Graduates - Policy & Rules

Nothing is Automatic | Registration | Unit Cap for Graduate Students | Add/Drop/Grade Change Deadline | Petitions after Add/Drop/Grade Change Deadline | Fees | Satisfactory Scholarship/Grades | Graduation

NOTHING IS AUTOMATIC!
You are responsible for how you are registered each quarter - check your registration carefully and add/drop/change grading options for classes by the appropriate deadlines. You have access to your quarterly study list and UCI transcript at all times through StudentAccess. Always login to WebReg before classes begin to check for any changes to your schedule.

You are also responsible for checking your transcript each quarter. You can access your record through StudentAccess on the Web. If there is an error on the transcript, it may be corrected, but there are time limitations. Be aware of all deadlines posted in the Quarterly Academic Calendar from the Registrar's home page.

You must initiate all adds, drops, and changes to your class schedule or transcript. YOU - not your faculty or advisor - are responsible for ensuring that your academic record is correct. Most of the necessary forms are available in the Arts Student Affairs Office, MAB 101. You should be familiar with some of the important University and School of the Arts policies and information regarding student academic records. 

REGISTRATION
Check the current quarter course offerings in WebSOC from the Registrar's home page. The course schedule for the next quarter is made available on Friday of the fifth week of instruction of the current quarter.

Login to WebReg for your enrollment window. Make sure to register soon after your enrollment window opens. Failure to register during open enrollment will result in late enrollment fees. ALWAYS login to WebReg to check your enrollment before classes begin. Classes may have been moved, canceled, etc.

UNIT CAP FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Your faculty advisor must approve you to register for 16 or more units per quarter of graduate-level (#200+) and/or upper-division undergraduate courses (#100-199). Please email your faculty advisor and cc the Graduate Program Administrator [afujitan@uci.edu] with the specific number of units you want to enroll in for that quarter. With your faculty advisor's approval, the Graduate Program Administrator will authorize you to enroll for that specific number of units via WebReg.  

ADD/DROP/GRADE CHANGE DEADLINE
**THE DEADLINE TO DROP CLASSES AND MAKE CHANGES TO COURSE GRADING OPTIONS IS THE FRIDAY OF WEEK 2; THE DEADLINE TO ADD CLASSES IS THE FRIDAY OF WEEK 3.** For courses that are "B" (Authorization code required) restricted, students are responsible for contacting the instructor of the course to get the 4-digit authorization code to add/drop the class. 

PETITIONS AFTER ADD/DROP/GRADE CHANGE DEADELINE
Students who need to add, drop or change the grading option for courses after the deadline must activate a petition via StudentAccess. Petitions will be reviewed carefully and only be approved for extenuating circumstances. Studnets may be asked to provide additional information and documentation. Please note that drops approved after week 6 will result in a "W" (Withdrawl) notation on your transcript.

FEES
There is a $3 fee for all add/drop/change transactions beginning the fourth week of instruction through the last week of instruction.

Lab Fees: Some Arts classes may require students to pay a lab fee. Please be advised that lab fees are charged to a student's ZotBill account at the end of Week 2 and are NOT included with the general registration fees. Failure to pay lab fees on time will result in late fees and restrictions to campus services.

Save All Receipts! They are needed as proof of your transactions, should an error appear on the transcript. Be sure to read the transaction record for accuracy before you leave the Registrar’s window. Keep the transaction record until you see the change reflected on your transcript at the end of the quarter.

SATISFACTORY SCHOLARSHIP / GRADES
Only the grades of A+, A, A-, B+, B and S may be applied toward graduate degree requirements. Please be advised that a "B- or lower" is considered a "failing" grade at the graduate level. Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Incomplete Grades
It is your responsibility to request an Incomplete with the instructor of the course. Some instructors or departments require the request in writing including the reason for the request, as well as how, and when, you plan to complete the course. You must also clear the "I" (Incomplete) after the work is made up. It is your responsibility to initiate a Change of Grade Report (also called an Academic Record Change Request) through the Arts Student Affairs office, 101 MAB. An "I" (Incomplete) grade will automatically turn into an "F" or "NP" within one year of the Incomplete being assigned, or at graduation (whichever comes first).

NR (No Report) Grades
An "NR" (No Report) on your transcript will automatically become an "F" the quarter after the quarter you receive the "NR", or at graduation (whichever comes first). If you receive an "NR," check with the instructor as to why, then come to the Arts Student Affairs Office, 101 MAB, for information on your options. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE TENTH WEEK TO AMEND YOUR "NR"--there are no exceptions once the "NR" has changed to an "F". Avoid the "NR" notation by registering for the correct courses and completing all required course work.

Pass/Not Pass (P/NP)
Graduate students may not register for any graduate-level (#200 or higher) course P/NP. Given that graduate students must earn "B or better" in all required course work, and earning a "P" represents "C or better" work ("NP" represents "C- or lower"), any course graded "P" will not count toward satisfaction of degree requirements. Graduate students may, however, enroll in up to 4 units of lower-division (#1-99) undergraduate course work "P/NP" each quarter.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U)
The "S/U" (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) grading option is the graduate equivalent of the "P/NP" grading option. An "S" represents "B or better" work while an "U" represents "B- or lower" work. Please be advised that the "S/U" grading option is offered at the faculty's discretion only; in order to request "S/U" grading, graduate students must register for the class "graded" and then speak directly to the faculty teaching the course to request an "S/U" rather than a grade.

GRADUATION
Graduation is not automatic. Starting in late October through early February of the last year of your M.F.A. program, you will meet with the Graduate Program Administrator in the Arts Student Affairs office, 101 MAB, to prepare the documents necessary for graduation.