Academic Standing
All admitted graduate certificate and degree students at PSU must maintain good academic standing during the course of their graduate program. Good academic standing is defined as maintaining a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher in all graduate credits earned at PSU. All graduate students, especially those in a conditional admission status, are expected to keep in close communication with their departments and to avail themselves of departmental advising.
Academic probation
An admitted graduate student is placed on probation if their cumulative graduate GPA at PSU, based on the completion of 9 or more letter-graded graduate credits after admission to the graduate level at PSU, falls below 3.00.
While on academic probation a student will not be permitted to graduate, to be admitted to a new or different graduate certificate or degree program, to be advanced to doctoral candidacy, to have a thesis or dissertation committee appointed, to receive or continue to hold a graduate assistantship, or to register for more than a total of 9 credit hours in any term. A student is removed from academic probation if their cumulative graduate GPA is brought up to 3.00 or higher once they have completed the next 9 letter-graded graduate credits after beginning probation status.
Academic disqualification
Disqualification occurs if:
- A student on academic probation fails to achieve a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher once they have completed the next 9 letter-graded graduate credits after beginning probation status; or
- A student becomes subject to academic probation for a second time.
A student who is disqualified may not register for any graduate courses at PSU.
Readmission after disqualification
Readmission after disqualification is not automatic. A disqualified student may petition for readmission as a student in a graduate certificate or degree program after one calendar year. Readmission after the mandatory one-year period is initiated by the student's filing of a petition for readmission to the Graduate Council through the Graduate School. Such a petition would need to address the circumstances that led to disqualification and provide evidence of preparedness to resume graduate study.
If a student's graduate program recommends readmission, the Graduate Council may grant readmission, with or without additional academic requirements, or may recommend continued disqualification. A readmitted student must raise the cumulative graduate GPA to 3.00 or higher within the first 12 letter-graded credits after readmission or the student will be disqualified.
Graduate courses completed at other institutions while a student is under disqualification at PSU will not be applied toward a graduate program at PSU.