Registration Of Graduate Students
General Information back to top
Admission is granted with eligibility to register (ETR) for the session for which admission is granted and the next two sessions (including Summer session).
A student who has lost eligibility to enroll (has not registered within three consecutive sessions), will be required to submit a new electronic application for admission and a $55.00 application fee if they do not qualify for a fee waiver.
A student may only register if they have a course request (Registrar Form 23) signed by their advisor.
Students must have 10 minutes between each class.
Students holding graduate staff appointments must be enrolled as a graduate student in a degree or teacher license program and be registered for at least three credit hours of course and/or research work. International students should contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS) for hour requirements.
If a graduate student is taking an undergraduate course, they must also register for at least one (1) credit hour of graduate level coursework. This includes students in a postbaccaluareate, license, Master's, Educational Specialist or Doctoral programs. If a graduate student is wanting to enroll in only undergraduate courses for a semester, the student will need to be admitted as an undergraduate student, fill out an undergraduate application and pay the undergraduate application fee. (Graduate School Policy)
A graduate student will only receive residency credit for a maximum of 18 credit hours for Fall and Spring sessions and 9 credit hour for the Summer session. (Graduate School Policy)
A student must be registered for at least a one (1) credit hour graduate level course or as Exam/Degree Only in order to have any Graduate School forms processed. (Graduate School Policy)
The late fee for late registration is $200.00
The student and advisor are expected to make certain that the requested academic load for a student holding an appointment and/or a fellowship is compatible with the rules and regulations of the Graduate School and with the requirements of any educational benefits or loans.
Classification of Graduate Students Coding: back to top
EDS = Educational Specialist Student
MS = Master's of Science Student
MSED = Master's of Science in Education Student
ND = Postbaccalaureate Non-Degree Student
PHD = Doctoral Student
TL = Teacher License Student
Full Time Study back to top
Full time study is based on the number of credit hours carried in a given semester. Eight credit hours is the full time certification standard for graduate students. Various fellowships and sponsoring agencies may have differing definitions of full time status.
Part Time Study back to top
Students registering for 7 credit hours or less will be charged per credit hour fees.
Time Conflict back to top
To schedule a class with a time conflict (i.e., ending and starting times for two courses overlap by more than ten minutes), one instructor must yield to the other. The "Override Request" portion of the Registrar's Form 23 must be completed and a comment about which course will yield should be noted in the comments section of the Form 23 (e.g., "EDCI 123 yields to PSY 123" should be written in the "Comments" section (lower center) of the course request signed by the yielding instructor). The completed form should be submitted to the COE Office of Graduate Studies for override entry.
Research Credits back to top
The maximum number of 69900 research credits that a student can take during their program is as many as it takes to finish their thesis within 5 years of completing the Final.
Students may register for 1-18 credit hours of research. A graduate student will only receive residency credit for a maximum of 18 credit hours for Fall and Spring sessions and 9 credit hour for the Summer session. (Graduate School Policy)
Any student (whether on appointment or not) must be registered for research during each semester or summer session when doing research utilizing faculty direction or consultation and/or requiring the use of University facilities. Research includes literature reviews and thesis writing. A student's research registration should be roughly proportional to the amount of time devoted to research activities, with 18 semester hours representing maximum registration. It is important to keep in mind that under registration for research is likely to result in the accumulation of insufficient resident study credits.
Two consecutive sessions of "U" grades for research registration mandate that the department take formal action and inform the Graduate School with regard to either discontinuation or conditions for continuation of the student's graduate study. Research credits for which the student receives a "U" grade will not count toward satisfying the residency requirement. (Graduate School Policy)
Research in Absentia back to top
A doctoral student, who has completed all of their coursework, passed their preliminary examination and made significant progress on their thesis research topic may submit a Graduate School Form 12 "Application for Research in Absenta". This registration is only for students who wish to leave the University and to continue doctoral research. The student must submit a Graduate School Form 12 "Application for Research in Absentia" at least one month prior to the session in which they wish their absentia registration to begin.
Registration in Absentia automatically registers a student each Fall and Spring session for 3 credit hours of research (69900) for a flat fee. If a student wishes to be registered for the Summer session, a course request (Office of the Registrar Form 23) must be submitted to the COE Office of Graduate Studies. If a student wishes to enroll in more that 3 credit hours, the student's advisor will need to submit a memo with the a Graduate School Form 12 "Application for Research in Absentia” to the COE Office of Graduate Studies. This memo should state how many credit hours (up to 18 credits) the student wishes to be registered for, the student's employment status, level of support provided for the student's research in terms of facilities and/or release time and the duration of this support. The Department Head or Department Graduate Committee Chair must approve this request before being forwarded to the Graduate School. A course request (Office of the Registrar Form 23) must be submitted every semester for absentia students wishing to register for more than 3 credit hours.
If a student fails to pay their registration fees for a Fall or Spring session, their registration will be cancelled and they will lose their Registration in Absentia privilege. If a student chooses not to be registered for Research in Absentia for a Fall or Spring semester, they will permanently lose the Research in Absentia privilege and must follow standard registration procedures for research credtis for the duration of their study at Purdue.
If a student plans to graduate in the Summer session, the student will need to submit a course request to register for the Summer session.
A student has five years after passing Prelims to pass their final defense. If the student exceeds five years, their Prelim becomes invalid and Absentia registration privileges will be stopped.
The student should notify the Bursar's Office of any change in their absentia address to avoid the possibility of not receiving a fee statement and therefore risking cancellation of their Absentia registration.
Registration in the Final Academic Session back to top
All students must be registered in the session they plan to graduate.
Any coursework with an incomplete grade on a plan of study must be completed in order for the student to be eligible for graduation.
Exam Only Registration back to top
Students who have an approved plan of study filed, completed all of their coursework, passed prelims (if PhD), thesis format approved (if PhD, but not yet deposited), but still need to submit a positive final examination form, may be eligible to register for Exam Only in the session they plan to graduate.
If the student is a Master's Thesis or a Doctoral student, they must have been registered for research credits (69800 for Master's or 69900 for Doctoral) the session prior to registering for Exam Only.
Exam Only is a one time registration. If a student does not graduate in the session they registered for Exam Only, they will not be allowed to register for Exam Only in any future sessions.
Degree Only Registration back to top
Students who have an approved plan of study filed, completed all of their coursework, passed prelims (if PhD), thesis format approved (if PhD, but not yet deposited), and have submitted a positive final examination form, may be eligible to register for Degree Only in the session they plan to graduate.
If the student is a Master's Thesis or a Doctoral student, they must have been registered for research credits (69800 for Master's or 69900 for Doctoral) the session prior to registering for Degree Only.
Degree Only is a one time registration. If a student does not graduate in the session they registered for Degree Only, they will not be allowed to register for Degree Only in any future sessions.
Grades and Index Requirements back to top
A graduate student is expected to maintain a graduation index representing a B average or better. Indices below this level are marked "low" on the grade reports. The student also is expected to earn S grades for research registration. Two consecutive sessions of U grades for research registration mandate that the department take formal action and inform the student and the Graduate School with regard to discontinuation or conditions for continuation of the student's graduate study. In any event, the student's progress should be reviewed each session by the student's department. The Graduate School also may review the student's progress. Should the student fail to perform in either coursework or research on a level acceptable to the advisory committee, the departmental graduate committee, or the dean of the Graduate School, he or she may be asked to discontinue graduate study at Purdue.
The graduation index for graduate students includes all grades earned in 500- and 600-level courses taken while enrolled as a graduate student, except FR, GER, RUSS, or SPAN 601, 603, or 605 (Section VI-D-4), plus grades received in undergraduate-level courses taken while in the graduate program once they are approved as part of the graduate plan of study. Upon the request of the major professor, those grades will be added into the graduation index once they are listed on the approved plan of study. If a Purdue course taken as a graduate student is repeated for a grade, the Registrar's Office will delete the first grade from a student's graduation index if that specific course was originally taken while the student was enrolled as a graduate student and is subsequently repeated for credit and a grade. (Grades earned prior to the 1995 summer session will not be deleted). Neither excess undergraduate Purdue courses nor courses transferred from another institution figure in the graduation index.
Courses taken for pass/not pass or satisfactory/unsatisfactory are unacceptable in fulfilling degree requirements, and grade option changes will not be approved by the Graduate School except in cases of a clerical or mechanical error that is detected early and used as the basis for requesting a correction within the normal drop/add period. Coursework required for a degree will be complete when a student obtains grades for all courses on the plan of study that meet grade requirements of the department and the Graduate School.
Resident Study Requirements - Master's Degree: back to top
The total number of hours of academic credit used to satisfy residency requirements consists of all course credit hours that appear on the plan of study, other graduate course credit hours with grades of C or better that appear on the Purdue transcript, and research credit hours with grades of S that appear on the Purdue transcript.
In fulfilling these requirements, a maximum of 18 credit hours will be allowed from any one semester (maximum hours proportional to length of summer session = 9 credit hours).
More than half of the Purdue credits must be earned through the (Purdue) campus where the degree is conferred. At least 30 total credit hours are required, however, some program areas may require more than 30 credit hours. Course credits obtained via distance learning technologies from a campus shall be considered to have been obtained in residence on that campus.
Resident Study Requirements - Doctoral Degree: back to top
The total number of hours of academic credit used to satisfy residency requirements consists of all course credit hours that appear on the plan of study, other graduate course credit hours with grades of C or better that appear on the Purdue transcript, and research credit hours with grades of S that appear on the Purdue transcript.
Doctoral degree students must have at least one-third of the total credit hours used to satisfy degree requirements must be earned (while registered for doctoral study) in continuous residence on the Purdue campus where the degree is to be granted. At least 90 credit hours are required, however, some program areas may require more than 90 credit hours. A master's degree from any accredited university is considered to contribute 30 credit hours toward satisfying this residency requirement.
A master's degree from any accredited university is considered to contribute 30 credit hours toward satisfying this residency requirement.
In fulfilling these requirements, a maximum of 18 credit hours will be allowed from any one semester (maximum hours proportional to length of summer session = 9 credit hours).
If a student completes all the academic requirements but has insufficient residence credits, a letter of explanation justifying the deficiency should be forwarded to the dean of the Graduate School. If justification is sufficient, the dean of the Graduate School may waive part of the residency requirement.
Maximum Time Limits for Completion of Ph.D. Degree back to top
Each department should establish policies to assure that graduate students complete their Ph.D. degree programs in a period of time that is reasonable and commensurate with the practice of scholarship in that field. Current policies governing the completion of the Ph.D. degree should be filed with the dean of the Graduate School. In formulating completion policies, departments should give special consideration to the conditions that must be met before students can be recommended for research in absentia.
Department of Curriculum & Instruction:
All doctoral programs in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction must be completed no longer than eight (8) calendar years from entry to the program area. (Department policy, approved February 2005)
Department of Educational Studies:
Students enrolled in EDST doctoral programs are required to complete the doctoral program within 8 years of initial enrollment in the doctoral program. Students who fail to obtain their doctoral degree within eight years of initial enrollment must write a letter of appeal to their program area faculty, explaining why they failed to complete their degree in the required time, and requesting an extension. The program area faculty will review the student’s appeal and decide whether there are sufficient grounds to approve the appeal. In the event that a student’s appeal is approved, the length and conditions of the extension will be specified by the program area faculty. This policy will be in effect for students admitted in the fall of 2009. (Department policy, approved November 13,2008)
PRF Grant Registration back to top
Students must register for 6 credit hours of research in the Fall and Spring semesters and 3 credit hours of research in the Summer semester. | 
