Graduate Student Expectations

All graduate students are expected to make satisfactory academic progress. In the case of those who are receiving financial support, this is a condition for continuation of support.

For master’s students, satisfactory academic progress and degree completion vary depending on the program. Under normal circumstances, full-time M.S. Plan A, M.S. Plan B, and M.CE/M.Geo Plan A students should finish their coursework and thesis/project within two calendar years. Full-time M.S. Plan C and M.CE/M.GeoE Plan B students should finish their coursework within one calendar year plus one regular semester. Individual satisfactory academic progress expectations for master’s students should be discussed with their adviser(s).

For a full-time student in a Ph.D. program, satisfactory academic progress includes completion of required coursework and the Ph.D. written preliminary examination by the end of the third semester of study after completing the M.S. degree or equivalent (30 graduate credits). It also includes successfully passing the Ph.D. preliminary oral examination by the end of the fourth semester of post-M.S. study. Finally, submission and successful defense of a thesis is expected by the end of the third (post-M.S.) year of study and no later than the fourth (post-M.S.) year of study.

Part-time students are not subject to the above timetables for reasonable progress. Nevertheless, the degree should represent academic work completed within a reasonable span. Students who do not maintain regular progress, including registering each fall and spring semester, are deemed inactive. Inactive students must file a Change of Status/Readmission form if they wish to continue their studies.

The Graduate School requires all master’s degree-seeking students to maintain an overall GPA of 2.8 (out of a possible 4.00) in courses used to satisfy the requirements for a Master's degree. If a student’s GPA is below 2.8 at the time they apply for graduation, they will be required to take additional courses to raise the GPA above 2.8 before they will be allowed to graduate. The Graduate School minimum GPA requirement for Ph.D. students is 3.0. Grades in courses taken to make up deficiencies in undergraduate preparation count in the GPA even though they are not part of the graduate course program and are not included on the degree program form.

All graduate students must maintain a level of research productivity judged adequate by their adviser. This is over and above the research that may be required for a research assistantship. Except in extreme circumstances, the adviser and examining committee are the final arbiters of what constitutes acceptable productivity and quality in thesis research.

7-year Time Limit for Earning the Master’s Degree (admitted and matriculated prior to spring 2013)

All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed and the degree awarded within seven years. The seven-year period begins with the earliest coursework included on the official Graduate Degree Plan form, including any transfer work. The graduate faculty in a specific program may set more stringent time requirements.

5-year Time Limit for Earning the Master’s Degree (admitted and matriculated spring 2013 and beyond)

All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed and the degree awarded within five years after admission and matriculation in the graduate program or a more restrictive time frame specified by the program.

5-year time limit for Earning the Doctoral Degree (students admitted and matriculated prior to spring 2013)

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed and the degree must be awarded within five years after passing the preliminary oral examination. Students who are unable to complete the degree within the 5-year limit, may petition for an extension of up to one additional year. Extensions beyond one year are considered only in the most extraordinary circumstances.

8-year Time Limit for Earning the Doctoral Degree (students admitted and matriculated spring 2013 and beyond)

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed and the degree awarded within eight years after admission and matriculation to the graduate program, or a more restrictive time frame specified by the program. Students who are unable to complete the degree within the time limits described above may petition the program and collegiate unit for one extension of up to 24 months.

It is Graduate School policy that departments conduct annual written reviews of graduate students and communicate the results to the student. The review will be an evaluation of the student’s progress, as measured against the published performance expectations of the department and the Graduate School.

Each spring semester, graduate students will be asked to complete a review form. This is an online form initiated by the Graduate Program Coordinator. Once you fill it out, the form will get routed to your adviser(s). Once your adviser signs it, it will then get routed to the Graduate Program Coordinator, then the DGS.

A hold will be placed on your record until the review is routed to the Graduate Program Coordinator. This will prevent you from registering for the next fall semester. So please fill out your review in a timely manner.

The objective of the ethics training for graduate students in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering is to provide opportunities to discuss ethical conduct as applied to research and professional practice. Graduate students are required by the Graduate School to obtain training in research and professional ethics. The department uses four modes of delivery for training in research and professional ethics: (1) a two hour online ethics course, (2) group seminars, (3) graduate course on ethics, and (4) faculty-student interaction.

Information can also be found at http://www.research.umn.edu/ethics.

The online Citi Ethics course is required of all students entering the program. A hold will be placed on your record until your turn in your certificate of completion. The various sub-disciplines within the department hold weekly seminars. Typically one seminar each year will be devoted to research and professional ethics in research. Invited speakers or faculty will lead discussion groups, where problems will be posed and various standards of conduct will be critiqued. Faculty representatives of the sub-disciplines on the Graduate Studies Committee will inform the DGS when the seminar will be held and will report on attendance.

A 0.5 credit course on research and professional ethics is offered every spring (CEGE 8581 - Research and Professional Ethics in Water Resources and Environmental Science). Consult the course catalog for more information.

Faculty are expected to discuss relevant ethics issues with their advisees as part of the mentoring process. All students who are supported by funds originating from the National Science Foundation (NSF) must undergo training in research ethics.

Currently, there are 2 ways to achieve compliance with this requirement:

(1) Completing an approved University course on the subject of Research Ethics, such as CEGE 8581;

(2) Completing an online Collaborative Institutional Review Board (IRB) Training Initiative (CITI) (see https://www.citiprogram.org/ ) or https://research.umn.edu/units/rco/training-education/responsible-conduct-research-rcr-core-curriculum

Ethics

Ethics Approved Courses