Academic Standards

The student's adviser will review student transcripts at least once per year to ensure satisfactory progress toward the student’s master’s degree. The DGS will request a meeting with students who appear to be unable to graduate in a timely manner.

Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA)

A graduate student must maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.8 or better to be in good standing and ultimately receive a degree. Grade Point Averages that fall below 2.8, either as a cumulative or semester GPA, will trigger a progress review between the student, the adviser, and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Minimum Grade for Required Courses

For a course that is required as part of a graduate student’s master’s degree program plan, a student earning a grade below a “C-” will be required to retake the course in order to graduate.

Minimum Grade for Satisfactory Design Studio Progress (M.Arch only)

In addition to fulfilling the Graduate School requirements, M.Arch students must achieve a grade of "B-" (2.67) or better in a Design Studio in order to move to the next studio in the sequence without special approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. After the first semester of design, cumulative Grade Point Averages for the required Design Studios that fall below 2.67 will trigger a progress review. Any semester grade below a "B-" in any core Design Studio after the first Design Studio, ARCH 8251, will automatically initiate a probationary status and review as described below. Two studios below "B-" constitute grounds for dismissal (termination of graduate status). In a case where a student is not meeting academic standards, the DGS has the discretion to ask the Academic Standards Committee to review the case and make a recommendation for action or dismissal.

Incompletes

The symbol "I" may be assigned by an instructor to indicate "incomplete" in accordance with University guidelines and the provisions recorded in the course syllabus at the beginning of the semester. In general, an "I" is issued only when at least 80% of the coursework is complete; there are compelling personal, health or other emergency conditions; and there is an expectation that the student will successfully complete the coursework in a reasonable amount of time. An instructor will issue an "I" with a detailed contract outlining the goals and the deadlines to satisfy them. Both parties must then sign this contract with copies to the Director of the Graduate Studies, the instructor of record, and the student.

The School of Architecture strongly discourages students from having incompletes on their transcripts. A maximum of two “l"s are allowed on a transcript. Incompletes should be removed from the transcript prior to the commencement of the next semester. An incomplete in a course does not constitute satisfaction of a pre-requisite requirement; nor does it allow a student to continue to the next course in a sequence.

The Graduate School issues biannual reports to the DGS regarding students who have incompletes on their record. Students who do not respond to the DGS or who resist completing coursework risk having a registration hold placed on their records. The presence of incompletes will affect offers of financial aid, including TA and RA positions. Reasonable exceptions to this policy may only be approved by the Director of the Graduate Studies in consultation with the student, adviser, and the instructor.

Retaking Courses

The Graduate School discourages the retaking of courses to improve grades. If a course is retaken, appropriate tuition and fees will be assessed. All registrations and grades for the repeated course remain on the student's transcript and are calculated into the cumulative GPA. The additional credits incurred may not be used to satisfy any degree program credit requirement. Professional degree students (M.Arch) not meeting the GPA requirements for the required Design Studios will be asked to retake a specific required design studio.

Directed Study Credit Limits

The School of Architecture will accept as equivalent to an elective course up to 6 credits maximum of Directed/Independent Study (ARCH 5993). The purpose of this course enrollment would typically be to accomplish research or learning objectives not normally offered in the curriculum, rather than solve course schedule conflicts. The project must be developed with a graduate faculty member offering directed study as ARCH 5993, 1-4 credits. The written proposal must outline the topic, the research methods and outcomes, specific bibliography and will require the approval of the faculty member evaluating the work, the Adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies; and a copy must be filed with the Graduate Program Manager for inclusion in the student's records. Directed Study coursework will be listed on the Master's Graduate Degree Program form as meeting the curriculum requirements.

Directed Study with a different department requires approval by the DGS, a complete description of the work, and submission of the final essay or project for inclusion in the student's file.