4 Graduate Student Matriculation Process

4.1    Departmental Role in Document Processing

Documents recorded by the Graduate and Professional School mark each major decision point in a graduate student’s degree program. These documents should be reviewed at the departmental/program level before submission to the Graduate and Professional School. Department heads or chairs of interdisciplinary programs review and endorse documents concerning admissions, course registration, continuation in degree programs, scholastic probation, degree plans, petitions, proposals for theses and dissertations, and final drafts of theses and dissertations. The Graduate and Professional School reviews, approves/denies, and records major decisions after departments and/or colleges have reviewed and certified eligibility and accuracy.
The Graduate and Professional School is responsible for maintaining all University degree requirements. Departments/programs may, and often do, have additional or more stringent degree requirements than the University does (examples include cumulative exam requirements, GPA standards in specific courses, course sequence or core course requirements, etc). Departments/Programs themselves are responsible for overseeing these additional requirements.
The Graduate and Professional School requires departmental assistance in the oversight process with the following:

4.1.1 Document Processing Submission System (DPSS)

Degree plans are filed through the online Document Processing Submission System at https://ogsdpss.tamu.edu/. Please confirm that all required official academic credentials - such as required transcripts and test scores - have been received and processed by the Office of Admissions before submitting a degree plan for Graduate and Professional School review.
Once a degree plan has been successfully filed, changes are made by way of petitions through DPSS. Students may file an MDD petition to change their major, degree, or department or file a long-form petition to make a variety of other requests. Petitions to Change Course Work or Petitions to Change Committee Members are the most commonly filed.

4.1.2 Additional Processing Notes

Departments/Programs are directly involved in the major decisions during their students’ degree programs. Departments/programs can assist with efficient processing by honoring the following requests for documents submitted to the Graduate and Professional School:

• Identify students by complete legal name and University Identification Number (UIN) in all communications.
• Inform students of upcoming degree plan registration holds well in advance, so degree plans can be submitted and fully processed in a timely manner.
• State your requests clearly and provide proper justification for requests when required.
• Remember that some requests involve multiple forms and all forms should be submitted at the same time.
• Confirm that all required signatures have been provided and that only authorized departmental/program individuals (as designated in the unit’s Authorized Signers Form) have signed.
• Observe deadlines for materials to be received by the Graduate and Professional School as published in the Graduate Catalog and in the Graduate and Professional School Calendar.
• Allow extra processing time for multiple requests (e.g., exam schedule request submitted along with a petition making a committee change).

Contact: Graduate Records Processing – gradprocessing@tamu.edu or 979-845-3631

4.2    Graduate and Professional School Minimum Original Signature Requirements for Graduate and Professional Student Documents

Students, staff, and advisors must obtain all required approvals for the Academic Requirements Completion System (ARCS) and signatures for AdobeSign for forms utilized in the Graduate and Professional School. If one of the required signers is unavailable, each program has faculty members who are authorized signers for the faculty in that program. Please check with that program’s graduate office to determine who may sign.  At a minimum, a form requires the Department Head or the Interdisciplinary Program Chair signature, that signature must be added to the workflow.

Forms that Have Department Head/Interdisciplinary Faculty Chair Signature
At a minimum, the department head/interdisciplinary faculty chair signature must be added to the workflow in Adobe Sign or DPSS.

• Letter of Intent to Pursue Another Graduate Degree
• Secondary Curriculum Request
• Graduate Student Graduation Cancellation Form

Forms that Do NOT Have Department Head/Interdisciplinary Faculty Chair Signature

At a minimum, the chair of the committee’s signature must be added to the workflow in Adobe Sign or DPSS.

• Petition for Course Change
• Petition for Change of Committee
• Petition for Change of Major, Degree, Department
• Petition for Extension of Time Limits
• Petition for Waivers or Exceptions to University Requirements
• Special Request Letter (Sent directly from student, does not require approval from chair)

4.3    Standardized Test Scores

Beginning with the recruiting cycle of AY2022-2023 (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 admissions), an official score on a standardized test is not required for admission to a graduate program at Texas A&M University. Individual programs are allowed to require official scores on a standardized test upon request and approval by the Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional Council.
The departments/programs listed below informed the Graduate and Professional School that a standardized test is required as part of the admission requirement to Texas A&M University. All programs (other than those listed below) do NOT require a standardized test for admission purposes.

Requests for an individual student exemption may be submitted in writing to the Graduate and Professional School after acquiring approval from the appropriate department head and GOC dean.

4.3.1    Standardized Test Score is Required for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 Admissions

Programs Maintaining Standardized Test Requirements for Fall 2024 and Beyond Admissions
Degree Program	Masters	Doctorate	Professional	Notes
Agribusiness and Managerial Economics		PhD
Water Management and Hydrological Science	MS, MWM	PhD
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Degree Program	Masters	Doctorate	Professional
Department of Agricultural Economics
Agricultural Economics	MS, MAgr	PhD
Food Science and Technology	MS, MAgr	PhD
College of Architecture
Degree Program	Masters	Doctorate	Professional
Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning
Urban and Regional Science		PhD
Mays Business School
Degree Program	Masters	Doctorate	Professional
Analytics	MS
Business	MS
Business Administration	MBA	PhD
Department of Finance
Finance	MS
Land Economics and Real Estate	MRE
Department of Information and Operations Management
Management Information Systems	MS
Department of Management
Human Resource Management	MS
Department of Marketing
Marketing	MS
College of Dentistry
Oral Biology		MS	PhD
College of Education and Human Development
Degree Program	Masters	Doctorate	Professional
Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture
Curriculum and Instruction		PhD, EdD
College of Engineering				Required for PhD and EdD
Degree Program	Masters	Doctorate	Professional
Department of Ocean Engineering
Ocean Engineering	MS, MEngr	PhD		Required for non-TAMU applicants
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum Engineering	MS, MEngr	PhD		Required for non-TAMU applicants
The Bush School of Government and Public Service				Required for non-TAMU applicants
Department of International Affairs
International Affairs	MIA
College of Liberal Arts
Degree Program	Masters	Doctorate	Professional
Department of Anthropology
Maritime Archaeology and Conservation	MS
Department of Political Science
Political Science	MA	PhD
College of Pharmacy
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pharmaceutical Sciences	MS	PhD
School of Public Health
Degree Program
Health Services Research		PhD

4.4    English Language Proficiency Requirements

All international graduate students whose native language is not English must meet minimum English language proficiency standards.

To achieve admission, international graduate students must attain English Language Proficiency (ELP) Verification. For eligibility to hold a graduate assistantship with instructional or curricular support responsibilities, international graduate students must achieve ELP Certification. The ELP status for all international graduate student applicants is available in COMPASS on the SHANCRS screen. 

4.4.1    English Language Proficiency Requirements Waivers for Admissions 

Eligibility for admission to Texas A&M University requires that international applicants must meet ELP requirements set by the academic unit and the university. This is attainable by achieving a minimum required score on an acceptable standardized examination (see Section 4.4.1.1 below and applicable admitting program requirements) or citizenship with an English-speaking country that is exempt from the requirement.

For students who do not do not meet the ELP requirement for admission to the university, the admitting academic unit may request a waiver on the students’ behalf. Approval of the waiver will allow the Office of Admissions to complete a student’s admission to the university but does not satisfy the Verification requirement (see Section 4.4.2 below).

ELP requirement waivers should be from and signed by the appropriate Department Head, interdisciplinary degree program Chair, or college/school Dean; routed through and signed by the appropriate college/school Graduate Operations Committee Dean; and addressed to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School. The memorandum should indicate why the waiver is being requested, explain why the student does not currently meet the university and/or program’s ELP requirement, the student’s qualifications, and how the student will meet th ELP requirement following admission to the university.

ELP requirement waiver memoranda should be submitted to ELPCompliance@tamu.edu for review. Upon approval, the English Language Proficiency ComplianceTeam will forward signed memoranda to the Office of Admissions and the requesting academic unit.

4.4.2    English Language Proficiency Verification

Eligibility for enrollment Texas A&M University requires that international applicants must attain ELP Verification. This is attainable by achieving a minimum required score on an acceptable standardized examination, Alternative Verification (provided by the student’s admitting department), or citizenship with an English-speaking country that is exempt from the Verification requirement.

4.4.2.1 Test Scores Accepted by Texas A&M for English Language Proficiency Verification
The following global standardized tests are acceptable to obtain ELP Verification:

• a TOEFL score of at least 80 on TOEFL iBT (550 on old paper-based version), or
• a minimum TOEFL Essentials score of 8.5;
• an IELTS score of at least 6.0;
• a GRE Verbal Reasoning score of at least 146 (400 on the old scale); or
• a GMAT Verbal score of at least 22.

Individual colleges/schools or departments may choose to establish test standards that exceed the university minimums listed above.
Scores from TOEFL, TOEFL Essenstials, or IELTS examinations administered more than two years before submission of the admissions application are not eligible for use in attaining ELP Verification. Tests should be taken at least eight weeks prior to the appropriate application deadline to ensure timely receipt and processing of results.
For information about submission of scores, vitist the International Graduate page  (https://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/international/international-graduate) on the Office of Admissions website.

4.4.2.2 Alternate Verification for International Graduate Students

An international graduate student may be Alternatively Verified by

Alternative Verification may be acquired after the admissions process from the Graduate and Professional School via request submitted by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs. Alternative Verification indicates that an international applicant meets the English Language Proficiency requirement through means other than the acceptable test scores.

• completing a Bachelor’s degree (but less than four years) at an accredited academic institution located in the United States, or

• completing a Master’s degree at an accredited academic institution located in the United States.

The Office of Admissions will exempt applicants who are citizens of certain English-speaking countries from the English Language Proficiency requirement for admission and Verification. The Office of Admissions’ International Graduate webpage maintains a complete list of countries whose citizens are exempt.

4.4.3    English Language Proficiency Certification

For eligibility to hold a graduate assistantship with instructional or curricular support responsibilities – such as Graduate Assistant Teaching (GAT), Graduate Assistant Lecturing (GAL), etc. – Texas State law (Education Code, Section 51-97) and Texas A&M University (https://grad.tamu.edu/academics/academic-success-resources/elp) requires international graduate students to achieve English Language Proficiency Certification. The Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness (HROE) at Texas A&M requires prospective or current international students hired for assistantships that carry teaching responsibilities to provide proof of English Language Proficiency Eligibility (Level 1 Certification), Conditional Eligibility (Level 2) for one semester only, or Verification (Level 3) with an approved Emergency Deferral for one semester only before the date of hire.

4.4.3.1 Test Scores Accepted by Texas A&M for English Language Proficiency Certification

International graduate students who wish to serve in teaching positions can certify for English Language Proficiency before enrollment. The following global standardized tests are acceptable to obtain ELP Certification: TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials, or IELTS (see score chart below).

Please note: Scores from TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials, or IELTS examinations administered more than two years before submission of the admissions application are not eligible for use in attaining English Language Proficiency Certification.

International graduate students who wish to serve in teaching positions and have not met the Certification requirement prior to enrollment can also certify by passing the oral skills assessment of the English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE) offered by Testing Services on the Texas A&M campus (see Section 4.5 below).
Satisfaction of the ELP requirement in relation to teaching positions is rated on a scale of 1-3.

Eligiblity Levels for International Students to Serve in Teaching Positions	Global Standardized Tests			Locally Administered Exam (on Texas A&M Campus)
Level	TOEFL Essentials Speaking Section	TOEFL Speaking Section	IELTS Speaking Section	ELPE Oral Examination
1. Eligible	≥ 11	26-30	≥ 8	≥ 80
2. Conditionally Eligible	9-10	23-25	7.0-7.5	75-79
3. Ineligible	≤ 8	< 23	< 7.0	< 75

A student who receives a Level 1 certifying score is Eligible for teaching assignments.

Those with a Level 2 rating are Conditionally Eligible for teaching assignments. They may teach for one semester only and must simultaneously enroll in the Texas A&M University’s Center for Teaching Excellence English Language Proficiency (CTE-ELP) program (see Section 4.7 below for details). Students must achieve a Level 1 certifying score on the ELPE or a global standardized test before the hiring date for the next semester.

Students at Level 3 (Verified only) are Ineligible for teaching assignment. They should participate in spoken language training (such as those offered by CTE-ELP and other independent English language instruction providers) to assist them in meeting English Language Proficiency requirements (see Section 4.7 below for details). They will remain ineligible until they achieve a certifying score on the oral skills assessment on the ELPE or a global standardized test.

4.4.3.2 Alternative Certification for International Graduates Serving in Teaching Positions

Academic units may request Alternative Certification from the Graduate and Professional School on behalf of an international graduate student who wishes to serve in a teaching position. Alternative Certification indicates that an international student meets the English Language Proficiency standard required to hold a teaching position through means other than the acceptable testing scores and confers Level 1 (Eligible) status.
An international graduate student may be Alternatively Certified by

• completing a Bachelor’s degree following four years of study at an accredited institution located in the United States;
• holding citizenship with certain English-speaking countries listed on the Office of Admissions’ International Graduate webpage (https://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/international/international-graduate; please list the approved country on the Alternative Certification Form); or
• other requests for Alternative Certification with strong department justification (the Graduate and Professional School will evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis). Examples of relevant experience and/or training that may justify Alternative Certification:
  • Completion of a rigorous and comprehensive training program in English oral skills or courses at a university and/or institution other than Texas A&M University (students must provide associated transcripts); please note: certificates from English as a Second Language Intensive training programs as a basis for certification will not be accepted and will not represent an alternative to the applicable TOEFC, TOFLI, GREV, GMATV, IELTS, PTE, or ELPE requirements as they do not reveal the rigor of the training or the language proficiency of the student.
  • Completion of a Bachelor’s degree following four years of study at an accredited institution located in an English-speaking country or instruction in English (Texas A&M requires an official transcript submitted to the Office of Admissions denoting the degree conferral date and confirmation that all instruction was conducted in English).

Alternative Certification requests must be initiated and submitted by colleges/schools, departments, or interdisciplinary degree programs.
Students should provide the academic unit with documentation to support an Alternative Certification request. If the academic unit deems the documentation sufficient to merit Alternative Certification, the unit should submit supporting documentswith the Alternative Certification Form  to the Graduate and Professional School’s English Language Proficiency Compliance Coordinator.
The Graduate and Professional School will evaluate Alternative Certification requests on a case-by-case basis.

4.4.3.3 Emergency Deferral of English Language Proficiency Requirements 

International graduate students with an ELP status of Level 3 (Verified only) are ineligible for hire in Graduate Assistant-Teaching (GAT) or Graduate Assistant-Lecturing (GAL) positions. However, on rare occasions, an academic unit may need to hire an international graduate student as a graduate assistant in a teaching-related role who has not attained ELP Certification (Level 1 Eligible) based on standardized test scores, the ELPE, or Alternative Certification, or achieved Level 2 Conditional Eligibility (for one semester only). Under extenuating circumstances, academic units may initiate requests for Emergency Deferral of the ELP Requirement.
Academic units may initiate and submit an Emergency Deferral Request Form (https://grad.tamu.edu/knowledge-center/policies-process/emergency-deferral-of-elp-certification) on behalf of an ineligible student. Approval will provide the graduate student with a one-time, one-semester only deferral of the ELP requirement for employment as a GAT or GAL. Emergency Deferrals may not be extended beyond the single semester of conditional eligibility, and both the student and academic unit must fulfill the following requirements during the semester of employment:

1. The student must participate in the English Language Proficiency Program with the Center for Teaching Excellence. In order to receive approval, the student must schedule an intake assessment before submission of the Emergency Deferral Request Form.
2. The academic unit must assign a faculty member to conduct periodic reviews – including in-class observations – of the student’s teaching performance with the first review conducted during the first month of the semester.

The Emergency Deferral Request Form must provide the student’s name, UIN, the semester of requested Emergency Deferral, justification for the request, indicate the faculty member who will supervise and review the student, and the scheduled CTE-ELP Intake Assessment. The request form must be signed by the supervising faculty member, an authorized department or program approver, and the appropriate Graduate Operations Committee Dean.
To receive approval, the academic unit must provide justification as to the necessity for hire of a Level 3 Ineligible student:

• a previously assigned GAT or GAL is no longer eligible to teach and the academic unit is now required to hire a Level 3 Ineligible international graduate student;
• an unanticipated student enrollment increase required the academic unit to create additional course sections and must now hire a Level 3 Ineligible international student; or
• other unexpected circumstances requires the academic unit to hire a Level 3 Ineligible international graduate student (please note: inability to schedule a TOEFL, IELTS, or ELPE is no longer considered as an acceptable justification).

Completed Emergency Deferral Request Forms should be submitted to the English Language Proficiency Compliance Team in the Graduate and Professional School. The Graduate and Professional School reserves the right to decline the request if all criteria above are not met.
Please note: the academic unit must receive approval of the Emergency Deferral request before the hiring process is initiated.
Contact information: English Language Proficiency Compliance Coordinator – ELPCompliance@tamu.edu or 979-845-3631
 

4.4.4    Non-Degree Status International Students

Post baccalaureate non-degree status students (G6 classification) must meet the graduate English Language Proficiency requirements unless the student is included in one of the following categories:

• A post-baccalaureate non-degree status international student admitted to Texas A&M under an approved agreement or contract (e.g., MOU, LOU, MOA) which outlines specific terms for postponement of the English Language Proficiency requirements for the duration of the non-degree program. For this category, the student’s department must request, in writing, the postponement through the Graduate and Professional School. The Graduate and Professional School will also need a copy of the agreement/contract.

• A reciprocal educational exchange program student admitted to Texas A&M through the Education Abroad Office. For this category, postponement of the English Language Proficiency requirement for the duration of the reciprocal educational exchange program will be handled by the Office of Admissions. Please contact Education Abroad for additional information about this type of student.

4.4.5    Non-Degree Status International Students

One month prior to the start of each Fall and Spring semester, the ELP Compliance Team in the Graduate and Professional School will notify by email all Department Heads and Graduate Advisors with reminders of the English Language Proficiency requirements for Graduate Assistant-Teaching, Graduate Assistant-Lecturer, or in any other graduate assistant position with instruction responsibilities.

The Graduate and Professional School conducts a Compliance Review after the first payroll date of the Fall and Spring semesters. The audit report will consist of all international graduate students who meet the following criteria:

• 1. Holding a teaching position, including those paid (even partially) by teaching funds:

• 9009      Graduate Assistant – Teaching

• 9012      Graduate Assistant (Teaching)-Doctoral Level

• 9013      Graduate Assistant (Teaching)-Master's Level

• 9015      Graduate Assistant Lecturer

• 9017      Graduate Assistant Teaching I

• 9018      Graduate Assistant Teaching II

• 9025      Graduate Teaching Assistant

• 9029      Teaching Assistant

  2. Not ELP Certified

• by standardized test score (TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS), nor

• by ELPE test score, nor

• by Alternative Certification, nor

• by an emergency one-time, one-semester deferral approval.

The Graduate and Professional School English Language Proficiency Compliance Team will then notify students, graduate advisors, and graduate program directors of the compliance requirements. Any Level 2 (Conditionally Eligible) or Level 3 (Ineligible, but with an approved Emergency Deferral Request) student who does not resolve certification/compliance issues by the next semester’s hire date must either be transferred to a non-teaching position or will be terminated from employment.  Departments should send their compliance action plan to the English Language Proficiency Compliance Coordinator in the Graduate and Professional School within 10 business days.
At the conclusion of the Fall and Spring semesters, ELP Compliance Coordinator will conduct a second review of that semester’s audit report. Any Level 2 or 3 students who did not resolve certification/compliance issues will be notified (along with their employing units) that they are out of compliance and no longer eligible for a teaching position. A list of non-compliant students will then be provided by the Graduate and Professional School to the Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness (HROE). The employing units will then need to work with the student to resolve their compliance issue before the next hire date or with HROE to transfer the student to a non-teaching position. If the compliance issue cannot be resolved or the student transferred to a non-teaching position by the next hire date, the student will be terminated.
Contact information: English Language Proficiency Compliance Coordinator – ELPCompliance@tamu.edu or 979-845-3631

 

4.5    English Language Proficiency Examination

The English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE) evaluates English skill in the area of oral communication.
Visit the Testing Services ELPE webpage (https://testing.tamu.edu/exams/english-language-proficiency-exam-(elpe)) for more information on upcoming exam dates and how to register for the English Language Proficiency Exam. Students will receive an email confirmation of their registration that includes the testing schedule.

4.5.1    ELPE for International Graduate Students Serving in Teaching Positions

If international graduate students who wish to serve in teaching positions do not achieve requisite standardized test scores for Level 1 Certification prior to enrollment, they can take the oral skills assessment of the on-campus English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE) following admission to the university. Individual academic units may choose to establish test standards that exceed the university minimums (see chart in Section 4.4.2.1).

Testing Services will reserve selected dates in August and January each academic year for international graduate students who have received and accepted an offer for a teaching position.

4.5.2    Testing During the Semester

Testing Services offers the English Language Proficiency Examination throughout the semester for students who are Level 3 Verified only. Students may register for the test via the online registration link at Testing Services. Students may only test once a semester (three months between administrations).  Students participating in the CTE-ELP program may request an ELPE retest within three months of their most recent attempt (see Section 4.7).

4.5.3    ELPE Results

Once students have taken the examination, Testing Services will enter scores into COMPASS and viewable on the Test Score Information (SOATEST) screen. The Graduate and Professional School will perform an audit after the 12th class day of the Fall and Spring semesters to ensure that graduate students hired to teach have successfully met English Language Proficiency requirements. Students and employing units will receive notification of non-compliance (see Section 4.4.6).

4.5.4    ELPE Retesting

Students may not take the ELPE within three months of their most recent attempt.  Only students participating in the CTE-ELP program may request an ELPE retest within three months of their most recent attempt (see Section 4.4.4).

 Visit the Testing Services (http://testing.tamu.edu/Exams/ELPE) website for more information about test dates, registration, and any associated fees.

 

4.6    Center for Teaching Excellence- English Language Proficiency (CTE-ELP) Instruction and English Language Certification

4.6.1 English Language Certification and Teaching-Assistant Eligibility

Figure 1. Screenshot of Howdy with “Report” link indicated

4.6.2 English Language Proficiency Certification Process

Graduate students can achieve ELP Certification one of two ways – prior to enrollment or after – by achieving a Level 1 Certified score on a recognized exam:

1. ELP Certification prior to enrollment: to attain ELP Certification prior to enrollment, an International Teaching Assistant (ITA) must attain a Level 1 score on the speaking section of either the TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials, or IELTS as outlined in the table above (see Section 4.4.2).

2. ELP Certification for enrolled international graduate students: to attain ELP  Certification following enrollment, an ITA may attain a Level 1 score on a) the speaking section of a global standardized test (as indicated above) or b) the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE) administered by Testing Services (https://testing.tamu.edu/exams/english-language-proficiency-exam-(elpe)). See Table 2 below for required scores.

Students with a Level 1 score on one of the recognized exams is ELP Certified, subject to no further language-related requirements, and Eligible for TA positions. Those with a Level 2 score are Conditinally Eligible for TA positions for one semester only. Those with a Level 3 score qualify for Verification, but are Ineligible for TA positions.

Table 2. Recognized Exams and Required Scores for English Language Proficiency Certification

Eligiblity Levels for International Students to Serve in Teaching Positions	Global Standardized Tests			Locally Administered Exam (on Texas A&M Campus)
Level	TOEFL Essentials Speaking Section	TOEFL Speaking Section	IELTS Speaking Section	ELPE Oral Examination
1. Eligible	≥ 11	26-30	≥ 8	≥ 80
2. Conditionally Eligible	9-10	23-25	7.0-7.5	75-79
3. Ineligible	≤ 8	< 23	< 7.0	< 75

4.6.3 The CTE-ELP Program

CTE-ELP instruction is required for students with Level 2 Conditional Eligibility or are Level 3 Ineligibile with an approved Emergency Deferral Request and are currently serving as teaching assistants (i.e., conditionally-appointed TAs). CTE-ELP programming is subject to availability and priority as outlined in Table 2 (below). Students need to contact the CTE via email CTE-ELP@tamu.edu or 979-458-3966 before they can access the online scheduling as the CTE must enable the options.

Table 2. Priority Groups for CTE-ELP Instruction (in descending order with those given priority at top)

Priority	Graduate Students or Instructors	Employment Status	Proficiency Level(s)
Conditionally-Appointed TAs	Graduate Students	Currently teaching	2 & 3 with Emergency Deferral
Future TAs	Graduate Students	Planning to teach	2 & 3
Certified TAs	Instructors of all ranks	Currently teaching	1
All other international graduate students	Graduate Students	Not planning to teach	1, 2, & 3

Conditionally-appointed TAs begin with a diagnostic assessment of their oral proficiency skills via an intake interview with the ELP Consultants. This should be completed no later than Week 2 of the semester. The results of this diagnostic are then used to construct an Individual Improvement Plan. Each plan requires five hours of weekly activity. It is tailored to individual needs established during the diagnostic assessment and encompasses specific recommendations for activities, many of which are detailed in Table 3 (below).

Table 3. CTE-ELP Improvement Activities

Activity	Description	Correspondence to ELPE	Target Audience
Private Consultation	Participants build upon pronunciation proficiency and fluency through strategic readings, practice motor control of the vocal tract, and receive feedback about their progress.	Task 1: Reading (careful language production)	Conditionally-appointed TAs (Other groups as appointments are available)
Language Laboratory with Pronunciation Software	Participants develop listening discrimination of English pronunciation, knowledge of the features and manipulation of the vocal tract, and automaticity.	Task 1: Reading (careful language production)	All groups
ELP for Instructors Practice Groups	Participants rehearse functional language for instruction; learn to anticipate and repair common communication breakdowns; develop peer support, supra-segmental skills, and fluency; and cultivate an awareness and appreciation for diversity and cultural differences.	Tasks 2 & 3: Presentation and Interview (formal, planned and casual, extemporaneous language production)	Conditionally-appointed TAs (Other groups as space permits)
Teaching Observation with Feedback	Participants receive observation and feedback from an ELP Consultant to assess their linguistic performance in action. They additionally practice self-assessment skills.	Task 2: Presentation (formal, planned language production)	Conditionally-appointed TAs (Other instructors as time permits)
Conversation Partners	Participants develop fluency and an awareness & appreciation for cultural difference in the classroom through an application of pronunciation knowledge via authentic dialogue with an English-dominant partner.	Task 3: Interview (casual, extemporaneous language production)	Conditionally-appointed TAs (Other groups as appointments are available)
Pronunciation Workshops	Participants develop phonological awareness and familiarity with CTE-ELP services.	Task 1: Reading (careful language production)	All groups
Videotaped microteaching	Opportunity for clients to teach a micro-lesson in front of a video camera and receive feedback from a consultant as well as the opportunity to self-reflect	Task 2: Presentation (formal, planned language production)	Current TAs and students scheduled to take upcoming ELPE

The recommended English language proficiency process is shown in Figure 3 (below). Conditionally-appointed TAs have priority for all CTE-ELP services. Future TAs, faculty and certified TAs, and other graduate students also have access to CTE-ELP services as space and time permit. For example, they may be assigned Conversation Partners, participate in Group Practice and Discussion Sessions, or receive Private Consultation if appointments are available after all conditionally-appointed TAs have been served.

Figure 3. Recommended ELP Process

4.6.4 CTE-ELP Progress Assessment and ELPE Re-testing for ELP Certification

Conditionally-appointed TAs receive regular formative assessment from English Language Proficiency Consultants during their time working with the CTE-ELP program. At midterm, they receive a report documenting their participation and progress, which they can share with their advisers.  Once students become eligible to do so, they can retake the ELPE and certify their proficiency.

Students are eligible to retake the ELPE once every three months per Graduate and Professional School policy. Conditionally-appointed TAs only may request to retake the ELPE before three months have elapsed, but must do so through the CTE-ELP program. Early ELPE retest requests are granted only if students are following their Individual Improvement Plan and have made demonstrable progress in oral proficiency. The CTE-ELP program transmits early retest waivers directly to Testing Services.

Once a conditionally-appointed TA earns a Level 1 certifying score (such as 80 on the ELPE), that student is no longer obligated to participate in the CTE-ELP or adhere to the Individual Improvement Plan. This can happen at any time during the semester, but a Level 1 certifying score must be achieved before the next semester’s hire date or the student is ineligible to be a TA (i.e., a GAT, GAL, GAI, or GTF) again.

 

4.7 TA Training Requirements

4.7.1 Purpose of TATEP

The Teaching Assistant Training and Evaluation Program (TATEP) is intended to improve undergraduate teaching, enhance the classroom experiences of Graduate Teaching Assistants (TA), and respond to the need for more systematic preparation and evaluation of Teaching Assistants. For international Teaching Assistants, it will supplement programs already in place to evaluate and promote English language competency. Components of TATEP include the University-Level TA Training and the Discipline-Specific TA Training described below.
Components of TATEP:
University-Level TA Training
New TAs’ attendance at the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) Teaching Assistant Institute (TAI) is mandatory.  TAs whose first teaching assignment is for the new academic year and TAs who have not previously completed TA training are required to attend the TA Institute on the date assigned to their college by the Graduate and Professional School. The TA Institute is offered twice a year, once each fall and spring semester. By the twelfth class day in the fall and spring semesters, departments will enter all TAs employed by their department in the TATEP Compliance System. Records will be compared with the list of students who attended the TA Institute. Departments will be notified by the Graduate and Professional School of students who are out of compliance.
1. The online FERPA Course #11012 via TrainTraq.
2. Attend the one-day face-to-face training held prior to the fall and spring semesters (registration required at https://ers.tamu.edu/). For details on these requirements of TAI, including instructions for accessing the online course and dates and locations of training, visit the CTE: https://cte.tamu.edu/Graduate-Student-Support/Teaching-Assistant-Institute.
TAs must also complete discipline-specific training offered by each academic unit. 
Departments who wish to offer training equivalent to and in lieu of TAI, along with their discipline-specific training, may apply for a “Request for Teaching Assistant Institute Waiver.” Approval for waivers is granted by the CTE for a three-year period. Departments must reapply for a waiver every three (3) years. Departments are required to submit a syllabus outlining the departmental training program for new TAs, as well as copies of training materials for new TAs. For more information on the training of TAs, including training dates and requirements, please contact grad-tatep@tamu.edu.
Discipline-Specific TA Training
Discipline-specific training for new TAs will be provided at the college/department level. The nature of this training, while varying widely across different disciplines, will complement university-level training and will address the unique and specific needs of graduate students serving as TAs within their disciplines. Discipline-specific training will expose new TAs to the specific patterns of behavior, systematic methods, classroom management, and/or instructional practices associated with successful teaching within their disciplines.
Reporting TA Training Compliance
Departments or programs will provide a yearly report to their Graduate Operations Council (GOC) Dean stating evidence of their compliance with the University-Level TA Training and Discipline-Specific TA Training tenets for new TAs.  These reports will be uploaded to the TATEP Compliance System using the departmental report template. Users may be added or deleted from the system by their GOC dean or by contacting grad-tatep@tamu.edu.

Using the information in the departments/programs reports, the GOC Deans will upload a college-level report of compliance to the TATEP Compliance System using the college report template.
CTE Best Practices Resources
The CTE periodically will publish a list of best practices for preparing graduate students for their assignments as new TAs for distribution to or access by each of the departments or programs. In addition, CTE will maintain a list of resources available for college/departmental TA training to encourage excellence in the TA training programs. The Best Practice Resources also include ideal practices gleaned from the annual college-level reports submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

4.7.2 TA Evaluation

Each academic department employing graduate teaching assistants shall develop an appropriate set of procedures and evaluation instruments to employ in monitoring the performance of teaching assistants each semester. These procedures will be outlined in the departmental reports submitted each year and clearly communicated to students in the departments.

 

 

4.8 Graduate Classifications

Each student has a classification which indicates the type of degree program in which the student is enrolled and reflects the student’s progress within that program at the professional level. The classifications follow:

4.8.1   G6 Postbaccalaureate Non-degree

Postbaccalaureate non-degree classification is intended for a student with a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education. If at a later date, a postbaccalaureate non-degree student decides to pursue a graduate degree, the student must understand that limitations may be placed on coursework taken while in G6 status. Specifically, the student must understand that a college or a department may decide whether or not to accept any G6 work toward the student’s graduate degree. However, with the approval of the student’s graduate advisory committee, the department head or chair of the Interdisciplinary Program, and the Graduate and Professional School, a maximum of 12 credit hours taken in postbaccalaureate non-degree status may be used on a student’s degree plan. Admission to postbaccalaureate non-degree status does not establish eligibility for admission to degree-seeking status. A postbaccalaureate non-degree student is not eligible to register for 691 Research hours. 

An application for a postbaccalaureate non-degree classification is handled on a first come, first served basis. An application submitted within one month of registration may not be processed in time to begin that semester or term. 

Enrollment of a G6 student in courses may be limited by college and departmental policies. Postbaccalaureate non-degree students must be reviewed by their department of affiliation for continuation at the end of each semester. 

A postbaccalaureate non-degree student must maintain at least a 3.000 GPA on all coursework attempted to remain eligible to register. University departments and colleges may have additional and higher requirements. 

For the scholastically deficient postbaccalaureate non-degree student (G6 classification), the student’s home department shall determine eligibility. It is the department’s responsibility to place a registration block on these students. Postbaccalaureate non-degree status normally is not available to an international student. 

4.8.2   G7 Graduate, Master’s

G7 classification denotes admission to a master’s level program of study or admission to a doctoral program of a student who has not yet completed a master’s degree or 30 hours of eligible coursework taken at Texas A&M. 

4.8.3   G8 

G8 classification denotes admission to a doctoral level program of study.

4.8.4   G9 Graduate, Master’s/Doctoral Admitted

G9 classification denotes admission to graduate study but signifies documents must be completed before a student is allowed to file a degree plan. When the required documents have been received, the student’s classification will be changed. Approval of the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School is required to change a student from G9 classification to the appropriate classification (i.e., G7 or G8). 

4.9 Degree Level Change Information

4.9.1  Domestic Students

Degree level changes must be made no later than the 12th class day in the fall/spring and the 4th class day in the summer.

4.9.2  International Students

Degree level changes must be made no later than the 12th class day in the fall/spring and 4th class day in the summer. International students must have all immigration documents corrected with the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) no later than the 15th class day. After an approved level change is made by the Graduate and Professional School, a letter is sent to the student informing them to contact ISSS immediately.

Note: The ‘class days’ are the deadlines documents must be approved by the Graduate and Professional School. Remember that the Graduate and Professional School requires 10 working days to evaluate a document. There is no guarantee that documents submitted less than 10 working days prior to the semester will be approved for that semester.

4.9.3  Changing from G7 PhD to G8 PhD

These changes follow the same deadlines indicated above for domestic and international students. Classification changes may be made in two ways: (1) the Office of Admissions receives official transcripts for the master’s degree, or (2) upon completion of 30 doctoral hours at TAMU. Hours for courses with ‘incomplete’ grades are not counted. If you think that a student is incorrectly classified, please notify the Graduate and Professional School when you notice that a student may be eligible to be changed. 

Additionally, a report is run once per semester to update all students who are eligible to be changed to a G8 classification according to completion of 30 hours at TAMU or official receipt of Master’s transcripts. Classifications may also be changed upon notification from a department of eligible students.

4.9.4  Semester Change for Late Classification Changes

A level change request received after the last day to make a level change for that semester will be made for the following semester. International students must be changed for their next semester of registration or they will fall out of status. If an international student changes degree levels after the 12th class day for spring, their level change should be made effective for the summer (if registering) or fall (if not registering for summer). It is important on the ‘Petition for Change of Major, Degree, or Department’ to identify the effective semester of the change according to an international student’s registration or the student will be out of status.

4.10 Subvention Funding

In Texas, public colleges and universities receive funding (subvention funding) from the State according to the number of students enrolled in a program. There is a meaningful difference between the subvention funding received for a G7 PhD and a G8 PhD. It is important that students are properly classified so that the University is able to receive subvention at the correct rate for our students.

4.11 99-Hour Doctoral Cap

Doctoral students have 7 years (21 semesters) to complete their doctoral degree without being penalized. During the 7 years, students who are otherwise eligible for in-state tuition will be charged as such, even if they accumulate more than 99 doctoral hours. After 7 years (21 semesters), any student accumulating more than 99 doctoral hours will be charged tuition at a rate equivalent to out-of-state tuition regardless of funding. Students who have been granted individual exemptions for the doctoral hour cap limit by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and those students in programs which have received programmatic exemptions have 130 doctoral hours and 21 semesters before they are penalized with a higher tuition rate.
Please note that not all graduate courses are coded as doctoral courses. At the time a course is approved, the level of the course is determined by the highest level of degree in that major. In addition, the count of doctoral hours towards the 99-hour cap does not begin until a doctoral student is classified as a G8 student. Students may view their hour count through the Howdy Portal. Advisors may view the hour count in Compass at SZASSTD on the Supplemental Data tab, and the semester count can be seen by clicking on the User Defined Fields tab.
The following majors are exempt from the 99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degrees:

• Biomedical Sciences

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

• Clinical Psychology

• Counseling Psychology

• Genetics and Genomics

• Health Services Research

• Medical Sciences

• Microbiology

• Nursing Practice

• Nutrition

• Oral and Craniofacial Biomedical Sciences

• Pharmaceutical Sciences

• Public Health Sciences

• School Psychology

• Toxicology

4.12    Seperation of a Graduate Student for Scholastic Deficiency

Separation, Dismissal or Termination from the University

A department/program or graduate advisory committee may RECOMMEND separation (suspension, dismissal, or termination) from the university of a graduate student for scholastic deficiency by submitting a request in writing through the Dean of the College to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School. If the recommendation is made by the advisory committee, it must be signed by all members of the committee and the department head. The separation action could entail suspension (separation from the university for a definite period of time), dismissal (separation from the university for an indefinite period of time), or termination (permanent separation from the university).

The letter should include proper justification and supporting documentation of previous communications with the student discussing his/her scholastic deficiency. This could include items such as a probationary memo and/or emails. The letter needs to clearly specify the reason(s) for separation and the recommended separation action (suspension, dismissal, or termination). 

Upon approval by the Graduate and Professional School, a letter will be sent to the student via certified mail and email and department via email, and the student will be blocked from registration for the approved period/condition of separation by the Graduate and Professional School. If the student is registered for classes in a future term, the department should un-enroll the student for the future term. 

Separation, Dismissal or Termination from the Department

If a department/program or advisory committee wishes to recommend separation from the department/program only and allow the student the opportunity to find another department/program that is willing to admit them, this action is considered a dismissal – separation from the university for an indefinite period of time (until and if the student finds another academic home). 

The letter from the department/ program or advisory committee should provide the same information as stated above for separation from the university. The Graduate and Professional School should be copied on this letter and sent a copy for the student’s permanent record. The department will place a block from registration on the student’s account. The registration block will be removed by the department ONLY if the student is accepted by another department/program. If the student is registered for classes in a future term, the department should un-enroll the student for the future term.

Scholastic Warnings and Probation actions are facilitated within the department/program. Please see Rule 12 for further details at http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule12. 

4.13 Registration

4.13.1  Full-Time Status

Nine (9) hours fall/spring terms and six (6) hours summer term in any combination for full summer benefits or three (3) hours in any combination for an individual summer session benefit, is required to be considered full-time for assistantship, scholarship, and fellowship purposes.

4.13.2  Half-Time Status

In order for domestic graduate students to be eligible for financial aid, they must be registered at least half-time. Half-time registration means:

Fall/Spring – 5 hours

10 Week Summer – 3 hours

5 Week Summer – 2 hours

4.13.3  Continuous Enrollment

Students in graduate degree programs requiring a thesis, dissertation, internship, or record of study, and who have completed all graded coursework on the degree plan, are required to be in continuous registration for Fall and Spring semesters until all requirements for the degree have been completed. Non-thesis students must maintain continuous enrollment until all degree plan courses are completed, but they are not held to the continuous registration requirement after that unless the department or college has a requirement to do so. The minimal requirement to maintain continuous enrollment can be satisfied by registering for 1 credit hour. Unless a student plans to take examinations or use University resources, including any interaction with their graduate committee, registration during the summer will not be required to fulfill the continuous registration requirement. However, colleges, departments, or intercollegiate faculty may have additional or higher requirements. International students should check with ISS for the minimum hours they must be enrolled in for visa purposes. Students on assistantships and many fellowships must maintain full-time enrollment.

4.13.4  Excess Hours

Students are allowed to enroll in a maximum of 15 hours during the fall/spring semesters, 6 hours for each summer session, and 10 hours during the 10-week summer session. The Dean of the college can approve (and register) students for 18 hours (fall/spring), 9 hours (5-week summer sessions), and 15 hours (10-week session). Registration in addition to the 18, 9, and 15 hours, respectively, will require the Graduate and Professional School approval by submitting a Long Form Petition for Waivers or Exceptions that includes the number of hours, and the semester.

4.13.5  Examinations

Doctoral students must be registered during the semester they take any part of the preliminary examination and the final examination. Master’s thesis option students must be registered during the semester they take the final examination. Master’s non-thesis students are not required by the Graduate and Professional School to be registered during the semester of their final examination if all course work on the degree plan has been completed. Students who are attempting to hold an exam between semesters must be registered in the semester immediately preceding the exam in order to be eligible to take the exam. A department and/or college may have requirements in addition to these of the University.

4.13.6  Not Registering for Courses in Graduating Semester

If a master’s thesis option or doctoral student has completed ALL degree requirements, including being CLEARED by Thesis and Dissertation Services, by the last day to add courses for a semester, the student is not required to register for courses but must apply for graduation and pay the diploma fee. This rule does not apply to students on assistantships, scholarships, and fellowships. A department and/or college may have requirements in addition to these of the University.

4.13.7  Certification of Full-Time Enrollment

Graduate students may be certified as full-time with registration of less than the number of hours required for full-time enrollment for two reasons:

• Students participating in student teaching, internships, and cooperative education programs who are enrolled in less than nine (9) semester hours during a fall or spring semester or six (6) hours during a summer semester may be eligible to be certified as a full-time student with the approval of the Dean of the College or their designee.

• During their last semester prior to graduation, if a graduate student is enrolled at Texas A&M in all remaining hours needed to complete their degree, has applied for graduation, and does not hold a graduate assistantship, they may be certified as a full-time student for that final semester even though they may be enrolled in less than nine (9) semester hours during a fall or spring semester, or six (6) hours in a summer semester.

Please note the following restrictions to Certification of Full-Time Enrollment: 

• A Q grade or W grade does not count toward the certification of enrollment status. 

• International students must acquire approval from the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

• These certifications listed above based on exceptions might not be used to qualify for Federal Financial Aid as federal regulations determine financial aid eligibility.

4.13.8  Residence Requirement

The residence requirement is the number of hours required to be taken in residence on the approved TAMU campus site for the student’s respective degree for a particular graduate degree and differs among degrees. In some degrees, the requirement is full-time enrollment of 9 hours during one or more semesters. For other degrees, it is a total of 12 hours during the degree. The residence requirement for each degree can be found in the self-service degree evaluation available online. Students who are also working full-time while completing their degree may request an exemption from this requirement with submission of a Long Form Petition for Waivers or Exceptions and a letter from their employer indicating that they are a ‘full-time’ employee with their dates of hire.

4.13.9  Undergraduates Registering for Graduate Courses

Undergraduate students may register for graduate courses and apply them to their degree in two different ways:

• A senior undergraduate student with a grade point average of at least 3.000 is eligible to enroll in a graduate course and reserve it for graduate credit by filing a petition obtained from the student’s undergraduate college and approved by the course instructor, the student’s major department head, the dean of the college offering the course, and the dean of the student’s undergraduate college.

• An academically superior undergraduate student with a grade point average of at least 3.250 is eligible to enroll in a graduate course and apply those graduate credit hours toward their undergraduate degree programs by filing a petition obtained from the student’s undergraduate college and approved by the course instructor, the student’s major department head, the dean of the college offering the course, and the dean of the student’s undergraduate college.

4.13.10 Leave of Absence

Under unusual circumstances, a student may petition for a leave of absence. The entire advisory committee, if formed, and head of the department or chair of the Intercollegiate Program, if appropriate, must approve the petition and send it to the Graduate and Professional School. If the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School approves the petition, the registration requirement will be set aside during the period of leave. Leaves will be granted only under conditions that require the suspension of all activities associated with pursuing the degree. For certain types of approved leave, such as medical, the time period of the completion of the degree will stop with the leave and begin when the student returns to the program. Other types of leave may not stop the time limit for the degree. A student should refer to the Graduate and Professional Catalog section on Time Limits for their respective Master’s or Doctoral program. A leave of absence is granted for one (1) year. In case of extenuating circumstances, the leave of absence can be extended by the student’s committee and the Associate Provost and Dean for the Graduate and Professional School. A student who returns to the University after an approved leave of absence will not be required to submit an application for readmission to the Office of Graduate Admission. An international student should visit with an International Student and Scholar Services advisor regarding how a leave of absence may impact his/her stay in or his/her re-entry into the U.S.

There are several different types of leave of absence. All requests must be submitted on the Petition for Waivers or Exceptions explaining the need for leave along with the appropriate approvals.

• Medical leave may be approved up to one (1) year and will ‘stop the clock’ on the 7- and 10-year time limit (this includes leave following childbirth or adoption of a child).

• Deployment leave may be approved up to one (1) year and will ‘stop the clock’ on the 7- and 10-year time limit.

• Personal leave may be approved with the proper request and justification. If approved, the 7- and 10-year time limit count will NOT stop.

4.14 Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirments

All graduate students have two GPAs, and both must be at least 3.0 to be in good standing, to conduct any type of exam, and to graduate. Course levels included in the GPAs are 300, 400, 600, 700, and 900. Courses NOT included in the GPAs are transfer courses and 100-200 level courses.

• Degree Plan GPA – includes only courses listed on the degree plan except transfer course work.

• Cumulative GPA (Program GPA) – includes all graduate level course work completed at TAMU 

4.14.1  Scholastic Requirements

Unless otherwise stated, students in graduate degree programs and post-baccalaureate non-degree students (G6 classification) must maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA (computed as specified in Student Rules 10.4.3). Degree-seeking students also must maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 on all courses listed on the degree plan. Departments and colleges may establish higher GPA requirements for their students in graduate degree programs and for post-baccalaureate non-degree students (G6 classification).

A graduate student will not receive graduate degree credit for undergraduate courses taken on a satisfactory / unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. A graduate student may not receive grades other than satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U) in graduate courses bearing the numbers 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697 and 791 (except for ALEC 695, BUAD 693, AGEC 695, GEOG 695, and IBUS 692). These officially designated S/U courses may be listed on the degree plan, along with other courses approved and noted as S/U in the graduate catalog. Graduate courses not on the degree plan may be taken on an S/U basis.

Only grades of A, B, C, and S are acceptable for graduate credit. Grades of D, F, or Unsatisfactory (U) for courses on the degree plan must be absolved by repeating the courses and achieving grades of C or above or Satisfactory (S).  If a course has been taken more than once and a grade of D or F was earned and then repeated for a grade of C or higher, the original grades of D or F will be excluded from the GPA calculation for the degree plan (if applicable) and cumulative GPA, but remain on the student’s permanent record. A course in which the final grade is C may be repeated for a higher grade.  If the second grade is higher, the original grade will be excluded from the GPA calculation for the degree plan (if applicable) and cumulative GPA but remain on the student’s permanent record. 

Repeat grades and cumulative GPA for financial aid programs may differ based on the type of aid. Rules related to F* grades and repeat courses may be found in Student Rule 20 under Sanctions.

Rules related to F* grades and repeat courses may be found in Student Rule 20 under Sanctions. If the minimum GPA is not attained in a reasonable length of time, the student may be dismissed from graduate studies. A degree-seeking graduate student may also be considered scholastically deficient if they fail to show acceptable proficiency in such other requisites for their degree as may be assigned by the graduate committee, department or the Graduate and Professional School (e.g., qualifying and preliminary examinations, research, writing or a thesis or dissertation).

Grades for repeated courses are not automatically replaced; the change must be entered and recomputed manually by the Graduate and Professional School. Anytime you see that a student has repeated a course and qualifies for the original grade to be replaced, please contact the Graduate and Professional School.

A student repeating a course in which a grade of B or better was originally earned will not receive grade points for the repeated course, unless the catalog states the course may be repeated for credit.

The cumulative GPA for a graduate student is computed by using all graded graduate (600- and 700-level) and advanced undergraduate (300- and 400-level) coursework completed at Texas A&M University and eligible to be applied toward a graduate degree. Those involving grades of W-drop (W), Satisfactory (S), Unsatisfactory (U), and Q-drop (Q) shall be excluded.

If either of a student’s cumulative GPA or the GPA for courses listed on the degree plan falls below the minimum of 3.000, the student will be considered to be scholastically deficient. If the minimum GPA is not attained in a reasonable length of time, the student may be dropped from graduate studies. The procedures for dismissal are explained in the Texas A&M University Student rules (refer to the website http://student-rules.tamu.edu/academicrules). 

For a scholastically deficient post-baccalaureate non-degree student (G6 classification), the student’s home department shall determine eligibility, and the department is responsible for notifying the Graduate and Professional School if a registration block is to be placed on the student.

Departments or colleges may adopt specific guidelines pertaining to scholastic deficiency or dismissal in addition to these University policies.
Any eligible coursework not applied towards a prior graduate degree, and not exceeding time limits, will be included in the student’s GPA for the subsequent degree program.

4.14.2  GPA on the Degree Evaluation

When running a degree evaluation through the Howdy portal, you will notice that there are several GPAs listed. The first, the Program GPA (also known as the Cumulative GPA), includes all courses taken at the Graduate Level (GR) that are eligible to be used on the degree plan. Next, you will see an entry for the Overall GPA which includes all courses taken at Texas A&M University. Finally, the Degree Plan GPA will appear in the first Area section and includes only those courses on the degree plan.

4.14.3  Calculating GPAs

To calculate the GPA for a student, multiply the number of course hours by the grade points to get the quality points. Add all of the quality points and then divided by the total number of hours to get the GPA. Courses which are completed S/U are not used in calculating the GPAs. Grade Points: A=4; B = 3; C=2; D=1; F=0.

4.14.4  Checking GPA without a Degree Plan on File

When a student does not have an approved degree plan, the cumulative GPA is calculated by generating a degree evaluation on the student’s current program. The cumulative GPA displays under the credits used column on the ‘Program GPA’ line. Courses which are eligible to apply toward the graduate degree will display in the ‘Courses for Degree Plan GPA’ area with a note indicating there is not an approved degree plan on file.

4.15 Degree Plan Information and Filing Degree Plans and Petitions

Degree plan forms can be submitted through the online Document Processing Submission System (DPSS), found at http://ogsdpss.tamu.edu. Degree plans must be approved by the student’s committee and the department head or the interdisciplinary faculty chair. Once these approvals are obtained, the degree plan must be approved and entered into Compass/Howdy by the Graduate and Professional School. It is highly recommended that programs have a pre-committee staff approver of degree plans built into their degree plan workflow to check degree plans for departmental requirements. Contact the Graduate and Professional School for more information on adding a pre-committee staff approver.

4.15.1  Online Document Processing Submission System (DPSS)

All graduate degree plans will be accepted through the online system only. This is a web-based system that allows a graduate student to complete, audit, and submit their degree. When a student submits the degree plan, it follows a predefined series of steps for approval. If a department has activated the optional pre-committee check, the degree plan is first routed to a staff person or graduate advisor before being sent to the committee. Next, the degree plan is approved by the committee chair/co-chair and other committee members. Once the degree plan is approved by all committee members, it enters the department workflow defined by the department. Contact the Graduate and Professional School to update or change the defined workflow. A department workflow may include staff or faculty; however, at least one faculty member with signature authority for Graduate and Professional School documents must be included. Everyone in the workflow must approve the student’s degree plan before it will be forwarded to the Graduate and Professional School for review. Below are basic guidelines for the review and approval process for committee, staff, and department.

4.15.2  Staff/Committee/Departmental Approvers

• Go to https://ogsdpss.tamu.edu and select ‘Faculty.’

• Login using your NetID. (If you do not have a NetID, select ‘Activate your NetID’ or if you do not remember your NetID, contact the CIS Help Desk at (979) 845-8300.)

• All degree plans requiring your approval will be listed under “Degree Plans for Review.’ Select the link to the degree plan you wish to review.

• After reviewing the degree plan, scroll to the bottom of the webpage and select ‘Approve’ or ‘Disapprove.’ If the degree plan is disapproved, a reason must be provided for the student in the Comments box.

• Upon approval by the department head or interdisciplinary faculty chair, the degree plan is routed to the Graduate and Professional School where it is entered in Compass. The student, chair, committee, and department will receive an email indicating final approval or disapproval of the degree plan.

Please note that it is the responsibility of the departmental approvers to verify that all official transcripts and standardized test scores have been received by Office of Admissions prior to the submission of the degree plan.

4.15.3  Proxy Approvers

Each Department should designate at least one member (recommend two) of the Graduate Faculty as a “Proxy Approver” for degree plans and other documents in DPSS. Proxy Approvers may log in and approve documents in the place of any faculty member in their department, including the designated Departmental Approver. Proxy Approvers will log in as usual but will click on “Proxy” at the top of the screen. The designated Departmental Approver is automatically considered a Proxy Approver, and has all the abilities therein.

After choosing the degree plan or petiton from the appropriate section, the Proxy Approver will need to identify the person they are approving for in the “Proxy for” box.

 

4.15.4  Aquiring DPSS Accounts for New Faculty and Staff

All participants in DPSS processes must have an active UIN and NetID. Adjunct professors and visiting professors  approved to hold membership in the graduate faculty, and serve on graduate advisory committees, may obtain an account and NetID. A departmental representative must complete the Texas A&M NetID Account Request Form at https://u.tamu.edu/Visiting-Scholars-Form. This form should be submitted directly to Identity Management (for more information on sponsored accounts, please see the Division of Information and Technology’s Identy and Access Management webpage at https://u.tamu.edu/Sponsored-Accounts. Once a UIN has been issued, the department can submit a Graduate Committee Faculty nomination. The faculty member must also visit th Aggie Account Gateway (http://gateway.tamu.edu) to claim a NetID. Members of the Graduate Committee Faculty must also publish an @tamu.edu email address to the TAMU Directory.

Contact: Identity and Access Management – identity@tamu.edu
                Help Desk Central – helpdesk@tamu.edu or 979-845-8300

 

4.15.5  Special Appointments and Degree Plans

Nominations for Special Appointments to a student’s advisory committee process through https://gradcom.tamu.edu/ but do not require a sponsored NetID or UIN. They are not listed on a student’s degree plan and do not hold voting privileges but will be noted in a comment on a student’s record in Compass.

Contact: Identity and Access Management – identity@tamu.edu
                Help Desk Central – helpdesk@tamu.edu or 979-845-8300

4.15.6  Miscellaneous DPSS Tips

• Select the “History” link to view all degree plans the user has approved.

• Audit rules in DPSS are based only on University-wide rules. If a program has specific requirements, they must be monitored at the program level (by the pre-committee staff, advisory committee, and departmental approvers) before a degree plan is approved and submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

• Faculty or staff who are part of a program workflow can select “All Documents” to view all degree plans and petitions created by students in their department since the user joined the program workflow.

4.15.7  Transfer Course Work

• Course(s) must be completed at an accredited U.S. institution or approved international institution with a grade of A or B and must be graduate level or upper level undergraduate courses.

• The maximum number of credit hours which may be considered for master’s students to transfer is the greater 12 hours or one-third (1/3) of the total hours of the degree plan with the approval of their graduate committee, department, and the Graduate and Professional School. Students should refer to the Graduate and Professional Catalog for specific transfer limitations by degree (https://catalog.tamu.edu).

• A final official transcript (with grades) must be received by the Office of Admissions for all transfer work listed on the degree plan. A degree plan listing transfer work ‘to be taken’ may be approved pending receipt of the final official transcript listing such work. Once the transcript has been received, it will be used to verify that the courses in question meet all eligibility criteria.

• Master’s students who are scheduling their final exam and are currently registered for transfer work must have confirmation of registration in the course from the attending university on file with the Graduate and Professional School prior to approval of the final examination. Notification may be in the form of an unofficial transcript or a copy of the student’s registration. Doctoral students are not eligible to transfer in course work during their last semester or the semester of their final examination.

4.15.8  Verifying Outdated Standardized Test Scores as Official

Graduate students who have been admitted to TAMU with outdated standardized test scores may request verification from the Graduate and Professional School of official scores one of the following ways:

• The test scores are listed on an official transcript from a previously attended university.

• The previously attended university certifies, in writing, that they received official scores with the scores listed.

• The student may bring their copy of the score report from the testing center to the Graduate and Professional School for verification.

4.15.9  Petitions

Graduate students may use petitions to (a) request a change of major, degree, or department; (b) request changes to the coursework or committee membership as established by the degree plan; (c) request extension to time-limits; or (d) request exceptions to published rules. Each petition will be considered on its own merit by the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School. The student should make such requests by submitting either a Major, Degree, or Department petition (MDD) or a Long Form petition through DPSS. The petition will be routed for the required approval by the members of the student’s advisory committee, if appointed, and the department head, or his or her designee (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if appropriate).

4.15.10 Degree Plan Blocking Criteria

Each College sets its own deadlines for filing a degree plan, with different criteria for Master’s and Doctoral students.   If a student does not meet these deadlines, the Graduate and Professional School will enact a block on the student’s registration for the next academic term per the College-specific timelines listed below.

COLLEGE	MASTER’S		DOCTORAL
AGRICULTURE	During 2nd Regular Semester		During 4th Regular Semester
ARCHITECTURE	Block after 18 completed hours		Block after 30 completed hours
BUSH SCHOOL	During 3rd Regular Semester		N/A
BUSINESS	MS Block after 24 completed hours	MBA Block after 36 completed hours	Block after 48 completed hours PPA Students NOT blocked
DENTISTRY	3rd Semester		5th Semester
EDUCATION	Block after 15 completed hours		Block after 36 completed hours
ENGINEERING	Block after 9 completed hours		Block after 36 completed hours
GEOSCIENCES	Before the start of the 3rd Regular Semester		Before the start of the 4th Regular Semester
LAW	MJ – block after 23 hours LLM – block after 18 hours		N/A
LIBERAL ARTS	Must file a degree plan before registration in the term following the term in which the student has registered for 20 or more hours.		Must file a degree plan in the term following the term in which the student has registered for 66 or more hours.
MEDICINE	At the conclusion of the 5th semester (spring semester of their second year)		At the conclusion of the 5th semester (spring semester of their second year)
NURSING	During second regular semester		N/A
PUBLIC HEALTH	After completing (9) semester credit hours		After completing (30) semester credit hours
SCIENCE	18 completed hours MS-STAT-XDE students only = 30 hours		During 4th Regular Semester
VET. MEDICINE	No later than the end of the 2nd regular semester		No later than the end of the 4th regular semester

 

All eligible hours are used in the count:

• • 300/400, 600, 700, 900 level hours.

  • Up to 12 hours of non-degree course work.

  • Nothing older than 10 years for doctoral, nothing older than 7 years for master’s.

4.16 Viewing Degre Evaluations - Graduate Advisors

Graduate advisors should run degree evaluations on students in the department to monitor degree progress and prior to submitting the request for final exam to the Graduate and Professional School (in order to verify eligibility to take the exam). To run a degree evaluation, follow these steps:

1. Log onto your Howdy account at howdy.tamu.edu.

2. Click on the ”Howdy Dashboard” tab.

3. Enter the student’s UIN and click Submit.

4. Click the “Student Record” dropdown.

5. Under the Degree Evaluation Section, select “Degree Evaluation”.

6. Click “Generate New Degree Evaluation”.

7. You will need to select the current term and select the appropriate curriculum option then click “generate request”.

8. On the evaluation, you can view the student’s required courses and GPA information. Note: This screen will display the courses listed on the student’s degree plan, completed courses not applied to the student’s current degree plan, the cumulative graduate GPA (listed as Program GPA), and the degree plan GPA (listed under “Overall GPA” under program requirements).

9. You can also view the student’s examinations and non-course degree requirements. Note: This screen will display non-course requirements such as the graduate degree plan, preliminary exam, proposal, residency, admission to candidacy, final exam/defense, and thesis/dissertation/record of study, etc. Other information such as course and exam time extensions may also be displayed on this screen. 

4.18 Research Pool

The research proposal is a major milestones for Doctoral and Thesis-Option Master’s students. This Milestone is completed through the Academic Requirements Completion System (ARCS). Guides to using ARCS for this milestone can be found in section 10.2.

The formatting of the proposal is up to a student’s chair and advisory committee to decide.

Compliance requirements of research involving human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards, and recombinant DNA must be addressed prior to submission of the research proposal. It is the department’s responsibility to make sure this requirement has been met.

Advisors and students can check the approval status of a research proposal either through a degree evaluation in Howdy or ARCS.

4.19 Preliminary Examinations

4.19.1  Preliminary Examination for Doctoral Students

The student’s major department (or chair of the interdisciplinary degree program faculty, if applicable) and their advisory committee may require qualifying, cumulative, or other types of examinations at any time deemed desirable. These examinations are entirely at the discretion of the department and the student’s advisory committee.

The preliminary examination is required. The preliminary examination for a doctoral student shall be given no earlier than a date at which the student is within 6 credit hours of completion of the formal coursework on the degree plan (i.e., all coursework on the degree plan except 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697, 791, or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog). The student should complete the Preliminary Examination no later than the end of the semester following the completion of the formal coursework on the degree plan. 

4.19.2 Preliminary Examination Format

The objective of preliminary examination is to evaluate whether the student has demonstrated the following qualifications:

1. A mastery of the subject matter of all fields in the program,

2. An adequate knowledge of the literature in these fields and an ability to carry out bibliographical research, and

3. An understanding of the research problem and the appropriate methodological approaches.

The format of the preliminary examination shall be determined by the student’s department (or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) and advisory committee, and communicated to the student in advance of the examination. The exam may consist of a written component, oral component, or combination of written and oral components. 

The preliminary exam may be administered by the advisory committee or a departmental committee; herein, referred to as the examination committee.

Regardless of exam format, a student will receive an overall preliminary exam result of pass or fail. The department (or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) will determine how the overall pass or fail result is determined based on the exam structure and internal department procedures. If the exam is administered by the advisory committee, each advisory committee member will provide a pass or fail evaluation decision. 

Only one advisory committee substitution may provide an evaluation decision for a student’s preliminary exam, and it cannot be the committee chair. Substituting faculty members must meet the same graduate faculty eligibility requirements as the member they replace.

If a student is required to take, as a part of the preliminary examination, a written component administered by a department or interdisciplinary degree program, the department or interdisciplinary degree program faculty must:

• Offer the examination at least once every six (6) months. The departmental or interdisciplinary degree program examination should be announced at least 30 days prior to the scheduled examination date.

• Assume the responsibility for marking the examination satisfactory or unsatisfactory, or otherwise graded, and in the case of unsatisfactory, stating specifically the reasons for such a mark.

• Forward the marked examination to the chair of the student’s advisory committee within one week after the examination.

4.19.3 Preliminary Examination Scheduling

Prior to commencing any component of the preliminary examination, a departmental representative or the advisory committee chair should review the eligibility criteria with the student to ensure the student is eligible for the preliminary examination. The following list of eligibility requirements applies:

• Student is registered at Texas A&M University for a minimum of one semester credit hour in the long semester or summer term during which any component of the preliminary examination is held. If the entire examination is held between semesters, then the student must be registered for the term immediately preceding the examination.

• An approved degree plan is on file with the Graduate and Professional School prior to commencing the first component of the examination.

• Student’s cumulative GPA is at least 3.000.

• Student’s degree plan GPA is at least 3.000.

• All English Language Proficiency requirements are satisfied.

• At the end of the semester in which at least the first component of the exam is given, there are no more than 6 hours of coursework remaining on the degree plan (except 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697, 791, or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog). The head of the student’s department (or chair of the interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) has the authority to approve a waiver of this criterion.

4.19.4 Grading of the Preliminary Exam

The committee and any approved substitute (if applicable) grades the Preliminary Examination through ARCS.

Credit for the preliminary examination is not transferable in cases where a student changes degree programs after passing a preliminary exam.

If a written component precedes an oral component of the preliminary exam, the chair of the student’s examination committee is responsible for making all written examinations available to all members of the committee.  A positive evaluation of the preliminary exam by all members of a student’s examination committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on their preliminary exam.

The student’s department will promptly report the results of the Preliminary Examination to the Graduate and Professional School via ARCS. This should be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 working days of completion of the preliminary examination.

After passing the required preliminary examination for the doctoral degree, the student must complete the final examination for the degree within four (4) calendar years. Otherwise, the student will be required to repeat the preliminary examination.

4.19.5 Failure and Expiration of Preliminary Examination

First Failure
Upon approval of a student’s examination committee (with no more than one member dissenting), and approval of the Department and Graduate and Professional School, a student who has failed a preliminary examination may be given one re-examination. In accordance with Student Rule 12.5, the student’s department head or designee, intercollegiate faculty, or graduate advisory committee should make a recommendation to the student regarding their scholastic deficiency.

Second Failure
Upon failing the preliminary exam twice in a doctoral program, a student is no longer eligible to continue to pursue the PhD in that program/major. In accordance with Student Rule 12.5.3 and/or 12.5.4, the student will  be notified of the action being taken by the department as a result of the second failure of the preliminary examination.

Retake of Failed Preliminary Examination
Adequate time must be given to permit a student to address inadequacies emerging from the first preliminary examination. The examination committee must agree upon and communicate to the student, in writing, an adequate time-frame from the first examination (normally six months) to retest, as well as a detailed explanation of the inadequacies emerging from the examination. The student and committee should jointly negotiate a mutually acceptable date for this retest.  When providing feedback on inadequacies, the committee should clearly document expected improvements that the student must be able to exhibit in order to retake the exam.  The examination committee will document and communicate the time-frame and feedback within 10 working days of the exam that was not passed.

Expiration of Preliminary Examination
After passing the required preliminary examination for the doctoral degree, the student must complete all remaining requirements within four (4) calendar years. The student may be required to repeat the preliminary examination or, with the approval of the advisory committee and department head or chair of the interdisciplinary program, the student may request an extension of the four (4) year time limit with the submission of a Petition for Extension of Time Limits to the Graduate and Professional School.
Please refer to the Graduate and Professional Catalog (http://catalog.tamu.edu) for additional information.

4.20  Final Examination/Final Defense

4.20.1 Final Examination for Doctoral Students

The candidate for the doctoral degree must pass a final examination by deadline dates announced in the “Graduate and Professional School Calendar” each semester. The doctoral student is allowed only one opportunity to take the final examination. 

Grades of D, F, or U for any course cannot be listed on the degree plan. The student must be registered for any remaining hours of 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 791 or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog during the semester of the final exam. No student may be given a final examination until they have been admitted to candidacy and their current official cumulative and degree plan GPAs are 3.00 or better. 

To be admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree, a student must have:

• Completed all formal coursework on the degree plan with the exception of any remaining 681, 684, 690 and 691, 692 (Professional Study), or 791 hours,

• A 3.0 Graduate GPA and a Degree Plan GPA of at least 3.0 with no grade lower than C in any course on the degree plan,

• Passed the preliminary examination, 

• Submitted an approved dissertation proposal, and

• Met the residence requirements. 

The request to hold and announce the final examination must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School a minimum of 10 working days in advance of the scheduled date. Any changes to the degree plan must be approved by the Graduate and Professional School prior to the submission of the request for final examination. 

The student’s advisory committee will conduct this examination. The final examination is not to be administered until the dissertation or record of study is available in substantially final form to the student’s advisory committee, and all concerned have had adequate time to review the document.  Whereas the final examination may cover the broad field of the candidate’s training, it is presumed that the major portion of the time will be devoted to the dissertation and closely allied topics. Persons other than members of the graduate faculty may, with mutual consent of the candidate and the chair of the advisory committee, be invited to attend a final examination for an advanced degree. A positive vote by all members of the graduate committee with at most one (1) dissension is required to pass a student on their exam. A department can have a stricter requirement provided there is consistency within all degree programs within a department. Upon completion of the questioning of the candidate, all visitors must excuse themselves from the proceedings.

Final Examination for Master’s Students

A positive evaluation by all members of the graduate committee with at most one (1) dissension is required to pass a student on their exam. Persons other than members of the graduate faculty may, with mutual consent of the candidate and the major professor, attend final examinations for advanced degrees. Upon completion of the questioning of the candidate, all visitors must excuse themselves from the proceedings.

A student shall be given only one (1) opportunity to repeat the final examination for the master’s degree and that must be within a time period that does not extend beyond the end of the next regular semester (summer terms are excluded). A department can have a stricter requirement provided there is consistency among all degree programs within a department.

The Report of the Final Examination Form must be submitted via DocuSign with original signatures of only the committee members approved by the Graduate and Professional School. If an approved committee member substitution (one only) has been made, their signature must also be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School. 

Thesis Option
For thesis option students, the final examination may cover the thesis and all work taken on the degree plan. At the option of the committee, it may be written, oral, or both. The final examination may not be administered before the thesis is available to all members of the student’s advisory committee in substantially final form and all members have had adequate time to review the document. The examination is conducted by the student’s advisory committee. A thesis option student must be registered at the university in the semester or summer term in which the final examination is taken.

Thesis option candidates may request to be exempt from their final examination provided their degree plan GPA is 3.500 or greater and they have approval of the advisory committee, the head of the student’s department, and the Graduate and Professional School. It is recommended that the request for exemption be submitted the same semester the student intends to submit the thesis. The Request for Exemption of the Final Examination is submitted through DocuSign.

Non-Thesis Option
For non-thesis option students, a final comprehensive examination may be required. The final exam cannot be held prior to the mid-point of the semester if questions on the exam are based on courses in which the student is currently enrolled. If a student has completed all required degree plan coursework, the student is not required to be registered for classes in the semester the final examination is administered (unless they hold an assistantship). For specific final examination requirements, students should check the program requirements for the degree they are pursuing.

4.20.2 Grading of Final Exam

The student’s department/committee will promptly report the results of the Final Examination to the Graduate and Professional School through ARCS. If an already-approved exam gets cancelled, the Graduate and Professional School must be notified in writing before the day of the cancelled exam.

A positive evaluation of the final exam by all members of a student’s advisory committee with at most one (1) dissension is required to pass a student on his or her final exam. While grading, the advisory committee chair may elect to change all Incomplete (I) grades on 691 or 692 courses to Satisfactory (S); if they do so, ARCS will automatically make that change.

Thesis-option and doctoral students have one (1) year from successfully completing the final examination to clear Thesis and Dissertation Services and graduate. Otherwise, the student will be required to repeat the final examination. With the approval of the advisory committee and department head or chair of the interdisciplinary program, the student may request an extension of the one-year time limit with the submission of a Petition for Extension of Time Limits to the Graduate and Professional School.

4.21    Theses, Dissertations, and Records of Study

Texas A&M University requires a dissertation or record of study from all doctoral candidates and a thesis from all thesis option master’s candidates. The dissertation, record of study, or thesis should be presented in a scholarly, well-integrated, and properly documented manner that reflects the student’s original work done under the advisory committee’s supervision.
Thesis and Dissertation Services provides a number of resources to assist with manuscript preparation, including Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines, manuscript templates (Microsoft Word and LaTeX), pre-submittal conferences, information seminars, and workshops. Resources can be found online at http://thesis.tamu.edu. Students are encouraged to participate in a pre-submittal conference  or watch the online version prior to their final exam (defense).

Prior to submitting the thesis, dissertation, or record of study, the student must successfully pass the final exam (defense) or be approved for a waiver of the final exam. The student must also complete any corrections requested by the committee and ensure the document is in final format and prepared according to Thesis and Dissertation Services Guidelines.

To maintain eligibility to graduate in a given semester, students must meet the scheduled deadline for submittal of (1) the signed, Written Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form and (2) the thesis, dissertation, or record of study in final form as a PDF file. The final document is submitted by the student at http://etd.tamu.edu. This date, along with other dates of interest, is posted with the Graduate and Professional School dates and deadlines. Students should only submit their PDF document in the semester they intend to graduate. The thesis/dissertation submittal site is shut down for over one month following the submittal deadline. Students wanting to submit a thesis/dissertation for the next semester may consult the Graduate and Professional School dates and deadlines calendar for information about the next semester’s first day for submission.

Thesis and Dissertation Services will contact the student via email after the manuscript’s first review is completed. The student will carefully make all requested corrections in the original Word (or other) file, convert the revised document to a new PDF file, and upload the new PDF to the ETD Submittal System, Vireo.
Students may make only those corrections required by Thesis and Dissertation Services after the manuscript is submitted. Additional content changes requested by the student will not be accepted.

All corrections must be made promptly and thoroughly. Students may require several rounds of review in order to meet Texas A&M University formatting standards. It is important that students provide a high quality manuscript adhering to Thesis and Dissertation Services Guidelines upon initial submission.
Manuscripts are reviewed in the order received. No exceptions.
In addition to making corrections, students must fulfill other requirements for Thesis and Dissertation Services graduation clearance, including:

• Registering for the semester.

• Applying for graduation in the semester graduating through the Howdy portal.

• Submiting the Copyright and Availability Form: complete and have form signed by student and committee chair/co-chair.

• Submiting the Survey of Earned Doctorates and AAUDE Survey completion certificate via email (Doctoral students).

• Students cannot receive a Letter of Completion or the diploma until all requirements have been met. Graduation will be postponed if all requirements are not met by the dates outlined in the Graduate and Professional School dates and deadlines calendar.

   

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