UTSA views sound academic advising as a significant responsibility in educating its students. Academic advisors assist students in developing intellectual potential and exploring educational opportunities and life goals. Many individuals within the UTSA community contribute to the advising process, including faculty and staff academic advisors. Students also are encouraged to develop mentoring relationships with faculty for additional information and support.
Students are responsible for seeking adequate academic advice, for knowing and meeting degree requirements, and for enrolling in appropriate courses to ensure orderly and timely completion of their degree programs. Frequent advisor contact provides students with current academic information and promotes progress toward educational goals.
For more information on academic advising in their departments, graduate students should contact the Graduate Advisor of Record.
Students who attend classes at UTSA must be officially registered or approved to audit a course. Registration instructions are online each semester in ASAP at www.utsa.edu. Questions regarding registration should be directed to the Enrollment Services Center or the Office of the Registrar.
UTSA does not guarantee the availability of particular courses or sections, and admission to classes is permitted only until the maximum number of students allowable in any section has been reached. UTSA reserves the right to cancel any course or section in which the number of registrants does not warrant its continuation.
Late registration permits students who have been admitted to UTSA to register for classes during an allotted time just prior to and at the beginning of the semester as indicated each semester in the online registration instructions in ASAP at www.utsa.edu. Since many courses will have been closed at capacity, late registrants may need to select their courses from a reduced schedule. Students are not permitted to register after the close of the late registration period.
Adding a course after the late registration period requires the approval of the course instructor and the chair of the department offering the course. After the Census Date in any semester, students may not add courses except in extremely rare and extenuating circumstances as approved by the Dean of the College offering the course and by the Dean of the Graduate School. For information on Census Date and deadlines for adding classes, students should refer to the University Calendar in the online registration instructions for each semester.
Undergraduates seeking to register for or to add a graduate course in any of these time periods must obtain the special approvals specified in the section, Enrollment in Graduate Courses, in Chapter 1, Bachelor’s Degree Regulations of the UTSA Undergraduate Catalog.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board sets limits on the number of semester credit hours in which a student may enroll during a term where the courses are offered in a shortened format. Therefore, students may enroll in no more than 3 semester credit hours in a three-week summer term, no more than 4 semester credit hours in a four-week summer term, and no more than 6 semester credit hours in a five-week summer term. In particular, a student may enroll in no more than 3 semester credit hours in the May Mini-mester.
Table of Contents | Catalog Home | Previous PageStudents may drop courses from their schedules for a limited time each semester. The University Calendar in the online registration instructions each semester indicates the deadlines for students to drop courses each term.
Courses officially dropped before the Census Date do not appear on a student’s transcript. See the online registration instructions each semester for the Census Dates.
Students who drop courses between the Census Date and the Automatic “W” Date have a record of the courses on their transcripts with an automatic grade of “W.” See the online registration instructions for the Automatic “W” Date. The change becomes official after it is processed by the Office of the Registrar.
It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course by the appropriate deadline. If a student fails to drop a course, even if the student does not attend the course, he or she will receive a grade of “F” in the class.
Faculty and staff will not drop a student from a course automatically for nonattendance; the student must initiate the process and complete any necessary steps to ensure that the class is dropped.
Under certain circumstances, students may be dropped from courses administratively by college deans. Students who do not meet course prerequisites or who fail to attend a course prior to Census Date may be dropped from courses. If a dean determines that a student should be dropped from a course for these or other documented circumstances, the student will be notified by the college overseeing the course.
After the Automatic “W” Date, a student may not drop a course except with the approval of the instructor of the course and the Dean of the college in which the course is offered and then only for urgent and substantiated, nonacademic reasons. Students who want to drop all classes after the semester begins should refer to the section Withdrawal from the University in this chapter.
Refer to section Three-Attempt Rule in UTSA Information, Chapter 4, Admission, for information about the financial consequences of receiving “W” grades.
UTSA students and nonstudents who wish to audit a course may do so with the approval of the instructor and the chair of the department in which the course is offered, provided there is space in the classroom after all registered students have been accommodated. The minimum enrollment in a course must be reached without auditors.
Auditing entitles a student to listen and observe. Participation of an auditor in class is at the discretion of the instructor. No UTSA credit is granted for courses that are audited; no official record is made of enrollment in classes on an audit basis. Due to the format of studio/laboratory use, auditors are not approved for art courses. Students not enrolled in courses at the University are not allowed to audit courses that require the use of the University computing system.
All auditors must submit an Audit Course Form to the Enrollment Services Center. A UTSA student pays an auditing fee of $25 a course. Auditors who are not registered UTSA students must pay an auditing fee of $50 a course. Persons over 65 years of age are permitted to audit without paying an auditing fee.
Permission to audit must be obtained and fees paid beginning the first day of class through the Census Date. Students who register for a course and later want to change the course to an audit must officially drop that course before submitting an Audit Course Form.
Nonstudent auditors who want library privileges may receive them by completing a Friends of the UTSA Library application at the circulation desk in the UTSA Library and paying a nonrefundable fee. There are limits on the services offered to the Friends of the UTSA Library cardholders; further details are available from the circulation desk.
Nonstudent auditors who want UTSA parking privileges should go to the University Police Traffic Office with their validated Audit Course Form.
Students who fail to fulfill admission, registration, or financial requirements, or who otherwise fail to adhere to academic regulations may have their enrollment for the semester canceled. Students may apply for readmission for a subsequent semester provided they have resolved the cause of cancellation.
Students who find it necessary to withdraw from UTSA (drop all courses for which they are enrolled during a specific semester) must complete a Withdrawal form at the Enrollment Services Center.
Students may not withdraw from the University later than the Monday preceding final examinations. Students who officially withdraw from the University during the regular drop period receive a grade of “W” in all classes. See the online registration instructions each semester for the Automatic “W” Date. Students who officially withdraw after the regular drop period receive a grade of “W” for each class they are passing at the time of withdrawal and a grade of “F” for each class they are not passing. Refer to the section Three-Attempt Rule, UTSA Information, Chapter 4, Admission, for information about the financial consequences of receiving “W” grades.
Students who withdraw from all classes are subject to the UTSA’s academic probation and dismissal regulations. Students withdrawing should refer to the regulations on refunds of tuition and fees, readmission policies, and requirements for maintaining registration.
The English Language Assessment Procedure (ELAP) is a mandatory UTSA assessment for incoming international students whose Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are between 500 and 600 (paper version) or 173 and 250 (computerized version). ELAP tests academic language skills in the areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The test is administered during orientation week at no charge to the student. A registration hold is placed on students until the test is successfully completed.
Students who are required to take English for International Students (EIS) classes and do not register for them or drop them before they are successfully completed will be withdrawn from the University and will jeopardize their visa status. Once students successfully complete the EIS classes, the registration hold is removed from their record.
Table of Contents | Catalog Home | Previous PageGraduate Degree-Seeking Student. A student who is admitted to a graduate degree program, unconditionally, conditionally, or conditionally on academic probation.
Special Graduate Student. A student who is admitted to UTSA for the purpose of enrolling in graduate and/or undergraduate courses in one or more colleges of the University without entering a degree program.
Non–Degree-Seeking Graduate Student. A student who registers for courses but does not intend to work toward a degree at UTSA.
Note: A graduate student who wishes to work on a program to meet the requirements for teacher certification or for a certificate endorsement must be admitted as a graduate degree-seeking student or special graduate student (not a special undergraduate student). He or she must apply to the College of Education and Human Development Advising and Certification Center for an official analysis of the requirements that must be met before he or she can be recommended for certification.
| Graduate Time Status | Number of Credit Hours Enrolled | |
|---|---|---|
| Fall/Spring | Summer | |
| Full time | Nine or more semester credit hours | Five or more semester credit hours |
| Three-quarter time | Six to eight semester credit hours | Not Applicable |
| Half time | Four to five semester credit hours | Three to four semester credit hours |
| Less than half time | Fewer than four semester credit hours | One to two semester credit hours |
UTSA student enrollment and degree verifications are reported by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). For students on financial aid this means that UTSA electronically submits enrollment verification statuses to the NSC at several key periods during the semester to keep their enrollment status up to date with loan guarantors, services, or lenders. The NSC also provides enrollment status and deferment information to the Department of Education’s National Student Loan Data System. This service provides for more efficient processing of enrollment information for financial aid loans.
The NSC also provides enrollment and degree verification for nonlending institutions, such as travel agencies, health care companies, and prospective employers. Students who do not want to have their directory information, such as enrollment and degree status, verified in this manner should contact the Office of the Registrar to request that this information be kept confidential.
Official transcripts of all coursework taken at UTSA may be requested at the Enrollment Services Center, by fax, or by mail. See the UTSA Web site at www.utsa.edu/registrar/transcripts.cfm for details on how to request a transcript.
Transcripts from other institutions submitted to UTSA become the property of the University and are not reproduced or mailed to other institutions, agencies, or individuals as an official transcript.
Official transcripts will not be issued for students who have a financial obligation or other commitment outstanding to the University until the obligation is cleared.
All official certifications with regard to the academic performance or status of a student or former student of UTSA are made by the Office of the Registrar.
UTSA transcripts and other information from a student’s academic records are released by the Office of the Registrar only upon written request from the student or other person authorized by law under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. Exceptions may be made in response to a subpoena or court order, under other circumstances as allowed under FERPA, or as provided in the policy on releasing directory information set forth in Chapter 2, About UTSA, of UTSA Information.
Graduate students have six years from their term of original registration to complete a graduate degree program under the catalog in effect at the time of initial registration at UTSA, provided they are continuously enrolled at UTSA. If a student drops out for one or more long (Spring or Fall) semesters, he or she has the option of reenrolling under a subsequent catalog. These students will have six years to complete degree requirements under the new catalog. In the event that certain required courses are discontinued, substitutions may be authorized or required by the appropriate graduate program committee.
Students who wish to change their majors, degree objectives, or classifications must obtain the required forms at the Graduate School. The change is not official until the student is admitted to the new degree program or certification program. Classification changes (e.g., special graduate to degree-seeking) requested during any semester will not be effective until the following semester. A fee of $5 is assessed each student changing their major to defray administrative processing costs.
A student’s name on official records at UTSA is the name under which the student applied for admission, unless a Name and Social Security Number Change Form has been processed through the Office of the Registrar. The official University transcript will carry the current name and the most immediate previous name, if any. Name and Social Security Number Change Forms should be supported by appropriate legal documentation.
Currently enrolled students who have changed their addresses must notify the Graduate School on the appropriate form or on the UTSA Web site in ASAP. Official notification of change of address is necessary for proper identification of student records and for accurate mailing of correspondence and information pertaining to graduation requirements. Students who are applying for graduation should specify on the Application for Graduation if the address change also affects the address to which the diploma is to be mailed.
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All courses are designated by four-digit numbers following a two- or three-letter abbreviation of the subject of the course. The first digit indicates the level of the course. Courses beginning with “0” are developmental education courses and may not be counted toward a degree. Courses beginning with “1” or “2” are lower-division (freshman and sophomore level). Courses beginning with “3” or “4” are upper-division (junior and senior level). Courses beginning with a “5” or higher are graduate-level courses.
The second and third digits in the course numbers are used within the colleges by each department to distinguish individual courses. The fourth digit indicates the semester-credit-hour value of each course.
The number of lecture and laboratory contact hours per week are provided in parentheses in the course description sections immediately following the course number and title. For example, (3-0) indicates three hours of lecture and zero hours of laboratory per week.
Prerequisites are stated for many courses listed in this catalog. Prerequisites advise students of the background expected of all students in the course. It is the student’s responsibility to be sure that all prerequisites are met before enrolling in any course. When a student has not met the specific prerequisites listed, he or she may, under special conditions, obtain permission from the instructor of the course to register. Some colleges and schools may also require the permission of the Department Chair and the Associate Dean. Students who do not meet prerequisites for a course and do not have the appropriate permissions to register may be dropped from the course.
The Office of Extended Education develops and presents seminars, online courses, conferences, and programs for the general public, professionals, governmental agencies, and businesses. It also provides specialized training to businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations needing customized programs for their employees. These courses are not offered for academic credit. For information, contact the Office of Extended Education.
UTSA participates in the UT TeleCampus. Courses taken through this system, which are not hosted by UTSA, will be subject to all UTSA residence requirements. For information on the UT TeleCampus, see Chapter 2, About UTSA of UTSA Information or the UT TeleCampus Web site at www.telecampus.utsystem.edu.
No more than six hours of independent study courses, regardless of discipline, will apply toward a degree.
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Hours Attempted. The number of hours attempted is the total number of semester credit hours for which a student has enrolled and received grades of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” “F,” “W,” or “CR” except as provided for repeated courses. Refer to the section, Three-Attempt Rule in UTSA Information, Chapter 4, Admission, for information about the financial consequences of receiving “W” and “F” grades.
Hours Earned. The hours earned by a student are the number of semester credit hours in which grades of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “CR” have been received.
Grade Point Average. The UTSA grade point average is determined by dividing the number of grade points earned at UTSA by the number of for-credit semester credit hours attempted at UTSA. Credits and grades for work completed at other institutions or credits earned by examination are not included in the UTSA grade point average.
The following table explains UTSA grade symbols.
| Grade Symbol | Grade Points | Meaning of Grade Symbol |
| A | 4 | Outstanding |
| B | 3 | Above Average |
| C | 2 | Average |
| D | 1 | Below Average (see Academic Probation) |
| F | 0 | Failure (see Academic Dismissal) |
| CR | 0 | Credit. Indicates successful credit by examination (see Credit by Examination) or through faculty evaluation of selected internships and practica. |
| NC | 0 | No Credit. Indicates unsatisfactory progress. |
| W | 0 | Withdrawal. Indicates that the student was passing at the time of withdrawal or drop. |
| IN | 0 | Incomplete. Assigned at the discretion of the instructor; see details below. |
| NR | 0 | No Report. Assigned only by the Registrar when unusual circumstances do not allow a student’s grade to be entered by the deadline for processing grades. It is replaced with the official grade as soon as possible. |
| EX | 0 | Expelled |
| RP | 0 | Research in Progress. Used to denote research in progress only for MOT 6933, MUS 6913, and Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation courses. When the project, thesis, or dissertation is complete, the “RP” grades will be changed to letter grades up to the maximum number of semester credit hours approved for the specific degree. |
Credit/No-Credit. Students may earn “CR” or “NC” grades only for specific courses listed in this catalog as graded on a credit/ no-credit basis.
Incomplete. The grade “IN” is given by an instructor to indicate that some part of the work of a student in a course has, for good reason, not been completed, while the rest of the student’s work in the course was satisfactorily completed. The Incomplete allows a student to complete the course without repeating it. A grade of Incomplete may not be assigned when a definite grade can be given for the work done. The student must have been in attendance at least three-fourths of the term to receive a grade of “IN.”
Whenever a grade of Incomplete is assigned, the instructor is required to submit requirements for removal of the incomplete. During the regular grading period this is done electronically. After the grade submission deadline, a Requirements for Removal of Incomplete form must be submitted to the Dean’s office. The Dean’s office will then submit the form to the Office of the Registrar.
Incomplete work must be made up no later than the end of the final examination period one year from the semester the Incomplete was received and before the student’s graduation. If the work is not completed within this time, the “IN” remains on the student’s record, and credit may be earned only when the student reenrolls in the course and completes the entire course satisfactorily. The time limit does not apply to graduate-level thesis, internship, or dissertation courses, except that an “IN” cannot be removed after a degree is awarded. The time limit does apply to all other graduate courses, including special problems and independent study courses.
IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL GRADES BE CHANGED AFTER ONE CALENDAR YEAR.
Courses designated “may be repeated for credit” in the catalog may be repeated with both semester credit hours and grade points earned being counted. Otherwise, students at the graduate level may not elect to repeat courses for the purpose of raising a grade. However, when a course was taken more than six years ago, or upon the recommendation of the appropriate graduate program committee, the course may be repeated; in such cases, both grades in the course appear on the transcript and both are counted in the student’s grade point average. Only semester credit hours for the repeated course may be counted toward the degree.
Table of Contents | Catalog Home | Previous PageReporting of Grades by Faculty
Grades are reported by course instructors every term and are due 48 hours after the final examination. Final grades cannot be withheld nor can reporting of them be deferred.
The Office of the Registrar compiles final grades after the close of each semester and each summer term. Grades are available in ASAP via UTSA’s Web site, www.utsa.edu. Students who are removed from, placed on, or continued on academic probation and students who are dismissed from UTSA will receive notification from the Office of the Registrar.
Transcripts may be withheld from any student who owes tuition and fees to the University.
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. The faculty member’s judgment is final unless compelling evidence shows discrimination, differential treatment, or factual mistake. Under unusual circumstances, however, grades may be assigned or changed by someone other than the faculty member. Grades may be changed or assigned through administrative channels in the following procedure:
IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL GRADES BE CHANGED AFTER ONE CALENDAR YEAR.
Students are expected to regularly attend and participate in all meetings of courses for which they are registered. The instructor is responsible for communicating the participation requirements for each course to students. See UTSA Information for additional details on the University’s Class Participation Policy.
In resolving any student grievance regarding grades or evaluations, the student must first make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the faculty member with whom the grievance originated. Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. The faculty member’s judgment is final unless compelling evidence shows discrimination, differential treatment, factual mistake, or violation of a relevant University policy. If the matter is not resolved, the student may file a formal grade grievance, in writing, with the Department Chair. The student must file the grievance with the Department Chair within 90 calendar days from the end of the term in which the grade was assigned.
The Department Chair will communicate his or her decision to the student and forward a copy to the Dean of the College. The student may appeal the decision to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research of the college and then to the Dean of the Graduate School. Appeals to the Dean of the Graduate School must use the Student Academic Grievance Form for Appeal of a Grade.
IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL GRADES BE CHANGED AFTER ONE CALENDAR YEAR.
At the end of each Fall and Spring Semester, two days prior to the beginning of the final examination period are designated as Student Study Days. Classes do not meet during Student Study Days. Furthermore, Student Study Days are not to be used as dates on which papers are to be turned in, examinations are to be given, quizzes to be scheduled, review sessions to be held, or for any other class-related activities, other than office hours. Also the scheduling of examinations and quizzes, with the exception of laboratory examinations, is prohibited during the last three class days preceding finals during the Fall and Spring Semesters.
Table of Contents | Catalog Home | Previous PageA student’s academic standing, whether the student is a graduate degree-seeking student, a special graduate student, or a non– degree-seeking graduate student, is defined as either good standing, academic probation, or academic dismissal.
Good standing is the absence of any contingency that would result in the student’s being on academic probation or academic dismissal.
Academic probation describes the standing of a student at the graduate level who is in one of the following categories:
Academic probation is cleared only when none of the above criteria apply and when the student achieves an overall grade point average of 3.0 as a graduate student at UTSA. Students on academic probation are encouraged to discuss their status with their academic advisors.
Academic dismissal occurs
A student who has been dismissed academically may petition for reinstatement. Normally, such reinstatement is requested after a student has remained out of school one long semester; however, under exceptional circumstances, a petition may be considered earlier. A letter containing all explanations, recommendations, or doctors’ statements in support of the student’s request for reinstatement should be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School on or before June 15 for Fall Semesters, October 15 for Spring Semesters, or March 15 for Summer Semesters.
The appropriate graduate program committee will review the petitioner’s letter and academic record and make a recommendation concerning reinstatement to the Dean of the Graduate School. If the Petition for Reinstatement is disapproved, the student may not file another petition until the following semester.
The University can best function and accomplish its objectives in an atmosphere of high ethical standards. All students are expected and encouraged to contribute to such an atmosphere in every way possible, especially by observing all accepted principles of academic honesty. It is recognized, however, that a large university will include a few students who do not understand, appreciate, or practice these principles. Consequently, alleged cases of academic dishonesty involving UTSA students will inevitably occur.
Academic or scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student, or the attempt to commit such acts. Academic dishonesty is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and is addressed in UTSA Information, Appendix B, Sec. 203.
Table of Contents | Catalog Home | Previous Page2. Admission
3. General Academic Regulations
5. Master's Degree Regulations
6. Doctoral Degree Regulations
7. Graduate Program Requirements and Course Descriptions
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Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog Archive
Office of Graduate Studies
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