This document is distributed to all graduate students and faculty in the Oral Health Sciences graduate program to clarify what should constitute satisfactory progress toward completion of a degree. Related statements of Graduate School policies are available to students and faculty at the Graduate School Policies & Procedures website.
This document provides some general expectations and guidelines for making satisfactory progress, though it may not capture all the potential circumstances that could lead to unsatisfactory progress. For students who have been on leave or are pursuing the degree on a part-time basis, satisfactory progress will be determined on an individual basis in consultation with the student’s Faculty Mentor/Supervisory Committee Chair and the Graduate Program Director. A student’s satisfactory progress status will be taken into consideration when granting permission for onleave status.
A. General Expectations
MS Thesis Degree
A minimum of 10 credits/quarter (full time status) for at least 7 quarters (2 credits/quarter during summer quarter); 70 credits are required for the MS Thesis degree including at least 9 credits of thesis.
- All course requirements as stipulated by the program with a minimum cumulative GPA and minimum quarterly GPA of 3.0.
- All core courses must be passed with individual grades of at least 2.7 or they must be retaken.
- No more than one “incomplete” grade outstanding for one quarter.
- Thesis proposal approved 4 months prior to date of intended graduation.
- Successful defense of thesis by the end of the 8th quarter of the program.
MS DH Degree
A minimum of 10 credits/quarter (full time status) for at least 7 quarters (2 credits/quarter during summer quarter); 70 credits are required for the MS DH degree.
- All course requirements as stipulated by the program with a minimum cumulative GPA and minimum quarterly GPA of 3.0.
- All core courses must be passed with individual grades of at least 2.7 or they must be retaken.
- No more than one “incomplete” grade outstanding for one quarter.
- Successful completion of capstone project. A minimum of six capstone project credits required.
PhD Degree
A minimum of 10 credits/quarter (full-time status) for at least 7 quarters with a minimum course requirement of 90 credits (2 credits/quarter during summer quarter); 60 credits must be completed prior to the General Exam, and 27 are 800 level Dissertation credits.
- All course requirements as stipulated by the program with a minimum cumulative GPA and minimum quarterly GPA of 3.0.
- All core courses must be passed with individual grades of at least 2.7 or they must be retaken.
- No more than one “incomplete” grade outstanding for one quarter.
- General Examination should be taken in the second year but must be taken and passed by the end of Autumn quarter of the student’s 3rd year in the program. In the event of a report of an unsatisfactory outcome, the student may request a re-examination that must be scheduled within the quarter following that in which the first examination took place. The reexamination cannot take place sooner than two months, nor longer than 12 months, after the first examination. Permission for re-examination must receive the approval of the supervisory committee. A second failure of this examination will result in dismissal of the student from the PhD graduate program. If the request for re-examination is denied, the student will immediately be dismissed from the OHS PhD Graduate Program.
- Successful defense of dissertation.
- There is an expectation of at least one first-author publication either published or in press, for receipt of a PhD. Exceptions are to be negotiated with the advisor and GPD.
DDS/PhD Dual Degree
A minimum of 10 credits/quarter (full-time status) for at least 7 quarters with a minimum course requirement of 90 credits (2 credits/quarter during summer quarter); 60 credits must be completed prior to the General Exam, and 27 are 800 level Dissertation credits.
- All course requirements as stipulated by the program with a minimum cumulative GPA and minimum quarterly GPA of 3.0
- All core courses must be passed with individual grades of at least 2.7 or they must be retaken.
- No more than one “incomplete” grade outstanding for one quarter.
- General Examination should be taken in the second year of PhD training but must be taken and passed by the end of Autumn quarter of the student’s third year of PhD training.
- Successful defense of dissertation.
- There is an expectation of at least one first-author publication either published or in press, for receipt of a PhD. Exceptions are to be negotiated with the advisor and GPD.
- PhD course requirements can be taken either in the DDS or PhD portion of training
B. Persons Responsible for Evaluation of Student Progress
MS
- Initially, the student’s Faculty Advisor, along with the Graduate Program Advisor and Graduate Program Director, is responsible for monitoring the student’s coursework and research progress through the program.
- After a Master’s Supervisory Committee is established, the committee chair is both the student’s faculty and thesis advisor, and the committee has responsibility for assessment of the thesis.
PhD
- Initially the student’s Faculty Advisor, along with the Graduate Program Advisor and Graduate Program Director, is responsible for monitoring the student’s progress through the program.
- After a Doctoral Supervisory Committee is established, the committee chair is both the student’s academic and dissertation advisor, and the committee has responsibility for assessment of the general examination and the dissertation.
C. Performance and Progress Measures
- Quality of academic efforts (e.g., research assistantship, teaching assistantship, research study, abstracts, presentations, papers); as judged by faculty and/or outside reviewers.
- Written research agreements and written evaluations of research and academic progress.
- Course grades.
D. Conditions Warranting Recommendation to Alter Student’s Status
The OHS Graduate Program is guided by Graduate School Academic Performance and Progress in considering the actions listed below. Advisors/supervisors are notified of these actions as well as students.
Academic Notification
The Graduate Program Director will issue an academic notification letter to students for:
- Cumulative GPA below 3.0
- Untimely progress through the program
- Unsatisfactory quality of academic efforts
If an academic notification is issued, a written remediation plan with milestones needs to be developed by the student and approved by the student’s faculty advisor and Graduate Program Director.
Academic Alert
The Graduate Program Director will place a student on academic alert for:
- Cumulative GPA less than 3.0 for two consecutive quarters
- Unsatisfactory quality of academic efforts for two consecutive quarters
- Failure to meet milestones or deliverables outlined in the remediation plan in response to an issued academic alert
- Untimely progress for at least one consecutive year
If an academic alert is issued, a written remediation plan with milestones needs to be developed by the student and approved by the student’s faculty advisor and Graduate Program Director.
Final Academic Alert
The Graduate Program Director will place a student on final academic alert for:
- Cumulative GPA less than 3.0 for three consecutive quarters
- Unsatisfactory quality of academic efforts for three consecutive quarters
- Failure to meet milestones or deliverables outlined in the remediation plan in response to an issued academic alert
- Untimely progress for at least two consecutive years