Progression

progression

Monitoring and assessing student progress are key to maximizing graduate student engagement and success, timely completion of the degree, and graduate program quality. Regular student progress assessment helps programs and students identify academic excellence. It also helps to make visible and address problems or challenges students are experiencing that may interfere with thriving and with degree completion. To support student progress, programs are expected to clearly communicate their degree requirements and the expected timing of these requirements to students. They are also required to monitor and assess student progress at least annually, and to communicate these results to their students.

The program may require students to withdraw if they fail to meet the following standards:

  • Students must maintain a cumulative average of at least 70% calculated each term over all courses taken for credit, with no grade less than 60%
  • Students must make satisfactory progress towards the degree according to milestones set by the program

It is expected that degree requirements across the duration of the program are clearly communicated to students in progress meetings, via program web pages, program guides and through the online Pathfinder degree planning portfolio.  

Throughout their time in the program, students are expected to be aware of how degree expectations for maintaining good standing in the program align with their own progress.

At a minimum, supervisory committee members* and Graduate Chairs (or equivalent) will support their students’ timely progression by regularly (at least annually) assessing and documenting student progress and then by discussing these outcomes with students.

To maintain good standing in their program, graduate students are expected to meet program expectations for the timely completion of the degree.

Reference

Senate Academic Policy, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Assessing Student Progress in Multi-Year Research-Based Programs

Senate Academic Policy, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Registration, 6. Withdrawal