Enrollment
Continuous Enrollment of Graduate Students
Every graduate student is required to maintain continuous enrollment from the date of first registration until a degree program is completed, unless granted a leave of absence. The following is a summary of the enrollment regulations that apply to graduate students.
Enrollment Options
Course requirements not completed: The student must register for at least three credits of graduate coursework per semester (or approved undergraduate remedial work), unless granted an Academic Leave.
Course requirements completed but one or both parts of the Graduate Reading Program Examination not yet passed: The student must register for additional coursework or a comprehensive examination (one semester hour), unless Academic Leave has been granted.
Both parts of the Graduate Reading Program Examination passed but the Ph.D. dissertation not yet defended: The student must register for Dissertation Research (one semester hour) each semester until the Ph.D. dissertation defense has taken place, unless an Academic Leave has been granted.
Eligibility Criteria for Academic Leave
A student in good standing who must interrupt his or her studies for adequate reasons (e.g., pregnancy, military service or prolonged ill health), may be granted an Academic Leave for a stated period, usually not to exceed two semesters or one year.
To request an Academic Leave, a student must first consult with the dean of his or her school. Following that, the student must make a formal online application prior to the first day of the semester in which the leave would be taken. Final approval of the request for an Academic Leave is made by the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies.
An Academic Leave, if granted, will be effective as of the last day of the semester in which the student was most recently enrolled. The period of Academic Leave is not counted as part of the time allowed for the completion of residence or other degree requirements. Any incomplete (“I”) grades that are outstanding must be changed in accordance with the policy on incomplete grades by the date published in the Academic Calendar, whether a student is registered for the current semester or not.
Students on Academic Leave are expected to return to The University when their stated duration of leave has expired, unless they have applied for and have been given an extension. Students who do not return from an Academic Leave when scheduled will be subject to Permanent Withdrawal during the semester in which they failed to return. If the student thereby withdrawn from The University desires to return to graduate studies at The Catholic University of America, he/she must apply for readmission and satisfy current degree requirements to be reinstated.