Completion of Course Work

Course work is expected to be completed by the date specified by the instructor. When circumstances warrant an exception, the instructor may grant a student an extension to a date that would allow the instructor to submit a grade no later than the last day of the term (see current Graduate Studies Calendar for the exact date). It is incumbent upon the instructor to keep track of such extensions and to decide upon consequences of them, and inform the student should he/she not meet the extended deadline for completion of course work.

In exceptional circumstances, the instructor may grant a student an extension of the due date for course work into the next term. Typically, such an extension might be until the end of the first month of the next term (for fall term courses, this would be January 31; for winter term courses, this would be May 31st; for spring term courses, this would be September 30). When circumstances warrant, however, an instructor may, initially or subsequently, grant an extension until the end of the next term (for fall term courses, this would be the end of the winter term; for winter term courses, this would be the end of the spring term; for spring term courses, this would be the end of the fall term—see current Graduate Studies Calendar for the exact dates).

When an instructor grants an extension to complete course work beyond the last day of the term, he or she must submit an interim designation of "Incomplete" in lieu of a final grade when grades for the course in question are submitted. In such instances, and also whenever any additional extension is granted, the instructor must also send a completed Petition for Extension to Complete Course Work form to the appropriate graduate officer or program director, as well as to the Graduate Studies office.

The Graduate Student Appeals Committee (GSAC) must approve any extension of a due date for course work beyond one term. If a student requests an extension beyond the end of the next term, the student is required to submit an appeal to the Graduate Student Appeals Committee (see also "Student Appeals" in the Graduate Calendar). The maximum extension to be requested is for one additional term.

When any request for an extension of a due date for course work is granted, the student remains responsible for completing the work by the extended due date. In instances where an interim designation of "Incomplete" has been submitted in lieu of a final grade, if a passing grade or a request for further extension is not submitted within 7 days of the extended due date, the Incomplete designation will automatically convert to an F grade.