PhD Student Handbook
Status
Active Status
A student is on active status when her/his registration has been completed, tuition and fees paid, and her/his program represents approved course work acceptable in accordance with the requirements of the Ph.D. Program. A student may also be active for dissertation work only.
A student who has completed all course requirements will, for registration purposes, be considered to have entered “dissertation status.” The term “dissertation status” also covers students who may have completed all course requirements but who have not yet passed the candidacy examination. The registration fee per semester for such students will be calculated at two-thirds of the cost of a single course unit for five consecutive terms. The registration fee for each subsequent semester will be at the rate of 15 percent of the cost of a single course unit. Students who may take additional courses will have to pay full tuition for these courses.
Half-Time Status for Doctoral Students Engaged in Preparing Dissertations
Students enrolled for dissertation beyond ten semesters are considered half-time students, unless they have established that they are full-time students. Dissertation students beyond the tenth semester of dissertation registration are full-time if:
- they are serving as a teaching assistant, a research assistant, or research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania; or
- on approval of their dissertation supervisor and their graduate group chair, with confirmation by their dean and the Deputy Provost, they demonstrate that they are engaged in full-time research on their dissertation.
The acceptance of full-time employment creates the presumption that a student is not engaged in full-time research.
Leave of AbsenceContinuous registration as a graduate student is required unless a formal leave of absence is granted by the Doctoral Program Chair. A student who has reached dissertation status will not be granted a leave of absence, except for military duty or medical reasons, or when a student receives a grant for dissertation research abroad and the grant does not include funds to pay home institution fees. A one-year leave for the birth or adoption of a minor child is available.
Doctoral candidates who desire a leave of absence must submit a written request to the Graduate Group Chair. The request must be accompanied by a written plan for the completion of doctoral study, which has been approved by the student’s Academic Advisor and/or Dissertation Committee, as appropriate. A leave of absence may not exceed one year (two consecutive semesters). The granting of a leave of absence shall not necessarily change the maximum time within which all program requirements must be completed. Time spent in the military service does not count under the time limit. No degree examinations may be taken while a student is on leave of absence.
Decisions of the Graduate Group Chair regarding leaves of absence may be appealed to the Dean of the School of Social Policy and Practice.
Inactive Status
A student is on inactive status when he or she is not registered for courses or for dissertation status and has not been granted a leave of absence. Reinstatement to active status must be requested in writing to the Graduate Group Chair. Time on inactive status is counted toward the maximum time within which all requirements must be met. If the student’s "inactive" status extends beyond three years, the student must apply for re-admission to the Program. Add something here about who pays tuition; health insurance. How does this differ from Leave of Absence?
Withdrawals
A student is considered to have withdrawn from the program when, in accordance with a written request prepared by her/him and accepted by the Graduate Group Chair, a request to terminate active status is granted. At the time of withdrawal, the student's Academic Advisor or Dissertation Committee Chairperson will prepare a written statement on the status of the student's work and the reasons for withdrawal. A student who has withdrawn may re-apply for active status. If the application is accepted, previously completed work shall be evaluated, and the student will be expected to fulfill all requirements in effect for active students at the time of re-admission.
If a student withdraws from the Ph.D. program after reaching dissertation status and subsequently applies for re-admission, the student must pay the dissertation fees that would have been due during the withdrawal period.
Terminations
A student will be terminated from being a “candidate” for the doctoral degree if any of the following occur:
(1) he or she does not meet the required course GPA; (2) he or she fails the preliminary examination and the one time make-up opportunity; (3) he or she does not complete the dissertation requirements in a timely fashion; or (4) he or she is dropped from the Program for other reasons (such as plagiarism, unethical behavior or criminal behavior). In the latter case, a student may be terminated by action of the Graduate Group Chair only if, after due process, and in accordance with policies and procedures established by the Graduate Group, continued presence in the Program is judged inimical to its interests and purposes. In such circumstances, the student's Chairperson will prepare a written summary of the student's work completed and the reasons for termination, for inclusion in the student’s record.
In addition, the student may terminate her/his connection with the Program by requesting such action on her/his own initiative, in writing, and her/his request is granted.
A student who has been terminated may apply for re-admission. The student must complete all application requirements including new letters of recommendation, current GRE scores, etc. If re-admitted, previous work completed will be considered for credit, in light of course requirements at the time of the student’s re-admission and time since completion. Those applying five years after termination will have to retake all courses.
