Academic Status & Registration

FULL-TIME  - Students holding fellowships, traineeships, or other awards based on academic excellence are required to carry 9 or more credits each semester. Students carrying 5 credits in summer session are considered full-time. 

PART-TIME - A student who in any semester or summer session is registered for study but who does not meet the criteria for full-time status is considered to be engaged in part-time academic work for that semester. 

Students may defer enrollment (admission) into the Graduate DNP program for up to three continuous semesters (which includes the summer) after the semester of admission. Any student wishing to defer enrollment should contact the Graduate Adviser as soon as possible with their intent to defer and their proposed semester of return.  

If two continuous semesters have passed from the initial semester of admission, the student must submit a new application by the prescribed application deadline of February 15th for Fall re-admission. 

If the student does not intend to pursue a graduate degree but want to take graduate-level courses for personal enrichment, professional development, permanent certification, or to apply for degree status at a later date, you can seek admission as a non-degree graduate student. Information on applying for non-degree graduate status may be obtained via the Web site at https://gradschool.psu.edu/admissions/prepare-to-apply. Non-degree students are not eligible to receive fellowships or graduate assistantships and preference for courses is given to degree students.

No more than 15 graduate credits of course work taken prior to admission to a graduate degree program may be applicable to a graduate program. (See “Non-degree Student” under Classification of Students.) Admission as a non-degree graduate student neither guarantees nor implies subsequent admission to a degree program. The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing strongly recommends that non-degree students take no more than 9 credits prior to applying to and being admitted to the graduate program. 

It is highly recommended that non-degree students enroll during the summer semester when more seats are available. Course controls placed on nursing core courses during the Fall and Spring semesters ensure matriculated students are granted seats. If a non-degree student wishes to enroll in a controlled course, they must contact the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing office. In this case, registration for non-degree students is granted only if seats are available.

The process of re-enrollment is required of all students who have withdrawn from the University. Withdrawn status is defined as a graduate student dropping all registered courses during the fall or spring semester or not registering for more than one semester with plans to enroll in a subsequent semester. If space is available, approval for re-enrollment will normally be given to students who were in good academic standing in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing prior to their withdrawal. Students initiate this procedure by completing the graduate resume study form (https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-admissions/how-to-apply/current-students/) and submitting it to Office of Graduate Enrollment Services; The Pennsylvania State University; 114 Kern Building, University Park, PA 16802-3396.

Only students in degree status and in good academic standing are eligible for re-enrollment in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. Re-enrollment is a two-step process in which the student submits a formal request to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and completes the Graduate School’s resume study form. The Associate Dean for Graduate Education must approve the resume study prior to re-enrolling.

The Graduate Program in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing requires the student to have had a 3.0 GPA when last enrolled. Students who resume study in the Graduate Program must meet with their Ph.D. Advising Team to determine the plan of study. Additional coursework may be required for students who have withdrawn from graduate studies. This will be determined based on the period of time the student has been away from the University and prior course work completed. The plan of study may include a requirement of demonstrating continued competence. 

A graduate student who is in residence at the University is expected to be properly registered. In residence means that the student (whether full- or part-time, whether commuting to campus or other instructional site or living nearby or on campus) is pursuing graduate credits and/or an advanced degree by (a) attending classes or seminars for credit or audit; (b) doing a term project, independent study, or similar research or scholarly work in a University laboratory or other research facility; (c) consulting in person or by other means of communication with one or more faculty members on scholarly matters, or projects (d) using the library, Computer Center, or other University information resources; or (e) using other University facilities provided for graduate study. The responsibility for being properly registered rests first with the student and secondarily with the student’s adviser. A student may register for course work or research or a combination of the two. In the later stages of the program, the situation will determine the requirements for the student’s registration.  

The Penn State registration process is not complete until tuition and fees are paid. After students schedule their courses, the Bursar's Office will send an e-mail message to the student's official University e-mail account announcing that the eBills are available. Regardless of the amount due, action is required to complete the registration process. For detailed information concerning your tuition bill please contact the Bursar's office. 

CONSEQUENCES OF INCOMPLETE REGISTRATION 

1. Students will not receive grades for courses attended. 

2. Once classes begin, students cannot add, late add, or late drop courses for the current semester. 

3. Students are ineligible to register for future semesters. 

4. If receiving student loans, the student may enter a repayment status with lender. 

5. If receiving student aid, some aid sources may be cancelled and unable to be reinstated at a later date. 

6. If receiving a Federal Work Study award, the student cannot be hired. 

7. The University reserves the right to cancel an incomplete registration for failure to pay tuition and fees. 

Subject to the limitations given below, a maximum of 10 credits of high-quality graduate work done at an accredited institution may be applied toward the requirements for the D.N.P. degree. However, credits earned to complete a previous graduate degree, whether at Penn State or elsewhere, may not be applied to a second graduate degree program at Penn State.  

The student should distinguish carefully between the transferability of credit and its applicability in a particular degree program. Approval to apply any transferred credits toward a degree program must be granted by the student’s academic adviser or Director of the appropriate program in conjunction with the Associate Dean for Graduate Education, and the Graduate School. Transferred academic work must have been completed within five years prior to the date of first-degree registration at the Graduate School of Penn State, must be of at least B quality (grades of B- are not transferable), and must appear on an official graduate transcript of an accredited university.  

Pass/fail grades are not transferable to an advanced degree program unless the “Pass” can be substantiated by the former institution as having at least B quality.  

Forms for transfer of credit can be obtained from the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services: https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-300/gcac-309-transfer-credit/. 

Withdrawal from the University is defined as dropping all registered courses for the current semester or session or non-registration for one or more semesters. Officially withdrawing from the University will also cause a cancellation of scheduled and registered courses for any future semester. In the case of a “summer-only” withdrawal, fall registration will be maintained and re-enrollment/readmission is not necessary. Anyone who has withdrawn from the University should follow the graduate schools withdrawl process: Please refer to the graduate school's withdrawl process at the following link: https://gradschool.psu.edu/current-students/withdrawal-process/.

Matriculated students who need to drop all courses and wish to register in future semesters or who plan to take a semester off from graduate studies, are required to discuss their plans for withdrawal with their adviser at least four weeks prior to the semester in which they intend to withdraw. Following this discussion, the Associate Dean for Graduate Education will be notified, and a letter placed into the student’s academic file.