Graduate School

Good Academic Standing and Dismissal

Graduate students at Michigan Tech are expected to maintain good academic standing and make good progress toward their degrees each semester. Failing to maintain good academic standing will result in academic sanctions. Students who are not in good academic standing should work with their advisors, department staff, and the Graduate School to take steps to return to good standing.

Requirements of Good Academic Standing

To remain in good academic standing graduate students must do all of the following:

  • Maintain a cumulative overall GPA of at least 3.0 (GPA Estimator).
  • Receive grades of "P" (progress) in research credits.
  • Maintain continuous enrollment
  • Pass all written and oral exams required for completion of the degree. Graduate programs limit the number of attempts students have to pass a required oral or written exam. Graduate programs also require that the exams be taken within a specified time period after a student matriculates into a degree program.
  • Make satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree during each academic-year semester and summer session of enrollment.

Academic Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal

Students who fail to maintain good academic standing will be subject to a sanction of graduate academic probation, graduate academic suspension, or graduate academic dismissal.

Graduate Academic Probation

Students are placed on academic probation for the following violations of the University requirement that graduate students must maintain good academic standing.

  • Failing to maintain a cumulative overall GPA of at least 3.0 (GPA Estimator).
  • Receiving a "Q" grade in a research course.

Students will be removed from academic probation when their cumulative University GPA is 3.0 or greater and/or when they receive a “P” grade in a research course.

The student, student’s department chair (or college dean), graduate program director, and advisor will be informed via e-mail of the probation.

Graduate Academic Suspension

If a student is on academic probation for two sequential semesters of enrollment, the Graduate School will place the student on academic suspension. Students who are placed on academic suspension will not be permitted to enroll in the University during the upcoming semester or session. This means, for example, that if a student is placed on probation as the result of grades during fall semester and fails to return to good academic standing in spring semester they will be suspended for summer session and will not be allowed to enroll during summer session but will be expected to return the following fall semester.

If a student has been suspended because they received a “Q” grade in research, the student must develop a plan for the returning semester with benchmarks and deadlines for satisfactory progress. This plan must be approved by the current (or new, if necessary) research advisor(s) prior to reinstatement. If the student is unable to obtain approval of the plan, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program. Students have the right to appeal the dismissal.

Students who return after the suspension period will remain on probation. If their cumulative GPA is at least 3.0 and/or they receive a “P” grade in a research course during their first semester as a reinstated student, they will return to good academic standing. The records of students who fail to raise their GPA to at least 3.0 and/or do not receive a “P” grade in a research course during their first semester as a reinstated student will be dismissed from their graduate program by the Graduate School.

The student, student’s department chair (or college dean), graduate program director, and advisor will be informed via e-mail of the suspension. Suspensions are effective on the date final grades are posted.

Students may either

Students leaving campus or who file an unsuccessful appeal must

  • Vacate their University offices and laboratories
  • Return any keys to the University
  • Leave data collected with their advisor

Students on academic suspension are exempt from continuous enrollment requirements for the period of the suspension. Students who are already enrolled in courses for the upcoming semester or session at the time of the suspension will have their schedules dropped. Suspended students may continue to occupy University housing until the end of the semester during which they are on suspension.  The Graduate School will initiate suspension of keycard access to academic buildings as appropriate.

Graduate Academic Dismissal

Students will be dismissed from their graduate degree program by the Graduate School in the following situations.

  • A student fails to achieve good academic standing or show substantial academic progress within one (1) semester following reinstatement from suspension.
  • A student is unable to pass an oral or written exam required for the degree after the allowed number of attempts prior to the time limit for completion of the exam, or otherwise fails to make satisfactory progress toward the degree.

Students will be notified in writing by the Graduate School via email to their mtu.edu email account.

Students may

  • Appeal the dismissal as described in the Graduate Appeals of Suspension or Dismissal policy, or
  • Leave campus, or
  • Apply for admission to another graduate program.
    • Students who are dismissed from a PhD program may apply for admission to a master’s program within the same or a different academic discipline. Transition from a PhD program to a master’s degree program housed within the same department or college requires the approval of the academic unit. Please submit a master’s degree schedule with the appropriate signatures to the Graduate School to transfer to the master's program.
    • Application to a new program (MS or PhD) can be submitted at any time; there is no deadline.  Admissions decisions, however, are made by each program according to their own process and timeline.

Unless a campus ban is in place or other limitation on access to University buildings and grounds, students are permitted to remain on campus, including campus housing (subject to the approval of Housing and Residential Life) while they consider filing an appeal following the Graduate School policy, or while their submitted appeal is being reviewed.

Keycard access to University buildings may be revoked immediately, even if a student appeals the dismissal.  Under some circumstances, students may be banned from the University campus.  Students may request review of a campus ban through the Office of Public Safety and Police Services.

If the appeal results in a dismissal or a student does not file an appeal, the student must vacate their University offices and laboratories within eleven business days of the original dismissal notice (for students who do not file an appeal) or twenty-four hours of an appellate decision upholding dismissal (for students who file an appeal). Keycard access to University buildings will be revoked at that time if the student retains keycard access during the dismissal appeal process. Residing in campus housing is at the discretion of Housing and Residential Life per their contracts and policies.

The University reserves the right to require that dismissed students vacate their University offices, laboratories, and housing within 24 hours of a dismissal notice and return any keys to the University.

Appealing Academic Suspension or Dismissal

Graduate students who have been suspended or dismissed by the Graduate School may appeal this decision following the Graduate Appeals of Suspension or Dismissal policy.

Other Grading Policies

Grades are assigned in accordance with University procedures. The following resources address the University policies regarding grades.

The policy, Graduate Scholastic Standards, addresses which earned credits can be used toward a graduate degree or certificate and when courses may be repeated.

This web site includes internal procedures developed by the Graduate School in support of the Graduate School Good Academic Standing and Dismissal policy.

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