Graduate School | University of Mississippi Academic Catalog

Leadership

Annette Kluck - Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Leadership and Counselor Education
Robert John Doerksen - Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Research Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Affiliate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Contact

100 Graduate House
University, MS 38677
gschool@olemiss.edu
http://gradschool.olemiss.edu

Overview

The University of Mississippi offers a variety of master’s, specialist, and doctoral degree programs. The Office of the Graduate School provides leadership, coordination, and administrative structure to support all graduate programs at the University. The Graduate School, which administers all graduate study at the university, holds membership in the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States. Its faculty consists of about 400 members, who are qualified to offer graduate work.

Graduate School Office

The Graduate School Office, located in the Graduate House, receives applications, coordinates their review, communicates with prospective students regarding their admission status, maintains academic records, monitors students' progress, process assistantship appointments, advises students, and interprets academic policies established by the Graduate Council.

Graduate Council

The Graduate Council has broad responsibility for advising on all graduate academic policies and activities of the University on its Oxford campus and satellite campus locations (excluding the Medical Center). This includes the consideration of new degree programs, formulation and refinement of graduate regulations, consideration of all graduate and Law courses for approval and decisions on petitions from students who are requesting waivers of campus-wide (as opposed to departmental or school) graduate degree requirements. The faculty representatives on this committee are tenured professorial faculty.

Graduate Faculty

The Graduate Faculty are those faculty members who are approved to teach graduate level courses and direct or co-direct master’s and doctoral students. The Graduate School Office maintains a list of members.

Graduate Student Council

The Graduate Student Council at The University of Mississippi addresses the needs and concerns of all graduate students on the Oxford campus. The council officers and senate work with the faculty, administration, and other student organizations to promote higher academic achievement and standards, to facilitate interdepartmental communication among graduate students, and to provide graduate students with more opportunities for social interaction. By collectively addressing common concerns of its membership, the Graduate Student Council strives to eliminate much of the unnecessary stress often associated with graduate student life. Some of the Graduate Student Council’s goals are to compile and disseminate information concerning graduate grants and scholarships outside the University, advocate for financial resources and assistance for graduate students, and to work with the University’s placement office to establish a clearinghouse of information regarding career opportunities in academia and other professions.

History

The University of Mississippi from 1848, the date of its formal opening, until 1870 conferred the honorary degree of Master of Arts upon certain of its graduates who had attained intellectual distinction. Courses at the graduate level were offered first in 1870. A comprehensive examination as a requirement for the master’s degree also was established that year. A definite program of graduate study with a minimum residence requirement of one academic year was inaugurated in 1890. During the last nine decades, graduate work at The University of Mississippi has been continually developed and expanded. The Graduate School was formally organized in 1927 to coordinate and administer graduate study and research at the university.

Aims and Ends of Graduate Education

The purpose of graduate education at the University was first articulated by the Aims and Ends statement associated with the organization of the Graduate School in 1927. The statement is as follows:

The student who undertakes graduate study should understand at the outset that work of this character implies more than the acquisition of knowledge under competent instruction. They should aspire to a degree of knowledge of a given subject in order to make a contribution that is of original and independent value. This does not imply that much of the student’s energies are not still to be applied in the acquisition of facts universally accepted, a process that should continue through life, but in graduate study these facts are to be weighed, coordinated, and supplemented by the student's own contributions.

Graduate Education Learning Outcomes

The Graduate School of the University of Mississippi has master’s, specialist, and doctoral degree programs. The general learning outcomes of these degrees are summarized as follows. A student who completes a master’s degree should:

demonstrate a mastery of a body of knowledge in the discipline; the level of the material and/or the extent of mastery must be above that for the baccalaureate degree;
successfully use the basic methodologies of the discipline;
retrieve, evaluate, and utilize information relevant to the discipline;
communicate, both orally and in writing, in a manner and level of proficiency that is standard for the discipline;
(for thesis master’s) conduct research or produce creative work;
(for non-thesis master’s) function as a professional in the discipline.

A student who completes a specialist degree should be able to demonstrate the above competencies and should

master a body of knowledge beyond that for a master’s degree
function as a professional in the discipline.

A student who completes a doctoral degree should

demonstrate broad and advanced knowledge within the discipline;
successfully use a range of methodologies of the discipline;
independently perform original research;
communicate effectively;
function as a professional in the discipline.

Operational Procedures

The policies and regulations of a given Fall version of the Graduate School Catalog take effect with the registration procedures for that fall session. Graduate students whose notices of admission have been issued prior to a given fall session registration, but who deferred their initial registration, must conform to any changes in regulations made between the date of the admission and the initial registration. A graduate student making application for degree must meet the requirements of the catalog under which he or she was admitted or re-admitted. When a graduate student completes a degree program and seeks another degree, the student must satisfy the requirements stated in the catalog in effect during the enrollment period for the new degree. In the event that any regulation of the Graduate School conflicts with the regulation of a department or school, the Graduate School regulation must be met; the preceding statement, however, does not preclude the right of a department or school to impose additional requirements that exceed those of the Graduate School. Graduate students are expected to familiarize themselves with the academic requirements and regulations stated in this catalog. Ignorance of these requirements and regulations, incorrect statements or advice from faculty or students, or misunderstandings of these procedures will not be accepted as cause for waiving any requirement or regulation in this catalog. Graduate students who, because of exceptional or extraordinary circumstances, wish to be granted exceptions from the regulations of this catalog may petition in writing to the dean of the Graduate School. Such petitions must bear the recommendation of the department chair or dean concerned. The dean of the Graduate School may act upon the petition, or he or she may refer it for the recommendation of the Graduate Council. The recommendation of the Graduate Council will be considered final when approved by the dean of the Graduate School and the chancellor of the university.

Graduate School Academic Regulations

Grades

Students may receive quality grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, or F on graduate coursework, but grades of C-, D, and F are not acceptable for graduate credit. In certain specifically designated courses, the mark of Z is given to indicate that a student has received graduate credit but has been assigned no quality grade in the course; however, in courses approved for the Z mark, instructors may assign the quality grade of F. The only other marks that may be assigned in courses approved for the Z mark are I or W.

Certain courses can also be designated as eligible for grades of S, M, or U and courses for which these grades are authorized are noted in catalog listings. These grades are not used in computing a student’s GPA. The S grade is given to a student enrolled in a course for graduate credit who earns a grade of B or better but for whom the original letter grade is deemed inappropriate. The S grade in a course is considered to satisfy any “B or better” prerequisite or degree requirement. The S grade can be used for courses required for graduation. The M grade is given to a student enrolled in a course for graduate credit who earns a grade of B-, C+, or C but for whom the original letter grade is deemed inappropriate. The M grade cannot be used to satisfy requirements of “B or better” prerequisites. The M grade will be treated the same as a grade of C when determining whether it counts towards graduation requirements for individual graduate degree programs. The U grade is given to a student enrolled in a course for graduate credit who earns a grade of C- or D but for whom the original letter grade is deemed inappropriate. The U grade cannot be used to satisfy prerequisite requirements for graduate courses or to meet degree requirements.

The nonquality mark of X designates courses in which the student is registered as an auditor. The nonquality mark of W is given to students to indicate withdrawal from the course. The I mark is given when, for unusual reasons acceptable to the instructor, course requirements cannot be completed within the enrollment period.

The IP mark may be given for specifically designated graduate research-oriented courses in which the nature of the course or the expectations of students in the course cannot anticipate completion within one semester. Students receiving the mark of I are expected to complete the course no later than the last class day of the next regular semester (excluding summer terms). Following this deadline, the I will be computed as an F in establishing a student’s grade-point average. Students receiving the mark of IP are expected to complete the course within one calendar year of enrolling in the course. Following this deadline, the IP will be computed as an F in establishing a student’s grade-point average. An I or IP grade may not be removed by formally enrolling in the same course in a subsequent semester at this university or any other institution. Where a student has at least three outstanding I or IP grades, the student is not permitted to enroll in additional courses until the number of temporary grades is reduced to fewer than three.

Graduate students must maintain at least a B average on all graduate work undertaken. Where a student is required to take, as part of the degree program, more than 12 hours in an area outside the field of specialization, a B average must be presented in both areas, computed separately. No grades or marks are given for courses designated as thesis, doctoral essay, or dissertation. In any situation in which a graduate student wishes to appeal a grade, he or she should contact the dean of the Graduate School and should consult the Grade Appeal Policy, which shall apply in this case.

Probation

Students whose grade-point average falls below 3.0 in any semester will be placed on probation and expected to improve their grades to an acceptable level before the end of their next period of enrollment. If the grade-point average of a graduate student for a semester or term has been unsatisfactory, the dean of the Graduate School may refuse permission for the student to register for further work or change the student’s classification.

Repeating Courses

Grades for all courses taken by graduate students will remain a permanent part of their transcript. Except for courses identified in the catalog as “may be repeated for credit,” no course may be repeated more than once, and no more than two courses may be repeated and applied toward a degree. In instances of repeated courses, the grade and credit hours for the second attempt will be used to determine eligibility to graduate. Departments may impose higher standards. For those courses that may be repeated for credit, the department offering the course would notify the registrar’s office to rename (or index as I/II, etc.) the course on students’ transcripts at each offering.

Forgiveness Policy

None.

Discipline

The broad purpose underlying student discipline is to order university living in such a way that the interests of the student body as a whole and of the individuals comprising it are best served. The university reserves the right to sever the connection of any student with the university for appropriate reason. In any situation in which a graduate student wishes to appeal a charge of academic dishonesty, he or she should contact the dean of the Graduate School and should review the Academic Conduct and Discipline Policy, which shall apply in this case.

Minimum Load

A minimum registration of 3 hours is required of every graduate student in each regular semester and 1 hour during the summer session, including registration for thesis or dissertation. An exception to this as that students who have attained candidacy and completed all courses for the doctoral degree may enroll 1 hour during each term (however, doctoral students must also meet the minimum load of 3 hours in the semester during which the graduate).

Maximum Load

The maximum enrollment for a graduate student in a regular session is 15 semester hours of graduate work per semester, including thesis or dissertation. In the summer session, the student may register for no more than 12 hours across all terms within a single summer.

Maximum Load for Graduate Fellows and Assistants

Students receiving a full University Nonservice Fellowship must enroll for at least 9 hours per semester. Enrollments for students holding service appointments are governed by the following schedule:

In order to be eligible to receive a partial tuition scholarship, graduate assistants must enroll for at least 9 hours of graduate credit.

Full-time Student

A graduate student registered for 9 or more graduate credit hours during the fall or spring semesters at the university is considered to be a full-time student. In a summer term, a graduate student registered for 4 or more graduate semester hours is considered a full-time student, though, to satisfy residence requirements, the student must enroll for a total of 9 hours during the summer session terms.

Withdrawal from a Course

Registration for a course makes the student responsible for attending that course until the course is completed or until, with the approval of the instructor and the dean of the Graduate School, the registrar authorizes withdrawal from the course. The last day that a student may withdraw from a class without a record of enrollment in each semester is listed in the Academic Calendar.

Course Levels

Courses numbered between 5500 and 5999, unless otherwise noted, are limited to graduate and upper-division undergraduate students. To receive graduate credit for a 5000-level course, the student must enroll in the course number associated with graduate credit. Courses numbered 6000 and above are open only to graduate students and students in the Program for Advanced Accelerated Degrees.

Graduate Credit for Advanced Undergraduates

Undergraduate students may earn graduate credit under two distinct circumstances.

Program for Accelerated Advanced Degrees

The University of Mississippi offers the opportunity for high-performing, advanced undergraduate students to earn credit toward a graduate degree through the Program for Accelerated Advanced Degrees (PAAD). PAAD programs are designed to support accelerated completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees such that a student will be able to earn both degrees within five years. Students who enter their undergraduate studies with a large number of credit hours prior to their freshman year may be able to complete such bachelor’s + master’s PAAD programs in less than five years. Not all graduate programs participate in the PAAD (see the Graduate School website for a complete listing of participating programs).

Undergraduate students may apply to a PAAD graduate program after successfully completing 90 hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Typically, the student may apply to the Graduate School in the final semester of their junior year. Students interested in participating in a PAAD graduate program must apply to the Graduate School with approval from the PAAD graduate program coordinator. Permission to take graduate courses will be granted by the Graduate School if the student meets the above criteria. Students enrolled in PAAD graduate programs may enroll for graduate credit approved courses numbered between 5500 or 6999. In such cases, up to 15 credit hours of graduate enrollment (numbered between 5500 and 5999) may be counted toward the completion of the undergraduate degree. Additional graduate credit hours completed beyond those 15 hours will not be counted toward satisfying the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. Within the grading system prior to Fall 2026, courses with a 5000 level number taken by undergraduates for graduate credit must be designated with the suffix G, whether or not such courses count toward the completion of the undergraduate degree. Undergraduate students who participate in a PAAD graduate program may not complete more than 30 graduate credit hours prior to completion of the bachelor’s degree.

As undergraduate students participating in a PAAD graduate program near the completion of the bachelor’s degree, they should follow the typical application process for the relevant graduate degree program. Generally this will involve making application for entry into the graduate program via the formal Graduate School application during the fall or spring of their senior year. Upon completion of the bachelor’s degree, students participating in PAAD graduate programs will be automatically transferred into the relevant graduate degree program if they received a decision of admit and accepted the offer of admission or they will be transferred to nondegree-seeking graduate student status if they were not accepted into the graduate program.

Undergraduate Students Not Seeking a Graduate Degree

Under certain conditions, University of Mississippi seniors within 30 semester hours of the bachelor’s degree may enroll for a maximum of 3 semester hours of graduate courses numbered between 5500 and 5999, and seniors within 15 semester hours of the bachelor’s degree may enroll for a maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate credit in courses numbered between 5500 and 5999. The conditions are that the student must have an overall grade-point average of at least 3.00 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work and be otherwise qualified for admission to the Graduate School, that these courses must not be counted toward satisfying the requirements for the bachelor’s degree, that the student completed the requirements of the graduate-level course, and that the department chair concerned and the dean of the Graduate School must have approved the undergraduate to enroll in the graduate-level course. Whereas the general rule is that a maximum of 9 semester hours can be earned by an undergraduate for graduate credit, this maximum can be extended for students who enter as an undergraduate student at the University of Mississippi with 18 or more credit hours. Regardless of the number of hours earned, individuals who earn graduate credit while completing their undergraduate degree with this mechanism may apply a maximum of 6 hours toward a graduate degree at the University of Mississippi. Courses taken by undergraduates prior to Fall 2026 with a 5000-level number must be designated with the suffix G. Under no circumstances may undergraduates enrolled in graduate courses outside of PAAD graduate programs enroll in courses at the 6000 level or above.

Transfer of Graduate Credit from Another Institution

A student may receive credit toward a graduate degree for work accomplished in recognized institutions upon the recommendation of the department and the approval of the dean of the Graduate School. Only courses for which the student received the grade of B or higher may be transferred. Transfer of credit from another institution will not be accepted for workshops, internships, and other courses of a similar nature, and for courses in which regular letter grades are not awarded. Grades from other institutions may not substitute for unsatisfactory grades earned at the university; nor may the grade of A or B earned at another institution be used to offset a lower grade earned at the university. Transfer work from another institution that constitutes an overload while enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Mississippi will not be accepted.

All transfer of credit is subject to the following conditions: (1) The residence or degree credit requirement is not reduced. (2) The other graduate school must offer a graduate degree in the field in which the work has been completed. (3) The credit must be recommended by the student’s department in the university as specifically applicable to the student’s degree program.

With department approval, a student may transfer up to one half, but no more than 12 hours, of the graded coursework credit hours required for a master’s or specialist degree program (e.g., up to 12 hours may be transferred if the degree program requires 24 hours of graded coursework, or up to 9 hours if the degree program requires 18 hours of graded coursework). There is a six-year time limit on the applicability of transferred credit, as there is on all credits applicable toward the master’s degree.

With department approval, a student may transfer up to one half, but no more than 24 hours, of the graded coursework credit hours required for a doctoral degree program (e.g., up to 12 hours may be transferred if the degree program requires 24 hours of graded coursework, or up to 9 hours if the degree program requires 18 hours of graded coursework). There is a six-year time limit on the applicability of transferred credit. Beyond the 24 credit hour limit, departmental doctoral program requirements may be waived or reduced as a result of graduate work completed at other institutions; however, Graduate School minimum degree requirements must be met, and students must take at least 50% of their graded credit hours applied toward the doctoral degree at the University of Mississippi.

Two exceptions to the limit on credit hours for transfer of doctoral credit apply. First, a student who transfers to the University of Mississippi following the recruitment of their faculty advisor as a new faculty member at the University of Mississippi may submit a request to apply additional transfer credit hours toward their doctoral degree. However, the comprehensive exams and dissertation must be completed at the University of Mississippi. Second, when there is a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Mississippi and another university in which specific courses for transfer are approved by the program faculty and Graduate School, programs may allow additional hours to transfer. The student must complete at least 18 graded doctoral hours at the University of Mississippi and must complete the comprehensive exam and dissertation at the University of Mississippi.

No work from another institution or work used in fulfilling the requirements of another degree may be accepted for transfer to a graduate certificate, but, with department approval, graduate certificate program requirements may be waived as a result of work completed at other institutions, subject to the student being required to take alternate coursework to meet the minimum number of hours required for the graduate certificate.

Transfer of University Graduate Credit to a Graduate Degree

A 6-hour transfer policy applies to credits completed within the institution, setting 6 as the maximum number of hours that can be transferred. However, there are two exceptions to this policy.

First, the 6-hour transfer policy’s limit does not apply for credits completed in fulfillment of one or more graduate certificates that are later (after the awarding of the graduate certificate) applied to a graduate degree in the same field. No credit completed in fulfillment of a graduate certificate that is earned concurrent to a master’s or doctoral degree may be applied toward that master’s or doctoral degree. All credits earned in pursuit of a graduate certificate can be applied toward a first master’s, specialist, or doctoral degree in the same field. This exception to the 6-hour transfer policy does not allow for the same credits from a graduate certificate to be applied toward two separate master’s degrees.

Second, the 6-hour transfer policy’s limit also does not apply to credits completed by undergraduate students who completed graduate courses as part of an accelerated graduate degree (i.e., Program for Accelerated Advanced Degrees). Limits on the number of credit hours an undergraduate student can complete and count toward a graduate degree are governed by the academic catalog (see other sections in this policy on Graduate School Academic Regulations).

Transfer of University Graduate Credit to a Graduate Certificate

Graduate credits earned in pursuit of a graduate degree cannot be applied toward a graduate certificate. Students who completed credits in pursuit of a graduate minor but who opt to complete a graduate certificate instead of the minor can apply credits from the minor only toward a graduate certificate. Such credits cannot be counted toward a graduate degree.

Transfer of University Graduate Credit to a Second Master’s Degree

A 6-hour transfer policy applies within the university. No more than 6 hours, subject to departmental approval, may be applied from a previous master’s degree to a second master’s degree.

Correspondence Work

The Graduate School does not accept coursework taken by correspondence.

Application for a Degree

A student is expected to submit an application for a degree during the last semester or summer term of resident enrollment. If the student is not able to complete degree requirements at the end of that period, the student will resubmit the application during the semester or summer term at the end of which the student expects to graduate. A student must be formally admitted to the degree program prior to the beginning of the semester in which the degree is awarded and must meet the requirements of the catalog under which he or she was admitted or readmitted.

Final Enrollment

All students planning to receive their graduate degrees must be enrolled for at least 3 hours (thesis, dissertation, or coursework) during the fall or spring semester in which they take the final oral and/or written examination. Those planning to graduate during the summer must be enrolled for at least 1 hour.

Graduate Minors

Minors are a coherent set of courses defined by one or more units outside the student's enrolling program. A minor encourages and recognizes expertise gained in a particular area. This expertise could be completely outside the usual degree requirements or it could significantly extend knowledge in an area closely related to, but still outside, a particular degree program.

Admissions Requirements

A student may pursue a graduate minor while admitted in full-standing to a master’s, specialist or doctoral degree program. The student must apply to the coordinator of the graduate minor program before completion of one-half of the courses that will potentially count towards the minor completion. The coordinator or coordinating committee for the minor will establish and interpret the admission criteria. Admission to a minor must be with the knowledge and approval of the student’s advisor and the academic program in which the student is enrolled.

Graduate Minor Requirements

A graduate minor must require at least 12 hours of graduate level courses from among an approved list of courses pertinent to the minor topic. No transfer credit may be counted toward a minor. No more than three hours may come from practicum, internship, research or individual study courses. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for courses counted towards the minor.

Administration

Student records relating to the minor are maintained by the coordinator of the minor. The coordinator and/or coordinating committee will make decisions about admissions into the minor, will provide oversight regarding courses comprising the minor, and will notify the Graduate School when a student has completed the requirements for the minor.
Credit used toward the completion of one minor may not be applied toward another minor but it is at the discretion of the major degree department to determine which, if any, of the courses used to fulfill the minor will also be used to fulfill the requirements of the graduate major degree. Some minors may require that a member of the unit(s) offering the minor serve on the student’s master’s or doctoral committee.

Master’s Degree

Degrees higher than the baccalaureate are granted at the University of Mississippi because of special attainments achieved by degree candidates. Prospective students should understand clearly that a graduate degree is not awarded upon the basis of a collection of course credits, or the passing of certain prescribed examinations, or the submission of a thesis or dissertation. In other words, the student cannot expect to receive a higher degree because of successfully completing the individual parts of the degree program. Course schedules, examinations, and other requirements explained in this catalog are to be regarded as minimums; and any student may be required to satisfy whatever additional requirements academic advisers deem appropriate.

To receive a higher degree from the University of Mississippi, the student must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the graduate faculty of the department, school, or college of the student and to the faculty of the university that the student has attained through intelligence, scholarship, industry, and personal qualities the high level of professional and academic competence that the faculty of each department expects of a person holding the degree being sought. The determination of fitness to qualify for the degree rests solely upon the estimate that the faculty makes of the student’s right to the degree. (See also “Operational Procedures” section.)

The requirements stated below are basic for all master’s degrees. Additional departmental requirements may be found preceding the lists of courses offered in the various departments.

Semester Hours

A minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit is required for all master’s degrees. Specific degree programs may require more than the minimum number of hours. For degree programs in which the thesis is required or included, 24 semester hours of course work are required in addition to a minimum of 6 semester hours of thesis credit. Graduate students in a master’s degree program must complete a minimum of 18 hours of formal classroom lecture courses, that is, courses that require regular attendance, study assignments, final examinations, and quality grades, and that are not designated or conducted as workshops, group study, directed study, directed readings, field study, practicum, internships, etc. No more than 6 hours of Z-graded courses may be applied toward the degree program, and a minimum of 24 hours must be taken in courses other than internships and practicums.

The Master of Fine Arts degree, which is offered in art and creative writing, requires a minimum of 54 semester hours in the subject area, two years of academic residency, and a thesis project of 6 semester hours. Up to 30 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree may be waived by the department on the basis of previous graduate work completed in the subject field. The last 30 hours of this degree must meet the time limit requirement for completion of master’s degrees.

Final Examination

Except for students enrolled in a program that has a comparable culminating experience and has received approval of the Graduate Council, every candidate for a master’s degree must pass a final written or oral examination administered by a committee appointed by the dean of the Graduate School and recommended by the chair of the department or the program coordinator of the program to which the student was admitted. The committee must be composed of three members of the graduate faculty in the student’s department or graduate program, all of whom must be associate or full members of the graduate faculty, with one member designated as chair.

Unless the program specifies otherwise within their policies, for all students required to complete a thesis, the chair of the thesis shall review and provide guidance on the thesis prior to the student’s submission of the thesis to the other members of the committee. Generally, the chair will approve the student to submit the thesis to other members of the committee and the proposal and defense meetings will only occur after the chair has approved the thesis draft to be sent to the committee. The student may also consult with others on the project when expertise of other committee members may be required earlier in the review process. Departments that wish to use a different process of approving the thesis (proposal or defense document) to be sent to the committee must specify such in their handbook. In the absence of other documentation, the Graduate School policy shall direct the process. Unless otherwise specified, faculty will complete the review of a thesis draft (proposal or defense) within 2 weeks. Programs may establish other timelines for faculty to return thesis documents with suggestions, corrections, or edits to students. In such cases, those timelines must be included in the program handbook. Graduate students should understand that it is common to require review of multiple drafts and should anticipate that the revision process may require multiple rounds of such review. In addition, the 2-week timeline only applies when faculty are on contract and the institution is open for business. In instances where the chair or committee member requires more time to review the thesis than the 2 weeks established here or the timeline established in the program handbook, such information must be communicated to the student as early as possible and typically in writing.

The oral examination shall cover the candidate’s graduate courses, the general background of the field of study, and thesis (if the thesis is required). The oral examination may be taken only after the student has satisfied the foreign language requirement (if any) and the thesis (when required) is in final form (that is, ready for submission to the graduate dean except for corrections required by the oral examining committee at the oral examination). The dean of the Graduate School will not schedule oral examinations during the regular university examination periods at the end of enrollment periods or between semesters. Final oral or written examinations for master’s degrees should be administered no earlier than midterm of the semester in which the candidate is enrolled in the final courses, excluding thesis hours, required for the degree.

A department or division may require supplementary oral or written examinations and may require additional course work of candidates whose oral examinations are unsatisfactory. However, the course work will not replace the requirement that candidates successfully complete a final oral or written examination.

Major and Minor Fields

As a rule, requirements at the master’s level preclude the designation of a minor area. In special instances, with the approval of the major department and the dean of the Graduate School, the candidate may plan a program that includes 6 to 12 hours in one area or 6 hours in each of two areas. A concentration of less than 6 hours will not be considered a minor.

Time Limit

All work applying to a master’s degree must be completed within a six-year time period. All students whose work has been interrupted by involuntary service in the armed forces are allowed six years in addition to the time spent in the armed services. This exception does not apply to career military personnel. Grades received for courses taken for master’s degrees that do not fall within the time limit for completion of all degree requirements will not be used in determining the overall grade-point average.

Continuous Enrollment

The University does not have a continuous enrollment requirement for master’s students. Specific master’s programs may require up to 3 hours of continuous enrollment for at least two of three terms (i.e., fall, spring, summer) during any 12-month period and will specify such n their handbook and/or catalog. In cases where programs require 3 hours of enrollment, master’s students can enroll in 1 hour during summer terms but such enrollment does not satisfy the continuous enrollment requirement.

Penalty Clause

For students in programs that require continuous enrollment, the penalty for failure to maintain continuous enrollment is a fee equal to the tuition charge that would be necessary to have maintained continuous enrollment for the most recent 12-month period.

Thesis

In programs requiring a thesis, candidates must register for 4-6 semester hours of thesis (only if a program requires fewer than 6 hours, such that the program requires more than 24 nonthesis hours and officially specifies a minimum of 4 or 5 hours in the catalog, may a student complete fewer than 6 hours). Students who have obtained the required semester hours of thesis credit (as specified by their program) without completing the thesis, and who have completed all coursework, must enroll for 3 semester hours of thesis or coursework each subsequent semester in order to obtain library and parking permits, student housing, etc. For summer graduates, enrollment may be in either first, second, or full summer term, but an enrollment during the intersession will not fulfill this requirement. If the degree is not awarded at the end of the semester or summer term, as anticipated, another registration for 3 semester hours is required in the semester in which the degree is granted.

A written thesis must conform to the regulations governing the style, format, paper, abstract and other matters may be found on the website of the Graduate School. In addition, each student must include a statement outlining how they used Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the completion of the thesis (students who did not use AI in any form in completing the thesis should include that in their statement). The statement shall document the specific uses and contributions from AI. A digital version of the thesis must be uploaded to ProQuest or another platform accepted by the Graduate School for approval by the Graduate School after the final examination for the master’s degree has been accepted and before the beginning of the regular examination period for the semester in which the candidate plans to graduate. The University does not allow a permanent embargo of theses due to its status as a state institution.

Specialist Degree

Requirements

Requirements for the specialist degree can be found in the “Graduate Programs” chapter of this catalog. Candidates for the specialist degree must pass a final oral examination. Specialist degrees are offered in elementary education, secondary education, special education, educational leadership K-12, and counselor education.

Time Limit

Applicable to all specialist degree programs is the requirement that a graduate student pursuing a specialist degree that requires 36 hours or less of course work must complete the degree within six years. The time limit is to be computed from the date of enrollment in the first course that is counted towards fulfillment of the requirements of the degree.

Doctoral Degree

Requirements for All Doctoral Programs

In addition to the above “General Requirements for All Advanced Degrees” and those requirements listed below, additional program requirements may be found in the description of individual graduate degree programs in the Academic Structure.

Course and Degree Credit Requirements

The aim of the doctoral program is to afford instruction and guidance leading to the mastery of a major field. Specific course requirements as deemed necessary are stipulated by the student’s advisory committee. In certain instances, a student may be required to take courses in a minor field. For students required to take a minor, a specific program will be formulated. To fulfill the degree credit requirement, the student must have completed (a) three years (54 hours) of study beyond the bachelor’s degree; (b) a minimum of two years (36 hours) of graduate study at the University of Mississippi; and (c) a minimum of one year (18 hours) of graduate work in continuous residence.

Where course work (excluding dissertation hours) is required for the degree, at least one-half, up to 30 hours, must be completed at the University of Mississippi. Exceptions to this policy are described within Policy #10000383 (Academic Regulations for Graduate Students).

Certain nontraditional graduate programs have been approved for delivery at off-campus sites, including centers at Tupelo and Jackson. Course work taken at these sites can fulfill the above requirements.

Preliminary Examination

At or near the beginning of the student’s work beyond the bachelor’s or master’s degree, the department or school may require a preliminary examination to determine the student’s qualifications to undertake a program leading to the doctorate and to assist the student’s adviser in planning the student’s program.

Time Limit

All required formal course work and the comprehensive exam should be completed within four calendar years of initial enrollment into degree seeking (provisional or full-standing) status, whether a student begins the doctoral program following completion of a bachelor’s or a master’s degree. After passing the comprehensive exam, a student becomes a candidate for the doctoral degree and must complete all remaining requirements, including the written dissertation and its defense, within five calendar years. If a candidate does not complete all requirements within this time, then the Graduate School will change the student’s status to nondegree seeking.

The Graduate School may grant a one-year extension to this time limit for serious, nonacademic circumstances (e.g., military duty, pregnancy, illness, or problems within the student’s immediate family).

Additionally, a student may petition his or her academic program for a limited extension for a reason unrelated to personal circumstances. If an academic program grants an extension, it may also impose additional requirements, which may include passing another comprehensive examination, more course work, and/or other appropriate remedies. Any extension plan accepted by the candidate and the academic program must be approved by the Graduate School.

Comprehensive Examinations and Admission to Candidacy

All doctoral students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination. Upon completion of this examination, the student is admitted to candidacy.

The purpose of this examination is to establish that the student has satisfactorily mastered the body of academic material appropriate to the degree. Though academic programs have broad latitude in the design of comprehensive examinations, the following guidelines should be followed. The examination may be either a single test or a set of tests. The examination must be written; however, departments may require that part of the examination be oral. The examination may be constructed and evaluated by the student’s dissertation advisory committee or by a separate committee. To sit for the examination, a student must be in full-standing status, must have satisfied any foreign language requirement, must have a graduate grade-point average of 3.0 or above, and must not have an outstanding I grade. If a graduate program has an extra departmental concentration area of more than 12 hours, a component of the comprehensive examination must include testing over this concentration area, and this testing must be done by faculty in the second department. Upon completion of all components of a comprehensive examination and notification to the Graduate School, the student is considered to be a candidate for the degree. In general, this status signifies that the individual has completed all or nearly all of the program course work and has entered the formal dissertation (or doctoral essay) stage of the program. Ordinarily, the comprehensive examination should be completed before the dissertation prospectus is defended.

In any situation in which a student wishes to appeal the results of his or her comprehensive examination, he or she may appeal, following procedures in the policy on Appeal of a Graduate Comprehensive Examination.

Continuous Enrollment

Upon admission to candidacy, a doctoral student is expected to maintain continuous enrollment. Minimum enrollment to fulfill this requirement is 1 hour of graduate-level course work for fall, spring, and summer terms, with enrollment for at least two of these three periods being required for any 12-month period. In terms when a student is not enrolled, access to institutional resources is limited.

Specific doctoral programs may require up to 3 hours of continuous enrollment and will specify such in their handbook and/or catalog. In cases where programs require 3 hours of enrollment, doctoral students can enroll in 1 hour during summer terms but such enrollment does not satisfy the continuous enrollment requirement.

Penalty Clause

The penalty for failure to maintain continuous enrollment, following admission to candidacy, is a fee equal to the tuition charge that would be necessary to have maintained continuous enrollment for the most recent 12-month period.

Dissertation Formatting, Digital Archiving, and Binding

A written dissertation must conform to the regulations governing the style, format, abstract and other matters found on the website of the Graduate School. In addition, each student must include a statement outlining how they used Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the completion of the dissertation (students who did not use AI in any form in completing the dissertation should include that in their statement). The statement shall document the specific uses and contributions from AI. A digital version of the dissertation must be uploaded to ProQuest or another platform accepted by the Graduate School for approval by the Graduate School after the final examination for the doctorate has been accepted and before the beginning of the regular examination period for the semester in which the candidate plans to graduate. The University does not allow a permanent embargo of dissertations due to its status as a state institution.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Dissertation Prospectus

A Dissertation Prospectus Committee will be appointed by the chair of the department to which the student has been admitted. The chair of this committee must be a full member of the graduate faculty. A minimum of two additional members of the department and one member external to the discipline comprise a committee, all of whom must be associate or full members of the graduate faculty.

Unless the program specifies otherwise within their policies, the chair of the dissertation prospectus committee shall review and provide guidance on the dissertation prospectus prior to the student’s submission of the dissertation prospectus to the other members of the committee. Generally, the chair will approve the student to submit the dissertation prospectus to other members of the committee and the prospectus defense may only occur after the chair has approved for the student to send the dissertation prospectus to the committee. The student may also consult with others on the project when expertise of other committee members may be required earlier in the review process. Departments that wish to use a different process of approving the dissertation prospectus to be sent to the committee must specify such in their handbook. In the absence of other documentation, the Graduate School policy shall direct the process. Unless otherwise specified, faculty will complete the review of a dissertation prospectus draft within 2 weeks. Programs may establish other timelines for faculty to return dissertation prospectus with suggestions, corrections, or edits to students. In such cases, those timelines must be included in the program handbook. Graduate students should understand that it is common to require review of multiple drafts and should anticipate that the revision process may require multiple rounds of such review. In addition, the 2-week timeline only applies when faculty are on contract and the institution is open for business. In instances where the chair or committee member requires more time to review the thesis than the 2 weeks established here or the timeline established in the program handbook, such information must be communicated to the student as early as possible and typically in writing.

The dissertation prospectus must be defended in oral examination and, in its final approved form, submitted to the Graduate School. The form of the dissertation prospectus will be determined by the committee. The dissertation prospectus oral defense and completion of the dissertation defense cannot occur during the same full term (fall, spring, full summer), and there must be a minimum of four calendar months between these events.

Dissertation

A minimum enrollment of 18 hours of dissertation credit is required of every Ph.D. student. Ph.D. students must prepare a written dissertation and successfully pass a final dissertation defense/examination.

Unless the program specifies otherwise within their policies, the chair of the final dissertation committee shall review and provide guidance on the final dissertation prior to the student’s submission of the final dissertation to the other members of the committee. Generally, the chair will approve the student to submit the final dissertation to other members of the committee. However, the student may also consult with others on the project when expertise of other committee members may be required earlier in the review process. Departments that wish to use a different process of approving the final dissertation to be sent to the committee must specify such in their handbook. In the absence of other documentation, the Graduate School policy shall direct the process. Unless otherwise specified, faculty will complete the review of a final dissertation draft within 2 weeks. Programs may establish other timelines for faculty to return final dissertation drafts with suggestions, corrections, or edits to students. In such cases, those timelines must be included in the program handbook. Graduate students should understand that it is common to require review of multiple drafts and should anticipate that the revision process may require multiple rounds of such review prior to the final oral examination. In addition, the 2-week timeline only applies when faculty are on contract and the institution is open for business. In instances where the chair or committee member requires more time to review the final dissertation draft than the 2 weeks established here or the timeline established in the program handbook, such information must be communicated to the student as early as possible and typically in writing.

Final Oral Examination

Every candidate for the Ph.D. degree must successfully pass a final oral examination (defense of dissertation). This final examination must include an oral component and must be administered by the student’s dissertation committee, as administered by the student’s dissertation committee and scheduled by the Graduate School. The committee shall direct the examination primarily to the defense of the dissertation, though it may include material from the student’s major and/or minor fields. The chair and committee members must approve the student to schedule the final oral examination. In no instance should the meeting occur prior to review of the dissertation by the chair and committee. Departments may require in addition a written examination, but the oral examination must be conducted. The oral examination may be given only after the dissertation is in final form (that is, ready for submission to the Graduate School except for corrections required by the examining committee at the oral examination). Graduate students should anticipate that they may need to make additional edits following the final oral exam (i.e., the committee and chair may request corrections at the final examination and may require further revisions until such corrections are made to their satisfaction). The dean of the Graduate School will not schedule oral examinations during the regular university examination periods at the end of enrollment periods or when the university is officially closed.

Doctor Of Arts Degree

The Doctor of Arts degree programs have been designed to prepare teachers who possess a comprehensive knowledge of their academic area of interest and an ability to perform effectively in the classroom. Unlike the Doctor of Philosophy degree in which the primary emphasis is placed upon research, the Doctor of Arts degree program places stress upon the breadth of the candidate’s knowledge and the attainment of teaching skills.

General Requirements

The general requirements for the Doctor of Arts degree include the completion of the master’s degree or its equivalent in the candidate’s subject matter area before admission to the program, the completion of 60 hours of course work or the equivalent with a grade-point average of 3.0 or above, the writing of a doctoral essay or thesis, the passing of a comprehensive examination, and the completion of an internship supervised by members of the graduate faculty in the area of concentration.

Doctoral Essay

Departments giving the Doctor of Arts degree have the option of making comprehensive the final examination for the degree or of requiring the student to defend a thesis or doctoral essay in an additional final oral examination. The doctoral essay or thesis for the Doctor of Arts degree must conform to the regulations governing style set forth in A Manual of Thesis and Dissertation Preparation, available in the Graduate School. An electronic version of the essay must be uploaded to ProQuest for approval by the Graduate School after the final examination for the doctorate has been accepted and before the beginning of the regular examination period for the semester in which the candidate plans to graduate.

Final Oral Examination

Unless required by their departments, Doctor of Arts students are exempt from the requirement of a final examination. If requested to do so, the dean of the Graduate School will appoint an examining committee for a final oral examination.

Doctor Of Education Degree

Dissertation Prospectus

Dissertation

A minimum enrollment of 15 hours of dissertation credit is required of every Ed.D. student. The dissertation must conform to the regulations governing the style, format, abstract and other matters found on the website of the Graduate School. In addition, each student must include a statement outlining how they used Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the completion of the dissertation (students who did not use AI in any form in completing the dissertation should include that in their statement). The statement shall document the specific uses and contributions from AI. A digital version of the dissertation must be uploaded to ProQuest or another platform accepted by the Graduate School after the final examination for the doctorate has been accepted and before the beginning of the regular examination period for the semester in which the candidate plans to graduate. The University does not allow a permanent embargo of dissertations due to its status as a state institution.

Final Oral Examination

Every candidate for the Ed.D. degree must successfully pass a final oral examination (defense of dissertation). This final examination must include an oral component and must be administered by the student’s dissertation committee and scheduled by the Graduate School. The committee shall direct the examination primarily to the defense of the dissertation, though it may include material from the student’s major and/or minor fields. The chair and committee members must approve the student to schedule the final oral examination. In no instance should the meeting occur prior to review of the dissertation by the chair and committee. Departments may require in addition a written examination, but the oral examination must be conducted. The oral examination may be given only after the dissertation is in final form (that is, ready for submission to the Graduate School except for corrections required by the examining committee at the oral examination). Graduate students should anticipate that they may need to make additional edits following the final oral exam (i.e., the committee and chair may request corrections at the final examination and may require further revisions until such corrections are made to their satisfaction). The dean of the Graduate School will not schedule oral examinations during the regular university examination periods at the end of enrollment periods or when the university is officially closed.

Concurrent Degrees

The university offers a limited number of opportunities for students to formally pursue concurrent degrees. Concurrent work on two degrees or credentials requires approval from the Graduate School prior to initiation of work on each credential. The Graduate School maintains a list of approved concurrent degrees within the Graduate Catalog.

Concurrent degrees reflect a formal plan, agreed upon by two distinct programs and approved by the Graduate School, to allow a student to simultaneously work on two separate degrees. In such cases, students must still fulfill all degree requirements of both degrees. In instances where both degrees require a thesis, the student must complete two theses. Similarly, concurrent degrees requiring a thesis and a dissertation will require a distinct thesis and dissertation in fulfillment of the two degrees.

A maximum of 6 credit hours may be shared across the two degree programs. This limit does not apply to students who earn a master’s degree in a discipline en route to the doctoral degree in the same discipline (which can include secondary education with a specialization in the doctoral discipline). When a student earns a master’s degree en route to a doctoral degree in the same discipline, there must be at least 18 credit hours of graded seminar coursework unique to the doctoral degree.

Approved Concurrent Degrees

The following options reflect approved concurrent degrees. To see the requirements for each degree, consult the catalog pages for each of the degrees in the concurrent degrees option.

M.A. in Sociology / M.A. in Southern Studies
M.A. in Anthropology / M.A. in Southern Studies
J.D. / M.B.A.
J.D. / M.A. in Higher Education
J.D. / M. Accy
J.D. / M. Tax
Pharm.D. / M.B.A.
Pharm.D. / M.P.H.

Academic Year and Academic Calendar

The university operates on the semester system. Fall semester begins in mid-August and ends in mid-December. Spring semester begins in mid-January and ends in early May. A detailed university calendar is available from the Registrar’s Office and on the Web at Academic Calendars.

The summer session consists of two terms of approximately four weeks, each with the same number of classroom hours as a regular semester. (Selected courses in the College of Liberal Arts and the professional schools, and all courses in the School of Law, are offered on a 10-week basis spanning both summer terms.) Students may earn up to 24 semester hours of graduate credit during the summer.

Intersessions are two-week terms in early January, May, or August.

Academic Conduct

Standards of Honesty

The university is conducted on a basis of common honesty. Dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the university are regarded as particularly serious offenses. Disruptive behavior in an academic situation or purposely harming academic facilities also are grounds for academic discipline.

Disciplinary Procedures

In the College of Liberal Arts and in the schools of Accountancy, Applied Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Journalism, and Pharmacy, faculty members handle cases of academic dishonesty involving graduate students by recommending an appropriate sanction through the academic misconduct system after discussion with the student. Possible sanctions include failure on the work in question, retake of an examination, extra work, grade reduction or failure in the course, disciplinary probation, or suspension or expulsion from the university. An appeals process is available to the student. A more complete statement concerning definitions, offenses, penalties, and grievance procedures may be found in the University of Mississippi Policies Database. The schools of Law and Pharmacy have separate procedures for dealing with academic disciplinary infractions involving professional students in the J.D. and Pharm.D. programs.

Academic Grade Appeal Policy and Procedure

The grade appeal policy and procedure is designed to provide an undergraduate or graduate student at the University of Mississippi with a clearly defined avenue for appealing the assignment of a course grade, following the posting of final grades, that he/she believes was based on prejudice, discrimination, arbitrary or capricious action, or other reasons not related to academic performance. The student’s request for a grade appeal must be taken successively to the instructor, the chair of the department (or director of the program) in which the grade was given, and the dean of the school or college to which the department belongs, with a possible resolution of the conflict at any stage. Either the student or the instructor may appeal a decision made at the dean’s level. This formal grade appeal will be reviewed by the Academic Appeals Committee and by the vice chancellor for academic affairs.

A final grade is the instructor’s evaluation of the student’s work and achievement throughout a semester’s participation in a course. Factors upon which the final grade may be based include attendance; recitation and class participation; written, oral, and online quizzes; reports; papers; final examinations; and other class activities. There is a presumption that the instructor who has conducted the course is professionally competent to judge the student’s work, and in the absence of convincing evidence to the contrary, has evaluated it fairly. In all cases, the complaining student shall have the burden of proof with regard to all allegations in his/her complaint and in his/her request for review or hearing. If a party fails to pursue any step of the grade appeal procedure within its allotted time, the disposition of the case made in the last previous step shall be final. All correspondence and records shall be retained in the office in which the complaint is finally resolved.

A grade appeal cannot be based upon differences in grade assignments between multisection courses, whether or not the course sections are taught by the same instructor.

This policy and procedure below applies to students and courses taught on the main campus, off-campus centers, and online. In the following outline, time periods in Steps 1 and 2 are in calendar days, and the time periods apply to intersession and summer terms, as well as fall and spring semesters. Written appeals may be transmitted electronically. Individual schools may utilize different versions of Steps 1 and 2 (e.g., if there are no department chairs within the school), but Steps 3-5 should be followed. If a graduate student wishes to appeal the results received on his/her comprehensive examination, he/she should contact the dean of the Graduate School for the appropriate policy.

The grade initially assigned by an instructor remains in effect, until and unless a change is determined by the appeal process.

Outline of Grade Appeal Procedure and Time Schedules

Step 1. Informal Consultation with Faculty Member.

This must be initiated within 30 calendar days of the posting of the course grade for viewing by students. The instructor’s decision, whether a denial of the appeal or other resolution, must be completed within 15 days of receiving the appeal.

Step 2. Appeal to the Department Chair.

If a student wishes to appeal a grade further, he or she must submit a written appeal to the chair of the department (or director of the program) in which the course is being appealed, with a copy submitted to the chair of the department in which the student is majoring (if different), within seven days following the end of Step 1. The course-controlling department chair has 15 calendar days from receipt of the appeal to achieve resolution of the appeal.

Step 3. Appeal to the Dean.

If a student wishes to appeal a grade further, he or she must submit a written request to the dean of the school or college in which the course was offered, with copies to the chair (or director) of the department and to the chair of the department in which the student is majoring (if different), within seven days following the end of the 15-day time period in Step 2. (In the case of a graduate student, this written appeal must be sent to the dean of the Graduate School.) An email will be sent to all parties, explaining that they are able to enter or upload the basis for the appeal/denial, including attaching pertinent correspondence and materials. The department chair must enter copies of correspondence and other pertinent material within five days of receiving this email. The dean must render a written decision within 15 days of receipt of the appeal.

Step 4. Appeal to Academic Appeals Committee.

Either the student or the instructor may request a review by the Academic Appeals Committee. A written request, including the student’s name, ID, the course/section, and instructor, must be submitted to the vice chancellor for academic affairs (provost) within 15 days of the receipt of the dean’s decision. The Academic Appeals Committee will then review the information provided to reach a recommendation.

Step 5. Review by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

The vice chancellor for academic affairs (provost) will review the recommendation by the Academic Appeals Committee and shall render a final decision on the appeal. The decision of the vice chancellor cannot be further appealed.

Explanation of the Steps in a Grade Appeal

Step 1. Informal Consultation.

The student shall first consult with the instructor in an effort to reach a satisfactory resolution of his or her appeal. It is a part of the professional obligation of members of the university faculty to meet with students who wish to avail themselves of this academic grade appeal procedure for the purpose of reviewing the grade assigned and attempting to resolve the matter. In the event that the student cannot schedule a face-to-face meeting with the faculty member, the student may attempt to consult with the instructor by email or phone, or the student may ask the department chair to schedule the meeting between the student and the faculty member. Informal consultation is a required first step, and no further grade appeal is permitted unless informal consultation is first attempted. The only exception to this procedure is when the faculty member no longer is employed by the university or is otherwise unavailable so that it is impossible to complete Step 1. In this case, the student may proceed directly to Step 2.

Step 2. Appeal to Department Chair.

If the matter is not resolved in Step 1, the student may present an appeal in writing to the chair of the department (or director of the program) in which the course was offered.

The department chair shall attempt to resolve the appeal in consultation with the faculty member and the student within 15 calendar days of receipt of the written appeal. The department chair may consult with other faculty members of the department about the matter. (In any appeal to a chair/director, the student should send a copy of the appeal to the chair of the department of his or her major.)

Step 3. Appeal to the Dean.

If the appeal cannot be resolved at the level of Step 2 within the 15-day prescribed time period, the student, within seven calendar days following the end of such period, may request in writing an appeal to the dean. Upon receiving a request for an appeal to Step 3. The student, instructor, and chair will be informed as to how to enter information, including the text of an appeal, correspondence records, and evidence, into an online system. The chair is responsible for entering the correspondence and evidence in his possession within five days. The student may enter the basis for his or her appeal, along with any evidence he or she wishes to present. Components of this written appeal, evidence, and correspondence will be made viewable to the student, chair, instructor, and dean. (In the case of a graduate student, the written appeal should be made to the dean of the Graduate School.) The dean may use any resource available to the dean’s office to resolve the grade conflict within a 15-day period following receipt of the appeal. The dean shall communicate his/her decision to the student, faculty member, and department chair. (If the student is majoring in a different school/college, the electronic records will be viewable by the latter dean and chair/director of the program in which the student is majoring.)

Step 4. Appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee.

Either the student or the instructor may appeal the decision made under Step 3 within 15 days by submitting a written request, to the vice chancellor for academic affairs, asking for a review by the Academic Appeals Committee. The request for a review by an Academic Appeals Committee should state the factual basis for the appeal of the dean’s decision. This request for appeal is the primary document setting forth the contention of either the student or instructor that the decision made by the dean should be reversed. Therefore, this request for appeal should be carefully drawn and supported by attachments of all relevant documentary material.

Upon receiving a request for review of a grade appeal, the vice chancellor for academic affairs shall call to action the Academic Appeals Committee. This is a standing committee comprising four faculty members and three students, one of whom is at the graduate or professional level. The committee is chaired by an associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, serving in a non-voting capacity. Ordinarily, the faculty members serve three-year, staggered terms and are appointed by the Faculty Senate from among the tenured or tenure-track faculty members. The students are appointed by the Associated Student Body (2) and Graduate Student Council (1) and may serve terms that last up to three years. Alternates will be identified for both the faculty and student committee members, for replacement of the primary members who are unavailable for various reasons, including declared conflict of interest with parties in a case.

The chair of the Academic Appeals Committee shall appoint a subcommittee that shall review all written material for an appeal to determine if a formal hearing is warranted. If, in the opinion of the subcommittee, a formal hearing is not warranted, a decision on the appeal shall be made by the Academic Appeals Committee based upon written evidence submitted by the student and the faculty member. If the subcommittee finds that the student’s or the instructor’s request merits a hearing, the chair of the Academic Appeals Committee shall notify all parties (student, instructor, chair, and dean) in writing of the time and location of the hearing.

The purpose of the hearing is to elicit information on which the committee may base a recommendation to the vice chancellor for action. It is not to be construed as a trial in a court of law. The hearing before the committee shall be closed and shall be limited to only the student, instructor, chair/director, and dean, as well as any witnesses who receive prior approval by the committee to attend. Both student and instructor may provide any additional written materials they desire, and the committee may request additional material if it deems such necessary. Both the student and instructor concerned shall be afforded the right to present witnesses or other evidence, question opposing witnesses, and make a concluding statement. No attorneys shall be permitted to represent participants in Academic Appeals Committee hearings. The Academic Appeals Committee shall audio record all hearings and preserve these audio files until all further avenues of appeal shall have expired. At the student’s or faculty member’s request, copies of the audio file shall be made available. When the committee has reviewed all documents and heard such testimony as it considers necessary to reach a conclusion, it shall adopt by majority vote a recommendation to be made to the vice chancellor for academic affairs. The recommendation should be either to sustain the action taken at the dean’s level (Step 3) or to take some other action with respect to the grade that is being appealed. The committee may (1) recommend that the grade remain as it was originally assigned by the instructor, or (2) report that in the judgment of the committee the original grade was arbitrarily or capriciously assigned and recommend that another designated grade be given.

The recommendation of the committee should be logged into the electronic record of the appeal and should be transmitted to the vice chancellor for academic affairs. The recommendation of the committee should contain as explicitly as the nature of the case will allow the grounds on which the recommendation of the committee is based. The chair of the committee shall transmit copies of the committee’s recommendation to the student, instructor, department chair/director, dean associated with the course, and department chair and dean associated with the student’s major.

Step 5. Final Decision by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

The vice chancellor for academic affairs shall make the final decision, utilizing any resources to assist in deciding the appeal. The vice chancellor shall have the right to allow the assigned grade to stand or to raise or lower the assigned grade. He/she shall inform all parties involved, including the Academic Appeals Committee, of his/her final decision on the matter.

Retention of Records

As part of the university’s grade appeal procedure, faculty members are required to keep grade-related materials until the completion of the next regular (spring or fall) semester. Material that applies to an ongoing grade appeal process must be retained for six months following completion of the grade appeal process. Grade-related material refers to examinations, projects, term papers, records on grades, attendance records, electronic files, and other material that is used in the grading process and is not returned to the student. If materials are returned to the student, a student desiring to appeal must present any tests, examinations, term papers, or other graded material that form the basis for his or her appeal.

Academic Services

Fees & Expenses

Tuition and Fees

It is the intent of the university to keep at a minimum the necessary expenses of its students. Increases are put into effect only when public funds are inadequate and no other resource is available. Therefore, the university reserves the right to increase or modify fees, tuition, or scholarships without prior notice, upon approval by the Board of Trustees. A portion of student tuition and fee charges is used for operating costs, including scholarships and tuition waivers. The Bursar’s Office is responsible for the assessment and collection of tuition and fees.

Tuition

Tuition is assessed by credit hour based on the admission status of a student (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, law, etc.), with an additional nonresident fee being assessed for students who are not residents of the state. Tuition rates can be found on the Financial Aid website.

The Tuition Estimator is a helpful tool for students.

Special Fees

Special fees may be associated with various services or with enrollment in specific courses. A complete listing of courses with special fees is available as part of this catalog.

Payment of Fees

Information on how to make payments for tuition and fees and due dates is posted on the Bu rsar’s web page

Delinquent Accounts

Regular student account balances and student loan balances are collected by the Bursar’s Office, and, if not paid, constitute a delinquent account. The university reserves the right to withhold re-admission to a student until all delinquent amounts owed to the university have been paid. Delinquent accounts may be referred to a collection agency, in which case the account will be assessed all costs of collection, including reasonable attorney fees, whether or not a lawsuit is commenced as part of the collection process.

Legal Residence

Tuition charges are based on whether or not a student is considered a resident of the state of Mississippi. For information about the definition of legal residence and how to change residence status, see the section under Admission.

Refund Policy

Information about tuition refunds is given at the bursar's Web page. This includes a calendar explaining the dates for which a full refund is given.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

Please see the Estimated Cost of Attendance page on the Office of Admissions web page.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Assistantships, Awards, and Fellowships

The Graduate School administers Graduate Recruiting Fellowships, Dissertation Fellowships, and Summer Graduate Research Assistantships, which are described on the Graduate School website. Information about other fellowships is also available on the Graduate School website. Students may obtain information about discipline-specific assistantships and fellowships by consulting the appropriate academic department chair.

Graduate Assistants’ Health Insurance Program

Graduate students have access to a Health Insurance Program. In most cases, a student with a graduate assistantship during a fall or spring term is required to have health insurance that meets minimum specifications established by the Graduate School. Unless students who have graduate assistantships opt to waive participation and do so by submitting the required information by the specified deadline, they are automatically entered into a university negotiated health insurance plan. The university partially subsidizes the premium for this health insurance plan. For more information, see the Graduate School’s website about the specific requirements and benefits, see https://gradschool.olemiss.edu/resources-and-support/health-insurance/index1.php.

Tuition Scholarships and Nonresident Fee Scholarships

Graduate students enrolled full-time in qualifying degree programs who receive the minimum stipend set by the University are eligible for a partial tuition scholarship during regular fall and spring terms (75 percent of regular graduate tuition for the minimum, 1/4 time stipend, increasing to a 100 percent regular tuition scholarship for an assistantship with the minimum, 1/2 time stipend, per semester). In addition, individuals with qualifying graduate assistantships receive a scholarship to cover 100% the regular full-time nonresident fee, when applicable. The tuition scholarships do not apply to additional tuition charges beyond standard full-time enrollment with regular graduate tuition rates. The academic requirements for holding these scholarships are given in the Academic Regulations chapter and the policy directory. These tuition scholarships cannot be used for non-tuition purposes.
Minimum stipends for a graduate assistantship are published annually on the Graduate School website at https://gradschool.olemiss.edu/funding-and-opportunities/graduate-assistantships/.

Dissertation Fellowship Program

This nonservice award is designed to assist doctoral students who are in the final stages of the dissertation process. The intent is to provide financial assistance to relieve candidates of current service-type responsibilities (teaching, research, and/or other related obligations to the university), thereby enabling them to focus on their research analysis and writing. The amount of the award is published
on the Graduate School website at https://gradschool.olemiss.edu/funding-and-opportunities/continuing-student-funding-opportunities/. In addition, fellowship recipients receive a tuition scholarship that covers 100% of regular full-time tuition and the non-resident fee (if applicable). The time period is one semester. Full-time enrollment is required. Any student nominated must be in candidacy and must have a copy of their prospectus on file at the Graduate School. Nominees should also have previously participated in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition. To be considered for this fellowship, a student must be nominated by their department.

Recruiting Fellowships and Scholarships Program

The University of Mississippi Graduate School seeks to recruit an outstanding and diverse student body. To that end, we have established a program to help departments and programs recruit underrepresented and exceptional students to University of Mississippi graduate programs. Additional details about the recruiting fellowships and scholarships is found on the Graduate School website at https://gradschool.olemiss.edu/funding-and-opportunities/new-student-graduate-funding-opportunities/.

Summer Graduate Research Assistantship Program

The Summer Graduate Research Assistantship Program provides awardees with a stipend during the summer (minimum of 10 weeks of research). The goal is to provide funds to enable promising graduate students to remain on task and on campus in their pursuit of a degree. To be considered for this program, a student must be nominated by their department. Eligibility and additional information is available on the Graduate School website at https://gradschool.olemiss.edu/funding-and-opportunities/continuing-student-funding-opportunities/.