Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Graduate School


 

Graduate School Administration


Graduate School Staff


Dean of the Graduate School

Dr. Ali Shaqlaih

Director of Graduate Recruitment & Admissions

Alounda Joseph

Assistant Director of Admissions

Shaniece Miller

Admission Application Processor

Veronica Ewing

 

Graduate Council


The Graduate Council, which consists of members of the Graduate Faculty at UNT Dallas, functions as an executive committee to advise and assist the Dean of the Graduate School.  The Graduate Council is responsible for recommending policy regarding standards, criteria, regulations, procedures, and other matters affecting graduate study.  The Council’s overarching role is to support the improvement of graduate education of the highest quality at UNT Dallas through its consultative and faculty governance roles. 

 

Graduate Faculty


Graduate Faculty status exists to ensure that graduate programs are taught by professionals whose expertise and record of scholarship qualify them to create educational opportunities commensurate with that experience and with best practices for graduate education.  Those faculty who teach graduate-level courses, advise graduate students, serve on thesis or dissertation committees, or otherwise participate in graduate education at UNT Dallas must be members of the Graduate Faculty.  The Graduate Faculty is composed of Full Members and Associate Members.

 

General Degree Requirements


The candidate must earn 30 or more hours of graduate credit, depending upon the requirements for the degree sought.  Specific graduate degree requirements are determined by the catalog currently in force at the time the student’s degree plan is approved by the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Consult subsequent sections of this publication for the specific course requirements for each master’s degree.

 

Quality of Coursework Required


The graduate student must maintain a 3.0 average on all courses that receive graduate credit, whether or not the courses are to be applied toward a graduate degree. Grades received in all courses numbered 5000 or higher are included in the computation of the graduate student’s grade point average.  Exception to this policy is for students approved for Graduate Restart or students dismissed from one graduate program but accepted to another.

The student whose graduate GPA earned at another institution is below 3.0 average will be required to make up the deficiency either at the other institution or at UNT Dallas. This regulation applies not only to graduate work attempted elsewhere before the student was first admitted to graduate studies at UNT Dallas, but also to graduate work attempted elsewhere after the student’s admission at UNT Dallas.

Students must make satisfactory progress toward completion of degree requirements to remain in good standing within a specific degree program. Students whose progress is unsatisfactory may be removed from the program by the dean on recommendation of the major department or school. Courses in which the grade is D cannot be used toward completion of graduate degree requirements.

A grade of C or better must be earned in each undergraduate or graduate course assigned as a deficiency by the student’s major department. Departments that wish to do so may establish more stringent requirements.

 

Graduate Credit for Work Experience


Graduate credit will not be granted for knowledge acquired through prior work or performance experience regardless of whether these experiences were of a paid or voluntary nature.

 

Level of Work Required


All of the course work to be credited toward the master’s degree plan must be numbered 5000 or higher.  Deficiencies or background courses are completed in addition to course work to be credited toward the master’s degree plan regardless of course number.  A maximum of 12 semester hours earned in non-degree or certification status prior to admission to a degree program may be counted toward degree requirements.

 

Time Limitations


All course work and other requirements to be credited toward the master’s degree must be completed within the following time periods, depending on the number of semester hours required for the degree.

  • 42 or fewer hours: 6 years
  • 43 to 49 hours: 7 years
  • 50 or more hours: 8 years

As individual courses exceed these time limits they lose all value for degree purposes.  Credits more than six years old at the time of first registration for graduate work are not transferable from other institutions.

Time limits are strictly enforced.  Students exceeding the time limit may be required to repeat the comprehensive exam, replace out-of-date credits with up-to-date work, and/or show other evidence of being up-to-date in their major and minor fields.  Students anticipating they will exceed the time limit should apply for an extension two semesters before the normal time period to complete the degree expires.  Holding a full-time job is not considered in itself sufficient grounds for granting an extension.  For time extension procedure/forms, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Time spent in active service in the U.S. armed forces will not be used in computing the time limit.  However, career members of the armed forces should consult the graduate admissions office concerning the credit given to work completed before or during active military service.

 

Leave of Absence


Leave of absence applies to students admitted to the master’s degree who wish to discontinue work toward the degree for a specified period of time due to exigent circumstances.  Leave of absence may be granted by the academic program, which then notifies the Graduate School.  Degree requirements and graduation must be completed within the appropriate time limit for completion of the degree.

 

Use of Transfer Credit 


Subject to the approval of the Graduate School and the department or school concerned, a student who holds a bachelor’s degree and who has been admitted to graduate studies at UNT Dallas may apply toward a master’s degree the following amount of graduate work completed elsewhere:

  1. Up to 6 semester hours in a 30- to 35-hour program,
  2. Up to 9 semester hours in a 36- to 41-hour program,
  3. Up to 12 semester hours in a program of 42 hours or more.

It is the student’s responsibility to make sure official transcripts of courses completed elsewhere are furnished to the Office of Graduate Admissions, and that graduate credit has been assigned by the other institution or institutions to whatever courses are to be counted toward the UNT Dallas degree.  Such courses, although listed on the UNT Dallas degree plan, will not be counted toward the degree until official transcripts showing graduate credit have been received and the credit has been approved by the Office of Graduate Admission.  All transfer courses are subject to the time limitation described previously.

If transfer credits do not show a grade of B or better in each course, the student is required to make up the deficiency either at the institution where the credit was earned or at UNT Dallas.

In accordance with the rules of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, at least one-third of the semester hours required for any graduate degree must be completed in course work on the campus of UNT Dallas.

Note: The number of hours accepted by transfer from an institution within the UNT System is determined by a student’s department and/or program.

 

Degree Plan: Admission to Candidacy


The student who desires to become a candidate for the master’s degree should, before or at the time of registration, confer with the major department concerning the selection of a major professor and, if a minor is desired, with the intended minor department concerning the selection of a minor professor.  The major professor, minor professor, and the chair of the major department or a representative designated by the chair will constitute the student’s advisory committee.  The major professor will act as chair of the committee. 

The student’s program is planned under the direction of the major and minor professors immediately after the completion of the first term/semester of graduate study.  The degree plan is submitted to the Graduate School when all admission provisions are complete.  When the degree plan is approved by the Graduate School, the student will then be admitted to candidacy for the master’s degree.

Certain degree programs require successful completion of a specific course for admission to candidacy.  Consult the appropriate section of this catalog for the specific course requirement.  Immediately after the student has completed the admission course, the proposed degree plan will be sent to the UNT Dallas Graduate School for final approval.  When the degree plan is approved, the student is admitted to candidacy for the master’s degree.

All changes in the degree plan must be approved by the major professor and the department chair or department graduate advisor, and must be submitted in writing to the Graduate School.

Courses listed on the degree plan must carry letter grades, with the exception of those courses in which the student is engaged in individual research and is not attending an organized class.  These courses, with the approval of the department, may be assigned pass/no pass grades.

No student whose academic or personal record is unsatisfactory will be admitted to candidacy for the master’s degree.

Applicants will be notified by the Graduate School of their admission to candidacy for a graduate degree program.

 

Major and Minor Field


The candidate for the master’s degree ordinarily is required to select a major and a minor field.  To major in any field, the candidate must have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours of undergraduate courses in the field, including at least 12 hours of advanced courses prior to beginning graduate course work.  Certain graduate majors require more extensive undergraduate preparation.  Consult the section of this catalog describing the particular major desired for information concerning undergraduate preparation requirements.

A minor is defined as graduate work completed outside of the student’s major department or school.  Minor areas of study can only be chosen from academic areas in which UNT Dallas is already authorized to offer a major or concentration, or where specific Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approval has been given to offer courses for the purposes of a minor.  When an official minor is required or opted, the candidate’s graduate advisory committee must include a faculty member from that area who will verify accountability in the minor area through comprehensive examinations, thesis, problem in lieu of thesis, dissertation projects, or other appropriate means.

For a master’s degree, the student must complete at least 6 hours in a single area to have the area count as a minor.  For master’s students all hours counted toward a minor must carry graduate credit and must be numbered 5000 or above.

Twelve hours of undergraduate credit are the usual prerequisites for a minor in any field. (Exception: In the case of a minor in a foreign language, the student is required to have completed the second term/semester of the sophomore year of study in the intended minor language.)  In departments that offer no freshman courses only 6 hours of undergraduate credit are required as prerequisite to a graduate minor in that field.

Minors are not required on certain graduate degrees.  Consult subsequent sections of this publication for specific regulations governing the degree sought.

 

Master’s Degree without Thesis Requirement


In programs leading to the master’s degree that do not require the preparation of a thesis or problem in lieu of thesis, required or elective courses are substituted for the thesis requirement.  The graduate curricula at UNT Dallas foster research and/or independent learning including research experiences, mentoring between graduate faculty and graduate students, and practical training that allows for contributions to the field of study, the development of new knowledge and practical experience.  These programs are identified and described in subsequent sections of this catalog.

The candidate for the master’s degree under the non-thesis option is required to pass a comprehensive final examination, scheduled in accordance with the rules governing the comprehensive examination.  Information concerning this requirement is available from the student’s major department or school.

 

Requirements for the Second Master’s Degree


Subject to the approval of the Office of Graduate Admissions and the department or school concerned, a graduate student may be allowed to apply up to 12 semester hours previously earned at UNT Dallas and applied toward a master’s degree at an accredited institution toward a second master’s degree, providing the 12 hours are in a minor or related field of study for the second master’s degree.

This provision is subject to the rules governing the maximum amount of transfer and extension work that may be credited toward any master’s degree and the age of work offered on a master’s degree.  A student simultaneously pursuing two master’s degrees must complete the requirements for one degree in full before any final decision is made concerning application of any of the work on that degree toward the second degree.

 

Milestones for the Master’s Student


  • OGA - Office of Graduate Admissions, Director
  • ADCom - Advisory Committee
  • GA - Graduate Advisor
  • GS - Graduate School
  • PC - Program Coordinator
  • RO - Registrar’s Office

 

Procedure Initiate Through Approved By Time
1.  Apply for admission.  Submit all official transcripts and an official copy of the appropriate standardized test score, if applicable.  OGA PC and OGA At least six weeks prior to registration. Note: Some programs have specific deadlines in advance of these suggested time periods.
2.  Become familiar with general regulations and appropriate master’s degree section of catalog. Student   Before registration.
3.  Meet with graduate advisor assigned by department chair/program coordinator to plan course of study for first semester. PC and GA GA Before first semester registration.
4.  Prepare proposed degree program. GA and/or PC PC Upon or before completion of 12 semester hours.
5.  Submit degree plan to the Graduate School for approval. PC, GA, and Student GS Upon or before completion of 12 semester hours.
6. Apply for graduation. RO PC and GS See the graduate school’s deadline and information.
7.  Schedule and complete final comprehensive examination. PC   Consult with Program Coordinator to schedule date.
8.  File graduate application to continue graduate study, if the student so plans. OGA PC and OGA Immediately upon completion of all requirements for master’s degree.
9.  Arrange for cap and gown at University Bookstore.     By deadline date for placing order.