II. General Regulations

Description of Graduate Students

Category

Regular Student: Applicants who have fulfilled all university or program admission requirements and are offered admission to a University of Guelph graduate program are assigned to the Regular student category.

Provisional Student: An applicant whose qualifications for meeting the minimum university or program requirements cannot be clearly appraised may be considered for admission as a Provisional student. (This category is unavailable for applicants who clearly do not meet the minimum university admission requirements as assessed by the Office of Graduate Studies).

While on Provisional student status, the student's program must include at least one graduate course in each semester and may include active involvement in supervised thesis research.

Students in a Master’s program must attain a 73% (B) average with no individual grade below 70% (B-). Students in a doctoral program must attain a 77% (B+) average with no individual grade below 73%.

It is the responsibility of the department/ school to provide written notification to each of its admitted Provisional category students of the number of courses to be completed in the program of study, the code and title of each required course, and the final grade level that must be attained in all such courses. If at the end of the student’s first semester the department/ school is satisfied with the student's progress according to the provisions specified, it will recommend to the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies) that the student be transferred to the Regular category. Upon transfer to the Regular category, the student shall receive credit for courses completed while in the Provisional category.

If transfer to the Regular student category is not achieved at the end of the student’s first semester, the student may be permitted to continue for a second semester in the Provisional student category. At the end of the second semester, the student’s academic record will be reviewed again. If transfer to the Regular student category is not recommended at this time, the student may be Required to Withdraw or may submit a request to the Admissions & Progress Committee to be allowed to continue in the Provisional student category for one additional semester (i.e. a third semester). Decisions of the Admissions & Progress Committee may be appealed to the Senate Committee on Student Petitions (see section on Appeals).

Special Student: Students who are admitted and registered in a non-degree program shall be assigned to the Special student category. Normally Special category students are those attending the University on a Letter of Permission, or as an Ontario Visiting Graduate Student, or are on exchange.