02.23

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet the university minimum standards for scholarship and all criteria established by the School/College and degree program. Admission to graduate programs is competitive; admission authority rests with the Deans of the Graduate School and the School/College. An application will be reviewed only when the application fee is paid in U.S. dollars and all official transcripts, standardized test scores, and other application materials required for the degree program are received on or before the deadline.

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Minimum Requirements for Admission
A baccalaureate degree or its equivalent, as recognized by Temple University, from an accredited post-secondary institution.

Cumulative grade point average (GPA), on a 4-point scale, of 2.8 or higher for all undergraduate work, 3.0 for graduate level work. Temple University calculates the GPA from official transcripts sent directly from each post-secondary institution that the applicant has attended.

Examination Requirements for Admission
A School/College and program may require an examination such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Such examinations must have been taken within the past five years or appear on the official Temple University record of a student who has been previously enrolled.

Foreign Students
If an applicant attended any institution that does not routinely issue complete academic records in English, he or she must submit official copies of native language records and literal translations prepared by an appropriate university or government official. Another option is to submit the academic documents to a credential evaluation organization approved by Temple University, and request that the evaluation be sent directly to the intended program. At the same time, an unofficial copy of the academic records on which the outside evaluation will be based should be sent to the intended program at Temple University.

Minimum English Language Requirements
An applicant who does not hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution in which the sole language of instruction is English is required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 575 paper version/230 computer-based version (CBT) in all programs except the Master of Music (MM) or Doctor of Music (DMA) in performance, for which a TOEFL score of 525 paper version/197 CBT is acceptable.

Remedial English Requirement
An applicant admitted with marginal TOEFL scores (below 599 paper version/ 250 CBT) is required to do one of the following as a condition of matriculation:

• Pass the SPEAK test administered at Temple University
  
• Have scored at least 45 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) in the past 2 years
  
• Enroll in an approved remedial English course at Temple University in the first semester
  

School And College Admissions Criteria
The faculties of each program establish additional admissions requirements that are approved by the School or College Graduate Council or other governance body. Additional requirements beyond the university minimum requirements typically include the following:

• standardized tests
• grades and/or completion of specific course work
• evidence of writing ability, professional experience
• statement of goals and specific interests in research or other creative activities
• portfolios
• auditions
• letters of recommendation
  

Because admissions requirements for graduate programs vary widely, an applicant must contact the school or college and program for current information. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit all required credentials and other evidence of qualifications by the deadline set by the school or college and program.

Application Deadlines
Deadlines vary by program as shown in the admissions matrix (link). To be considered for any form of Graduate Student Financial Support, an applicant should apply in advance of posted deadlines. To be considered for university fellowships, an applicant must apply by January 15 for admission the following fall. Only a student who has been admitted may be considered for Assistantships, Scholarships, Fellowships, and Student Financial Aid (loans or work-study).

Applications to Multiple Degree Programs
Prospective students may apply to more than one program, but must submit a complete application to each. A student accepted into a graduate program may matriculate into only one program, except in the case of officially-designated Dual Degree programs.

Dual Degree Programs
Applicants to Dual Degree programs must be admitted to both degree programs and complete all requirements for both degrees. Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to the other.

Doctoral Student Moving to a Master's Program
A matriculated student in a doctoral program may, with the approval of the advisor and the Dean of the School/College, request a transfer to a master's degree program in the same department and field without reapplying. The department or program must review the student's record and make the final decision about accepting the student into the master's degree program.

Master's Student Moving to a Doctoral Program
A matriculated student in a master's program must apply for admission to the doctoral program even in the same department and field. (This is not applicable if a student was admitted into the Ph.D. program at the time of admission into the master's program.) The procedures for applying are governed by the Dean of the School/College and Graduate Council or other governance body.

02.24

GRADUATE CREDITS AND STANDARDS OF SCHOLARSHIP

Courses graded A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and F are used to calculate the graduate grade point average (GPA). No grade below a C- can be used to fulfill any graduate requirement. The GPA does not include courses designated R (registered) unless the R is changed to a letter grade following completion of all work as is done in some courses that continue over two or more grading periods. In some doctoral programs, the final semester of dissertation research is changed to a letter grade.

A student who receives more than two grades below B- or more than one grade of F will be dismissed for failure to maintain satisfactory grades.

A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required in order to graduate.

A doctoral student must take at least 6 s.h.'s of Doctoral Research (900 - 999) after having been advanced to candidacy. Because these courses reflect continuing work on a single project, the student will receive a grade (A, B, C, or Pass/Fail, depending on the departmental grading system) for only the final semester after having fulfilled this requirement (by filing the final approved dissertation with the Graduate School).

Incompletes
An instructor may assign an incomplete (I) to a student who does not complete all coursework. That Incomplete may be changed to a letter grade if the student completes the coursework within one calendar year.

Contract Required for Completing Work
The student must file a contract with the faculty member of record stating what outstanding work remains to be completed. The faculty member must sign the contract and retain it in the student's permanent departmental file. All work must be completed, graded, and the change of grade card filed with the Office of Academic Records within one calendar year of the assignment of the Incomplete.

Permanent Incompletes (PI)
An Incomplete that has not been changed to a grade within one calendar year of being assigned will be administratively changed into a Permanent Incomplete (PI).

No Credit for Permanent Incompletes
A student who receives a Permanent Incomplete and wishes to receive credit for that course is required to reregister, pay tuition, and retake that course to receive a grade.

Credits for Coursework in a Degree Program
No course may be used to satisfy a credit hour requirement for more than one degree, except where course requirements for one degree (master's degree) are required for a more advanced degree (e.g., Ph.D.) or have been designated as eligible to satisfy the requirements of an officially-designated Dual Degree program.

Repeating a Course for Additional Credit
A student may repeat an Independent Study or other course for additional credit if
the course content varies each semester as designated in the Graduate Bulletin.

Repeating a Course for Credit
A student may, with the permission of the advisor and graduate program director, retake a course once in order to improve the grade. The higher grade will be used instead of the lower grade to calculate the graduate grade point average (GPA). The semester hours for the course will be counted only once toward graduation requirements.

Graduate Credit for Undergraduate Courses
A graduate student may take an undergraduate upper division course for graduate credit only with the advance, written permission of the student's advisor and the Dean of the School/College, prior to the first day of classes. Permission will be granted only if the graduate student is required to complete more advanced work than that required of undergraduates, and the petition specifies the nature and extent of the additional work (e.g., a research paper or project). To receive graduate credit, the student must pay graduate tuition and fees.

Enrollment in Undergraduate Courses Not for Graduate Credit
A student admitted to a graduate program may enroll in an undergraduate course to elevate his or her level of preparation to the standard expected of an entering graduate student, but such courses cannot be used to satisfy a graduate degree requirement.

A prerequisite is preparatory work that must be completed prior to undertaking specified coursework in the degree program. Semester hours earned completing prerequisites do not count toward the total number of semester hours required for the degree.

Grades earned in prerequisite courses, if graduate level, are included in the graduate GPA and, irrespective of level, in the determination of scholarship.

Credit for Coursework Taken as a Non-Matriculated Student
A matriculated student may be allowed credit for up to 9 semester hours (s.h.) of graduate coursework, graded B or higher, taken before matriculation. These credits may be accepted in addition to the advanced standing credit allowed if approved by the Dean and the Graduate Council or other governance body of the School/College.

Master's Degree
Graduate coursework taken at an accredited institution prior to matriculation, and graded B or higher, may be accepted toward a Temple University Master's Degree. The number of advanced standing credits that may be accepted by a master's program cannot exceed 20% of the semester hours required for the degree (e.g., in a 30 s.h. master's degree, a maximum of 6 s.h.'s of credit is allowed).

Doctoral Degree
Graduate coursework taken at an accredited institution prior to matriculation and graded B or higher as part of a Master's Degree Program may be accepted for Advanced Standing Credit. For doctoral programs that do not require the student to complete a master's degree at Temple University, the number of advanced standing credits that may be accepted by a doctoral program cannot exceed the number of graduate semester hours required for the master's degree in the same or a closely related discipline at Temple University. Individual programs may have more restrictive limits on the number of graduate semester hours eligible to be considered for Advanced Standing Credit. The Deans of the School/College and the Graduate Council or other governance body determine the courses to be deemed eligible.

Acceptance of Credit
To receive Advanced Standing Credit, the Graduate Program Director must make a recommendation to the Dean of the School/College to accept a student's credits from the master's degree or other graduate work taken prior to matriculation in the degree program whether the previous work was taken at Temple University or at another institution. The Dean of the School/College has final authority over accepting the recommendation to grant advanced standing credit in individual cases as long as the number and type of credits accepted do not exceed those allowed by the Graduate School.

The Dean of a School/College and the Graduate Council or other governance body may accept a limited number of transfer credits taken by a matriculated student outside of Temple University.

A Master's program may accept a maximum of 6 s.h.'s of transfer credit.

A doctoral program may accept as many transfer credits as have been approved by the Dean of the School/College up to the limit established by the Dean of the Graduate School.

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CURRENCY AND TIME LIMITS
Courses taken prior to matriculation may be counted toward a degree only if they meet the program's criteria for currency. Generally, courses taken within the past five years are considered current. In some schools and colleges, coursework taken in a master's degree more than five years prior to matriculation may be considered eligible for advanced standing credit.

Continuous Enrollment/Registration
To remain in good standing a graduate student must maintain continuous enrollment (i.e., 1 or more semester hours each Fall and Spring) from the semester of matriculation through the semester of graduation. The only exception is for a student on a Leave of Absence.

To be designated full-time, a graduate student (including all recipients of Graduate School Fellowships) must be enrolled for 9 or more semester hours of coursework until all coursework is completed.

To be designated full-time, a graduate student who holds an assistantship which requires at least twenty hours of service per week must be enrolled in 6 s.h.'s until all coursework is completed.

To be designated full-time, a graduate student who has completed required coursework for the degree must be enrolled in at least 1 s.h. of one of the following:

Preliminary Examinations 799
Dissertation Proposal 899
Dissertation Research 999 (or equivalent 900-999)

OR any other terminal or culminating experience or project required beyond coursework to complete the degree (e.g., MFA project, internship, field practicum, or student teaching).

A student may be classified as full-time for up to 2 semesters while completing a Master's Thesis or Project; for up to 4 semesters while completing an MFA Project, and for up to 6 semesters while completing a Doctoral Dissertation.

A student must take and pass the preliminary examination within one semester of completing coursework in order to be considered full-time. The proposal must be approved within 3 semesters of completing coursework.

A doctoral student who has completed coursework and requests designation as full-time (i.e., to be eligible for Code 23 Status to defer loans and/or satisfy visa requirements) must file the Full-Time Status Certification Form, signed by the appropriate advisor, with the Graduate School by the first day of classes each semester.

The Dean of a School/College, on the recommendation of the advisor, may grant a matriculated student a Leave of Absence.

While on a Leave of Absence, a student may not use any university facility or
receive academic direction or guidance except related to the student's petition for continuing the leave or for advising related to progress toward completion of the degree.

A Leave of Absence does not extend the time limit for completing a graduate
degree. A student may not be granted more than four semesters of leave except for a serious condition.

The time limit begins with the semester of matriculation and ends with the semester in which the degree is earned.

Time Limits for a Master's Degree
Three to six years (see Program Descriptions).

Time Limits for a Doctoral Degree
Seven years.

Extensions of Time
To ensure currency, a student who requests an extension of time beyond that allowed for a graduate degree may be required to retake coursework and/or examinations.

MASTER'S EXAMINATION AND THESIS

A student may take the master's comprehensive examination, in whole or in part, no more than twice.

A student who fails all or part of the comprehensive examination twice will be
dismissed.

Requirements
For current requirements, see specific program.

Thesis Format
A thesis must be completed in a format approved by the Graduate School and the School/College. Approved formats are listed in the Dissertation and Thesis Handbook.

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DOCTORAL EXAMINATIONS

Registration for Preliminary Examinations (Course #799)
A doctoral student who has completed all course work for the degree, but has not passed the preliminary examination, must register each Fall and Spring semester for 1 s.h. of course number 799, "Preliminary Examination Preparation. " The student must be registered for 799 in the semester in which the examination is taken, including the summer session. A student who is required to retake the preliminary examination in whole or in part must re-register for 1 s.h. of 799 in the semester in which the examination will be retaken.

A student may take the doctoral preliminary examination, in whole or in part, no more than twice.

A student who fails all or part of the preliminary examination twice will be dismissed.

Three or more members of the Graduate Faculty must approve the content of the doctoral preliminary examination. It must be graded fairly and in a manner that prohibits any one faculty member from determining whether a student passes or fails.

To ensure currency, a doctoral student who has not successfully defended the dissertation within five years of passing the preliminary examination may be required to retake and pass that examination to remain in good academic standing.

When the five year limit is reached, the student will be notified by the School/College/Program if he or she must retake and pass the preliminary examination within one semester.

Failure to retake and pass the preliminary examination within one semester will result in dismissal by the School/College/Program.

Elevation to Candidacy
A doctoral student is elevated to candidacy on completion of all coursework and examination requirements (including foreign language or other proficiency examinations) for the degree upon filing an approved dissertation proposal with the Graduate School.

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DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Composition of the Doctoral Advisory Committee (DAC)
A committee must include at least three members of the Temple University Graduate Faculty, two of whom, including the Chair, must be members of the candidate's degree program or approved to serve in that capacity with the advance, written approval of the Dean of the Graduate School.

Additional Members
A committee may be expanded to include other Temple faculty and/or qualified experts from outside Temple University, provided that a majority of the members of the advisory committee are members of the Temple University Graduate Faculty.

Approval of Additional Members
If the proposed additional member is not a member of the Graduate Faculty, the Chair of the Dissertation Advisory Committee must request approval by submitting the "Nomination for Service on Doctoral Committee" form and a current curriculum vitae to the Dean of the Graduate School. Approval must be received prior to filing the approved proposal with the Graduate School.

Changes in Membership
If a change is made in the composition of the Doctoral Advisory Committee, the change must be approved by the Chair of the initial committee, the Dean of the School/College and filed on the "Dissertation Committee Change" form with the Graduate School prior to posting the Final Defense.

School/College Oversight
The Dean of the School/College and the Graduate Council or other governance body defines who is responsible for approving the composition of Doctoral Advisory Committees in the School/College.

Role of the Chair and Advisory Committee Members
The Chair and each member of the Advisory Committee works with the student to provide guidance to develop a proposal in which the student demonstrates broad knowledge of the field, current methods of investigation, and the ability to conduct the proposed research on a realistic time-line.

Registration for Proposal Preparation (Course # 899)
A student who has passed the preliminary examinations but has not filed an approved dissertation proposal with the Graduate School by the last day to Drop/Add in the semester must register (each Fall and Spring) for course # 899, "Pre-Dissertation Research."

Approved Proposal
When all members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee have signed the proposal, the proposal represents an agreement between the student and the Committee that the theoretical and methodological approach being taken will be considered acceptable if the work is conducted appropriately and within the time-line proposed. The Doctoral Advisory Committee may not unilaterally require significant theoretical or methodological changes. The Committee and the student may jointly agree on such changes but are advised to put these changes in writing.

Time-Limit to File Approved Proposal
Within 30 days of all members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee signing the proposal, it must be filed with the student's department and with the Graduate School. The proposal must include an official Proposal Transmittal form that includes the signatures of the Dissertation Advisory Committee members and the date approved.

If the oral examination is held in the summer session, the student must register for 999 in the summer session but will not be required to register in the fall if the 30-day deadline for making final revisions extends into the Fall.

A doctoral student must complete a minimum of six semester hours of course number 999, "Dissertation Research," after elevation to candidacy.

Standards for Defensibility
To be defensible, a doctoral dissertation must:

• meet the standards for original research or other creative work in the field.
  
• uphold the ethics and standards governing research or creative work in the discipline.
  
• demonstrate mastery of the research methodology and subject matter.
  
• demonstrate an understanding of the contribution of the body of knowledge to the discipline or disciplines involved.
  
• meet the standard of writing and presentation expected in any academic or scholarly publication or production including grammar, spelling, formatting and general readability.
  

Criteria for Oral Defense
A candidate whose dissertation fulfills the standards of scholarship and the commitments made in the proposal, and any modifications made to it as specified above, is entitled to an oral defense of the dissertation.

Responsibilities
A Dissertation Examining Committee is responsible for evaluating the quality of the dissertation and conducting the oral defense.

Composition of the Examining Committee
A Committee must include the Chair and all members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee and at least one outside examiner.

The Chair of the Examining Committee
The Chair of the Examining Committee must be a member of the Graduate Faculty but may not be the Chair of the candidate's Doctoral Advisory Committee. This person, responsible for coordinating the defense, must be identified when the defense is posted with the Graduate School. If the Dean of a School/College and the Graduate Council has a written policy that calls for the Chair of the Dissertation Examining Committee to be elected only when the defense is convened, the person named in the posting to the Graduate School will remain responsible for filing all official forms with the School/College and Graduate School.

Outside Examiner
The outside examiner may not be a faculty member in the candidate's degree program. The examiner must be doctorally prepared, and, if he or she is from outside Temple University, must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the Oral Defense.

Approval of Committee Members Outside Temple University
If the outside examiner or any other proposed member of the Examining Committee is not a member of the Graduate Faculty, the Chair of the Dissertation Advisory Committee must request approval by submitting the request form and a current curriculum vitae to the Dean of the Graduate School at least four weeks in advance of the scheduled defense. Approval must be received prior to posting the Oral Defense.

Posting an Oral Defense/Final Examination
To be eligible to post, the candidate must have:

• an approved Dissertation Examining Committee
  
• distributed a complete copy of the final dissertation to all members of the Examining Committee
  
• identified the Chair or the person responsible for the Dissertation Examining Committee in accordance with the policies of the School/College
  

Ten-Day Notice
The candidate must submit the official, signed notice of the Oral Defense to the Graduate School ten or more working days before the scheduled defense. A defense cannot be held without written confirmation of approval and receipt of the defense paperwork from the Graduate School.

Announcement
The announcement of the oral defense must be posted publicly. Any member of the Graduate Faculty has the right to request a copy of the dissertation from the Dean of the School/College in advance of the defense and may participate in the defense.

Guest Attendants
If a person other than a member of the Examining Committee or Graduate Faculty wishes to be present at the oral defense, the Chair of the Dissertation Examining Committee is responsible for determining the appropriateness of the request and for making the final decision.

Attendance of the Dissertation Examining Committee
All members of the Dissertation Examining Committee must be physically present for the defense except in the case of an emergency. The Dean of the Graduate School may, in serious circumstances, give prior written approval for no more than one member to be absent. The candidate and Dissertation Advisory Committee Chair must, however, both be present for a valid defense.

Excused Members
A member of the Dissertation Examining Committee whose absence has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School must still participate in the defense through some means (e.g., telephone, video-conference, written comments and/or questions to be asked by another member), except in the case of a sudden, serious emergency.

Evaluation of the Dissertation Defense
An Examining Committee evaluates both the dissertation and a candidate's performance in the oral examination to determine whether or not the candidate passes. Only officially recognized members of a Dissertation Examining Committee have the authority to determine whether or not the candidate passes the final defense.

30 Day Limit for Revisions
Doctoral candidates who pass the oral defense may be required to make revisions to the dissertation as a condition of completing the degree. The Chair of the Doctoral Advisory Committee is typically responsible to review and approve revisions, although any member of the Examining Committee may require the candidate to submit a final draft for approval. The final revised dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School within 30 calendar days of the oral defense or the defense is nullified and another oral defense must be scheduled.

Major Revisions
If an Examining Committee requires substantial revisions that cannot be made within 30 calendar days, the Committee must suspend the defense until a majority agrees that the dissertation is sufficiently revised to be defendable. A candidate must repost the oral defense with the Graduate School. The Chair of the Dissertation Advisory Committee is responsible for notifying the Graduate School that a defense was suspended.

Dissertation Format
A dissertation must be completed in a format approved by the Graduate School and the School/College. Approved formats are listed in the Dissertation and Thesis Handbook.

Authorship and Prior Publication
A doctoral dissertation may have only one author. A candidate's previously published work may be included in the dissertation if the work meets the following criteria:

• The research was conducted by the candidate while a doctoral student at Temple University
  
• It has not been used to meet the requirements for another degree
  
• It is not co-authored unless the role of the candidate was clearly defined in the co-authored work
  
• It is logically connected with and integrated into the dissertation
  
• By its inclusion, it does not violate any existing copyright or contractual agreement
  
• Co-authored works that do not meet the criteria above may be included as appendices if they include the names of all authors and the contribution of the candidate is stated.

Filing Dissertations
The Dissertation and Thesis Handbook details requirements for filing the final dissertation with the Graduate School.

Final Authority Over Doctoral Dissertation
The Dean of the Graduate School and the Graduate Board have the authority to review and approve all doctoral dissertations prior to awarding the degree.

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Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act requires that each college or university establish due procedures for the resolution of grievances. A student should consult his or her School/College for information about filing grievances.

A graduate student must follow all School/College and department policies and procedures governing grade appeals and appeals for all other academic matters. The Graduate Board and Graduate School have authority over reinstatement after academic or administrative dismissal. A student must file a Petition to the Graduate School to initiate an appeal to either body for reinstatement.

Petitions for Reinstatement After Academic Dismissal
A graduate student may petition the Graduate Board Student Appeals Committee following dismissal.

If the student has failed the comprehensive or preliminary examinations, in whole or in part, twice.

If the student has failed to maintain satisfactory grades in accordance with Standards of Scholarship in the university, School/College and/or program.

If the student has failed to make academic progress as defined by the School/College and program.

Petitions for Reinstatement After Administrative Dismissal
A student who has been administratively dismissed (i.e., has exceeded the time limit or failed to maintain continuous enrollment and is therefore ineligible to register, or who has withdrawn) may petition the Graduate School for reinstatement. The Dean of the Graduate School or his/her designee may respond to these petitions administratively or refer them to the Graduate Board Student Appeals Committee.

Appeals of Graduate Board Decisions
A student can appeal Graduate Board Appeals Committee decisions only on procedural grounds. The appeal should be directed to the Provost.

Readmission
A student who has withdrawn, been dismissed for failure to maintain continuous enrollment for more than one semester, or has exceeded the time limit and is therefore ineligible to register, may be required to file a new application for admission. If accepted, the student is considered newly matriculated at the time of admission and will be required to complete all current program requirements.

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