The Graduate School Manual - Enrollment and Registration

Enrollment and Registration

All students must confirm their registration in order to be considered a student. In addition to payment of all outstanding charges, tuition, and fees, this confirmation is a part of the process, and registration is not complete until confirmed. Failure to confirm enrollment and to conclude appropriate financial arrangements may result in the cancellation of the student's enrollment in classes.

Registration

In order to be considered registered, graduate students must confirm enrollment and pay all tuition and fees as billed. Even if all tuition and fees are covered by University sources, graduate students must confirm enrollment by the stated deadline. Once a student registers for and confirms a course, the student becomes liable for the tuition and fees associated with that course. If the course is later dropped after the official drop period, the student remains liable for payment of all or part of the costs.

Students sometimes ask a professor for permission to attend a course without officially registering for the course; students should be aware that registering for such a course with a grading option of "Audit" will result in full fee assessment (tuition and fees), regardless of whether or not a faculty member has granted informal permission to sit in on a class.

Graduate students are encouraged to pre-register whenever possible. Funded students are required to pre-register. Pre-registration helps the University plan for course and classroom needs and, thus, helps to assure that course demand is met. Graduate students should be completely registered by the first day of classes. Penalty fees are assessed to all students for late registration, late add/drop and late payment of bill.

Students are responsible for their own registration and to ensure that they are registered for the proper number of credits and type of courses. Although graduate program staff may assist with student registration, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to check his/her registration and correct it as needed. Registration can be checked via BU Brain. The Graduate School will not approve late add/drop course petitions based on the claim that someone else registered for the student. Late add/drop petitions submitted relative to a particular semester, with a third or less of that semester remaining will only be considered for exceptional circumstances beyond the student's control.

Full-Time Registration Requirements

  • A Level 1 (G1) student is:
    • Any master’s-level student who has not yet completed 24 graduate program credit hours at Binghamton, including approved transfer credits, or
    • Any doctoral student who has entered their graduate program with less than a master's degree and who has not yet completed 24 graduate credit hours at Binghamton, including approved transfer credits.

Level 1 students must be registered for 12 credits to be considered full-time.

  • A Level 2 (G2) student is any graduate student who has completed 24 graduate credit hours at Binghamton, including approved transfer credits, who does not otherwise qualify as G3 or G4.
  • A Level 3 (G3) student is a doctoral student who has completed the requirements for the master's degree and has begun doctoral coursework. A Level 3 student will not be able to officially advance to candidacy as ABD (G4) without providing the Office of Graduate Admissions with a final, official transcript showing conferral of a master's degree. 
  • A Level 4 (G4) student is a doctoral student who has been advanced officially to candidacy (ABD).

Levels 2, 3, and 4 students must be registered for 9 credits to be considered full-time.

Students who wish to be full time for VISA or loan purposes must make a formal request.   See Full-Time Working Toward Degree Status for Loan and Visa Purposes section for additional details.

Graduate students can typically take a maximum of 8 credits per summer session term. There are some exceptions, however, such as students who are admitted into a program that begins in the summer.

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Residence Requirement

Regardless of any previous graduate experience, the minimum university residence requirement for any graduate degree is 24 credit hours. Residence is defined as successful completion of 24 credit hours of ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ graduate online or onsite coursework. The residence requirement refers to the University's administrative requirement for residence, not New York state residency. See specific program requirements for courses that must be taken in residence.

For pre-master's students (i.e., entering the University with a bachelor's degree), credit hours earned under any of the following rubrics normally may not be counted toward the Graduate School's minimum residence requirement: College Teaching of the Discipline (591); Thesis (599); Pre-Dissertation Research (698); Dissertation (699) and Continuous Registration (700 level). S/U credits cannot be applied towards the residency requirement. 

Double Counting of Credits in 4+1/Accelerated Master’s Programs

Students must spend at least one academic year (or the part time equivalent) in full-time residency for the masters portion of the program. Students enrolled in 4+1/accelerated master's degree programs (as defined by the Graduate School) have a reduced residence requirement and may double count a limited number of credits toward both degrees, dependent on program policies. A minimum of 18 normally graded credits (residence hours) must be completed at the graduate level after the bachelor's degree is awarded.

Programs have the discretion to limit the number of credits that can be counted toward both degrees. Taking fewer than 12 credits per semester during the graduate level year of study may adversely impact full time status, which can impact financial aid, health insurance eligibility, immigration status and graduation requirements. S/U credits count toward full time credit totals, but are not counted as residence hours. Students are advised to carefully review their plans and consult with their advisors before confirming their course schedule each semester.  

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Dissertation Registration

Doctoral students are not permitted to register for dissertation (699) credits before they have been formally admitted to candidacy for the degree. Admission to candidacy for any doctoral degree occurs when the student has completed all course work and research skill requirements and has successfully passed the required comprehensive examinations. The graduate program must file the Recommendation for Admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Degree form with the Graduate School on behalf of the student. After approval, the student is ABD (all but dissertation) and the student's level is changed to Level 4. Doctoral students who have completed all course work for the degree, but who have not yet satisfied research skill requirements or have not yet passed the comprehensive examinations, must register each semester for an appropriate number of credit hours under the rubric pre-dissertation research (698). After admission to candidacy, all doctoral candidates must register for dissertation (699) to maintain registration.

Because work on the dissertation may be interrupted from time to time for a variety of reasons, students may register for continuous registration (700) if they are not actively engaged in research and writing during a particular semester. When students declare inactive status, it is assumed that only a minimum amount of faculty supervision is required for them to maintain matriculation. Students are limited to a maximum of two years (four semesters) of continuous registration (700) during the five-year period following the successful completion of the doctoral comprehensive examinations.

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Continuous Registration and Leaves of Absence

All students who have been admitted into an onsite degree-granting program must maintain continuous registration each required semester for a minimum of one credit hour. For exclusively online programs, students must attend at least one seven-week session during a required semester to satisfy the continuous enrollment requirement for that semester. Once enrolled, students are expected to make continuous progress toward the degree or certificate. Students in thesis master's programs who are "course complete" should register for 599 (thesis); students in doctoral programs who are "course complete" or ABD should register for pre-dissertation (698) or dissertation (699), depending on their status. Graduate students are not required to maintain matriculation during the summer unless they intend to complete their final degree requirements during this period. Students graduating in the summer must be registered for at least one credit in one (=any) summer session.

Students who wish to absent themselves from studies for a semester or two should register for one credit of continuous registration (700). The continuous registration (700) should not be used on a routine basis. Once enrolled, students are expected to make continuous progress - semester by semester - toward the degree or certificate.  Absence from a class does not constitute official withdrawal. Students going off campus to fulfill an internship related to degree requirements should remain registered.

Students who have begun a semester and then find that they cannot finish that semester should officially withdraw from their courses. Registration for one credit of continuous registration (700) will be required if the student withdraws from all courses. For withdrawal after the course-withdraw deadline, students must cite extraordinary circumstances beyond their control and the inability to foresee such circumstances. Poor judgment and academic incompetence do not qualify as extraordinary circumstances. Withdrawing from courses such that the semester credit hours fall below a full-time course load may affect eligibility of students for university funding and other financial aid for that semester; in this case, students may be required to return funds.

Students who do not register and who have not been granted a leave of absence must reapply to the Graduate School and pay additional fees. Students who do not maintain registration are severed and may not return; they must reapply, paying a new application fee. Readmission is not automatic. Students who are readmitted are required to register and pay for one credit for each semester they have not registered, plus one credit for the semester they re-enter, up to a maximum of four credits.

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Add/Drop Privileges

Students may add a course or change course sections only during the University's advertised add/drop period. Online programs may advertise different add/drop deadlines. Students making changes in course enrollments (registrations) after the add/drop deadlines are assessed a late fee for each transaction. Regardless of assistance provided by graduate programs, it is the student's responsibility to be registered for the appropriate credits and courses.

To add, drop or change a course after the add/drop deadlines, students must obtain the approval of the instructor and the department chair or the director of graduate studies on a Late Drop/Add/Change form (available from the Graduate School office). Completed Late Drop/Add/Change forms must also be approved by the Graduate School and are then filed with the University Registrar's Office. A Late Drop/Add fee is assessed for all late adds/drops, regardless of the cause of the change. Students enrolled in online programs are not allowed to add a course after the online program add/drop deadline. Students are reminded to review their schedules on BU Brain regularly to assure correctness.

Students who wish to drop a course after the end of the withdrawal period must complete the Late Drop/Add form and will receive a grade of W (withdrawn), if approved. It is not possible to have a course removed from the transcript after the drop deadline.

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Withdrawals

Graduate students who wish to drop ALL fall or spring semester courses or to withdraw from ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ in good standing must submit the . Mere absence from class does not constitute due notice of withdrawal. No grades are recorded for students who formally withdraw within the first eight weeks of the semester.

Students should read the policies on graduate student withdrawal below and in the Binghamton Academic Guide (Formerly Bulletin).

Students are required to speak to their department chair or graduate director to clarify their student status and funding status. International students must also speak with an International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) representative about the withdrawal. Financial aid recipients must also contact Financial Aid and Student Records to discuss the effects of the withdrawal.

Students who would like to return to the University without readmission to The Graduate School must also submit a Request for Leave of Absence Form to the Graduate School located in Couper Administration Building Room 108 or to graduate@binghamton.edu.

Students who would like to withdrawal from a course should complete a Request for Late Add/Withdrawal/Delete/Change Form and their academic department should submit it to graduate@binghamton.edu. 

Additional Information Based on Withdrawal Type

Academic, Financial or Other
Students withdrawing for these reasons cannot return without reapplying. Readmission is not guaranteed.

Medical
Students withdrawing for doctor-recommended medical reasons may be required to have their healthcare provider submit documentation to Decker Student Health Services for review. This documentation will only be reviewed by healthcare professionals at Binghamton University. Any student seeking a medical withdrawal must receive a signature of approval from the Dean of Students Office. 

Self-Medical
If there is no previous withdrawal on the student’s record, the student can initiate a self-medical withdrawal with a signature from the Dean of Students Office for approval. If the student wishes to return, they should also complete the Request for Leave of Absence form.

Administrative Medical
Students attempting a second (or more) semester withdrawal for medical reasons will have their cases reviewed on an individual basis by the Dean of Students Office and must submit a provider recommendation form prior to approval. If the student wishes to return, they should also complete the Request for Leave of Absence Form.

Any student seeking a medical withdrawal should consult with the Dean of Students Office to determine the best withdrawal option based on their individual situations. 

The Provider Form can be found online.

If the withdrawal is approved, the student will receive an approval letter from the Dean of Students Office, and a temporary hold will be placed on the student’s record. This hold will remain on the record until the student submits appropriate documentation for return.

Active Military Duty
Students withdrawing to begin active military duty must provide copies of their deployment orders and submit a Request for Leave of Absence Form. If you are a United States citizen, you must also notify Veterans Services (607-777-3668) and Student Accounts (607- 777-2702).

International students called to military service in their home country should contact the International Student and Scholars Services (ISSS) Office at 607-777-2510 before starting the withdrawal process, for information on appropriate departure procedures required under U.S. Immigration law.

Returning to ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ
Students who withdraw for medical reasons or have taken more than one semester withdrawal, will need to be cleared by the Dean of Students Office prior to returning to campus. Clearance requires that the student’s healthcare provider submit documentation to Decker Student Health Services regarding the student’s preparedness to return. The Dean of Students Office reviews these recommendations and facilitates appropriate action and notification. If cleared, the temporary hold will be lifted from the student’s record and online registration will be permitted.

The forms for re-enrollment can be found here:
Provider Re-enrollment Form - Following a Withdrawal
Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information During Re-enrollment Process

These forms must be faxed by the healthcare provider to Decker Student Health Services. Students may not submit these forms themselves. They should also not be sent to the Dean of Students Office for confidentiality reasons. Students should sign the release of information and give that form along with the re-enrollment form to the provider for completion.

Contact information

Dean of Students Office:
UUW205; (607) 777-2804; dos@binghamton.edu;
/case-management/withdraw/index.html

Decker Student Health Services:
(607) 777-2221; health.services@binghamton.edu;
/health/

Students are encouraged to contact the Graduate School or Dean of Students for any questions relevant to a full semester university withdrawal.

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Incomplete Grades

An instructor may assign an Incomplete (I) when a student has done most of the course work and satisfactorily, but due to unforeseen circumstances beyond student's control has not completed the course work. The Incomplete is not for the purpose of converting a failing grade, or unsatisfactory work, to a passing grade. The Incomplete grade option is not for the purpose of extending a project that has grown such that it cannot be completed within the course time frame. Completion of projects that require more than the course time frame can be done in other ways, such as "independent study." It is not a grading option for entire classes or courses. If an instructor assigns an Incomplete, then according to University policy, the instructor is implicitly indicating availability and a commitment to assist that student with completion of the course beyond the usual timeframe - and doing so within the University's six month grace period (or sooner if the instructor or program establishes an earlier deadline).

The student must request the Incomplete option from the instructor, but it is the instructor's decision as to whether it is appropriate or not.  Graduate students who are given an Incomplete may be given up to six months from the last day of classes to make up the incomplete work, which includes having the new grade submitted to the Registrar's Office. This is the maximum allowed; the instructor and student should have a written contract that indicates the timeline and requirements for completion. See the Sample Incomplete Contract. The instructor may set a deadline sooner than the university maximum, reflecting the instructor's availability to extend his/her commitment beyond the course, but the instructor cannot extend the university period of six months. It is expected that, upon submission of the remaining work, faculty will take no longer than one month to file a final letter grade for the course. Therefore, for onsite programs, students are advised to submit the remaining work at least one month before the agreed upon deadline or the University six month deadline, whichever comes first. Unless the student completes the coursework (which includes the instructor submitting a final letter grade within six months), the Incomplete changes to a grade of No Credit (NC). Once an Incomplete has changed to a NC, the student has no further opportunity to complete the course and the course will appear on the final transcript as No Credit.

Under exceptional circumstances only, the six month grace period for incomplete grades for onsite students may be extended for up to another six months. Requests for extensions of incomplete grades require the approval of the course instructor and the student's Dean's Office. See the Request for Extension of Incomplete Grade form. Requests must be made at least one month before the six month deadline.

Students enrolled in online programs who receive a grade of Incomplete will be required to complete the coursework by the end of the following semester. If not completed by the end of the next semester, the grade will change to No Credit (NC).

To ensure that the University's tuition allocation is used appropriately, the University's Office of the Internal Auditor periodically audits use of tuition scholarships and student compliance with the Terms and Conditions for Acceptance of Tuition Scholarship. Incompletes, No Credit and Withdrawals may be in violation of the Terms and Conditions. The Graduate School's policy on Incompletes, No Credits and Withdrawals reflects the need for compliance with the University's office of the Internal Auditor.

An Incomplete means that the work required for the course, which has a set end, was not completed, even though the tuition was paid. Depending on why the Incomplete was assigned, the contract to finish the work (or lack thereof), and/or the progress on the contract or Incomplete, there may be a violation of the terms and conditions of the tuition scholarship.

If a student is receiving a tuition scholarship, then the Graduate School expects the department to monitor the Incomplete situation. If the Incomplete becomes a No Credit and, as a consequence, the student's registration drops below full time, then the student is in violation of the terms and conditions of the tuition scholarship and the tuition for the semester that course was taken is owed to the University. Students in that situation cannot be funded further by the University until that situation is rectified by payment.

Therefore, departments should not offer funding to unfunded students or further funding to funded students who have an Incomplete. In most cases, funding appointments will not be approved by the Graduate School if the student has any Incomplete grades. That is, funded students who receive an Incomplete for a spring course must resolve the Incomplete before funding offers for fall semester will be approved by the Graduate School. Only exceptional cases with compelling justification will be approved. In the rare instances when approval is granted, funding can only be offered for one semester, and no additional funding will be approved until all incomplete grades are converted to grades. This policy helps students avoid an extra load on top of a regular load of courses, serving as a TA and research required for their degree.

All courses taken by graduate students are subject to the above policy. Incomplete and missing grades must be resolved before students can receive a graduate degree. Because students are using University resources and services, students must be registered in the term for which the Incomplete grade is converted to a grade.

Some departments and programs may have more restrictive policies regarding Incomplete grades and students should make it a point to learn about their department's rules and expectations. Because of the financial issues involved, Graduate Directors should make sure that faculty and graduate students understand the Incomplete policy. The Incomplete grading option should only be used for unusual situations - when circumstances beyond the student's control prevent the student from completing course work.

The Incomplete policy has specific implications for students receiving tuition scholarships and other kinds of financial aid and for international students holding visas:

Tuition scholarships:

  • When a student receives a tuition scholarship, the university pays tuition for the courses taken by that student. In the case where an Incomplete converts to a No Credit, the university has paid for tuition for a course that was not completed. Furthermore, when the student drops below the required number of registered courses, the student has violated the conditions outlined in the Terms & Conditions of the Tuition Scholarship (which is signed by the student). Students receiving tuition scholarships should be aware that the university will seek repayment of tuition for the semester that for which incompleted courses turned into No Credit. Students in that situation cannot be funded further by the university until that situation is rectified by repayment. Students with a NC or W that did not occur for a course paid for by a tuition scholarship may qualify for consideration for university funding.
  • Although a student may be given up to 6 months to convert "I" to a regular grade, that does not obligate the Graduate School to fund the student. For example, a student given an "I" for spring semester must convert that to a grade before an offer of funding can be made for the following fall semester.
  • Financial aid: Graduate students who receive federal or state aid may lose these benefits if they take Incompletes. See the Graduate Academic Progress Charts in the Bulletin for information on the required number of completed credits per graduate level per semester.
  • International students: Student visas require that students are registered as full time, so Withdrawn courses usually signal registration that fell below full time status.

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Auditing of Courses

Students who audit a course must pay tuition and are expected to attend the course faithfully and to fulfill whatever requirements the instructor may set. If, in the instructor's judgment, auditors have not conscientiously participated, the course will be expunged from the student's record. Students taking a course for credit may not change their registration of the course to audit after the add period. Likewise, students auditing a course may not change the registration to credit after the add period.

Audited courses will not count toward full-time status for degree progress, financial aid eligibility, student loan deferments, assistantship or fellowship eligibility, NCAA eligibility, or for some health insurance coverage. Tuition scholarships do not cover audited courses.

Students can request a Course Audit Petition form from the Registrar's Office by emailing registrar@binghamton.edu. 

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Transfer of Graduate Credits

Students matriculated in advanced degree programs may petition to have graduate credits from other institutions transferred toward their Binghamton masters' degrees. Transfer credits are not normally considered for doctoral degrees. Using the Graduate School's Request for Transfer Credit form, students petition their departmental or school graduate committee for consideration of previously completed coursework. The petition must include a copy of an official transcript from the institution(s) where coursework was completed (unless it is already on file with the Graduate School).

Credits petitioned for transfer must be relevant to the student's Binghamton degree program, must not have been used to satisfy the requirements of another degree, and must have been earned in graduate-level courses for which the student earned at least a B, and must have been earned at an accredited university.

Credits cannot be transferred for courses in which the student received no letter grade. Credits earned through correspondence courses or through courses or experiences offered under the auspices of proprietary schools, business or industrial training programs, or schools conducted by federal agencies such as the Department of Defense are normally not considered for transfer. Courses taken more than five years prior to matriculation in the Graduate School at ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ are considered only when the graduate program director attaches a statement justifying the transfer.

It is the student's responsibility to initiate the petition process appropriately, and within the first semester that the student is enrolled at ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ. If approved at the department level, the graduate director in the student's program forwards the petition to the Assistant Dean for Administration for review. If approved by the Graduate School, approved transfer credits will be included on the student's official graduate transcript as a single entry of total credits accepted in transfer. Letter grades from transfer credits are not reflected on the Binghamton transcript, nor are they considered in calculation of the grade-point average. Limitations on the number of credits acceptable in transfer are set in the first instance by the minimum residence requirement of 24 credit hours for any advanced degree; transfer credits cannot be applied toward the residence requirement. Thus, for master's programs requiring a minimum of 30 credit hours, no more than six transfer credits may be applied toward the degree. When master's programs require more than 30 credit hours, the Dean of the Graduate School may accept a larger number of transfer credits. Normally, no more than 8 credits may be transferred toward advanced degrees. For certificate programs, no more than 4 transfer credits may be applied.

No petitions received in the semester of graduation will be approved by the Graduate School.

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Full-Time Working Toward Degree Status for Loan and Visa Purposes

Students in the final stages of their graduate studies may be certified as full-time for loan or visa purposes if the student's faculty adviser and graduate program director certify that the student is making a full-time investment toward their graduate degree(s).

In order to be eligible for full-time certification, students must meet the following criteria:

  • Domestic doctoral students must be within one academic year of ABD (All But Dissertation) status or already ABD (G4).
  • International doctoral students must be coursework complete and registered in one credit of thesis, pre-dissertation or dissertation.
  • Domestic master’s students must be within one academic semester of degree completion, if not already course complete.
  • International master’s students must be officially course complete and registered in one credit of thesis or project.
  • All students must have completed 24 or more graduate credits in residency (classified as levels G2, G3 or G4).

To be certified as full-time, students must make a formal request to their academic department to be enrolled in full-time certification credits. This can be done by completing a Full-Time Working Toward Degree Status Certification Form or by following the department’s internal process to acquire these requests from their students. Enrollment in full-time certification credits (GRD 700 for unfunded students and GRD 701 for funded students) is handled by the student’s academic department. International students in F/J status must be enrolled in full-time certification credits no later than the add/drop deadline in order to maintain their status.

Eligible students must be registered for one billable credit which includes project, pre-dissertation, thesis or dissertation. Fees are not assessed for GRD 700 or 701 as they are non-billable placeholders used only to certify full-time status.

GRD 700 and GRD 701 may not be used in conjunction with continuous registration credits or with winter or summer registration.

Graduate students receiving university support (a tuition scholarship, stipend or other support) and all international students are required to maintain full-time registration during Fall and Spring semesters. Full-time registration status is defined as 12 credits per semester for G1 students (who have completed less than 24 graduate credits) and 9 credits for G2, G3 and G4 students (who have completed 24 or more graduate credits).

Domestic students being certified as full-time for loan purposes must be registered for a minimum of 6 credits.

Certification of full-time status and registration in full-time certification credits is the responsibility of the student and their academic department. It is important that the student request certification in a timely manner and that the graduate program carefully review students' records to make sure that they meet the requirements for the given status.

"CC" (Course-Complete) Status

To qualify for "CC" status, a graduate student must have completed all coursework required for the degree by the first day of classes of the semester in which the student is to be designated as "CC." Coursework can be considered complete only when a grade has been assigned for each course; coursework is not complete when the grade recorded is "Incomplete."

"ABD" (All-But-Dissertation) Status

To qualify for "ABD" status, a graduate student must have been officially advanced to doctoral candidacy by the first day of the semester in which the student is to be designated as "ABD." The graduate student's program has submitted to the Graduate School the "Recommendation for Advancement to Candidacy for Doctoral Degree" form, verifying that all course-work, credits, exams, and other requirements except the dissertation have been completed.

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Overload Policy

Level 1 graduate students (master's students who have completed fewer than 24 graduate credits) are considered full-time when they are registered for 12 credits per semester, so an overload for them is > 13 credits. Level 2 students (master's students who have completed at least 24 credits) and Level 3 and 4 (doctoral) students are considered full time when they are registered for 9 credits. So an overload for them is > 10 credits.

Overloads are permitted with the approval of the graduate director or department chair.

Students may register for up to 16 credits (18 for School of Management (SOM), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Entry-Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) students) with the approval of the graduate director. The Banner computerized registration system will not allow graduate students to register for more than 16 (or 18) credits. Any registration above 16 (18 for SOM and DPT students) credits requires approval of the student's graduate director.

Students wishing to register for more than 16 (18 for SOM, DPT, and Entry-Level OTD students) credits must complete a Graduate Student Course Overload Petition form. After obtaining the approval of the graduate program director, the form is submitted to the Registrar's Office for approval. If approved, a staff member within the Registrar's Office will then adjust the credit limit within Banner to allow the additional courses to be added. Note also that if the Overload Petition is approved after the end of the add deadline, a Late Add/Drop form is also necessary.

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Grades

The general grading system of the Graduate School applies to all graduate-level courses offered in the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the College of Community and Public Affairs, the School of Management, the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Graduate School. Grades are on a letter scale: A through C– and F. The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) uses a slightly different letter scale: A through C-, D and F.

Grades of S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) may be used in a limited number of cases, described below, for which no greater precision in grading is required. The grades of S and U are not assigned numerical value and thus are not averaged in with other grades in computing grade-point averages. A grade of S denotes a minimum level of academic performance equivalent to at least a B.

For the purpose of computing semester or cumulative averages, each letter grade is assigned a quality point value as follows:

A = 4.0
A– = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B– = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C– = 1.7
D = 1.0 (D is used only in SOPPS)
F = 0.0

These grade values are combined with course credit hours to produce a grade-point average. A cumulative grade-point average of B (3.0) is required for graduation. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 is required for graduation for PharmD students. Courses for which a student has received a D or an F do not count toward the number of courses required for a graduate degree or certificate.

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Determination of Academic Standing

A cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 is required for a graduate degree. To maintain satisfactory academic progress, students are required to earn a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in all courses that the Graduate School counts toward a degree. Students in the PharmD program in the SOPPS must earn a minimum grade-point average of 2.50. The Graduate School may sever a student, when in the estimation of the dean of the Graduate School (or the dean's designee), the student is not maintaining a satisfactory grade-point average, as required for graduation. Academic standing will be determined at the end of the fall semester, spring semester, and, if the student’s program requires summer enrollment, at the end of the summer semester.

Graduate students may also be severed from the Graduate School for not meeting other academic requirements, such as not passing required exams or not meeting required program deadlines. In this case, graduate students may be severed by action of the dean of the Graduate School (or the dean's designee) on recommendation of the departmental graduate committee with endorsement by the department chair, or by the school/college graduate committee with endorsement by the dean of the school/college, if it appears that the student is not making satisfactory progress toward the degree and it is unlikely that requirements for the degree will be satisfactorily completed.

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Course Repeat Policy

Students are permitted to repeat for credit a graduate course in which they earned a grade of B- or lower. This option is contingent on approval by the graduate program director and then approval by the Graduate School.  A course may be repeated only once. However, because tuition scholarships are merit-based, a tuition scholarship award does not cover repeated courses.

When a course is repeated, the grade received in the second attempt is substituted for the first grade in the computation of the grade-point average. Both grades will remain on the student transcript. For the purpose of financial loans, the repeated course remains on the transcript because it was part of the student's academic load.

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Probation Relative to GPA

Graduate programs in consultation with the Graduate School should determine whether they will allow a student whose cumulative GPA is below 3.0 to continue in the program.

The most semesters that a student can be on "academic probation" due to a cumulative GPA below 3.0 are as follows:

A graduate student whose cumulative grade-point average falls below 3.0 may be enrolled subsequently only on a probationary status, with the graduate program's written approval. While on probation, the student must meet at the outset of the semester with the director of graduate studies to review academic performance and progress toward a return to satisfactory standing. A graduate program may only continue a student with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 on probation for a maximum of three semesters in which a student is required to be enrolled, except in extraordinary circumstances.

Their continued enrollment will require the specific written endorsement of the director of graduate studies and approval by the Associate Dean of the Graduate School. The graduate program is not required to continue a student with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 on a second or third probation semester, and any continuance requires the Graduate School's approval. For continuance, it is expected that there will be clear evidence that the student will be able to achieve the required 3.0 GPA to graduate in a timely way.

A graduate student whose cumulative grade-point average falls below 2.6 will be considered in academic jeopardy as well as on academic probation. Students may be in academic jeopardy for only one semester.

Graduate programs may have stricter policies, in which case these must be described in the program handbook, but may not have more lenient policies than described above.

Students with a cumulative GPA below B average (3.0) are officially on "academic probation", and they are expected to seek counseling in a timely way from their faculty advisors in order to improve their performance to a satisfactory level. Students with a cumulative GPA below 2.6 are officially on "academic jeopardy" as well, and they are expected to check in with their advisors and Graduate Director regularly during their jeopardy semester. 

Students in the PharmD program in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) will be assessed for academic probation/academic jeopardy status according to the policies and procedures described in the SOPPS section of the Binghamton Academic Guide (Formerly Bulletin). PharmD students must maintain a 2.50 average to avoid academic probation/academic jeopardy.

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Leaves of Absence

A leave of absence is granted only in exceptional circumstances, such as prolonged illness or other unusual personal hardship, and requires detailed justification. Students on leave are excused from the registration requirement during the period of the leave. Leaves are normally granted for six months; if necessary, an extension of another 6 months, for a total of up to one year, may be approved. Students beginning active military duty may be eligible for an exception to these time limits. If possible, requests for leaves of absence should be submitted one month prior to the semester for which the leave is requested. A student requesting a leave of absence must submit the Graduate School's Request for Leave of Absence form.

Leaves of absence are not granted for a semester already begun. Instead, students should use the withdraw procedures. (Note: On a case by case basis, typically for medical reasons, a leave of absence may be granted once the semester has started.)

Leaves of absence are not granted to students who wish to absent themselves to undertake thesis or dissertation research elsewhere; such students should maintain continuous registration at Binghamton. Students going off campus to fulfill an internship related to degree requirements should also remain registered.

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Graduate Students in Undergraduate Courses

Courses numbered 400 through 499 are advanced undergraduate courses for which graduate credit may be assigned only when the graduate student obtains permission from the professor and enrolls in a graduate-level independent study course (numbered 597). The name of the independent study will be the name of the course at the undergraduate level. The student must do additional work beyond that required for undergraduate students in the course. Within six weeks after the start of the semester, the instructor files with the Graduate School a statement as to the nature of additional work the student is doing in the advanced undergraduate course. In general, approval of graduate credit for advanced undergraduate courses is limited to unique program circumstances usually involving interdisciplinary work. Graduate students should not expect to receive graduate credit for more than two 400-level courses.

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Undergraduate Students in Graduate Courses

Courses numbered 500 and above are graduate courses, ordinarily open only to graduate students. Undergraduate students who are within eight credits of graduation may register for up to two graduate-level courses and receive graduate credit, provided the graduate courses are not used to meet any undergraduate degree requirements. Such graduate hours will appear as graduate courses on the undergraduate transcript, but are not used in the calculation of the undergraduate GPA and do not count toward full-time status for financial aid purposes (which may affect eligibility for certain types of financial aid).

To receive graduate credit for such courses, the undergraduate student must complete the Petition to Receive Graduate Credits as an Undergraduate Form, which is available from the Office of Financial Aid and Student Records. The form then must be filed with the Office of Financial Aid and Student Records and the Office of Student Accounts before registration.

Undergraduate students using this mechanism and also enrolled in combined Bachelors/Master's degree programs (as defined by The Graduate School) may apply at most two courses (6-8 credits) toward the 18 credit residence requirement.

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