Academic Progress | Graduate Advising

According to ASU's Graduate College, the master's degree must be completed within six years of the earliest date of a course that appears on a graduate plan of study, including nondegree work (transfer work is nondegree for purposes of these computations). Work on the doctorate must be completed within ten years of admission or five years from the written exam (portfolio). For further information, students should adhere to the Ph.D. Requirements and Timeline.

However, the English department requires M.A. candidates (excluding the M.F.A. program) to complete degrees within three years of admission and Ph.D. candidates to complete their degrees within seven years of admission. Any student who fails to do so may be recommended for dismissal from the program. Students may also be recommended for dismissal if they receive a negative evaluation during the annual review process, do not correct deficiencies during the allotted probationary period, and/or fail to maintain satisfactory progress toward the sought degree. To maintain active status in the program, students are required to earn a grade point average of "B" (3.00) or better in course work and achieve continual progress toward the sought degree.

Academic progress toward sought degree is defined within individual program requirements and would include maintenance of appropriate GPA in all course work, timely completion of the coursework; satisfaction of language requirement; adherence to all other requirements found in program descriptions and adherence to all requirements established by the Graduate College.

If a student has three I's (incomplete) on the transcript, he or she may be recommended for dismissal from the program, except for extenuating circumstances. If a student's GPA falls below 3.00 in any given semester, this could result in an automatic review by the director of graduate studies, in consultation with the student's committee (if one exists), with the possibility of recommendation for dismissal from the program.

Graduate students should be become familiar with ASU's policy on academic integrity and be aware of the expected standards of behavior, as the consequences can include suspension or expulsion from a degree program or the university.