05.06 Satisfactory Academic Progress
U of R Graduate Council Consensus Recommendations:
In addition to course grades & qualifying examinations, every department (or program should have a standard method to provide doctoral students with periodic feedback on their progress. In some cases very small programs might do this on a less formal basis, but the feedback should be regular.
- Students should receive formal written feedback at least once a year
- Feedback should be in writing to avoid misunderstandings that might be costly to all concerned.
- Students should get regular feedback before the dissertation is underway (as well as after).
- In most instances a faculty member or committee beyond the student's dissertation advisor should be involved in determining satisfactory progress and providing feedback.
- A majority of Rochester doctoral programs already follow these practices. If they were adopted universally both students and faculty would benefit.
Eastman's Graduate Research Committee Procedures (MA & PhD degree students)
- Theory: The theory department, during their last departmental meeting of the academic year, reviews each student's progress and writes a report on each student.
- Music Education: The music education department conducts an annual review of each doctoral student with a 45-minute meeting and a written progress report.
- Musicology: The musicology department evaluates all student coursework each year and that first-year students are evaluated in the spring. They do not have a system to evaluate student progress once the student starts dissertation work.
- Composition: The progress of all graduate students in composition is reviewed by the department at the end of their first year of study and the results are conveyed to each student by his/her academic advisor. The department holds a less formal review of the progress of continuing graduate students in their second year or beyond each April, and any concerns expressed here also are conveyed to the student.
Additional requirements for maintaining satisfactory academic progress
- The academic departments, in consultation with the Graduate Studies Office, will monitor progress towards meeting these requirements and initiate action as necessary if these requirements are not met.
- There is a 6-year limit (if entering with a master's degree) or 7-year limit (if entering with a bachelor's degree) limit on time to doctoral degree.
- All foreign languages requirements must be completed by the 3rd or 5th semester
- The program of study must be approved after 20 hours, and at least 4 months before the comprehensive exams are taken.
- Students must take comprehensive exams within 5 years of having finished their coursework.
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