Idaho State University
All credits must be earned on the Idaho State University campus except in the following instances: (1) In all degree programs a total of nine semester credits may be transferred from an accredited institution. Transfer of residence credits from an accredited institution is acceptable only if the courses were taken as resident credits at that institution and are specifically approved by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research and the academic department of ISU when the final program of study is submitted; (2) Extension credits earned through ISU but taught by instructors other than approved faculty of ISU are treated as transfer credits. Official transcripts to be used for transfer of credits in a degree program must be received before application for a degree will be approved.
Transfer of Credits from Unclassified to Classified Status. Students may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research to transfer course work taken while under Unclassified status to a degree program. The total number shall not be more than 30% of the credits of the program of work required of each student for the degree.
Transfer of Credits from One Program to Another. There are no limits to the number of credits which may be applied toward a master's degree program which were originally awarded in a different degree program if a) the student was not awarded a degree in the original program and b) the department approves the transfer of such credits and the courses taken meet the requirements for the degree approved by the Graduate Council. There are no limitations with respect to electives which exceed the requirement for the degree.
Departments and/or colleges may allow students to apply up to nine semester credit hours earned at ISU to two master's degrees.
Departments may accept credits by transfer in toto or in part from a master's degree earned at ISU or at another institution regardless of age of the courses. See section on Time Limits for further discussion of this policy.
All credits which are to be applied to an advanced degree must be earned as resident credits or accepted for transfer as described in the Transfer of Credits section. Resident credits are those earned on the Idaho State University campus except in the following instances: (1) With the approval of the department and college offering the degree, graduate credits earned in the Boise Cooperative Graduate Center, Twin Falls Graduate Center, or Idaho Falls Graduate Center are considered resident credits and may be applied toward an advanced degree. (2) Extension courses approved by the Graduate Council and taught solely by approved faculty of ISU may be, with departmental approval, accepted as resident credit, but only when normal instruction does not demand special facilities available only on campus. A maximum of 15 credits earned under these circumstances may be applied toward a degree.
No credit obtained by correspondence may be counted toward a graduate degree at ISU.
All requirements for a master's degree or educational specialist degree must be completed within eight years preceding the student's graduation. An extension of time may be obtained for good cause with the approval of the Graduate Council (file petition through the Office of Graduate Studies and Research).
The doctorate is a research or performance degree and signifies that the holder has the competence to function independently at the highest level of endeavor in the chosen profession. Hence, the number of years involved in attaining or retaining competency cannot be readily specified. Rather, it is important that the doctoral student's competency be assessed and verified in a reasonable period of time prior to conferral of the degree.
The comprehensive examination is the method of assessing whether the student has attained sufficient knowledge of the discipline and supporting fields in order to undertake the independent research or practice. It is expected that the examination will occur after all course work has been completed and language or other requirements satisfied, and it consists of a series of examinations covering all areas specified in the plan of study.
Because the comprehensive examination attests to the academic competence of the student who is about to become an independent researcher or practitioner, the examination should not precede the degree by too long a period of time. Consequently, doctoral candidates are allowed no more than five years in which to complete remaining degree requirements. In the event a student fails to complete the doctorate within five years after passing the comprehensive examination, an extension of time can be obtained only by: a) The student getting a specified set of requirements from the student's committee which states in writing what must be done to make the candidate up-to-date in the discipline. These new requirements for obtaining an extension may include the necessity to repeat parts or all of the comprehensive examination; b) The student must then submit a petition to the Graduate Council for the extension and provide the written documents showing the additional requirements established by the student's committee justifying the requested extension.
All credits applied to a master's degree or to an educational specialist degree must have been taken within eight years immediately prior to granting of the degree unless it can be shown that the course work taken more than eight years earlier covers material which has not changed substantially during the intervening time or that the student has been able to remain current in the topics covered in the course. Evidence that the older course work is still appropriate must be approved by the department chairman. A petition requesting an exception to the eight-year limitation must be submitted by the student to the Graduate Council for approval. The letter of approval from the department chairman should identify the reasons why the older course work is still appropriate and be submitted with the petition to the Graduate Council.
All members of the examining committee ordinarily must be members of the Graduate Faculty. Appointments to examining committees of non-faculty members or of faculty members not on the Graduate Faculty must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. A listing of Graduate Faculty is contained in this catalog.
Usually, when a student is admitted to graduate study, a temporary advisor is assigned. In some cases, the department chairperson or graduate program director serves in this capacity for all incoming graduate students. The student, following departmental procedures and regulations, then selects a permanent advisor who will be responsible for helping the student to finalize the program of study.
For most degree options, a second member is selected from the student's department to serve on the examining committee. (In some programs of study, more than one departmental faculty member, in addition to the advisor, serves on the examining committee.) A third member of the examining committee, called the Graduate Faculty Representative (GFR) is appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research from outside the student's department. The GFR must be a member of the Graduate Faculty and may not be selected from a separate discipline within a yoked department. The GFR is the representative of the Office of Graduate Studies and Research on the examining committee and is responsible for reporting the results of graduate examinations to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. The Office of Graduate Studies and Research welcomes suggestions from the student regarding candidates for the GFR.
Faculty are expected to exclude themselves from evaluation of graduate students with regard to whom impartiality may be jeopardized by considerations that are not academic. Such considerations may include, but are not limited to, membership in the same household or close familial relationships.
When a graduate student seeks a change in his/her major advisor, the following procedure must be followed:
1. The student must submit to the academic unit head or graduate program director, as appropriate, a written request for change of major advisor. It shall contain the rationale on which the request is based and may, if the student wishes, propose a specific replacement.
2. If the unit head/program director and the current advisor accept the rationale, and if an appropriate new advisor acceptable to the student is secured, the unit head/program director will submit the proposed new appointment to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research for approval.
3. Should the unit head/program director or the current major advisor not agree to the proposed change and the conditions thereof, and if no compromise acceptable to all parties can be reached, the matter shall be arbitrated by the unit graduate faculty (or its designated committee). Such arbitration may need to consider the question of ownership of data from research already undertaken by the student under the major advisor's supervision, similarly whether another appropriately specialized major advisor is available for the student. The unit head/program director will notify the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research of the decision reached by the department graduate faculty or its designated committee.
4. Any appeal of the department's decision by the student shall be directed to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
Idaho State University Academic Information
Revised: May 1, 1996
URL http://www.isu.edu/academic-info/prev-isu-cat/grad96/traninfo.html