FSU School of Information Satisfactory Progress Policy (revised November 2012)
In order to meet the standards adopted by Florida State University and the School of Information, all graduate students must maintain Satisfactory Progress as defined by the University and The School of Information.
Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average Requirements: All graduate students must meet the cumulative grade point requirement in accordance with the graduate retention policy of FSU and achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to remain in good academic standing.
- Students must earn a grade of “C-” or higher for all School of Information graduate courses to be applied toward the master’s or specialist degree requirements.
- Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher for all courses to be applied toward completion of a Certificate.
- Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher for all non-School of Information graduate courses to be applied toward the master’s or specialist degree requirements.
Incomplete Grades
A student may not have more than two incomplete grades at any given time. Students who receive two or more incomplete grades posted to their permanent record will have an academic hold placed on their registration and will not be permitted to continue enrollment for the subsequent semester until the incomplete grades have been resolved. Students who have previously registered for a future semester with two or more incomplete grades posted must resolve the outstanding grades prior to the first day of the next semester of enrollment or their registration will be administratively cancelled.
Multiple Withdrawals
When a student has withdrawn from the University three or more times, subsequent readmission will first be considered by a committee whose charge is to assess the student’s capability of making satisfactory progress toward degree. This committee, appointed by the Council of Associate and Assistant Deans, will then make a recommendation to the dean of the student’s college, who will make the final decision.
Academic Probation and Dismissal
All graduate students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to remain in good academic standing. Grades earned at another institution cannot be used to improve a grade point average or eliminate a quality point deficit at FSU. If the cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 at the end of one semester, the student will be placed on academic probation by the University. If the cumulative grade point average at the end of the next semester of enrollment returns to 3.0 or higher, the academic probation will be removed by the University.
If the cumulative grade point average remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, the student will be academically dismissed by the University and notified by email from the Registrar’s Office. A statement of Academic Dismissal will appear on the student’s academic transcript.
If a student is academically dismissed from the University, the student may petition to request reinstatement. Students must submit a written statement explaining the circumstances leading to the dismissal and what action is planned to return to good academic standing if reinstated. The Director of the School of Information in consultation with the CCI Academic Dean of the College must approve reinstatement. Because of the time involved, a student who has been academically dismissed may have to “sit out” one semester. Failure to meet the requirements of satisfactory progress and academic good standing may result in the discontinuation of enrollment in the graduate program. All students who do not meet academic satisfactory progress standards, and who are able to document mitigating circumstances such as a medical issue, death in the family, or other significant event that interrupted or disrupted academic progress, may appeal the discontinuation of enrollment. A written appeal must be submitted to iSchool Student Services for processing and review by the School of Information Director and should include documentation, where available, to substantiate the circumstance.
This is the official University record of academic regulations, policies, and procedures.
FSU Student Handbook
This is the official University record of the student conduct code, student rights and responsibilities, campus activities and services, and student organizations. It is available online at: https://dos.fsu.edu/resources/student-handbook/ .
Required First Day Attendance Policy
University-wide policy requires all students to attend the first day of class meeting of all classes for which they are registered. Students who do not attend the first class meeting of a course for which they are registered will be dropped from the course by the academic department that offers the course. This policy applies to all levels of courses and to all campuses and study centers. It remains the student’s responsibility to verify course drops and check that fees are adjusted.
Recency of Work
The work for the master’s degree must be completed within seven years from the first semester a student enrolls in an FSU graduate course that may be counted toward the graduate degree. If the master’s degree is not completed within seven years from the first semester a student enrolls in an FSU graduate course that may be counted toward the graduate degree, and the program or Department Chair does not choose to approve an Extension of Time (EOT), then the student may no longer be enrolled in that program or at Florida State University.
Taking Time Off
The University allows students to take a semester break between semesters of enrollment. Students who miss two or more consecutive semesters (including summer term) will be inactive and need to apply to the University and the School of Information for readmission, unless a leave of absence is approved. Please contact ischooladvising@cci.fsu.edu if you believe a leave of absence request is warranted.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of 12 credit hours of non-School of Information graduate courses can be considered to count toward School of Information graduate degree requirements with departmental approval. These 12 credit hours may include a combination of graduate courses taken in other departments at Florida State University (FSU) and graduate courses from accredited institutions other than FSU. Of these 12 credit hours, transfer of courses not counted toward a previous degree from another regionally accredited U.S. graduate school is limited to 6 credit hours. The courses requested may not have been used to meet requirements for a previously completed degree and must be approved by the School of Information.
To have courses be considered to count toward degree completion, student must submit the iSchool Graduate Transfer Credit Request form (https://fsuslis.wufoo.com/forms/ischool-graduate-transfer-credit-request). For FSU courses, it is strongly recommended that the form is submitted prior to the start of the semester in which the course would be taken, so that if a course is not approved toward the degree requirements, the student still has time to change their schedule. For courses taken outside FSU, an official transcript must be submittedto the Office of Graduate Admissions with letter-graded coursework in order to evaluate the transfer credit request. All non-School of Information letter-graded graduate courses must be completed with a grade of “B” or better. Transfer credit may not be used to satisfy certificate requirements.