19 Official Master’s Probation Policies
Academic Probation
Students must be in good academic standing in order to graduate. To be in good standing, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.000 or higher*. If a student falls below a 3.000 GPA, they will be placed on academic probation for the following semester. Students on academic probation must schedule and attend appointments with an O’Neill Master’s Programs Office advisor or Faculty Program Director.
A student placed on probation has one semester to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.000 or above. Failure to do so will result in a review of the student’s status and may result in dismissal from the program.
For students in degree programs requiring more than 36 credit hours, students must have 9 completed credits before being placed on academic probation. After two consecutive semesters on academic probation, a student may be reviewed by their program director(s) for dismissal from their program.
For students in all degree programs requiring 36 or fewer credit hours, a student may be reviewed by their program director(s) for dismissal from their program at the end of their first semester.
For students in the degree programs requiring 36 or fewer credit hours (with exception of the MIA program), students may be placed on academic probation at the conclusion of their first course.
For all students:
GPA – Once a student is placed on academic probation, at least a 3.0 term GPA must be earned in the subsequent semesters. While any student with below a 3.0 cumulative GPA will remain on probation, they at least would need to earn a 3.0 term GPA in the following semester.
Failed Core Courses – If a student does not pass a core course on the 2nd attempt, they will be placed on academic probation regardless of GPA. Failure to pass on a 3rd attempt will result in dismissal. Grades of “C” or better are considered passing; a “C-” or lower is considered failing.
Enrollment – A hold will be placed on the record of students on academic probation that will only be removed once they meet with their academic advisor. The student is expected to meet with their academic advisor by the end of the 3rd week of the semester. The academic advisor and/or program director will recommend that the student follow a course schedule prescribed by their advisor.
Dismissal Appeal – Any student being academically dismissed can appeal their dismissal, in writing, to the program director within 2 weeks of being notified of the dismissal decision. The appeal form can be found within the Returning Student Form in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal.
Leave of Absence/Returning Student – If a student on academic probation chooses to take a leave of absence, the student will return on academic probation status. Additionally, a hold will be placed on their record, and they must meet with an academic advisor before enrolling. If a dismissed student wants to return and didn’t originally appeal their dismissal, the student can apply to return after a break of at least a full fall/spring semester away via the returning student form. This would be reviewed similarly to an appeal by the program director. If approved to return, they would return on academic probation status – a hold will be placed on their record, and they must meet with an academic advisor before enrolling.
Financial Aid Probation
Any student who has received a fellowship from the O’Neill Master’s Programs Office (MPO) must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.400.* Falling below the minimum GPA requirement will result in being placed on financial aid probation. Students on financial aid probation must schedule and attend appointments with an O’Neill MPO advisor/staff member.
Two consecutive semesters of failing to meet the 3.400 cumulative GPA threshold may result in the fellowship being revoked. Students may seek clarification on this policy by contacting the MPO. For students in degree programs requiring more than 36 credit hours, students must have 9 completed credits before being placed on financial aid probation. For students in degree programs requiring 36 or fewer credit hours, students may be placed on financial aid probation at the conclusion of their first course.
Multiple Incompletes
Students with more than one incomplete on their record will have a hold placed on their student account which will prohibit registration for the next semester. The hold will be lifted when the student has only one incomplete remaining or has completed all incomplete courses. If students have enrolled and still have multiple incompletes on their record at the start of the next term, students may be administratively unenrolled from courses until the incompletes are resolved.
*Cumulative GPA can be found at the bottom of the AAR; transcript GPA is not always accurate.
Appointments for Probation and Multiple Incompletes
Students who are on academic probation, financial aid probation or have multiple incompletes in coursework must make an appointment(s) with an O’Neill MPO advisor or Faculty Program Director.
The decision of the frequency of the appointments for each student will be decided by the O’Neill MPO staff member or faculty program director The decision will be based on the student’s overall academic performance and need. Students who are placed on probation or have multiple incompletes will be notified of their status and how often they must meet with an O’Neill MPO advisor or a faculty program director. Frequency of appointments are subject to change at the discretion of MPO staff and faculty program directors, based on student progress, performance, and feedback.
Note regarding academic probation: If a student is placed on academic probation, a hold will be placed on their academic record. This hold will prevent the student from registering for next semester’s courses. The hold will remain on the student’s academic record until the student schedules and attends a meeting with an O’Neill MPO advisor or faculty program director.