Academic and professional standards and policies
Academic standards
The University Academic Standards Policy defines academic dishonesty, and mandates specific sanctions for violations.
See the University Academic Standards policy: UAM 6,502.
Sanctions for violations of university academic standards for academic dishonesty may include academic and/or disciplinary sanctions. Academic sanctions for both undergraduate and graduate students may include: filing a final grade of "F", reducing the student's final course grade one or two full grade points; giving a reduced grade or zero on the coursework; or requiring the student to retake or resubmit the coursework.
Good standing
All graduate students must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0. If their GPA drops below 3.0, they are either placed on probation or dismissed from the program. Undergraduate courses will not count towards graduate GPA.
To be counted toward the Ph.D. degree, each graduate course must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. To remain in good standing in the program, students are required to maintain a 3.0 “B” grade point average in both the core and the specialization, individually.
Probation and dismissal
According to the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Code, Title 2, Chapter 11, “a student may be dismissed from a program for academic reasons which may include but are not limited to inadequate grades or failure to remain in academic good standing as defined by the program, a lack of professionalism or unethical conduct, or failure to comply with other specific program requirements. Failure to comport with professional and/or ethical standards applicable to the particular discipline or program may be grounds for dismissal from a program.” The School of Public Health has developed a dismissal policy that includes dismissal for failure to maintain required grades or required grade point average, dismissal for lack of professionalism, unethical conduct, or failure to comply with other program requirements. Before beginning the program, all students must acknowledge that they have reviewed the School of Public Health dismissal policy.
Students whose cumulative grade-point total is between 2.31 and 2.99 are placed on academic probation for one semester. Graduate students on probation are not eligible for graduate assistantships. If they fail to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 by the end of one semester, they are dismissed from their graduate program. Thesis, dissertation, S/U graded credits, and transfer credits have no impact on a student’s GPA.
If a student’s grade point average is 2.30 or lower, the student will be dismissed from graduate standing. A student dismissed from graduate standing because of grade-point deficiencies may enroll as a graduate special in undergraduate or graduate courses. To enroll in graduate-level courses, advance written approval must be obtained from the course instructor, the department/program concerned and the Graduate School. Enrolling in undergraduate courses will not raise the cumulative graduate GPA
Dismissal recommendations for reasons other than failure to maintain required grades or required grade point average require a written notice of dismissal from the Director of Graduate Studies to the student and the Graduate Dean, and the scheduling of a review conference, according to Chapter 11 of the Nevada System of Higher Education CODE. Students can appeal their dismissal from graduate standing by submitting a formal letter to the Dean of the Graduate School and to the Director of Graduate Studies. The letter must be submitted within 10 working days following notification of the dismissal (see the School of Public Health dismissal policy for more information).
Doctoral degree timeline
All course work must be completed within eight (8) years preceding the awarding of the degree. Credits transferred into doctoral degree from a completed master’s degree are exempt from this eight-year limit.
Transfer credits
Doctoral students who have completed a master’s degree in an appropriate discipline from an accredited institution may, with the approval of their graduate director, transfer up to twenty-four (24) units toward a Ph.D. degree. The twenty-four (24) unit limit does not apply to students earning a master’s degree en route to a doctoral degree at the University of Nevada, Reno. Transfer credit is requested by using the Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request form available on the Graduate School website (Graduate credit transfer evaluation request) and must be signed by the student, advisor, and Director of Graduate Studies.
Student unit loads
A full-time graduate student may not register for more than sixteen (16) graduate units in any semester, or more than six (6) graduate units in any six-week summer session. Audited or undergraduate courses will not be counted toward the 6-credit minimum requirement. Graduate assistants may not register for more than twelve (12) graduate units per semester.
Students who register for nine (9) graduate units or more in a semester are considered full-time. For graduate assistants on a 20-hour (half-time) contract, six (6) graduate units or more constitute full-time. To be considered full-time for financial aid purposes, all graduate students, including those on assistantships, must be enrolled in nine (9) graduate units; to be considered part-time for financial aid reporting purposes, graduate students must be enrolled in five (5) graduate units. For those graduate students who are required to take Intensive English Language Center Bridge Courses, these courses can be considered part of full registration upon approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Continuous enrollment
To maintain in “good standing” all graduate students are required to enroll in a minimum of three (3) graduate credits each fall and spring semester until they graduate. International students may be required to enroll in nine (9) graduate credits each fall and spring semester depending on the requirements of their visa. All students holding assistantships (whether teaching or research assistantships) are required to enroll in a minimum of six (6) graduate credits each fall and spring semester they hold the assistantship.
Leave of absence
Students in good standing may request a leave of absence by completing a leave of absence form available on the Graduate School website (Leave of Absence Form) during which time they are not required to maintain continuous registration. Usually, a leave of absence is approved for one or two semesters. The leave of absence request may be extended by the student filing an additional leave of absence form. Students applying for a leave of absence should not have any “incomplete” grades which could be changed to “F” and have a detrimental impact on their cumulative GPA. Requests for leave of absences must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the leave is to begin.
Reinstatement
When a student has been absent for one semester or more without an approved leave of absence, he or she may request reinstatement via the Reinstatement Form. This form allows the program the option to recommend the student be re-admitted to their graduate program based on their previous admission OR require the student to re-apply for admission which would require students to submit a new application for admission and pay the application fee. The Notice of Reinstatement to Gradate Standing must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the reinstatement is to begin.
Managing student complaints in the School of Public Health
- The University of Nevada, Reno has clear policies either through the Administrative Manual (UAM) or other sources for policies and procedures for handling grade complaints (final grades) and those related to Title IX (discrimination based on sex). The following policies and procedures are designed to address complaints from students and from faculty not covered by these policies. Such complaints may involve grades, course management, faculty and/or student interactions, curriculum issues, and professionalism issues.
- Complaints made by a student should follow these steps whenever possible:
- Always start with the instructor to see if the issue can be resolved at the class level. This is an important skill for students to learn as they progress through their studies and is highly encouraged as a first step. If the complaint is related to your advisor, it is best to start at this level.
- If the student feels uncomfortable bringing the issue to the instructor/advisor or if the issue remains unresolved, the complaint may be submitted to the SPH Associate Dean who will work with the Dean, appropriate Division Leads and/or Program Director to resolve the issue. A student’s name will not be disclosed during this process.
- If the complaint is not resolved at level b, it will then go to the SPH Dean for resolution/action.
- Important Notes: There is no wrong door for submitting complaints. Students can skip any of the steps described above. While it is best to work directly with the instructor first, certain complaints that deal with professionalism or other sensitive concerns may be best handled by the Associate Dean or Dean as a first step.
- Students may file a complaint using the Complaint Form on the School of Public Health website. These complaints will be forwarded directly to the SPH Associate Dean unless the student requests that the complaint be submitted directly to the SPH Dean. Complaints can be submitted with your contact information or anonymously. While anonymous complaints may be more comfortable, it can make resolution more difficult if additional information is needed.
- Students who choose to share their contact information will receive an individual response within one week for individual complaints. Students who submit a complaint anonymously will only receive acknowledgement that the complaint was received.
- The Concierge service through the Provost’s office is also available for all students if that is more comfortable. Complaints submitted through the Concierge service will typically be forwarded to the SPH Associate Dean and Dean.
