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Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

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Graduate Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

The Graduate Student Handbook is periodically updated and is fully of information that any A&M-Texarkana Graduate Student can use to excel in their graduate education. 

Graduate Student Handbook

Academic Integrity

Academic honesty is expected of all students enrolled at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification of research data, plagiarism, and undocumented use of materials from any source constitutes academic dishonesty and may be grounds for a grade of ‘F’ in the course and/or disciplinary actions without the option of dropping or withdrawing.  The university defines plagiarism as "taking and using as one's idea the writing, invention, expression, or ideas of another person." 

Student Honor Code

Texas A&M University-Texarkana expects high standards that include academic honesty, personal integrity, and ethical, academic behavior of all its students. Reverence, relentless curiosity, and a willingness to participate are essential qualities of an emerging scholar, and the university encourages these qualities. A student’s personal integrity, ethical behavior, and sense of honor contribute to a respectful and positive academic climate allowing all students to develop as scholars and reach their greatest academic potential. Since students are responsible for maintaining an academic climate based on trust and respect, they should report any activity threatening a climate conducive to learning to an instructor or administrator.

Student Rights and Obligations

Students must respect each others rights. These rights include respect for personal feelings, freedom from indignity of any type, freedom from the control of others except as may be in accord with published rules and procedures of Texas A&M University-Texarkana or the Texas A&M University System, and conditions that allow the best use of time and talents toward educational objectives. No officer or student, regardless of position or rank, shall violate these rights; the university will allow no custom, tradition, or regulation in conflict with these rights to prevail. At all times, students must recognize constituted authority, conform to the ordinary rules of good conduct, maintain honesty, respect the rights of others, protect private and public property, and make the best use of time toward the completion of an education. The “Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities” (Code) is neither exhaustive nor does it encompass all possible relationships between students and the institution.  The “Code” is not rigid or unchangeable.  As the relationship between students and the university grows, authorities may modify the “Code.”

Students should know and observe university rules and procedures. Ignorance of these rules and procedures does not excuse students from adherence to them.  Staff and university officials should endeavor to inform students of university rules, regulations, policies, and procedures whenever the circumstance applies.  Students may find additional information on the Student Conduct website.

Transfer Credit

The university will accept a maximum of 12 hours of graduate level course work as transfer credit from another regionally accredited institution if the student’s advisor and dean of the college approve the transfer of credit. The university can only accept transfer credit for students in masters degree programs in which the student earns a grade of “C” or better. Additionally, for masters degree seekers, transfer courses must have been completed within five years of admission to graduate studies at Texas A&M University- Texarkana. For students in doctoral programs, only approved courses in which the students earned a grade of "B" or better are accepted for transfer.
For students in masters programs, the courses being transferred must be less than five years old. If older than five years, special permission is required by the program coordinator, Dean of the College, and Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
For students in doctoral programs, ALL coursework, whether completed at A&M Texarkana or transferred from another institution must be completed within 10 years from the date of admission into the doctoral program. All transfer credit counting toward the doctoral degree must be approved by the student's advisor, College Dean, and Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Please see the "Doctoral Program Handbook" for further information.

Double Counting Credit between Master’s Degrees

Second Master's Degree

A student with a master’s degree from this institution or another regionally accredited graduate school may earn a second master’s degree by meeting the following requirements:

  1. Apply to the program under the current admission criteria.
  2. Complete a minimum of 18 additional SCH of graduate-level courses (this requirement assumes that the advisor and college dean apply 12 SCH from the first master’s degree and depends on the total number of SCH required for the individual degree).
  3. Satisfactorily complete all requirements for the second degree.
  4. Complete SCH the college requires for the degree. The program will administer comprehensive examinations for the second master’s degree in the same manner as for the first degree. The second degree will be subject to the general regulations governing master’s degrees except as stated above.

 

Academic Probation and Suspension Policy

Academic Probation & Suspension Policy Guidelines

A student’s academic status at the university is determined at the end of each fall, spring, or summer semester using the student’s cumulative and in some cases semester grade point average (GPA).  The student’s academic status governs his or her re-enrollment status and determines any conditions associated with re-enrollment or denial of enrollment for a subsequent term.  Students being placed on academic probation or suspension will be notified in writing at the end of each term.  However, this policy statement is the formal notification to all students of the conditions that determine academic status and the consequences for each term, regardless of individual notification.

The purpose of academic probation and suspension is to make the student aware of the University’s concern that satisfactory academic progress is not being made in his or her course of study.  Early notification of this concern maximizes the student’s opportunity to make appropriate adjustments that will result in remaining in good standing.  Each student is responsible for knowing his or her academic status and the regulations that apply. 

Texas A&M University-Texarkana will not admit students on suspension from other institutions until their specified periods of suspension expire unless the institution that placed the student on suspension grants approval.  Students who register for classes by providing false information will be withdrawn from all classes without tuition or fee refund. 

A student’s academic standing is part of their academic history and will be recorded on the official academic transcript.

The university will impose enrollment restrictions as a result of suspension only at the end of the fall and spring terms.

Length of Suspension

The length of suspension is for one calendar year for both undergraduate and graduate students.  After the period of academic suspension has passed, the student may apply for readmission and enroll on a probationary status. 

Suspension appeals and early re-entry

Undergraduate students who wish to appeal their academic suspension may do so through Academic Advising.  Early re-entry is possible only once with permission from the College dean and the Vice-President for Academic Affairs. Only extenuating circumstances warrant such action.

Undergraduate students faced with an extenuating circumstance, may file a suspension appeal with an academic advisor.  If your appeal is approved, you will be permitted to enroll again on probation.

Graduate students who wish to appeal their academic suspension may do so through the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.  Early re-entry is possible only once with permission from the Provost and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.  Only extenuating circumstances warrant such action.  Graduate students who re-enter on academic probation, must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher to prevent being suspended for another one year period.    

Texas A&M University-Texarkana reserves the right to deny admission to a student whom another college has suspended even though the suspension period has expired.

Probation policy for Graduate Students

  • Graduate students may be placed on probation after completion of 12 credit hours if the cumulative GPA is below 3.0
  • Students will remain on probation until he or she raises the cumulative GPA to 3.0 or above.
  • While on probation, students must maintain a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • A student on probation may be suspended if both the semester GPA and cumulative GPA fall below 3.0

Suspension Policy for Graduate Students

  • At the end of a fall or spring semester, graduate students on probation will be suspended if their semester GPA and overall GPA fall below a 3.0.

Academic Suspension Appeal Form

If a student wishes to appeal their academic suspension, please fill out the Academic Suspension Appeal Form and submit to the Office of Graduate Studies. 

Preparation of Dissertation & Thesis

Graduate students that are completing a thesis or dissertation for their degree program can follow these links to the Texas A&M University-Texarkana thesis and and dissertation manuals as well as the Doctoral Program Handbook. If you have questions about submission deadlines, the thesis or dissertation process,Proquest or acquiring copies of your dissertation or thesis, contact your program.

Dissertation Manual for Doctoral Studies - Doctoral Program Handbook

Education Leadership Doctoral Program Handbook - Doctoral Program Handbook

Thesis Manual for Graduate Studies - Thesis Manual

 

Masters Graduation Requirements

The following is a checklist university staff uses to determine eligibility for graduation.

The following checklist will validate progress:

  1. Students must complete an approved master’s degree program. Students must follow the “Official Degree Plan” A&M-Texarkana has issued. (Students may choose to complete a six (6) SCH thesis as part of their degree program.) Note: Consult section on “Graduation Under a Particular Catalog.”
  2. Students may transfer no more than 12 SCH of graduate-level course work from another regionally accredited institution and have the university apply those credits toward a master’s degree at A&M-Texarkana.
  3. Students may apply no more than 6 SCH of special-format courses (597, 589, and/or 529) to degree requirements.
  4. Students may apply no more than 9 SCH of S/U-graded courses to degree requirements.
  5. Students may not apply courses they have taken more than five years prior to admission to the graduate-studies program to their degree. The dean may give special approval to apply such courses to a particular degree.
  6. A student’s degree plan must not be over five years old.
  7. Students must complete all “X” grades prior to graduation.
  8. Students must achieve the following grade-point averages:
    1. 3.00 or above on all graduate work attempted in major field of study or area of concentration (Major GPA);
    2. 3.00 or above on all graduate courses attempted at A&M-Texarkana (Institutional GPA);

    3. 3.00 or above on all graduate course work (Cumulative GPA).
      Note: The university will not count grades lower than “C” toward a graduate degree, but the university will use those grades to calculate the GPA. The university considers a course with a grade of “D” or “F” completed, and the GPA will reflect those grades.

  9. The university will calculate into the final grade all graduate course work the student has taken prior to graduation.
  10. The student may apply, upon recommendation of the instructor and approval of the college dean, a maximum of two (2) 400-level undergraduate courses toward fulfillment of graduate-degree requirements. When taking a 400-level course for graduate credit, the student must complete additional work beyond the quality and quantity of work, which distinguishes graduate instruction (See "Enrollment in Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit" in the Graduate Studies section of this catalog under General Academic Policies).  Graduate courses are numbered 500 and above.
  11. The specific college may require students to pass a comprehensive examination covering work within the master’s degree program including, if applicable, an acceptable defense of the thesis.  For programs that do not require a comprehensive exam, the student must earn a minimum grade on a required capstone course.  (See the requirements for the student’s particular degree.)  A student who fails to pass the comprehensive exam must complete whatever further courses or additional study the advisor requires to correct the deficiencies.  If the student fails a second time, he or she may not take the exam again without special permission of the dean of the college.  Students who fail to achieve the required minimum grade on the capstone course must repeat the course.
  12. Students must submit the completed application for graduation  by the date published in the schedule of classes.
  13. The university must have a copy of all official transcripts on file with the Office of the Registrar.
  14. Students who enroll off campus during the semester they expect to graduate will be responsible for submitting official transcripts to the Office of the Registrar before their degree can be awarded. The university must record final grades from all courses the student has taken at another university on a student's Texas A&M University-Texarkana transcript.  This requirement includes cross-registered courses, CLEP exams and courses completed through the course-exchange program.  Failure to submit official transcripts by the deadline stated by the Office of the Registrar will prevent the degree from being awarded for the intended graduation term.  Students whose degree is not awarded for the intended graduation term, will be required to apply for a future term.
  15. In order for a student to receive his or her degree, diploma and participate in commencement, he or she must have completed all degree requirements (including passing comprehensive exams) and have a zero balance on their account by the Friday one week prior to the graduation-commencement ceremony.

Doctoral Graduation Requirements

The following will validate the progress:

The successful completion of a doctoral degree requires several different elements including: coursework specific to the student's plan of study totaling no less than 60 semester credit hours, a passing score on the comprehensive examinations, and the successful defense of a dissertation. Because this program requires specific coursework mapping and planning, and contains such a high degree of individualization, students are referred to the "Doctoral Program Handbook" for more information on the necessary steps to successfully graduate with a doctoral degree.