Candidacy
Admission to Candidacy
Admission to a graduate program allows the student to demonstrate ability but does not guarantee the right to continue toward a degree unless he or she is admitted to candidacy. The application to candidacy should be made after the student has complete in residence nine (9) semester hours of approved graduate courses (excluding transfer credit and any specified prerequisites) and before completion of more than 18 hours. A student who fails to submit a candidacy form before completion of more than 18 graduate hours must petition Graduate Council for acceptance of the additional course hours.
In order to be eligible for admission to candidacy, the student must have a B average (3.0 GPA) on all courses taken for graduate credit, have no grades below a C and must have completed CRMJ 500, 502, 503, and 516.
On the application, the student must list the courses which have been completed and those which the student plans to complete to fulfill requirements for the degree. The application must be approved and signed by the Criminal Justice Graduate Coordinator before it is submitted to The Graduate School office for approval by the Dean of the Graduate School. It is this approved program, rather than any examples that may appear in the Graduate Catalog, which will constitute the student’s graduation requirements.
Revision to candidacy
If the student register’s for courses that are not listed on their candidacy form he/she must complete a revision to candidacy form. The form, which is available online and at the Graduate Office, MUST be submitted at least one semester prior to the date on which the degree is anticipated.
Time Limit of Candidacy Program
All credit applied toward a graduate degree must be earned within a six (6)-year period beginning with the registration for the earliest course counted. Students can petition to the Graduate Coordinator for an extension of the candidacy period. The petition must layout in details the student’s plans to complete the program. A committee of active graduate faculty within the department will review the petition. If approved, the student’s candidacy will be extended for a period not to exceed one (1) year. The Graduate Council will be promptly notified, in writing, of the appeal and the results.
