Residence Requirements

Some graduate degree programs, especially those with a significant research/creative component, require that students spend a minimum period of time in residence during their course of study. The purpose of residence is to provide an opportunity for sustained and concentrated intellectual effort, to provide for immersion in a research environment, and to permit extensive interaction with fellow students and faculty of the major department.

In order to meet a residence requirement, a student must devote full time to academic study and must be registered for at least nine credits in a semester or be a graduate assistant.

The Residence Requirements are stipulated for each graduate degree program in this catalog. A year of residence requires two consecutive semesters of residence. Two years of residence requires four consecutive semesters of residence or three semesters and two summer sessions, all without interruption.

Any exceptions to the policies stated above must be approved in advance by the student's advisory committee, the student's department, and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.