Graduate School Catalog and Policies
The University of Maryland, Baltimore is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market St. Philadelphia, PA 19104
An appeal of academic dismissal must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies in writing within 10 working days of the student's receipt of the notice of dismissal.
The letter of appeal should include (a) the basis for the appeal; (b) a summary of discussions, if any, between the student and representatives of the student's program such as the student's mentor and the student's Graduate Program Director (GPD); and (c) outcome or remedy proposed by the student. The letter may include additional relevant evidence or information.
The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies will inform the GPD of the appeal by transmitting the student's letter of appeal within 5 working days of receipt of the appeal.
Grounds. The following are grounds for appeal. 1) Incorrect calculation of grade point average; 2) Misapplication of standards for academic performance and satisfactory progress by the Graduate Program of the School of Graduate Studies; 3) Differential application of standards for academic performance and satisfactory progress for the student appealing compared to other similar students; or 4) Circumstances which had not been known which might be relevant to the dismissal.
Disposition. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies may: 1) act on the appeal; 2) appoint a designee to collect additional information for the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies; or 3) constitute a three-person ad hoc review committee from the Graduate Council Grievance Committee (GCGC). The purpose of the ad hoc Committee is to provide an opinion and recommendation to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies regarding the appeal.
The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies will inform the student and the GPD in writing of the method of disposition of the appeal. If a Dean's Designee is appointed, the student and the GPD will be informed of the name and contact information for the Dean's Designee. If a GCGC ad hoc committee is constituted, the approved guidelines will be followed.
The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies's decision with respect to a student's appeal shall be final. The student and the GPD will be informed in writing of the Dean's decision.
(Approved and adopted by the Graduate Council, Oct. 19, 1995; revised Nov. 25, 2003; revised May 31, 2005; revised January 2008)
These guidelines describe how allegations of arbitrary or capricious grading are handled in course work in the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Graduate Studies.
A. Purpose
These guidelines describe how allegations of arbitrary or capricious grading are handled in course work in the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Graduate Studies. Arbitrary or capricious means (a) the assignment of a course grade to a student on some basis other than performance in the course, (b) the assignment of a course grade to a student by unreasonable application of standards different from the standards that were applied to other students in that course, or (c) the assignment of a course grade by a substantial and unreasonable departure from the instructor's initially articulated standards.
These procedures apply only to grades assigned in course work. Qualifying and comprehensive examinations and defense of theses or dissertations during the progression toward the master's or doctor's degree are to be handled under the Academic Progression* policy.
B. Procedure
- If a student alleges that a grade has been given in an arbitrary or capricious manner, the student must first discuss the situation with the faculty member responsible for the course within 10 business days of receiving the grade. The student should also contact the department chair or graduate program director if the issue is not resolved within 20 business days of receiving the grade.
- If a student remains dissatisfied after the discussions required by paragraph 1, the student may file an allegation of arbitrary and capricious grading with the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Allegations should be made in writing in the form of a letter to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies within 30 calendar days of the student’s receipt of the grade. An allegation should include (a) the course, program, and semester in which the grade was awarded; (b) the basis for the allegation; (c) the date the student was advised of the grade challenged; and (d) a summary and the dates of any conversations held pursuant to these procedures.
- Upon receiving an allegation, the School of Graduate Studies Dean’s designee shall forward a copy of it to the faculty member who assigned the grade in question and to the chair or graduate program director.
- The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or designee shall review each allegation of arbitrary and capricious grading and shall dismiss the allegation if (a) the student has submitted the same, or substantially the same, complaint through any other formal grievance procedure; (b) the allegation does not allege actions which would constitute arbitrary and capricious grading as defined in these procedural guidelines; (c) the allegation was not filed with the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies within 30 calendar days of the student's notice of the grade; or (d) the student has not conferred with the instructor and either the graduate program director or department chair of the program offering the course prior to filing the allegation. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or designee shall notify the student, the faculty member, and the chair or graduate program director in writing within one week of receiving the allegation of the disposition of the allegation.
- If an allegation is not dismissed, the faculty member involved will have two weeks from receipt of the allegation to submit a written response to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
- The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or designee shall submit the allegation of the student and the response of the faculty member to a Grade Hearing Committee (GHC) consisting of three members (two faculty and one student) appointed by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The GHC may decide to hear statements from the student and the faculty member or it may deliberate on the basis of written materials. GHC review may be waived with the consent of the student and the faculty member, in which case the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or designee will review the matter and make a determination. If the matter is considered by the GHC, following deliberations, the committee will give its recommendations in writing to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or designee. If the GHC finds arbitrary or capricious grading did occur, its report should include recommendations for action, specifying who they recommend be responsible for those remedy actions.
- The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or designee will receive the GHC recommendation and make a decision. The decision will be will forwarded in writing to the student, the faculty member, and the program director within two weeks of receiving the GHC recommendation or within two weeks of the waiver of GHC review.
C. Appeals
- The student, the faculty member, or the program director may appeal to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for reconsideration of the decision by submitting an appeal in writing to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies in writing within 10 days of receipt of a decision.
- The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies's decision with respect to an appeal shall be final. The Dean will endeavor to make a decision on the appeal within 10 days after its receipt. The Dean’s decision will be communicated in writing to the student, the faculty member, and the program director.
(Approved by the Graduate Council, Jan. 18, 1995; revised by a University of Maryland Baltimore committee, February 1995; approved in revised form by the Graduate Council, April 20, 1995; revised July 2003.)
*Policies, guidelines, and standards related to academic progression are outlined in the Academic Standards and Degree Requirements section of the catalog.
The purpose of the School of Graduate Studies Ombuds-Committee is to provide mediation services when disagreements or differences of opinion arise...
between a graduate student and his or her adviser or graduate program that (a) cannot be successfully resolved at the program level, (b) are serious enough in nature to jeopardize the student's ability to complete his or her training, and (c) do not relate to issues that fall under other policies.* The GSOC will consist of three experienced faculty members appointed by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for a period of two years.**
Rationale: It is recognized that disagreements between students and their advisers occur during training. In most cases, such problems can and should be worked out by the student, the adviser, and the program, possibly with the assistance of the student's dissertation committee. If this is not possible, however, the situation should be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee, who will, in turn, inform the GSOC. The GSOC will then assist the student, adviser, and program to develop a strategy to resolve the situation. The GSOC will provide all parties an opportunity for full consideration of their positions and ensure that all relevant School of Graduate Studies rules and guidelines are followed.
Procedures:
- The student must first inform the director of his or her graduate program that a serious problem exists. It is the director's responsibility to review the situation and to attempt to resolve it according to the rules and guidelines of the program and any School of Graduate Studies rules or guidelines that are applicable.
- In the event that the adviser is also the program director, the program should select another faculty member or form a committee of faculty members from within the program to mediate the problem.
- If efforts at the program level fail to resolve the situation, or if the program fails to act, the student may then contact the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee. The student should present the problem to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee in writing, describing the situation in detail, and outlining what was done at the program level to attempt to resolve it.
- The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee will provide the student's information to the GSOC. The GSOC will request information, also to be submitted in writing, from the program director, stating the program's position and describing the efforts that were made to resolve the situation. The adviser may also provide input at this time, but such input must be submitted through the program director.
- The GSOC will review all relevant material provided by the student and program director. The GSOC may request additional information and meet with the parties who are involved. Upon completion of its review, the GSOC will make recommendations for resolution of the situation in writing to the student, the adviser, the program, and the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee.
- The final decision as to the appropriate resolution of all cases will rest with the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
- If a GSOC member has been involved in a matter before it reaches the GSOC, the member will not participate in the deliberations. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee will name one alternate member to the GSOC for the matter.
*Note, for example, that instances of alleged arbitrary and capricious grading, sexual harassment, student academic misconduct, and other misconduct are dealt with under other School of Graduate Studies policies or university policies.
**Initially, the three faculty members will be appointed to staggered terms, as follows: one to a term of one year and two to a term of two years. This will provide for overlapping terms in subsequent years.
This document sets out the basic the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies, Baltimore policy and procedures for dealing with the various forms of student academic misconduct primarily in course work. Such misconduct involves significant breaches of integrity which may take numerous forms such as, but not limited to, those listed below:
- Fabrication: The intentional and unauthorized generation or altering of data, information, citation, or result in an academic exercise.
- Falsification: The intentional and unauthorized altering of any information, citation, or result in an academic exercise.
- Plagiarism: The intentional or knowing representation of the words, ideas, or work of others as one's own in an academic exercise. The appropriation of the language, ideas, or thoughts of another and representation of them as one's own original work.
- Cheating: The intentional or attempted use of unauthorized material in an academic exercise.
- Improprieties of Authorship: Improper assignment of credit or misrepresentation of material as original without proper referencing of the original authors.
- Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: The intentional or knowing assistance or attempted assistance of another student to commit an act of academic misconduct.
Student misconduct in research and scholarly work falls under the purview of the University of Maryland Baltimore County document, "Policy and Procedures Concerning Misconduct in Scientific Work," or the University of Maryland Baltimore document, "Policy and Procedures Concerning Misconduct in Scholarly Work."
All graduate students of the UMGSB are subject to the standards of academic integrity required by the UMGSB and standards of academic integrity specific to a graduate program approved by the School of Graduate Studies. For example, the Masters in Science Nursing programs have additional standards. Students are also subject to the possible penalties for academic misconduct described in this document. Students must also observe any additional standards announced by faculty members for particular courses.
Each faculty member is responsible for maintaining academic integrity in his or her courses and has the authority, using proper procedures and reasonable judgment, to determine whether a student has engaged in academic misconduct. The faculty member must decide whether the misconduct involves a less-serious infraction susceptible to resolution by informal methods or a more-serious infraction requiring severe and stigmatizing penalty, such as suspension or expulsion. Once the faculty member has made an initial determination of academic misconduct, he or she shall initiate the process explained below. The faculty member should make initial determination of academic misconduct within two weeks of the infraction, if possible, and the entire process should be completed within 90 days, if feasible.
I. Less-Serious Infractions
Examples of infractions that can be considered less serious are:
- minor instances of plagiarism or cheating on examinations or papers required for a course
- minor fabrication or falsification of data for a laboratory report for a course
- facilitating academic dishonesty by students in an academic exercise
After identifying academic misconduct and providing written notification and obtaining written authorization from the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee, the faculty member has authority to resolve less serious cases of academic misconduct by means of informal methods such as warning, counseling, additional assignments, or grading. A typical penalty that has been exacted has been to assign a zero grade for the exercise and to compute the course grade including the zero grade for the exercise. The student may be reprimanded by the instructors, and the School of Graduate Studies can send letters of reprimand with the threat of dismissal should there be further occurrence. Such informal methods shall not be considered to be severe or stigmatizing. Confidential records of authorized informal actions shall be kept by the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee for use of the Graduate Council Grievance Committee*. The GCGC may release only general statistical summaries of such information and may not release identifying information.
Having made an initial determination of academic misconduct involving a less serious infraction and having consulted the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee for authorization, the faculty member shall observe certain rights of the student: the faculty member shall notify the student in writing within five days, if feasible, of the initial determination of academic misconduct and shall provide the student an opportunity within five days of notification to give explanation. Should the student fail to offer an explanation within the time frame, seek an extension for a good faith reason, or make a written request to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee for a full hearing before the GCGC, the informal action shall become final.
The faculty member's informal action shall be final and conclusive and not subject to appeal within the University System of Maryland on grounds related to academic misconduct.
II. More-Serious Infractions
Infractions that can be considered as more serious include:
- major instances of plagiarism or cheating on examinations or papers for a course
- fabrication or falsification of data for publication, thesis, or dissertation
- a pattern of, or repeated occurrences of, less-serious infractions
Having made a final determination of more-serious academic misconduct, the faculty member shall notify the student in writing within five days, if feasible. The student shall have an opportunity within 10 days to respond and give an explanation to the faculty member before the determination of more serious academic misconduct can be made final by the faculty member.
After making an initial determination of an instance of more-serious academic misconduct requiring severe and stigmatizing penalty, the faculty member shall within five days send a letter to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee. The faculty member's letter shall describe the academic misconduct and recommending suspension, probation, expulsion, or other action commensurate with the seriousness and circumstances of the misconduct. The faculty member shall send a copy of the letter to the student, to the graduate program director, and to the department chair. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee will notify the registrar, if appropriate, to prevent the student from dropping the course, thereby evading a penalty. The letter to the student shall include a copy of this policy. The faculty member shall also make reasonable efforts to preserve any evidence that might be needed by the GCGC in the event of an appeal by the student.
III. Appeals and Hearings
When the faculty member has filed with the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee a letter establishing academic misconduct requiring severe or stigmatizing penalty, the student shall have the right to a hearing before the GCGC. The student must file a written request for a hearing with the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee within 10 days of notification. When a student requests a hearing in a case involving severe or stigmatizing penalty, the UMGSB administration shall provide facilities and personnel requested by the chair of the GCGC for the purpose of providing due process. If the faculty member recommends suspension or expulsion, the GCGC shall (unless the student waives the right to a hearing) automatically conduct a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence of misconduct, or history of misconduct, to justify suspension or expulsion.
Upon its notification of a hearing request, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies will appoint a three-person committee from among members of the GCGC. The GCGC should conduct an investigation, gather evidence, and interview witnesses to determine the facts. The investigation shall include a statement from the faculty member, describing the situation and action, a statement from the student including reason for the hearing request, and all statements by witnesses. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee shall circulate the statements to GCGC members, noting that confidential items must be kept in a secure location. The GCGC shall also obtain any additional information requested by the faculty member, the student, or the committee members. If requested by the chair of the GCGC, the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee shall provide the GCGC the record of academic misconduct of any student requesting a hearing. The GCGC should, if necessary, hold a pre-hearing meeting of committee members to discuss the investigation. Copies of all items of evidence should be sent to the faculty member and the student or, if the evidence cannot be copied, the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee should arrange for the evidence to be inspected by these parties at a convenient time.
The GCGC shall then schedule a hearing, conducted by the chair of the GCGC, allowing sufficient time, including continuations if necessary, for the committee to be satisfied that further inquiry would turn up no new material. If feasible, the hearing should be scheduled within 30 days of the GCGC's notice of a hearing request. At least three members of the GCGC must attend a hearing to form a quorum. Hearings will be held in closed session and will be tape recorded. Accidental erasure of the tapes, failure of the recording equipment, or poor quality of the recording will not be grounds for appeal. The faculty member and the student shall attend the hearing. Witnesses may be present at the hearing only during their own testimonies except with the permission of both the student and the chair of the GCGC. Legal counsel for the student or the university may be present at the hearing in an advisory role. Legal counsel shall not function as an advocate. The student shall have the right to state his or her case, to offer explanations and interpretations of each item of evidence and testimony, and to ask questions of the faculty member and witnesses. The faculty member may offer interpretations of the evidence and testimony and ask questions as necessary. Each committee member may ask questions. The proceedings of the hearing are to be confidential and are not to be discussed outside the hearing.
Those members of the GCGC who were present throughout the hearing shall discuss the case in closed session as soon as possible after the conclusion of the hearing. They then vote whether to uphold the faculty member's initial determination of academic misconduct. When a faculty member's recommendation of suspension or expulsion is involved, the GCGC also votes whether to uphold the recommendation. No votes in absentia shall be counted.
The GCGC shall send its findings and recommendations in writing to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee within 10 days of the hearing, if possible. (A dissenting opinion may be submitted and filed by any GCGC member.) The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee will act upon the recommendations of the report and notify the student, the faculty member, and other necessary parties of the results of the determination. If the GCGC determines that the faculty member acted improperly or mistakenly in his or her initial determination of more serious academic misconduct, it may recommend that the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee expunge the notice of academic misconduct or attach a letter of explanation to the notice. The GCGC may, in its report to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee, include other penalties. While the GCGC may not impose grade alterations based on the content of the student's work, it has the authority to uphold the grade sanctions recommended by the faculty member if the student is found to have engaged in academic misconduct. The Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee's notification letter shall direct the student to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies should he or she want to appeal the decision. The GCGC shall also send the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies the various documents and records used as evidence in the case.
The student has the right to appeal to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The appeal must be in writing and must be filed within 10 days of receiving the GCGC report. The Dean will review the GCGC report and may uphold the decision, reverse the decision, modify the decision or penalties, or refer the case back to the GCGC. In any case, the decision of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies is final.
The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies shall maintain a confidential file of academic misconduct communications which shall constitute the student's record of academic conduct. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies may place appropriate notations on the student's transcript and provide the academic misconduct record of any student to outside institutions making inquiry appropriate under the federal Buckley Amendment laws.
*The GCGC is composed of three graduate faculty members from each campus, University of Maryland Baltimore and University of Maryland Baltimore County. GCGC members may be members of the Graduate Council and are appointed by the respective deans of the School of Graduate Studies to a term of two years. The initial appointment of one year for two members assures continuity of membership on the committee. Monthly meeting times will be set for the GCGC and any grievances that are filed will be heard at these times. Additional meeting times may be scheduled as needed. When a grievance is filed, all parties of the grievance and the members of the GCGC will be asked if there would be a conflict of interest with members of the committee or with any party filing the grievance. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies will select three members of the GCGC who have no conflict of interest with any party affected by the grievance to serve on a panel to hear the case. Two members of the panel will be from the campus of the person filing the grievance. A panel may be augmented by two Graduate Student Association members of the Graduate Council (or other selected students) for the deliberation of academic misconduct grievances. The GCGC panel will serve as an informal fact-finding body, taking written statements from all participants and interviewing witnesses. The investigation may take the form of a hearing in which statements from all participants may be reviewed and the participants questioned. Legal counsel may be present at the hearing in an advisory role, but shall not function as an advocate. Every consideration will be taken to insure the confidentiality of witnesses. The GCGC panel will deliberate in closed session and make its recommendations to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee. Original documents of the proceedings and records of the hearing will also be submitted to the Associate Dean or the Dean's Designee.
(Approved and adopted by the Graduate Council, September 1993; revised July 23, 1998; revised Nov. 25, 2002.)
Satisfactory academic performance and progress within the UMB certificate programs is a responsibility shared by the School of Graduate Studies, the certificate program, and students. Certificate programs with additional criteria and requirements approved by the School of Graduate Studies are covered under this policy. Students should review all graduate program handbooks and standards.
Satisfactory performance and progress is demonstrated by adherence to the following School of Graduate Studies standards:
- Graduate students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Further, two or more grades of C or lower denote unsatisfactory progress in a certificate program and subject the student to academic dismissal regardless of cumulative GPA.
- All courses must be taken for letter grade; courses taken as pass/fail (P/F) or audit (AU) may not be counted toward the certificate.
- The course of study undertaken for a post-baccalaureate certificate must be ascertained from an approved program consisting of at least 12 graduate-level credit hours.
- Students must communicate with faculty, staff and students in ways that are professional, respectful and civil, and which foster collaboration.
- All requirements for the certificate must be completed within three years after admission. Periods of nonregistration (“stopping out” or approved leaves of absence) are included within this three-year period.
- All credits for a certificate must be completed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
- Students are expected to meet the highest standards of integrity; cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or abetting the academic dishonesty of another will result in sanction and may lead to academic dismissal.
These guidelines are applicable to all UMB graduate students regardless of instructional delivery mode (i.e., traditional, online, or hybrid).
Failure to satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’s standards of satisfactory academic performance and progress — or nonadherence to program-specific policies and requirements — subjects a student to possible academic probation and/or dismissal.
Stackable Certificates (Dual Enrollment)
Stackable certificates can be earned while enrolled in a primary degree curriculum. The current Post-baccalaureate (PBC) Master's (MS) stackable student enrollment and graduate degree conferral must follow federal regulations.
- MS students may NOT earn a certificate without completing the MS degree requirements.
- Dually enrolled students will receive both a certificate and Master's degrees AFTER the completion of all certificate and MS degree requirements.
- Students wishing to earn a certificate while completing a Master's degree will need to be admitted to the certificate program beginning in their first semester (PBC and MS)
Purpose: Satisfactory academic performance and progress within the University of Maryland Baltimore's (UMB) Master of Science (MS) programs is a responsibility shared by the School of Graduate Studies, the graduate programs, and students. This policy specifies the elements of satisfactory academic performance and progress for students in UMB programs required by the School of Graduate Studies. MS programs with additional criteria and requirements approved by the School of Graduate Studies are covered under this policy. Students should review all graduate program handbooks and standards.
Failure to satisfy the School of Graduate Studies' standards of satisfactory academic performance and progress subjects a student to possible academic dismissal, as does non-adherence to program-specific policies and requirements.
Elements of Satisfactory Academic Performance and Progress: Satisfactory performance and progress is demonstrated by adherence to the following School of Graduate Studies standards.
- All graduate students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The School of Graduate Studies Office of Enrollment Affairs (GSOEA) reviews students' academic performances each semester and session. Failure to maintain the minimum GPA requirement may result in academic dismissal.
- Once admitted to a graduate program, each student has the obligation to continue a course of study and must register every semester in the academic year (fall and spring semesters) unless on an approved Leave of Absence (LOA). Failure to comply with the requirement to register every semester will be taken as evidence that the student has terminated his or her program and admission status in the School of Graduate Studies.
- Any student admitted provisionally will be granted full graduate status when the provisions have been satisfied. Provisionally admitted students who fail to meet the terms of their admission may be dismissed.
- The entire course of study undertaken for the MS degree must form a unified, coherent program approved by the student's advisor and the School of Graduate Studies.
- Students must communicate with faculty, staff and students in ways that are professional, respectful and civil, and which foster collaboration.
- Students must satisfactorily complete course work and the required curriculum in a timely fashion. All requirements for the MS degree must be completed within five years after admission. The period of an approved Leave of Absence is included within the five year time period.
- Students must adhere to the appropriate thesis or non-thesis guidelines outlined by the School of Graduate Studies and the program.
- Students in a MS program with clinical or experimental requirements are expected to meet the requirements, standards, and expectations of those experiences.
- Students are expected to meet the highest standards of integrity; the success of the entire academic enterprise depends on their doing so. Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or abetting the academic dishonesty of another will result in sanction and may lead to academic dismissal.
Procedure: If a student fails to meet School of Graduate Studies standards of satisfactory academic performance and progress, the student shall be given written notice of dismissal by the GSOEA. The notice will include the reason for the dismissal. A copy of the notice will be provided to the student's Graduate Program Director (GPD). Notice of dismissal will be mailed to the student's current address of record as noted on file with the UMB Registrar. Notice is deemed received by the student within 10 calendar days from the date of the notice. Each student is expected to notify the School of Graduate Studies and the graduate program of changes in address and check for correspondence at his or her address of record in a timely fashion.
Effective July 1, 2005
Purpose: Satisfactory academic performance and progress within the University of Maryland Baltimore’s Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) programs is a shared responsibility of the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Graduate Studies (UMBSGS), the Doctoral Programs, and graduate students. This policy specifies the elements of satisfactory academic performance and progress for students in UMBSGS DMSc program.
UMBSGS Standards
- After admission to the DMSc program, each student must continue a course of study and must register fall and spring semesters unless on an approved leave of Absence. Failure to comply with the requirement to register every semester will be taken as evidence that the student has terminated his or her program and admission status in the Graduate School.
- Students accepted provisionally will have provisional admission status removed only after all provisions have been satisfied and the student has fulfilled all other UMBSGS and Doctoral Program requirements for non-provisional admission.
- Graduate students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Students must establish and maintain a professional relationship with faculty advisor and clinical preceptors. The advisor must hold Associate or Regular membership in the Graduate Faculty with the appropriate knowledge and expertise to serve as an advisor.
- Students must communicate with faculty, staff and students in ways that are professional, respectful and civil, and which foster collaboration.
- Students must demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills relevant to Physician Assistant practice and leadership and the ability to conduct independent research by developing, presenting, and defending an original research project on a topic approved by the Doctoral Program. Evidence of completion of this requirement is submission of the research product to the Doctoral Program
- All degree requirements, including the final examination of the dissertation, must be completed within six years of admission to the Doctoral Program.
- Students are expected to meet the highest standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, cheating, and other acts of academic dishonesty, or abetting the academic dishonesty of another will result in sanctions and may lead to academic dismissal.
Doctoral Program Standards
Students must meet all Doctoral Program requirements for satisfactory academic performance and progress as well as UMGBS requirements. Students are advised to be familiar with all handbooks, requirements, and standards of their Doctoral Program.
- Doctoral Programs may have requirements that are in addition to the UMBSGS standards listed above. Examples of additional Graduate Program requirements are clinical rotations, journal clubs, presentation of papers/abstracts, and publication(s).
- Doctoral Programs may have more stringent standards than the UMBSGS. Examples of more stringent standards are higher than 3.0 minimum GPA required by the UMBSGS, advancement to candidacy within four years instead of five, and program completion within seven instead of nine years.
The student is expected to meet the most stringent standard for each requirement, whether it is a standard of the UMGBS or the Doctoral Program. Failure to meet any of the UMGBS and Doctoral Program standards of academic performance and progress subjects a student to automatic academic probation and the possibility of dismissal.
Placement on Academic Probation or Dismissal
If a student does not meet the UMBSGS and the Doctoral Program’s standards of satisfactory academic performance or progress, then the student will automatically be placed on probation or dismissed. Written notice of this action will be provided by the Graduate School Office of Enrollment Affairs, including the reason for the action. A copy of the notice will be provided to the student’s Doctoral Program Director. Notice will be mailed to the student’s current address of record as noted on file with the UMB Registrar. Notice is deemed received by the student within 10 calendar days from the date of the notice. Each student is expected to notify the Registrar, UMBSGS and the Doctoral Program of changes in address and check for correspondence at his or her address of record in a timely fashion.
For information on UMBSGS policy and procedures for appeal of probation or academic dismissal see the policy here.
Effective July 1, 2023
Purpose: Satisfactory academic performance and progress within the University of Maryland Baltimore’s doctor of philosophy (PhD) programs is a shared responsibility of the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Graduate Studies (UMBSGS), the Doctoral Programs, and graduate students. This policy specifies the elements of satisfactory academic performance and progress for students in UMBGS PhD programs.
UMBGS Standards
- After admission to a doctoral program, each student must continue a course of study and must register fall and spring semesters unless on an approved leave of Absence. Failure to comply with the requirement to register every semester will be taken as evidence that the student has terminated his or her program and admission status in the School of Graduate Studies.
- Students accepted provisionally will have provisional admission status removed only after all provisions have been satisfied and the student has fulfilled all other UMBSGS and Doctoral Program requirements for non-provisional admission. This determination will be made by the Graduate Program Director and the UMBSGS Academic Coordinator.
- Graduate students must maintain a minimum, cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- UMBSGS does not impose a uniform protocol for preliminary, qualifying, or comprehensive examinations. Admission to candidacy occurs after fulfilling Doctoral Program requirements.
- Students must communicate with faculty, staff and students in ways that are professional, respectful and civil, and which foster collaboration.
- Students must establish and maintain a professional relationship with a faculty research advisor. The advisor must hold Regular membership in the Graduate Faculty with the appropriate knowledge and expertise to serve as research advisor.
- Students must demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research by developing, presenting, and defending an original dissertation on a topic approved by the Doctoral Program. Evidence of completion of this requirement is submission of the committee approved dissertation to the School of Graduate Studies.
- UMBSGS requires that students take and pass a doctoral examination of the dissertation comprised of an open presentation and a formal examination. The formal examination can only be attempted twice. A failure on the second attempt means the PhD degree is forfeited.
- Students must be admitted to candidacy within five academic years of first term of enrollment in the Doctoral Program and at least two full sequential semesters or sessions (spring, summer, or fall) before graduation. All degree requirements, including the final examination of the dissertation, must be completed within four years of admission to candidacy and no more than nine years after admission into the Doctoral Program.
- Students are expected to meet the highest standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, cheating, and other acts of academic dishonesty, or abetting the academic dishonesty of another will result in sanctions and may lead to academic dismissal.
Doctoral Program Standards
Students must meet all Doctoral Program requirements for satisfactory academic performance and progress as well as UMBSGS requirements. Students are advised to be familiar with all handbooks, requirements, and standards of their Doctoral Program.
- Doctoral Programs may have requirements that are in addition to the UMBSGS standards listed above. Examples of additional Graduate Program requirements are laboratory rotations, journal clubs, presentation of papers/abstracts, and publication(s).
- Doctoral Programs may have more stringent standards than the UMBSGS. Examples of more stringent standards are higher than 3.0 minimum GPA required by the UMBSGS, advancement to candidacy within four years instead of five, and program completion within seven instead of nine years.
The student is expected to meet the most stringent standard for each requirement, whether it is a standard of the UMBSGS or the Doctoral Program. Failure to meet any of the UMBSGS and Doctoral Program standards of academic performance and progress subjects a student to automatic academic probation and the possibility of dismissal.
Placement on Academic Probation or Dismissal
If a student does not meet the UMBGS and the Doctoral Program’s standards of satisfactory academic performance or progress, then the student will automatically be placed on probation or dismissed. Written notice of this action will be provided by the School of Graduate Studies Office of Enrollment Affairs, including the reason for the action. A copy of the notice will be provided to the student’s Doctoral Program Director. Notice will be mailed to the student’s current address of record as noted on file with the UMB Registrar. Notice is deemed received by the student within 10 calendar days from the date of the notice. Each student is expected to notify the Registrar, UMBGS and the Doctoral Program of changes in address and check for correspondence at his or her address of record in a timely fashion.
For information on UMBGS policy and procedures for appeal of probation or academic dismissal see the policy here.
Effective March 31, 2006
Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the UMB Confidentiality and Disclosure of Student Records Policy...
this notice is given to students to advise them that the following information about a student is directory information subject to disclosure by the University upon request: name; address telephone listing; date and place of birth; photograph; major field of study; dates of attendance; degrees and awards received; and most recent previous educational institution attended. The directory information concerning a student may be disclosed even in the absence of consent unless the student files written notice informing the University not to disclose any or all of the categories within three weeks of the first day of the semester in which the student begins each school year. Notice not to disclose may be filed with the student's school Office of Student Affairs.
The complete Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy may be found at http://cf.umaryland.edu/umpolicies/usmpolicyInfo.cfm?polid=107
Graduate Catalog
COVID-19 Policies
In the summer session of 2020, UMB schools will deliver didactic curriculum on-line. This innovative method of delivering didactic instruction responds to the COVID 19 pandemic and decisions made to maintain social distancing in the interest of the personal safety of all involved in the education of UMB students.
In the academic year 2020-2021, UMB expects it will return to some classroom and on-campus didactic instruction, consistent with safety standards, local and regional health conditions, and guidance of public authorities. The ability to offer courses on campus may be delayed or intermittent. UMB may supplement on-campus instruction with online and virtual learning opportunities.
Selected labs, research assignments, experiential learning activities and Performance Based Assessments (PBAs) must be done in-person and will be scheduled (or rescheduled) as permitted by circumstances and UMB policies. Most clinical experiential rotations scheduled for the summer 2020 are postponed until fall 2020 when UMB will work in consultation with affiliates to determine the best ways for students to engage in academic work at affiliates’ facilities after appropriate safety precautions are identified and implemented.
For on-line learning, UMB will reformat the curriculum materials and teaching techniques as necessary to assure that coursework continues to meet the high standards set by UMB and to assure that all learning outcomes are achieved in accordance with accreditation standards and expectations.