General Information

The Graduate School, like other colleges and schools of Texas Tech, reserves the right to institute, after due notice and during the course of a student's work toward a degree, any new ruling which may be necessary for the good of the University and therefore, ultimately, of recipients of its degrees. Normally a student may graduate under the provisions of the catalog in effect the semester of admission into the degree program.

Responsibility of Students. Each graduate student is expected to become thoroughly familiar with both departmental and Graduate School regulations and with the requirements for degrees. Failure to follow the regulations and requirements almost inevitably results in complications for which the Graduate School cannot assume responsibility.

To facilitate communications, graduate students should promptly notify the Graduate Office of changes of address.

Graduate Advisors. The Dean of the Graduate School is the general advisor for all graduate students, but, insofar as the particular courses are concerned, students are counseled by the chairpersons of their major and minor departments or by other professors designated for such counseling. Advisement in matters pertaining to teachers' certificates is the responsibility of the Director of Teacher Certification in the College of Education.

Extracurricular Activities. Graduate students may participate in extracurricular activities within University policies. They are encouraged to participate in honor societies for which they may be qualified. Graduate students who are satisfactorily pursuing full-time programs of graduate work are eligible to serve as officers in organizations of this type.

Prerequisites for a Graduate Major. For a graduate major, an applicant must have completed, or must take, sufficient undergraduate work to ensure adequate background for successful graduate work in the proposed field. With approval of the department, the student may receive credit by examination for such leveling requirements. Any department may specify additional prerequisites if they are considered necessary and may require an applicant to pass an examination before being accepted.

Residence. Study leading to a graduate degree involves sustained residence as well as the successful completion of course work. Residence is credited for work done on the campus of Texas Tech University and for certain types of courses (theses, field courses, practicums, internships, individual study, or any other such course) when offered by Texas Tech faculty at a place and under circumstances specifically established by the University in advance of the offering of the course.

The minimum residence requirements for various graduate degrees will be found in the appropriate sections of this catalog.

Transferred and Extension Work. There is no automatic transfer of credit from another university toward a graduate degree at Texas Tech. In general, all such work is subject to review and approval by the student's department and by the Graduate Dean. No work completed with a grade of less than B will be considered.

Graduate credit is not granted for courses taken by extension at another university. Extension work completed through Texas Tech's Division of Extended Learning may be considered if the student had been officially admitted to the Graduate School prior to enrolling for the courses. (See section under "Degree Programs" for further details.) Graduate credit is not granted for courses taken by correspondence.

Grades. The grades used in the Graduate School are the same as those used in undergraduate work (A, B, C, D, and F), but graduate credit is allowed only for courses completed with grades of A, B, and C, although grades of D and F are used in computing grade-point averages.

At departmental option, individually arranged courses, professional seminars, and certain other courses may be graded P (pass) or F (fail). However, no more than one-fourth of a student's program course work may be graded pass-fail.

No final grade assigned for a graduate-level course may be raised unless an error has been made. The substitution of another course for one completed with a low grade is not permitted.

Work completed at another graduate school with a grade less than B will not be accepted, nor will grades of Pass or Satisfactory be accepted. Grades on transferred work will not raise the grade average on courses completed at Texas Tech University.

Symbols CR, NC, I, W, and WF. The symbol CR (credit) or NC (no credit) normally is assigned for every enrollment for a master's thesis or doctor's dissertation until the completed document has been approved by the

student's committee and accepted by the Dean of the Graduate School. At that time a grade of A or B will be entered for the final enrollment.

CR may be given by a professor when a student's work in other individual research courses is not finished but is satisfactorily in progress at the end of a semester. When the research is completed, a standard letter grade should be entered for the final semester. CR is not an appropriate grade for regularly organized courses.

The symbol I (incomplete) may be given by a professor when a student's work in a course has not been completed at the end of a semester and when the failure to complete the work has been due to causes beyond the student's control. It is not used as a substitute for F. The instructor should file a form with the Graduate Office, at the time the I is given, specifying the reasons for the grade and the work remaining to be done. When an I stands for a year without action on the part of the student, it may become an F.

When a student officially withdraws from a course by the specified date early in the term, a grade of W will be assigned. A withdrawal after the specified date will result in a grade of W or WF, according to the assessment of the student's work in the course up to the time of the official withdrawal.

Proficiency in English. A student found deficient in English may be required to complete satisfactorily certain specified courses in English usage (without graduate credit) before being considered for admission to candidacy for a graduate degree.

Statement of Intention to Graduate. A student planning to graduate must file with the Graduate Office a "Statement of Intention to Graduate" before the semester of intended graduation. (A list of deadlines will be sent to all students who indicate a current-semester graduation date on their program forms.) No candidate's name will be placed on the "Tentative List of Graduates" for any graduation date unless this statement has been received at the Graduate Office by the specified deadline.

A candidate who fails to graduate at the expected time is required to file a new "Statement of Intention to Graduate" for any subsequent graduation.

Teacher Certification. Prospective students should understand that the material in this catalog applies only to requirements for graduate degrees and has no direct relation to certificates for public school teachers. The Graduate School gives no assurance that a program for a graduate degree and a program for a certificate will coincide. Students interested in certificates should confer with the Director of Teacher Certification at the outset of their work.


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LAST UPDATE: 12-8-97