Policies and Definitions

The academic policies and definitions listed below constitute some of the most frequently referenced University and school policies and guidelines, which are outlined in-depth in the University Bulletin under University Regulations or the Elliott School policies sections.

Academic Integrity
Academic Standing
Audit
Continuous Enrollment
Capstone Course
Credit/No Credit
Drop/Withdrawal
Dual Degree/Joint Degree Programs
Electives
Elliott School Fee
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Grades & Grade Point Average (GPA)
Holds
Incomplete Grade
Internship
Language Proficiency
Language Exams
Leave of Absence
Plan of Study
Professional Skills Course
Repeating a Course
Residence Requirement
Thesis Option
Time Restriction on Degree Completion
Transfer Credit
Unauthorized Withdrawal ("Z" grade)
Undergraduate Courses
Waiving Requirements

Academic Integrity – You must know, and make use of, all proper procedures for doing research, writing papers, and taking examinations. Acts of academic dishonesty will be prosecuted through the proper University channels.
Review the University Code of Academic Integrity.

Academic Standing – You must maintain good academic standing with the University. You are in good standing if your cumulative GPA is above 3.0. If your GPA is below 3.0, consult the Bulletin for information regarding dismissal from the program. Any student who earns an F must present cause as to why he/she should be permitted to remain in the program.

Audit – Auditing a course enables you to regularly attend a course without completing coursework or examinations. No credit is awarded, however, and standard tuition rates apply. You may not retake an audited course for credit. You may not change from credit to audit status, or vice versa, after the end of the eighth week of classes during the academic year.

Capstone Course – Students in the MA and MIS programs must complete the relevant Capstone course for these degrees. You can learn more about your Capstone options from your program director. You will have one opportunity to retake a capstone if you fail the course. If you fail a second time, your degree will not be conferred.

The following criteria must be satisfied before you can register for a Capstone course:

• Your Plan of Study has been submitted and approved.
• You have completed or are completing 30 of the 40 required credits for the program.
• You have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• You have two or fewer incomplete grades on your transcript.

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Continuous Enrollment – You must register for continuous enrollment for a semester in which you plan to pursue an off-campus academic opportunity (such as an internship, study at another institution, or the completion of incomplete coursework). Continuous enrollment status is generally limited to one academic year. Contact your advisor if you wish to register for continuous enrollment, or have questions about this status.

Credit/No Credit – With the exception of a thesis, one-credit Capstone courses, and the MIPP seminar, courses taken to satisfy degree requirements cannot be taken under the credit/no credit grading option. You must obtain the instructor's permission to take a course under this grading option and standard tuition rates apply.

Drop/Withdrawal – You can drop a class during the designated registration period for a given semester. During the academic year, courses may be dropped through the end of the fourth week of classes. You may drop a class in GWeb through the second week of classes, after that, you must use a Registration Transaction Form.

You may withdraw from a class, and receive a grade of "W," during the designated withdrawal period during a given semester. During the academic year, the withdrawal period begins when the add/drop period end and runs through the eighth week of classes. You must use a Registration Transaction Form to withdraw from a class; you may not withdraw in GWeb.

All drops and withdraws are subject to the refund schedule listed in the Bulletin.

Duel Degree/Joint Degree Programs – The Elliott School of International Affairs offers programs of study leading to a Master of Arts and a Juris Doctor in cooperation with the Law School; a Master of Arts and a Master of Business Administration in cooperation with the School of Business; and a Master of Arts and a Master of Public Health in cooperation with the School of Public Health and Health Services.

• Dual degree programs require admission to both schools and allows students to receive one degree prior to the completion of the second.

• Joint degree programs require students to be admitted to both schools and complete the requirements of both degrees before receiving either.

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Electives – Electives are courses that do not satisfy Elliott School requirements, but which count toward the credit hour requirement for graduation.

Elliott School Fee – A fee of $3,600 is required of all degree-seeking students in the Elliott School. This fee is payable over four semesters (fall and spring) at $900 per semester for MA students and over two semesters (fall and spring) at $1,800 per semester for MIPP and MIS students. The entire $3,600 fee must be paid prior to graduation.

A fee of $1,800 is required for all Graduate Certificate students in the Elliott School. This fee is payable over two semesters (fall and spring) at $900 per semester. The entire $1,800 fee must be paid prior to graduation.

Students withdrawing from the Elliott School are not entitled to a refund for fees paid in prior semesters. Refunds for the semester in which a student withdraws are subject to the refund schedule in the Bulletin.

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) – FERPA is federal law prohibiting the distribution of certain student information to parties outside the University without a student's expressed written consent (this includes parents and spouses). Click here for more information.

Grades & Grade Point Average (GPA) – The University grading system and grade point average calculation formula are listed in the Bulletin.

Holds – Holds are placed on student records by different University offices for different reasons (outstanding bills, incomplete immunization records, academic probation, etc.). A hold will prevent you from registering for classes, so you should check GWeb for holds well before registration begins. If you have a hold, contact the office that placed your hold to determine how to remove it. (GWeb lists contact information for the office that placed the hold.)

Incomplete Grade – At the option of the instructor, you may be awarded an incomplete grade if you are unable to complete the work of a course for reasons beyond your control. The instructor must be informed of, and approve of, your reasons before the date when final grades are due. You must complete the Incomplete Grade Contract in conjunction with your instructor to receive an incomplete grade.

The University incomplete grade policy can be found in the Bulletin.

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Internship – You may not earn credit for an internship, but you may register for a zero-credit internship course if it is required by your employer or Immigration Services.�� Contact the Graduate Student Career Development Office to register.

Language Proficiency – Many Elliott School degree programs require students to be proficient in a language other than their native language upon graduation. Native English speakers must demonstrate oral and reading proficiency in a modern foreign language, while non-native English speakers may fulfill this requirement with English. See "Language Exams" (below) for information about documenting your language proficiency.

Language Exams – The Elliott School coordinates several language exams each semester to help students demonstrate proficiency in another language. Read below to determine which exam is appropriate for you. Students must pre-register for each of these exams through the Office of Academic Advising.

• Diagnostic Exam – The diagnostic exam is used to help native English speakers rate their proficiency in a foreign language. It will help determine whether additional language study is needed prior to taking the foreign language exit exam. The diagnostic exam is offered during graduate orientation in August and January.
• Foreign Language Exit Exam – Native English speakers must pass the foreign language exit exam to graduate. Students must have 20 or more earned hours to take the exit exam, and have three opportunities to pass the exam. Exit exams are offered once each semester, usually in November and March.

• TOOL Exam – Non-native English speakers must demonstrate proficiency in English by taking the TOOL exam prior to the end of their second semester. (The TOOL exam is different from the EAP placement exam.)�� Students who earned a degree from an institution whose primary language of instruction is English are exempt from this requirement. The TOOL Exam is administered every February and September.

• Contact your advisorif you plan to test in a language not offered by GW.

Leave of Absence – You must register for a leave of absence if you need to interrupt active pursuit of your degree for a semester. Leave of absence status is generally limited to one academic year. Contact your advisor if you wish to register for leave of absence or have questions about this status.

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Plan of Study – The Plan of Study outlines the degree requirements for each Elliott School graduate program. You must complete a Plan of Study for your program, obtain your Program Director's signature, or, in the case of the International Affairs program, a professor supervising the major field, and submit it to your Academic Advisor by the end of your first semester of study. Failure to do so will result in an administrative hold.

Professional Skills Courses – These one-credit professional development workshops are designed to give you practical experience in your field that can be applied in the workplace. Check with your program director or academic advisor to determine which, if any, professional skills courses are appropriate for your program.

As professional skills courses operate on an eight-week schedule, as opposed to the sixteen-week semester schedule, the following rules for drops, withdrawals, and refunds apply:

• 90% refund for courses dropped after the first class meeting.
• No refund after the second class meeting.
• No "W" recorded on transcript if dropped in first two weeks.
• "W" recorded on transcript if dropped during the third week.
• No withdrawals after the third week, unless circumstances beyond a student's control inhibit his/her attendance in class.

Repeating a Course – A course may not be repeated for credit unless stated otherwise in the University Bulletin. A course taken as "audit" may not later be taken for credit. Any student who earns the grade of C in a graduate course may be asked by the Program Director to repeat the course.

Thesis Option – Some Elliott School programs offer allow students to complete a thesis. You must have a GPA of at least a 3.5 after completing 20 credit hours to be eligible. Your thesis subject must be approved by a full-time faculty member who has agreed to direct the thesis, a second faculty member who will serve as an additional reader, and your academic advisor. Your academic advisor will help you register for the thesis, IAFF 299 or 300.

Thesis requirements are outlined in full in the Graduate Bulletin.

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Time Restriction on Degree Completion – All Elliott School graduate programs require students to complete their studies within a certain time frame. See below for your program and its corresponding time restriction.

• M.A. students must complete all degree requirements within five years of enrollment.
• M.I.P.P., M.I.S, and certificate students must complete all requirements within three years of enrollment.

Should an extension beyond the approved time be necessary, the student must petition for an extension through Academic Advising. If an extension is granted, the student will be required to register for Continuous Enrollment for each semester that work is delinquent.

Transfer Credit – You are eligible to transfer credits for approved courses from other accredited institutions, including study abroad programs. However, the number of credits that may transfer is limited by program. Check your program requirements in the Bulletin to determine how many credits you can transfer.

To transfer credit from another institution and apply the credit toward your degree, you must obtain GW departmental approval, as well as approval from Academic Advising, using the Transfer Credit Approval Form.

Unauthorized Withdrawal ("Z" grade) – A "Z" is an administrative notation on your transcript indicating that you were registered for, but did not attend (or attended only briefly) or complete any graded work for a course. You would likely receive this grade if you stopped attending a course without dropping or withdrawing from the course in GWeb or via a Registration Transaction Form.

Undergraduate Courses – Under special circumstances, undergraduate courses numbered 101-199 may be counted toward a graduate degree. Prior approval of the instructor, program director, and academic advisor is required.

Each program limits the number of undergraduate hours that may be used. In most M.A. programs students may count a maximum of six semester hours of foreign language instruction toward their degree, including courses below the 100-level. Course work counted toward a bachelor's degree cannot be applied toward a master's degree.

• M.A. students: no more than nine hours of undergraduate courses.
• M.I.P.P., M.I.S., and certificate students: no more than six hours of undergraduate courses.

Waiving Requirements – It is possible to waive a course or requirement based on previously completed coursework. Waivers will be considered only for courses completed within the last five years in which you earned a "B" or better. You must submit the following paperwork to Academic Advising to have your waiver request reviewed:

• A petition outlining the reasons a waiver should be considered, signed by GW faculty who teaches a similar course.
• A syllabus of the course/s completed.
• A transcript documenting completion of the course/s.

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