petition forms are also available on the exchange website and from the Office of Extended Studies.

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

Some graduate programs may require a comprehensive examination; additional information about this requirement is available from each graduate program office.

Thesis and Project Requirements

Students required to complete a thesis or project as partial fulfillment of the degree requirements should request a thesis adviser through the department and register through their school for the appropriate course and credits. If not required by the program or school, the thesis or project is optional. If a student elects to do either a thesis or a project, the credits earned may be applied toward a degree or may be in addition to degree requirements, at the discretion of the department or school concerned.

If completing a thesis or research project: after approval by the thesis adviser, the thesis or project should be submitted to the respective graduate program chair one month before the anticipated degree conferral date. The graduate program chair, or designee, will review and approve all theses. If the graduate chair is the thesis advisor, another faculty member will be the final reviewer.  The reviewer is reading for posterity: proper headings, grammar, and style, proper referencing, so that the thesis is acceptable to be submitted for publication or in the library. It is the responsibility of the degree candidate to follow department policies with respect to scheduling thesis defense and thesis submission to the graduate program chair. The student should upload the final approved version of the thesis to the Ithaca College library collection. The library standards can be reached at the Ithaca College Library website. 

For graduate theses, the graduate chair should share representative work annually with the dean to allow the dean to know the extent and quality of the work being done. 

Final Project or Capstone Experience Requirements

For final projects, or capstone experiences, the graduate chair/program director should share representative work annually with the dean to allow the dean to know the extent and quality of the work being done. If a project is going to be placed in the digital collection, then it should be reviewed by the faculty advisor for the project or graduate chair/program director for proper publication standards as above. 

The library standards can be reached at the Ithaca College Library website.

Application Process for Graduation

Ithaca College awards graduate degrees in May, July, August, October, and December. During the term preceding the awarding of the degree, the degree candidate must complete the following steps:

• File an application to graduate. The application must be filed online with the Office of the Registrar by the specific filing deadline for May, July, August, October, or December graduation, as shown in the academic calendar.
• Confirm with the Office of the Registrar that any credits transferred from another institution are recorded on the transcript.
• If there have been any changes in program requirements, confirm that approval has been obtained in writing from the graduate chair or program director and School dean and verified by the Assistant Registrar for Student Services in the Office of the Registrar. This includes waivers, courses accepted in lieu of required courses, and verification that all program degree requirements have been met.
• Satisfactorily complete comprehensive examinations, if applicable.
• Verify with the graduate program chair or program director that all degree requirements have been met.
• If desired, schedule an exit interview with the dean of your School at least one month before completion of the last semester.

Use of Human Subjects in Research

Use of Human Subjects in Research

All research projects at Ithaca College that use humans as subjects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board on Human Subjects Research. The use of human subjects refers to data collection via survey, supervised activity, and interview, as well as other methods. The Ithaca College HSR Guidelines document is available on the Human Subjects Research website.

Program Changes

Changes in a semester program schedule must be made within the one-week add/drop period.

Students who remain enrolled, or who fulfill the requirements with the continuous registration course, are required to fulfill the degree requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of their initial matriculation; if the degree requirements are changed, such students may instead elect to fulfill the revised requirements. In order to do so, they must provide formal written notice to the Office of the Registrar as part of the application for graduation process, in accordance with published deadlines.

Students who withdraw and are subsequently readmitted will be bound by program and degree requirements in force during the academic year in which they are readmitted.

The College reserves the right to make changes in degree requirements, course offering regulations, and procedures contained in this catalog as educational and financial considerations require.