Once You've Arrived
ACAdemic Essentials
ACAdemic Tools
Use the checklist below to learn about the tools you will use at UNC Charlotte.
Current Student Resources
Have a question? Visit the Current Student Resources on the Graduate School website to find links that will get you to the answer you need.
Requests to transfer credit and to make changes to your program requirements (such as course substitutions, etc.) must be submitted through gpetition.charlotte.edu.
Check your DegreeWorks academic audit to keep track of your progress toward your degree.
Campus Wifi
The secure wireless network is Eduroam. With your free account you can access the Internet at many other university campuses as well!
Buying/Renting Books
All the students are automatically enrolled in Niner Course Pack, which is a textbook rental program (there is an option to buy rented textbooks at a reduced price at the end of the semester). Note that this program costs $20 per credit hour per term. It's possible to opt out of this program by the following deadlines:
for fall 2023: Sept. 1, 2023
for spring 2024: Jan. 24, 2024
for summer 2024: May 25, 2024
Another available option for buying or renting textbooks is the university bookstore, Barnes and Noble, located in the Student Union.
Students also shop for other vendors to find the lowest prices.
Atkins library
Atkins Library is a key resource for graduate students. Read our overview of the Library to learn about research and writing resources, borrowing, equipment, and spaces. Then, go explore all of Atkins' available resources!
Atkins Library is a key resource for graduate students. This section simply provides an overview; you should explore all of the available resources!
Borrowing Privileges
Graduate students may check out books for 60 days, recall books, and have no limit on the number of books they can borrow.
Equipment Checkouts
There is a variety of equipment available from the library. Laptops can be checked out for up to 7 days. You can contact the circulation desk to talk about extending the loan period.
Area 49, which has a suite of technology spaces, also checks out equipment including cameras, audio equipment, and iPads.
Interlibrary Loan
Atkins doesn't have what you need? Order it from another library through Interlibrary Loan, and your item will arrive within a few days.
Rooms and Spaces
Atkins has two reservable family rooms equipped with educational materials and kid-sized tables and chairs so that students can study while their children play.
On the other hand, you can also find silent study rooms--including one just for grad students!
Research and Writing Resources at Atkins
The Library's Research and Write information contains a number of essential resources that graduate students should be aware of. These include:
Subject librarians who can provide subject-specific research assistance
Databases, Journals, and the Library Catalog, where you can search for scholarly literature, books, and other resources
Information on copyright and fair use
Niner Commons, our new institutional repository, where all theses and dissertations are deposited
Special Collections and University Archives can be accessed during the semester by appointment.
And much more!
Key Graduate School Policies
All graduate-specific policies and procedures can be found in the Graduate Catalog corresponding to the year of your program admission; here are some of the most important ones. It's possible that for any Graduate School policy or procedure, your program may have additional policies and procedures. You should always check the appropriate “Degree Requirements” sections of the Graduate Catalog for your program's policies.
Click here to read some of the most important policies
Registration- You're academically and financially responsibility for the courses in which you enroll. If you want to terminate enrollment, you have to drop or withdraw by the deadlines specified in the Academic Calendar and the corresponding prorated refund schedule available on the Student Accounts website.
Transfer Credit- Your Graduate Program Director determines whether transferred credits will apply to your graduate program requirements. General rules governing transferred credit can be found in the Graduate Catalog under Degree Requirements and Academic Policies.
Withdrawing from a class- Students are expected to complete all courses for which they are registered by the close of the Add/Drop Period. These courses will be graded, will appear on your transcript, and will count as attempted hours. If it becomes necessary to terminate registration, there are two possible courses of action: withdrawal from classes and/or from the University, or Cancellation of Enrollment.
Academic Standing- All graduate students must maintain satisfactory grades and progress toward the degree. Students must achieve an A or B in all coursework. Three C grades or a U in any graduate coursework will result in suspension. If you're suspended because of grades, you can't register again until you've been reinstated through the appeal process.
Suspension and Termination Appeals- Some departments and/or programs have stricter regulations on suspension and termination appeals than those of the Graduate School. See the academic regulations presented in the program specific sections of the Graduate Catalog.
Time Limits- Doctoral students must complete their program within 9 calendar years, master's within 7 years, and certificates within 5 years. The time limit can't be paused, even with an approved leave of absence.
ACAdemic Training Essentials
TA Training- Required for New TAs
All TAs must complete the Graduate School's Canvas TA Training. This training is supplemental to the training your department may provide and covers legal topics such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Once you are awarded an assistantship, you will receive an invitation to the Canvas TA Training course through your University email. If you do not receive an invite, please contact the Center for Graduate Life and Learning. Failure to complete the training could affect your eligibility to receive future assistantships. Research Assistants are not required to complete the training, but they can request to take the course by contacting the CGLL.
Two Courses Required for all New Doctoral Students
Academic Integrity
To introduce graduate students to the principles of academic integrity and to familiarize them with the policies and procedures outlined in the Code of Student Academic Integrity, all doctoral students are required to register for and complete the Graduate School's Academic Integrity course (GRAD 8990) during their first semester. This is a short training course that is non-graded and will appear as an "N" in DegreeWorks after the end of the semester.
Responsible Conduct of Research
Similarly, all first-year doctoral students must also register for Responsible Conduct of Research (GRAD 8002). This is a two-credit pass/fail course that was created to ensure that doctoral students understand their obligations as researchers. Some departments offer their own Responsible Conduct of Research courses that count toward this requirement.
Find out more on the Graduate School's website.
WHOm SHOULD I ASK?
The Graduate School is located on the 5th floor of the Reese Building, while the CGLL is located in Atkins Library room 149 (across the hall from the Career Center)
Find out below which members of the Graduate School Staff can help answer questions you might have.
