Graduate Student Resources

Students who complete courses for their major that are not listed on their Planned Program of Study may apply those courses to their major with a Course Substitution request. The Course Substitution Form is used to amend coursework listed on the student's approved planned program. Students should complete the form with the assistance of their Academic Program Specialist and program advisor (master’s students) or Major Professor (Education Specialist and doctoral students). If students request substitutions for four (4) or more courses on their existing planned program, they should instead complete a new planned program with their advisor.

Course Substitution Form

Additional requirements for course substitution:

• The Course Substitution form is used when substituting one USF course for another. If you wish to apply coursework earned at another institution toward your USF degree requirements, please complete a Graduate Course Transfer Form.
• Substitutions for College of Education core requirement courses (ex: Foundations or Research Methods courses) must be approved by the Department Chair/Program offering the original course.
• Students may not apply undergraduate coursework (4000 level or below) towards a graduate degree; only graduate coursework at the 5000 level and above may be applied to a graduate degree program. (For Specialist and doctoral students, all coursework must be at the 6000 level and above.)
• Courses requested for substitution must meet the University’s time limit requirements, or else a Course Currency statement is required.
• An academic rationale must be provided for all substitutions.

Students should complete the Course Substitution Form with their advisor or Major Professor, including a rationale statement for their request. The student will need to obtain signatures from their advisor and the Program Coordinator or Department Chair before sending the form to the Graduate Support Office (EDU 320) for final approval. The Graduate Support Office will contact students and their advisors if there are any issues with the courses being substituted into the program.

The Graduate Course Transfer Form is used to transfer both external and internal graduate coursework into a degree-seeking student's program.

External Credit Transfer

With the approval of their graduate major, the College of Education, and the Office of Graduate Studies, students may transfer into their major graduate-level structured coursework taken at other institutions of higher learning. Please note that individual graduate majors may have more restrictive requirements. Grades from courses taken at other institutions are not calculated in the USF GPA, although the courses are listed on the transcript and the hours are reflected in the total hours earned.

Internal Credit Transfer

Students may transfer graduate-level (5000-7999) structured coursework taken at any USF campus towards their graduate major, with the approval of their major, college, and the Office of Graduate Studies, for graduate courses taken as:

• An undergraduate student that were not used as part of the undergraduate degree requirements, except in cases of a Bachelor's to Master's pathway approved through Undergraduate Council, Graduate Council and SACSCOC.
• A non-degree seeking student (including Graduate Certificate students, INTO students, etc.). Graduate Certificate students may transfer in the total hours taken as part of a completed Graduate Certificate to their new graduate major with department approval.
• A degree-seeking student, where the student is approved for a Change of Graduate Major to another graduate program.

Additional rules for Course Transfer Requests:

• Students may transfer only graduate-level (5000-7999) structured coursework with a grade of B (3.00) or better. (A grade of B- is not eligible for transfer!) Courses with Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grades such as Independent Study, Directed Research, and Thesis/Dissertation are not eligible for transfer.
• May transfer in up to 50% of a given graduate major's total minimum hours as reflected in the individual major’s listings in the USF Graduate Catalog. Please note that the 50% maximum includes the total of both external and internal credit transfer. Individual graduate programs may have more restrictive requirements.
• Courses must not have been used for a previously completed degree. For students with coursework from a completed degree, the specific course requirements in common across both degree programs may be waived with the substitution of other approved coursework at the discretion of the program. 
• Courses must not be older than ten (10) years at the time of graduation or course currency is required.

External course transfer requests must include official transcripts from the student’s previous institution. Internal transfer requests must include an unofficial USF transcript.

Students should complete the Course Transfer Form with the assistance of their program advisor or Major Professor. The department Academic Program Specialist will send the completed Course Transfer request to the Graduate Support Office for review before it is submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies for approval. Please note that it may take several weeks for successfully transferred courses to appear on your transcript. Check your Student Self-Service account (formerly Student OASIS) frequently for updates.

Important Note for Students and Advisors: GSO cannot process your petition request if it does not include a justification statement for why you need to change your current course registration! Please include a brief statement when you complete the Graduate Petition form for our office to review.

Graduate Petition Form

Students that want to make changes to their registration after Add/Drop Week will need to file a Graduate Petition. Students can use the petition to add or drop classes, as well as change the number of credit hours they are registered for in a course. Please note that if you need to be reinstated to a course for non-payment of tuition, you will need to contact the Cashier's Office directly.

Students will need to complete the petition form with their course and degree information, along with a justification statement for their request. The student must obtain signatures from the instructors of courses they are trying to add and/or drop and the Department Chair of the course(s) in question. Once the Department Chair has signed, the Graduate Petition must be submitted to the Graduate Support Office for the college's approval and signature. The Graduate Support Office team will review the petition and forward it to the Office of Graduate Studies and/or the Registrar's Office for processing. Students should check their Student Self-Service account (and their Canvas registration) for updates on the status of their petition; if the petition is approved, they should automatically be added to or removed from the course. GSO does not typically notify students if their petition was approved; please check Student Self-Service directly!

If you need to change your course registration after Add/Drop Week, you must file a petition as soon as possible, but no later than by the end of the tenth week of classes. You will not be able to join or withdraw from individual courses after the ten-week deadline! After the semester deadline, students can only file a petition if they need to withdraw from all classes in that semester.

Other factors to note:

• A petition cannot be processed if the student has an administrative hold on their account. Please check Student Self-Service before filing a petition to ensure that you don’t have any holds to registration.
• Students who have reached P3 Probation status must file a petition to be re-admitted to their program and to register for classes. Please see the Academic Probation section below for more information about probation procedures and how to re-register for courses.
• Filing a petition may result in late registration fees, late payment fees, and additional tuition costs for the addition of credit hours. A petition to drop a course does not remove your financial liability for the semester.

International students must have a signature of approval from the Office of International Services (OIS) on any graduate petition. Students will need to submit the petition via their iStart portal to receive the OIS signature. The Graduate Support Office will return any petitions that are missing this signature; please make sure your petition has been fully approved by OIS before submitting! Before filing a petition, international students should also meet with an OIS student advisor to ensure they meet the minimum semester requirements for enrollment and financial aid.

For more information about Graduate Petitions, please review the Graduate Petition form from the Office of Graduate Studies or the College of Education Graduate Student Handbooks.

Coursework used towards a graduate degree program may not be more than ten (10) years old at the time the degree is conferred. This does not include courses from previously completed degrees being applied to a new program or courses that were officially transferred using a Course Transfer Request. If students wish to apply a course exceeding these time limits to their graduate program, they will need to complete a Course Currency Form with the assistance of the current and/or equivalent course instructor.

Course Currency Form

Students must provide documentation that the course previously taken contains content and learning outcomes that closely resemble those of the equivalent USF course taught within the last two academic years. Courses that are listed in the course inventory, but were not taught in the past two years, are not eligible for course currency. 

Students must include the following with a Course Currency form:

• An accompanying Time Limit Extension Request or Graduate Course Transfer Form.
• A copy of the Course Currency form for each course for which currency is requested with the appropriate signatures, including that of the instructor of record for the current/equivalent course.
• The syllabus from the original course the student was enrolled in.
• The syllabus from the current course taught within the last two years.

If the documentation supports course currency, the instructor should approve the request and comment how the currency is demonstrated.

Students who wish to change from one graduate degree program to another must complete and submit a Change of Graduate Major Form. To change your major, you must have completed one semester of coursework in your current program, and you must be in good academic standing with a GPA of at least 3.0. Additionally, a Change of Major:

• is permissible only for a continuing graduate student enrolled in a particular major who wishes to change to another major at the same or lower degree level. This includes changing from one master's degree program to another (e.g., M.A. to M.Ed.) or changing from a doctoral program to a lower graduate degree program (e.g., Ph.D. to Ed.S.). Students who wish to change program levels (ex: moving up from a master's program to a doctoral program) must submit a new application for admission.
• is up to the discretion of the student’s new major. Some majors require students to formally apply to the program before they can change their major.
• may affect the student's financial aid status.
• will exclude courses taken from the previous major unless the new major approves the courses for application of internal credit toward the requirements for the new major. The GPA will automatically reflect the courses applied to the new major.
• restarts the degree completion time limit with admission to the new graduate major. 

Students requesting to change their major must fill out a Change of Graduate Major application and receive formal approval from the Program Directors/Coordinators in both their current and new programs. International students must also obtain a signature of approval from the Office of International Services before sending the application to their current program. The application must be forwarded to the Graduate Support Office for review before it is submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies for final approval. If approved by the Office of Graduate Studies, the Change of Major form is forwarded to the Registrar for processing, and the student’s record will reflect the change of major in the following semester.

Once a Change of Major request is approved, a new Planned Program of Study for the new major must be completed and submitted to the Graduate Support Office. Students who change programs must meet the Graduate Catalog requirements that are in place at the time the change is approved. Please note that courses from the previous major are not automatically transferred to the new major; any coursework you want transferred must be listed on the Change of Graduate Major application for it to count towards your new program.

Students should check with their new program before completing any paperwork. Some programs require students to submit a new admissions application because the Change of Major form does not contain sufficient information for them to make a decision. Additionally, some limited access programs in the College of Education (e.g., School Psychology) require an interview and other student information. For these programs, a change of major request is not accepted.

Note for Students: Approved Change of Graduate Major requests are activated one semester after the form is submitted and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. Your academic record does not immediately change; it will reflect the change in major after the current semester is over.

Students who wish to change from one concentration within their degree program to a different concentration must complete a Change of Graduate Concentration Form. Similar to a Change of Major request, students changing their concentration must be active degree-seeking students in good academic standing with a GPA of at least 3.0. Additionally, a Change of Concentration:

• is not possible for students in their first semester of study.
• is permissible only for a continuing graduate student enrolled in a major who wishes to change to another concentration within the same major. (Ex: changing concentrations within an M.Ed. or Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction program.) Students desiring to change program levels (such as from an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction to the Ph.D. level) must submit a new application for admission.
• is up to the discretion of the student’s major and concentration. Please note that some concentrations have additional requirements for admission and for degree completion.
• may affect the student's financial aid status.

Students applying for a Change in Concentration must fill out the application with their program information, including their current and desired concentrations. The Change of Concentration form must be signed and approved by Program Directors in both the current and new concentration, after which it must be submitted through the Graduate Support Office to the Office of Graduate Studies for approval. If approved by the Office of Graduate Studies, the Change of Concentration form is forwarded to the Registrar for processing.

Once a Change of Concentration request is approved, a new Planned Program of Study for the new concentration must be submitted and approved. Students who change concentrations must meet the Graduate Catalog requirements that are in place at the time the change is approved. As the student is not changing their major, all completed coursework will remain on their transcript. Although previously completed courses may be used to complete core program requirements, in most cases you will need to complete additional coursework to complete the new concentration requirements.

Note for Students: Approved Change of Concentration requests are activated one semester after the form is submitted and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. Your academic record does not immediately change; it will reflect the change in concentration after the current semester is over.

Any student who is not in good academic standing (GPA below 3.0) at the end of a semester will be placed on Academic Probation beginning the following semester. The College of Education and its programs may also place students on probation for other reasons as designated by the College or program. Notification of probation will be made to the student in writing by the department, with a copy to the College Dean.

The academic probation process is automated in Banner; if a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 at the end of a semester, they will automatically be placed on Academic Probation P1 status when final grades are released. On P1 probation, students will be notified to review their grades in Student Self-Service (formerly OASIS) and to meet with an academic advisor to make plans for the next semester. If the student’s GPA is still below 3.0 at the end of the next semester, they will be placed on Academic Probation P2 and receive a registration hold in Student Self-Service. Students on P2 must meet with an advisor and create a plan for getting off probation before they can remove the hold and register for classes. If students still have a GPA below 3.0 after two consecutive semesters, they are placed on Academic Probation P3, the final probationary status. Students on P3 will be prevented from continuing with their program unless they file a petition to re-register for courses. Colleges and programs may also elect to dismiss a student once they reach P3 status.

• To register for classes while on P3 Probation, students must meet with their advisor to file a Graduate Petition and create an action plan to raise their GPA. The action plan should include GPA calculations based on future grades and a detailed timeline for how the student will raise their GPA and get off probation. The student and advisor must approve the action plan and list any future courses on the petition form. The Readmit after P3 Petition may be requested only one time for one semester, with the condition that the student return to good academic standing by the end of that semester.
• Note: students may not be able to continue a Graduate Assistantship if they reach P2 Probation status. Refer to the Graduate Assistant Handbook for more information.

Students on probation may only enroll in graduate courses (5000-7000 level) that are part of the approved major requirements as specified in the Graduate Catalog. Please note that S/U graded courses will not factor into the GPA even if you receive an S grade; students on probation should enroll primarily in gradable courses to raise their GPA above 3.0. If students do not raise their GPA after two to three semesters on probation, they will be dismissed from their program and will need to reapply for admission.

For more information, please review the Automated Probation Process guidelines.

Student GPA Calculator

When a student and an instructor cannot agree on a final grade on an individual assignment or in a course, the student may take the issue to the program coordinator and/or Department Chair. If meeting with the Department Chair yields no resolution, it is within the student’s rights to seek a formal grievance with the College of Education. Faculty within the College will form an informal grievance committee and follow procedures outlined in USF Policy 10-002 Academic Grievance Process for Students.

Additional information from the official Academic Grievance Policy:

• Academic grievances will not deal with general student complaints. An academic grievance must include a reference to a violation of a specific USF Policy, or an academic decision that was applied differently to the grievant than other students to be considered under this Policy.
• Disagreements or issues with individual test grades, responses to exam questions, or general disagreement with the academic discretion or professional judgment of instructors will not be considered grounds for an academic grievance, except where they impact the final grade. If a student has concern on an individual assignment, and would like some formal consideration, they should contact their instructor to discuss the issue and may submit the concern as a general complaint in writing to the instructor.
• Dismissals based on University protocols such as failure to maintain GPA, probation for academic performance or other automatic administrative actions cannot be appealed. 

Please see the College of Education Graduate Student Handbooks for more information about academic grievance procedures and how grievance committee meetings should proceed.

If students need to take a temporary break from their degree program due to exceptional circumstances, they may request a Graduate Leave of Absence (LOA). A documented Leave of Absence will suspend the time limit requirement for the student's graduate major. Students requesting an LOA must specify the reasons for the leave, as well as the duration. Requested LOA may be approved for a minimum of three (3) consecutive semesters up to a maximum of six (6) consecutive semesters (2 academic years). Students requiring less than 3 consecutive terms of absence do not need to request an LOA if they meet the USF continuous enrollment requirement (at least 6 credit hours over three semesters).

To request a Leave of Absence, students must complete the Graduate Leave of Absence Request Form and attach any supporting documentation (e.g., medical paperwork) to the form. Students must list their first semester of leave (cannot be the current semester) and the semester they intend to return to classes. The LOA request must be approved by the student’s Major Professor or primary advisor, the Department Chair, and the College Dean or designee before being submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies for final approval. International students must also obtain a signature of approval from the Office of International Services before submitting the form to their graduate program.

Leave of Absence requests should be submitted no later than the semester prior to the requested leave; students cannot have leave applied to the semester they are currently enrolled in. If this is not possible, the request should be submitted as soon as the student is aware that they will not be able to register for any given semester.

Students returning from an approved Leave of Absence must reactivate their student status by contacting the Office of Graduate Studies for procedures. Instructions for how to return to classes can also be found directly on the LOA application. While on an approved Leave of Absence, students are not permitted to use any University student services, conduct thesis/dissertation research, or serve as a USF instructor or teaching assistant. If students do not return after a scheduled Leave of Absence and have exceeded their degree time limits, they will need to formally reapply to USF and to their graduate program.

• Doctoral Students: If you are a doctoral candidate and you request a Leave of Absence of three or more semesters, you must submit a Readmission to Candidacy form to the Office of Graduate Studies before you return or you will not be able to register for dissertation hours. The Readmission to Candidacy form should be submitted as soon as possible once you receive your returning registration appointment time. 

Note: Any incomplete (I) and/or missing (M) grades on your transcript must be cleared before you may request a Leave of Absence. No exceptions.

If a student is nearing the end of their degree time limitations (see Enrollment Requirements page), but needs more time to finish their degree, they may request a Time Limit Extension. An approved Time Limit Extension Request extends the student’s degree time limit by a maximum of two (2) years. Students may request only one time limit extension during their program based on documented exceptional circumstances that prevent them from completing their degree on time.

Time limit extension requests must include:

• A formal letter of request from the student, explaining their reasons for the delay in degree completion
• The anticipated time needed for the student to complete their degree
• Signatures and supporting letters from the student's Major Professor or program advisor, Department Chair, and College Dean or designee
• A completed Benchmarks and Timelines form (included directly within the Time Limit Extension form), listing the key program benchmarks that will allow the student to complete their degree within the requested time limits

Students should fill out the Time Limit Extension Request Form with the dates of when they were first admitted to their major, the semester they now expect to complete all degree requirements and graduate, and any approved Leave of Absence or Program Reinstatement if applicable. They will also need to complete an action plan with the assistance of their advisor or Major Professor, listing their remaining program benchmarks and what dates they will complete those assignments by. Once the student's advisors and graduate program approve the form, the Time Limit Extension Request will be forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies for final approval.

An approved Time Limit Extension will apply towards all courses used for the degree. However, graduate programs may require additional or repeat coursework as part of the condition of the time limit extension. For requests exceeding a year of additional time, the Office of Graduate Studies will audit the student’s progress each semester to ensure that the action plan is adhered to and that progress towards degree completion is occurring.

Students who exceed their degree time limitations may have their registration placed on hold until a request for extension has been approved. If students are temporarily unable to continue with their major, they should submit a Leave of Absence Request (see section above), which extends the time limit for the duration of the approved leave (up to 2 years).

Note: All courses being applied to the graduate major must be no more than ten (10) years old at the time of graduation. If a Time Limit Extension Request will cause courses taken within the major to be more than 10 years old, students will need to complete a Course Currency Form for those courses or they will not count towards their current degree requirements.

If a student decides that they need to withdraw from their graduate program for any personal or academic reasons, they may voluntarily withdraw from their program by submitting a Graduate Voluntary Withdrawal Form. The effective date of the withdrawal will be entered into the student's record by the Registrar as the first business day after the end of the semester in which the withdrawal request was approved. A request for Voluntary Withdrawal cannot be retroactive.

Instructions for a Voluntary Withdrawal request:

• Students should meet with their Program Director/Coordinator to complete the Voluntary Withdrawal form before forwarding the application to the College Dean or designee for consideration and approval.
• Voluntary Withdrawal requests require written verification from the student indicating their desire to withdraw from the program, along with any supporting documentation (e.g., correspondence with advisors, medical forms, transcripts, etc.).
• International students must contact the Office of International Services and obtain their signature on the form before proceeding. International students wishing to withdraw should meet with an International Services advisor beforehand to discuss their options and implications for their immigration status. 
• After receiving the form, the Graduate Support Office will submit the Voluntary Withdrawal request to the Office of Graduate Studies for review. If approved, the student will receive notification from Graduate Studies and the date of withdrawal will be entered into the student's record (at the end of the current semester).

Once processed, the student's status will be changed from Graduate Degree-Seeking to Inactive. A change to inactive status could adversely impact financial aid; any questions regarding these changes should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid. Students who withdraw from their program and go inactive cannot continue to attend classes or use any University resources.

The student will remain financially and academically responsible for any course(s) they are registered for in the semester in which they withdraw from the major. If the student wishes to withdraw from their current courses, they may drop the classes directly within Student Self-Service or file a Graduate Petition. Filing a Voluntary Withdrawal request does not automatically withdraw you from your current courses.