Academic integrity is vital to ensure that degrees awarded by UNT are legitimately earned. There are several categories for academic dishonesty, and it is important that you are familiar with all of them as well as the consequences of academic dishonesty.

UNT Academic Integrity Policy

The graduate catalog contains entries that explain good academic standing, probation, and suspension along with many other academic issues that affect graduate students. You can view the full academic standards entry in the Graduate Catalog.

Academic expectations

The term Academic Status is used as an indication of a student’s academic standing with the university. Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.6 in their first semester of enrollment and a CGPA of 3.0 in all subsequent terms to remain in good academic standing.

The graduate student must maintain a B average on all courses that receive graduate credit, whether or not the courses are to be applied toward a graduate degree. Grades received in all courses numbered 5000 or higher are included in the computation of the graduate student’s grade point average.

The student whose graduate GPA earned at another institution is below B will be required to make up the deficiency either at the other institution or at UNT. This regulation applies not only to graduate work attempted elsewhere before the student was first admitted to the Toulouse Graduate School at UNT, but also to graduate work attempted elsewhere after the student’s admission at UNT.

Students must make satisfactory progress toward completion of degree requirements to remain in good standing within a specific degree program. Students whose progress is unsatisfactory may be removed from the program by the dean of the Toulouse Graduate School on recommendation of the major department or division. Courses in which the grade is D cannot be used toward completion of graduate degree requirements.

A grade of C or better must be earned in each undergraduate or graduate course assigned as a deficiency by the student’s major department. Departments that wish to do so may establish more stringent requirements.

Academic probation

A graduate student is placed on academic probation at the end of their first semester of enrollment if the CGPA drops below 2.6. A graduate student is placed on academic probation at the end of any subsequent term in which the CGPA falls below a 3.0.

A student who fails to achieve the required cumulative average of 3.0 GPA (B average) on all courses carrying graduate credit in a term/semester will be placed on academic probation for the subsequent term/semester. If the student achieves a 3.0 semester GPA in the subsequent term/semester, but the cumulative GPA is still below 3.0, the student will remain on academic probation. The student will be removed from probation when the 3.0 cumulative GPA is achieved. A student who is on probation cannot apply for graduation and cannot graduate.

Academic suspension

A student who is placed on academic probation who does not receive either a semester or a cumulative 3.0 GPA during the term/semester of probation will be subject to academic suspension for a period of up to one calendar year before becoming eligible to re-enroll for further graduate courses. Graduate work completed elsewhere during a period of graduate suspension at UNT may not be counted for graduate credit at UNT. After the one-year period of suspension, students must reapply for admission to graduate school (see “Readmission of Graduate Students” in the Admission section of this catalog); students may then enroll in graduate courses under probation with the same probation conditions as previously described. Students who are then suspended a second time without having returned to good academic standing by achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better will be dismissed from the university.

The student whose UNT GPA in graduate work falls below 3.0 must make up the deficit, either by repeating courses in which the grades are low, or by completing other UNT courses with grades high enough to bring the UNT GPA up to 3.0. Low grades made in graduate courses at UNT may not be duplicated at other institutions.

Course duplications

Beginning Fall 2018, students may duplicate only two graduate courses in which they received a grade of C or lower, for grade replacement. A single course may only be repeated once for grade replacement. If a student earns a master’s degree and then pursues a doctoral degree, the two-course limit is per degree level. Courses duplicated prior to Fall 2018 are not considered in the two-course limit. Post baccalaureate and non-degree courses duplicated apply to the master’s limit.

The responsibility for initiating the official recording of a grade duplication lies entirely with the student. However, the Registrar’s Office may post duplications at the request of the student’s advisor or to update academic status. In the absence of such a request, all grades received for a course will be included in the student’s cumulative hours attempted and grade points earned. Once a duplication request is submitted, only the last grade received is included in the student’s cumulative hours attempted and grade points earned.

Grade changes & removal of I

No grade except I may be removed from a student’s record once properly recorded. Changes are not permitted after grades have been filed except to correct clerical errors.

Requests for error correction must be initiated immediately after the close of the term/semester for which the grade was recorded. View the Grade Appeal Process below to learn how to appeal a grade.

A faculty member who believes an error has been made in calculating or recording a grade may submit a request for a grade change to the department chair and the graduate dean. The Registrar accepts requests for grade changes only from the academic deans.

A student may remove a grade of I within one year by completing the stipulated work. After the student completes the stipulated work, the instructor then records the final grade on the UNT Grade Change Form and obtains the department chair’s signature. For graduate students, the office of Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School completes processing with the Registrar’s Office, where the grade point average is adjusted accordingly. If the student does not complete the stipulated work within the time specified (not to exceed one year after taking the course), the grade will default to F unless the instructor has designated a different automatic grade. The GPA is adjusted accordingly.

Grade appeal process

The College of Engineering grade appeals process is online. Some departments have additional information about grade appeal policies. Links to these policies are below.

• Computer Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Applying to change your major

Students can apply to change their major by completing the application available on the Toulouse Graduate School website. Applying to change your major does not guarantee that you will be approved. Change of major students are reviewed as new applicants to the program to which they are applying, so students may be required to submit GRE test scores, a resume, letters of recommendation, or other documents. Visit the website of the program you want to apply to learn of admission requirements.

Pass-through masters

Students who are enrolled in a PhD program have the option to complete a master’s degree at the same time they complete the PhD, which is a pass-through master’s. This option allows students to earn a master’s degree while they complete their PhD and in many cases does not significantly increase the time or number of hours required to complete the PhD. Students have to complete both degrees at the same time for this option to count as a pass-through master’s degree.

To apply for a pass-through master’s, you will complete the online application form, which will be sent to your department for approval.

Time to completion

In general, students are expected to complete a master’s degree in X years and a PhD in X years. Students can apply to extend the time to complete the degree if extraneous circumstances prevent them from completing the degree in the allotted amount of time. Note that there is no guarantee that extra time will be granted.

To request an extension of time to complete your graduate degree, follow the instructions on the Request for Extension of Time page.

Leave of absence

Leave of absence applies to students admitted to the master’s or doctoral degree who wish to discontinue work toward the degree for a specified period of time due to exigent circumstances. If approved, the leave of absence may “stop the clock” on the time limit for the degree for a maximum of three terms (excluding summer).

A leave of absence form must be submitted to the Toulouse Graduate School and must have approval of the student’s department chair and the college or academic associate dean prior to submission to the Toulouse Graduate School. Once a student returns from an approved leave of absence of one year or longer, the student must apply through www.applytexas.org to reactivate the student record. After application, the student will automatically be readmitted to the prior programs and their time limit for completion of the degree will resume.

Leaves will only be granted under conditions that require suspension of all activities associated with pursuing the degree. For more details, see “Time Limitations” in the master’s and doctoral degree requirements sections of the graduate catalog.

Full-time enrollment for graduate students is 9 hours per long academic semester. Half-time enrollment is 6 to 8 hours per long academic semester. In cases where students need to reduce their course load due to exceptional circumstances, they can apply to do so on the Reduced Course Load Request webpage.

Final exams take place at the end of each academic term. The schedule is online on the Final Exam Schedule webpage.

In some cases, students may have final exams that overlap. In this situation, students need to talk with their instructors to come up with a solution that allows them to take all exams. Students cannot wait until finals week to make these arrangements. Look at the finals schedule early to determine if you have any scheduling conflicts.

It is the responsibility of the student to stay abreast of progress toward the degree and to file an application using the MyUNT student portal. Information about graduation requirements and application dates is online at gradschool.unt.edu/content/graduation. The applicant’s grade point average on all graduate work attempted must be at least 3.0 for the graduation application to be accepted. To apply for graduation, you need to have a degree plan on file with Toulouse Graduate School.

View Graduation Deadlines

To begin the thesis or dissertation process, you need to ensure that you have identified a major professor who will guide you through which courses to take and how to approach your research, writing, and thesis/dissertation process, including forming your committee.

Thesis students will begin their thesis process as soon as they identify a faculty member to work with on research; typically, this should happen by the second semester of the master’s program.

Dissertation students should identify their major professor within the first year of enrollment. Once a PhD student has passed the departmental qualifying exam process and has a degree plan on file, they will be eligible to enroll in dissertation hours.

Students must apply for graduation prior to the defense of the dissertation or thesis. Upon completion of the dissertation or thesis, a student meets with their advisory committee to defend the content of the dissertation or thesis. After a student has successfully defended the paper and made any revisions suggested by the advisory committee, the student is ready to submit the paper to the graduate school for final approval. Graduation information is available from the Toulouse Graduate School and at tgs.unt.edu. Deadlines for thesis/dissertation submission are in the above section.

For more detailed information about your department’s thesis/dissertation process, please visit the departmental website.

Students will register for classes during the registration period. You can view the schedule of classes through MyUNT.

UNT also has step-by-step instructions online about how to register for courses.

Each semester, the university establishes a registration calendar that includes important dates that students need to know, including the first and last dates to register, drop dates, withdrawal dates and more.

You can see all available registration calendars on the Academic Calendars webpage.

It is important to pay attention to the drop and withdrawal dates to ensure that you know when you need to take action to adjust your schedule.

Programs or departments may have limits on how many hours students can take during a semester. Pay attention to your department’s graduate handbook to understand how many hours you are eligible to take.

In general, students are more successful when they take a reasonable number of classes each term because they are able to focus more and also enjoy their graduate student experience more.

When courses are full, departments implement waitlists to allow a limited number of students to wait for an open seat in the course. Being on a waitlist is not a guarantee that you will be added to the class, and departments cannot move students up or down on a waitlist.

It is ideal to enroll in open classes and use waitlists as a last resort because it is uncommon for waitlisted students to be added to the course they are waitlisted for.

To help you plan your course schedule, each department has created a 3-year course rotation schedule. Click on your department’s link to see which courses are planned for upcoming semesters.

• Biomedical Engineering
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Use the links below to learn more about the cost of attending UNT, including tuition, fees, estimated living expenses, and how to pay your bill.

• Tuition and fee estimator
• International student financial requirements
• Tuition rates
• Explanation of fees
• Paying your bill & deadlines
• Payment plans

There are many types of funding available to students at UNT. For information about your department’s funding opportunities, visit the links below.

• College of Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Scholarships

Scholarships provide funding to students without the expectation of work. Scholarship amounts vary between each scholarship opportunity. The UNT general scholarship deadline is March 1 of each year. Other scholarships may have different application deadlines.

Students who receive UNT competitive scholarships worth $1,000 or more may qualify for in-state tuition rates. Not all scholarships are considered competitive; the award letter for each scholarship will outline the expectations for the scholarship and will specify the funding level and other details of the scholarship.

Financial aid & grants

Financial aid is a specific type of funding that is offered by the US government that provides loans or grants to qualifying students. To qualify, students need to meet certain residency requirements, and indicated on the FAFSA website. Learn more about the financial aid process on the UNT Financial Aid and Scholarships webpage.

Teaching assistantships & teaching fellows

Teaching assistantships are offered by departments and provide a monthly stipend to students. Teaching assistants perform under the instructor’s direct supervision and provide general assistance for instruction, such as grading, tutoring, teaching labs, and other needs of the course.

Teaching fellows are paid a monthly stipend and are the instructor of record for a course and have primary responsibility for teaching a course.

Teaching assistants and fellows are hired by departments. Visit your departmental funding webpage to learn how to apply for one of these roles. Stipend information is online.

UNT offers teaching resources to help students succeed in their teaching assistant or teaching fellow roles.

UNT offers a tuition benefit program (TBP) that provides tuition and fee support to some teaching assistants or teaching fellows. Departments determine which students receive TBP funds and how much each student receives. Students who are hired for an assistantship will receive an offer letter that specifies the stipend amount, any tuition and fee support, and the terms of the position.

Research assistantships

Research assistants are paid a monthly stipend and are hired by individual faculty to support research activities for a principal investigator or faculty working on research. For a successful research assistantship, students should work with a faculty member whose research aligns with their interests.

To acquire a research assistantship, students should research faculty in their department and reach out to them directly. Visit your departmental research and faculty webpages to learn about research opportunities.

Stipend information is online. Note that research assistant pay may vary between research labs.

Hourly employment

Departmental grader positions

Graders are paid hourly and are responsible for gathering, grading, and returning classwork for an assigned class within a timely and efficient manner. Grader positions include grading, inputting grades, and writing notations on student assignments. Graders may handle other coursework tasks as needed.

Check your department’s funding page to learn more about grader opportunities.

Other on-campus employment

UNT has many opportunities for on-campus employment. In fact, UNT employs over 5,000 students each year. Learn how to apply for on-campus jobs below.

• UNT uses Handshake to manage employment opportunities both on and off campus. Visit the Career Center website for steps on how to apply.
• Each position will have different criteria, but almost all will have you complete an application and submit your resume. You can visit the Career Center at Discovery Park to get help with creating an effective resume.

To apply for an I20, admitted students will be given access to the iNorthTX portal. Through this portal, students upload all required documents for the I20 process. You will need to fill out the form completely and upload required information, like financial documentation. You can view the financial requirements to attend UNT.

Steps of what to do once you are admitted to UNT are on the new international students page.

If you will arrive late to your first semester at UNT, you need to request approval from your department and UNT International. Typically, the late arrival date for international graduate students is one week after the first day of classes for a long semester. 
You can contact your department directly to request a late arrival. If the department approves you to arrive late, you will need to complete the Late Arrival E-Form that is in the iNorthTX portal.

Full instructions to apply for late arrival can be found on the new student late arrival request page.

Graduate students who hold F-1 or J-1 visas must enroll in 9 credit hours in each long semester. If students need to drop a class or take fewer than 9 credit hours for a qualifying reason, they need to complete a Graduate Full Time Equivalency Form in the iNorthTX portal.

You should never drop below 9 credit hours without consulting your academic advisor and UNT International.

You can read the full enrollment requirements for international graduate students.

Curricular Practical Training is an academic program that allows qualifying international students to participate in an internship or training as part of their degree program. To qualify, students must have been enrolled full-time for two semesters and maintained F-1 status.
To be approved for CPT, students need to have a valid employment opportunity that is relevant to their degree program and must be approved in advance by UNT International and their degree program.

To apply, students need to verify that work experience is integral to their degree and then find a relevant job opportunity. Students will then need to ensure that the F-1 Academic Advisor form and F-1 CPT Employer form are approved by the deadline.

Visit the Curricular Proctical Training webpage to learn more about CPT and the application process.

Optional practical training allows qualifying students to gain temporary work experience that is directly related to their major area of study. Upon graduation, students in STEM programs can complete 12 months of full-time employment and may be eligible for a 24-month extension.

To apply, students need to be approved by UNT and by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and need to receive an updated I20. Learn more about OPT and the application process on the Optional Practical Training webpage.

Whether you are communicating via email, phone, or in-person, it is important to remember to maintain professionalism.

Expectations

When you communicate with faculty or staff, you should expect that you will receive accurate information from those with whom you communicate.

UNT, College of Engineering, and departmental policies are in place for a reason and apply to all students equally. If you receive an answer from a UNT faculty or staff member, it is inefficient and inappropriate to continue to seek a different answer from others on campus.

Almost all policies will be included on the websites for the College of Engineering, department, or graduate catalog. If you request the link to the policy information, the person you are communicating with will gladly provide you with the information you seek.

Email

When you communicate through email, it is important to remember a few things.

• Include your first name, last name, and ID number in each message. We cannot follow up with you if we do not know who you are.
• Ask your question or share the purpose of your email within the first sentence. It helps the reader know the context for your email.
• Allow at least 24 to 48 hours for a response. When students send multiple emails for the same issue, it ends up taking longer for staff or faculty to respond.
• Write in a clear, concise, and respectful manner. You are preparing for your future career, so start practicing your email writing skills now.

Phone

When you communicate by phone, follow the guidelines below.

• Leave a voicemail with detailed information. Include your name, student ID number, return phone number, program, and question on the voicemail. We cannot follow up with you if we do not know who you are.
• Do not call repeatedly. When you leave a detailed voicemail, the person you contacted will know who you are and what you need and will follow up when they are available.
• Consider sending an email. Often, it is easier for faculty or staff to follow up with you by email because we can send an email at any time. Also, it is sometimes easier to provide the specific information or links you need if you email us.

In-person

• Set appointments in advance when possible. When you stop by offices unexpectedly, there is not a guarantee that the person you need to see will be available.
• Have a goal in mind. If you are trying to solve a problem, be specific with your problem and tell us what you need.
• Communicate in appropriate locations. Avoid having conversations inside or outside of the bathroom, when someone is already in a conversation, or when someone is having lunch.

Conducting effective web searches

In most situations, the information you need can be found online through an effective web search. Before you call or email, try finding the information yourself by using a search engine and keywords.

Consider what information you need and identify keywords. For example, if you need to learn about the graduation application deadline, you might enter “UNT master’s graduation deadline” into the search bar. Be as specific as you can, and the information you need will usually pop up in the first few search results.

Tips for success in your internship or CPT opportunity

When you start your internship or CPT opportunity, you should be proud of yourself. Finding a job you love in your field is the ultimate goal of your graduate education. Below are some guidelines to help you succeed in your internship.

• Make sure you understand the process you need to complete to enroll in internship hours or be approved for your CPT opportunity. Your department will have information available to help you manage the process. International students should communicate with UNT International and check out workshops and online resources about CPT or OPT.
• Communicate with your employer early to learn about expectations. You need to know what to wear, where to go on your first day, what the work hours are, what the job role entails, and how they determine success in the position.
• Show up on time every day and be ready to work. This is a first step to get a great job after you graduate, so you need to make a good impression and be responsible and reliable.
• If you need to miss work or will be late for any reason, you need to communicate with your employer. Ask who you need to contact and let them know that you will not be able to attend work or will be late to avoid negative consequences.
• Ask questions and make sure you understand what you are doing and why.

• College of Engineering events
• Toulouse Graduate School workshops
• Career Center events
• Volunteer opportunities
• Research opportunities

Joining a student organization may be the most important thing you do outside of the classroom. You can connect with your peers while gaining leadership opportunities and meeting new people.

The College of Engineering has many student organizations that provide professional development, networking, and social opportunities for our students. Graduate students are welcome in each organization and are encouraged to join.

UNT has many non-major organizations that help you connect with other students. In addition to interest-based or social groups, you can also sharpen your leaderships skills by running for the Graduate Student Council or running for office in any organization you join.

You can find information about scholarships, travel grants, and assistantships on the College of Engineering scholarship page.

UNT has many resources available to support our students. Before you seek help outside of the university, be sure to explore the resources we have on campus because they are focused on helping students. You also pay for them with your tuition and fees, so it is smart to use the resources you have invested in.

You can also find additional student resource information.