Registration and Records

The Department of Registration and Records must have authorization from the Dean of the Graduate School before a graduate student in any classification will be permitted to register for classes. This authorization will be sent to the Department of Registration and Records at the time the student is notified of acceptance for graduate study. All students attending classes must be registered for credit or audit. Grade records are furnished the students at the end of each scheduled school term.

Even though taking a course on another campus, the student is exclusively under the administrative direction of the NC State Graduate School. Enrollment for courses on other campuses will take place on this campus, using special forms obtained from Registration and Records. Such courses are considered by the Graduate School to be a part of the student's normal load and the student will be billed for the courses through the NC State University Cashier's Office. During the summer, the procedure is somewhat different in that a student must be enrolled in a least one course on the NC State campus during the same session as the requested interinstitutional registration.

When the grading system of the other institutions varies from that of NC State, grades received under Interinstitutional Registration will be converted to the NC State system. "H," "P," "L, and "F" grades earned at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and "E," "G," "S" and "F" grades earned at Duke University will be converted to "A," "B," "C" and "F" grades, respectively.

The Cooperating Raleigh Colleges (CRC) is a voluntary organization composed of NC State, Meredith College, Peace College, St. Augustine's College, St. Mary's College, and Shaw University. Graduate programs are currently offered only at NC State and Meredith College, but graduate students can enroll at either institution for a course or courses not offered by their home campus.

Any NC State graduate degree student who is enrolled in at least three graduate credit hours on the NC State campus may take a course at Meredith College during fall or spring semester, provided that

NC State students may not register for more than a total of two courses in any semester at Meredith, and not more than six of the required academic credits for a master's degree at NC State may be accepted from that institution. Grades from Meredith are not used in computing a student's NC State grade point average.

Under this agreement, regular tuition and fees are paid to NC State. Special fees may be required for specific courses at Meredith, and the student is responsible for paying these fees.

The Academic Common Market (ACM) is a cooperative agreement among universities in 16 states in the southeastern United States. The ACM allows a student to enroll in a graduate program at a university in another state without having to pay out-of-state tuition if that program of study is neither (1) offered by the public institutions in the student’s home state nor (2) commonly available in the other southeastern states.

COURSE LOAD

Fall and Spring Semesters: A full-time graduate course load is nine to 15 credits per semester (including audits). Graduate students holding assistantships, however, have additional course load restrictions

Summer Sessions: Graduate students are not required to be registered in summer sessions. If they are full time in the previous spring semester and are continuing their graduate study in the following fall semester, they are considered to be full time in the summer. If a student needs to be registered, one credit hour is considered full time.

International Students: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires international students on F-1 and J-1 visas to carry a full-time course of study to remain in status.

Graduate students holding assistantship appointments are restricted to 9 hours per semester if they hold an appointment of one-half-time or greater and 12 hours per semester if they hold a one-quarter-time appointment. With advance written permission from the Graduate School, a student may take more than the maximum semester course load during a particular semester if the total credit hours do not exceed the maximum for the term of the appointment.

FULL-TIME/PART-TIME DETERMINATION FOR ALL GRADUATE STUDENTS

NC State uses a uniform Schedule of Full-Time Status of Graduate Students for Loan Deferment, Financial Aid, Payroll Tax Withholding and Veteran's Benefits Purposes. To maintain consistency throughout the university system, faculty members do not have the authority to submit individual letters verifying the status of a graduate student. This schedule will be the only resource used to determine a student's status for these purposes. Registration and Records in Room 1000, Harris Hall processes all student loan deferments. The Graduate School will not be directly involved in preparing loan deferment letters.

These definitions apply to all graduate students, U.S. and international, participants and non-participants in the Graduate Student Support Plan.

¹ Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for three (3) hours of 689 and be considered full time.
² Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for three (3) hours of 699 and be considered full time.
³ Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for one (1) hour of 688 and be considered half time.
⁴Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for one (1) hour of 699 and be considered half time.
⁵ Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for three (3) hours of 899 and be considered full time.
⁶ Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for one (1) hour of 899 and be considered half time.

Graduate students are not required by the University to be registered during the summer. However, students who receive a stipend but who are not enrolled in the University during a period of five weeks or more are subject to Social Security tax withholding. In particular, this means that Social Security taxes will be withheld from the paychecks of Graduate Research Assistants (RAs) who do not register in the summer. Specifically, Social Security taxes will be withheld in June for RAs who are not registered in Summer Session I and in July for RAs who are not registered in Summer Session II. The source of funds that pays the stipend must pay the same amount of Social Security tax as is withheld from the student's paycheck during these months.

Two special registration categories are available for Graduate Research Assistants who would not otherwise take courses in the summer: XYZ 696 (Summer Thesis Research) and XYZ 896 (Summer Dissertation Research), where XYZ represents the course prefix of a specific department or program. Each of these courses is for 1 hour of credit, with registration for 10 weeks, beginning the first day of Summer Session I. Social Security taxes will not be withheld from the June or July paychecks of RAs who register for either 696 or 896.

Please note that student who are not registered during the summer do not have access to financial aid during that period, nor do they have access to the Student Health Service unless they pay the student health fee for each of the two summer sessions.

CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION

After a student is admitted to the Graduate School and enrolls for the first time, she/he is required to maintain continuous registration, i.e., be enrolled each semester, excluding summer sessions, until she/he has either graduated or her/his graduate program at NC State has been terminated. All students who graduate during the second summer session must be registered for either the first or second summer session.

A student in good academic standing who must interrupt her/his graduate program for good reasons may request a leave of absence from graduate study for a definite period of time not to exceed one year within a given graduate program. The request should be made at least one month prior to the term involved. Upon endorsement of the request by the student's graduate advisory committee and Director of Graduate Programs, and approval by the Graduate School, the student would not be required to be registered during the leave of absence. The time that the student spends on an approved leave of absence will be included in the time allowed to complete the degree, i.e., 6 years for master's and 10 for doctoral.

Graduate students whose programs have been terminated because of failure to maintain continuous registration and who have not been granted a leave of absence during a fall or spring semester will be required to reapply for admission, and pay the admission fee ($55.00 for US Citizens and Permanent Residents or $65.00 for Non-Resident Aliens [Internationals]), if they wish to resume their graduate studies at NC State.

Courses may be added during the first week of a semester, via Pack Tracks alone, or during the second week, via Pack Tracks and with permission of the instructor. In a summer session, courses may be added during the first two days via Pack Tracks alone, and/or during the third and fourth days via Pack Tracks with permission of the instructor. To add a student to a course after the deadline for adding courses, an instructor must submit a Schedule Revision Form to the School/College or Graduate Dean's approval.

All 500-800 level courses may be dropped through Pack Tracks without grades during the first eight weeks of a semester and during the first two weeks of a summer session. Students and advisors should consult the specific Registration and Records calendar for drop deadlines. Students should make schedule changes as early as possible in the semester. The number of hours for which a student is officially enrolled and upon which tuition and fees are based is that number in which the student is enrolled at the end of the second week of classes of a semester and at the end of the fifth day of a summer session (the last day to withdraw or drop a course with a refund). A Schedule Revision Form is required to drop a course after the deadline. No dropping of courses shall be allowed except for documented medical reasons or other verified, unforeseen grounds of personal or family hardship. Making such exceptions to policy requires the recommendation of the chair of the student's advisory committee, the DGP or Department Head, and the Dean of the Graduate School. Courses may not be dropped after the final grades have been submitted by the instructor and processed by Registration and Records.

The drop date for a five-week minicourse is the last day of the third week of the mini-course. The drop date for a seven-week minicourse is the last day of the fourth week of the minicourse. Instructors teaching minicourses (courses which last only a portion of the semester) should announce at the outset of these courses their appropriate drop deadlines.

The objective of the accelerated Bachelors/Master's (ABM) degree program is to provide a means by which exceptional undergraduate students at NC State may complete the requirements for both the Bachelor's and Masters degrees at an accelerated pace. It provides an opportunity for exceptional undergraduate students at NC State to double count up to 12 credits and obtain a non-thesis Master's degree in the same field within 12 months of completing the Bachelor's degree or obtain a thesis based Master's degree in the same field within 18 months of completing the Bachelor's degree.

GRADING AND ACADEMIC STANDING

The Grading System

NC State University uses the following grading system:

Grade

Grade Points/Credit-Hour

A+

4.33

A

4.00

A-

3.67

B+

3.33

B

3.00

B-

2.67

C+

2.33

C

2.00

C-

1.67

D+

1.33

D

1.00

D-

0.67

F

0.00

The number of credit hours at the 400-level of higher that are attempted in a semester or summer session (for which regular grades are received) is divided into the total number of grade points earned to arrive at the grade point average. The cumulative and semester GPAs will include the effect of any A+ grades awarded (at 4 1/3 grade points) up to a grade point average of 4.000. The GPA will be calculated to three decimal points. Credits earned in PBS classification are also included in the GPA calculations and the determination of academic standing that become part of the Plan of Graduate Work.

To receive graduate degree credit, a grade of "C-" or higher is required in all courses taken after admission. Grades on courses taken for graduate credit as an undergraduate at NC State, in PBS classification, or transferred from other universities must have a grade of "B" or better to be transferred. All grades on courses numbered 400 and above taken in a graduate classification or for graduate credit as an undergraduate are included in the graduate GPA. Courses at the 300 level and below are not eligible for graduate credit and subsequently do not affect the graduate GPA. To graduate, a student must have a minimum 3.00 average on all graduate course work as well as all courses on his or her Plan of Graduate Work.

Graduate students who take 400-level courses that are letter graded do not have the option of taking the courses for "credit only" if they intend for the course to be part of their Plan of Graduate Work. It is appropriate for them to take selected 400-level letter-graded courses that are required by the program but will not be included in the Plan of Graduate Work for S-U grade. Examples would be 400-level courses in the student's major and FLE courses.

NOTE: Courses at the 500 and 700 level are letter graded. Students cannot enroll in these courses for "credit only".

Incompletes

The grade of "IN" (Incomplete) may be given in any course at the discretion of the instructor for work not completed because of a serious interruption in the student's work not caused by their own negligence. An "IN" must not be used, however, as a substitute for an "F" when the student's performance in the course is not passing. An "IN" is only appropriate when the student's record in the course is such that the successful completion of particular assignments, projects, or tests missed as a result of a documented serious event would enable that student to pass the course. Only work missed may be averaged into the grades already recorded for that student.

A student who receives an "IN" must complete the unfinished work to have the Incomplete converted to a final grade by the end of the next semester in which the student is enrolled, provided that this period is not longer than 12 months from the end of the semester or summer session in which the "IN" was received. Otherwise, the "IN" will be automatically converted to "F" or "U," in accord with the grading approved for the particular course. All grades of "IN" must be cleared prior to graduation. Students must not register again for any courses in which they have "IN" grades. Such registration does not remove "IN" grades, and the completion of the course on the second occasion will automatically result in an "F" for the incomplete course.

Except in the case of Interinstitutional Registration, grades on courses transferred from another institution will not be included in computing the GPA.

When submitted to the Department of Registration and Records, end-of-course grades are final and not subject to change by reason of a revision of the instructor's judgment; nor are submitted grades to be revised on the basis of a second trial (e.g., a new examination or additional work undertaken or completed). Changes may only be made within one calendar year after the date final grades were submitted in order to correct an error of computation or transcribing or where part of the student's work has been unintentionally overlooked.

Graduate students are given a notice of academic warning if they have accumulated less than nine hours at the 400 level or above and have less than a 3.00 GPA. Graduate students are placed on academic probation if they accumulate nine or more but less than 18 credit hours at the 400 level or above and have a grade point average of less than 3.00 GPA. A student's graduate study is terminated if 18 or more credit hours at the 400 level or above are accumulated with a grade point average of less than 3.00 GPA. In the case of program termination, no further registration in a graduate classification will be permitted. Under extenuating circumstances the student will be reinstated upon the written recommendation of the department and approval by the Graduate Dean. Departments have the prerogative of recommending the termination of a student's graduate admission at any time if the student is not making satisfactory progress toward the degree.

Students who are eligible to attend the first summer session are eligible to attend either or both summer sessions. For example, students who receive a notice of "Graduate Admission Terminated" at the end of the first summer session may register for second summer session unless the major department recommends otherwise.

A graduate student must be in good academic standing (3.00 GPA or better) to be eligible for appointment to an assistantship, fellowship or traineeship and must be registered in each semester in which the appointment is in effect.

Graduate students wishing to audit a course must have the approval of their advisor and of the department offering the course. While auditors receive no course credit, they are expected to attend class regularly. The degree to which an auditor must participate in class beyond regular attendance is optional with the instructor. Any auditing requirements should be clearly explained in writing to the student at the beginning of the semester. Should an instructor conclude that an auditor has failed to fulfill the stipulated requirements, the instructor is justified in marking NR (no recognition given for an audit) on the final grade report.

Audits (AU) in subjects in which the graduate student has had no previous experience will be evaluated at full credit value in determining course loads. Audits taken as repetition of work previously accomplished are considered at one-half their credit value in calculating course loads. With the single exception of foreign language audits, all audit registration must fall within the maximum permissible course loads. While audit registrations are evaluated for purposes of determining permissible course loads in terms of the regulations of the Graduate School, the University Cashier's Office considers all audits, except one permitted free of charge, in terms of full credit value in calculating tuition.

GRADUATION

There are three official graduations for graduate students per year, occurring at the end of the fall and spring semesters and at the end of the second summer session. Formal commencement exercises are held at the end of spring and fall semesters, but any student who graduated the preceding second summer session is eligible to participate in the December commencement. All students scheduled to graduate in the fall or spring semesters are strongly encouraged to attend the respective commencement. Any doctoral candidate wishing to have the degree conferred in absentia must notify the Graduate School in writing; master's candidates should contact their departments or programs.

DIPLOMAS

Students graduating in the spring are awarded their diplomas during the commencement exercises. The diplomas for those students graduating at the end of second summer session and the fall and those students receiving permission to receive the degree in absentia are mailed by the Department of Registration and Records which is also responsible for the ordering of diplomas.

Students earning a Master of Arts, Master of Science, Doctor of Education or Doctor of Philosophy degree will receive diplomas designating the degree but not the major or program of study. Students earning Master's degrees in a designated field will receive diplomas indicating the field of specialization, i.e., Master's of Forestry.

Students with co-majors will have those identified on their transcripts, but not on their diplomas.

To order a diploma, a student must file a Diploma Order Request form, available from either their Graduate Secretary or the Graduate School. The cards are due at the Graduate School Office by the end of the sixth week of classes during the fall and spring semesters and by the graduation deadline noted in the Graduate School Calendar for the second summer session graduation. Until a Diploma Order Request form is filed, a diploma cannot be ordered.

Classification	Full-Time	Half-Time
Non-Thesis Master's	Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or a minimum of three (3) hours per semester during the semester in which the student is completing the last course(s) required to complete the degree. Students who have completed¹ all credit hour requirements for their degree must register for three (3) hours of XXX 689 (Non-Thesis Master Continuous Registration – Full Time Registration). Students may register for this course a maximum of one semester.	Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semseter, or one (1) hour of XXX 688 (Non-Thesis Master's Continuous Registration-Half Time Registration) for students who have completed³ all credit hour requirements for their degree.
Thesis Master's	Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or a minimum of three (3) hours per semester during the semester in which the student is completing the last course(s) required to complete the degree. For thesis students, this could include XXX 695. Students who have completed² all credit hour requirements (including research credits) for their degree except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the thesis should register for three (3) hours of XXX 699 (Master's Thesis Preparation) each semester until graduation.	Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or one (1) hour of XXX 699 (Master’s Thesis Preparation) for students who have completed⁴ all credit hour requirements (including research credits) for their degree and are completing their research and/or writing and defending the thesis.
Doctorate	Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester until the student completes all credit hour requirements for the degree, including research credits, and the oral preliminary examination, or three (3) hours per semester of XXX 899 (Doctoral Dissertation Preparation) for students who have completed⁵ all credit hour requirements for their degree (including research credits and the oral preliminary examination) except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the dissertation.	Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or one (1) credit of XXX 899 for students who have completed⁶ all credit hour requirements for their degree (including research credits and the oral preliminary examination) except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the dissertation.

5XX	Letter Graded Master's Courses
6XX	S-U Graded Master's Courses
7XX	Letter Graded Doctoral Courses (ALL 7XX courses are restricted to the following classification of students (class MR, DR, SR, SP and GR)
8XX	S-U Graded Doctoral Courses (ALL 8XX courses with the exception of those specifically listed at the end of this section are restricted to the following classification of students class MR, DR, SR, SP and GR)
9XX	Professional Courses in the College of Veterinary Medicine (not covered by this document)

Grade	Grade Points/Credit-Hour
A+	4.33
A	4.00
A-	3.67
B+	3.33
B	3.00
B-	2.67
C+	2.33
C	2.00
C-	1.67
D+	1.33
D	1.00
D-	0.67
F	0.00