Graduate Academic Regulations
University-wide academic regulations that pertain to all graduate and professional students are presented below. Students are expected to become familiar with the regulations that are specific to their school.
To learn about each school’s academic regulations, please refer to the following sites:
Academic Regulations are effective from September of the current academic year except where a different date is explicitly stated. If there have been changes in the Academic Regulations and degree requirements since a student readmitted after sustained leave was last enrolled, the Academic Regulations in effect at the time of the student’s readmission to full-time study will apply, unless the Associate Dean specifies otherwise in writing at the time of readmission.
Academic Grievances
Any graduate or professional student who believes he or she has been treated unfairly in academic matters should consult with the faculty member or administrator designated by their school to discuss the situation and to obtain information about relevant grievance policies and procedures.
Academic Record
A record of each graduate or professional student’s academic work is prepared and maintained permanently by the Office of Student Services. Student academic records are sealed at the time the degree is conferred. After this date changes may not be made, with the exception of errors or omissions.
Attendance
Graduate and professional students are expected to meet course requirements in classes, internships, and practica as specified in the syllabus or document prepared explicitly for the academic experience. A student who is absent repeatedly from these academic experiences will be evaluated by the responsible faculty member and/or designated supervisor(s) to ascertain the student’s ability to continue in the course and to achieve course objectives.
Professors may include, as part of the semester’s grades, marks for the quality and quantity of the student’s participation in the course.
Professors will announce, reasonably well in advance, tests, examinations and other forms of assessment based on the material covered in the course, as well as other assigned material. A student who is absent from a course is responsible for obtaining knowledge of what happened in the course, especially information about announced tests, papers, or other assignments.
A student who is absent from a course on the day of a previously announced examination, including the final examination, is not entitled, as a matter of right, to make up what was missed. The professor involved is free to decide whether a makeup will be allowed.
In cases of prolonged absence, the student or his or her representative should communicate with the student’s graduate Associate Dean as soon as the prospect of extended absence becomes clear. The academic arrangements for the student’s return to the course should be made with the Graduate Associate Dean’s Office as soon as the student’s health and other circumstances permit.
Absences for Religious Reasons
Any graduate or professional student who is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to attend classes, internships, or practica, or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such examination, or study or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to makeup such examination, study or work requirement that may have been missed because of such absence on any particular day. However, students should notify professors and supervisors at the end of the first course meeting or at least two weeks in advance of any such planned observances, and such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon the University. No fees will be charged and no adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student who is absent for religious reasons.
Audits
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding audits.
Comprehensive Examination: Master's Students
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding comprehensive examinations for master's students.
Continuation: Doctoral Candidacy
Graduate and professional students who have completed all required coursework and who have successfully completed the comprehensive examination or the oral defense of a publishable paper are admitted to doctoral candidacy. Doctoral candidates are required to register and pay for Doctoral Continuation (9999) during each semester of their candidacy or its equivalent.
Please refer to your school’s regulation for additional information on doctoral candidacy.
Cross Registration
Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium
The Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium (BTI), a consortium of theology faculty primarily in the Boston-Newton-Cambridge area, has as its constituent members the following institutions. Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding cross-registration in the BTI.
- Boston College Theology Department
- Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
- Boston University School of Theology
- Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
- Hartford Seminary
- Harvard Divinity School
- Hebrew College
- Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
- St. John’s Seminary and Theological Institute
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The Consortium
Boston College is part of a consortium that includesĚýBoston University, Brandeis University, Hebrew College, Hellenic College, Regis College, Northeastern, and Tufts University. Eligible students are allowed to take courses at any of these institutions if the same courses are not offered at Boston College at any time during the academic year. Cross registration materials are available from the Office of Student Services on the Academic Forms page. Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding cross-registration in this consortium.
Consortium for Graduate Studies in Gender, Culture, Women, and Sexuality
Eligible graduate and professional students enrolled in degree programs during the academic year may apply to participate in the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Gender, Culture, Women, and Sexuality, an inter-institutional enterprise established to advance the field of women’s studies and enlarge the scope of graduate education through new models of team teaching and interdisciplinary study. Faculty and students are drawn from nine member schools: Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, Harvard University, MIT, Northeastern, Simmons, Tufts, and UMass Boston. Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding cross-registration in this consortium. Eligible students need to obtain permission from their department or school. Registration forms will be mailed from the Consortium to accepted students.
Degree with Honors
Academic honors are not calculated for graduate students except for law. Law students’ Latin honors are calculated as follows: Summa Cum Laude is awarded to the top 2% of the class. Magna Cum Laude is awarded to the top 10% of the class. Cum Laude is awarded to students graduating in the upper third of the class. Honors will be noted on the student’s diploma.
Enrollment Status
Full-Time Enrollment Status
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding full-time enrollment status.
Final Examinations
For graduate level courses that have final examinations, professors may use the University’s final examination schedule, which is public and set before classes begin, or they may set the day and time of their final examination in the syllabus or document prepared explicitly for the academic experience. All students are responsible for knowing when their final examinations will take place and for taking examinations at the scheduled time. Students who miss a final examination are not entitled, as a matter of right, to a makeup examination except for serious illness and/or family emergency. Students who are not able to take a final examination during its scheduled time should contact the person designated by the department or school, preferably prior to the examination date, to inform them of their situation and to make alternative arrangements if granted permission to do so.
Foreign Language Requirement
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding foreign language requirements.
Grading
In each graduate course, in which a graduate or professional student is registered for graduate credit, the student will receive one of the following grades at the end of the semester: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, F, W, J, U, P, or I. The high passing grade of A is awarded for superior work. The passing grade of B is awarded for work that clearly is satisfactory at the graduate level. The low passing grade of C is awarded for work that is minimally acceptable at the graduate level. The failing grade of F is awarded for work that is unsatisfactory.
A pass/fail option is available for a limited number of courses. A Sat/Unsat grade is recorded for courses such as doctoral continuation.
A student’s cumulative average is based on grades in courses taken in theirĚýprogram at Boston College, plus other courses specifically approved for credit towards the degree by the Academic Dean. If a student fails a course, the course is not credited toward the degree, but the failing grade remains on the student’s transcript and a 0.0 is calculated into the student’s cumulative average.ĚýA failed course may be retaken for credit, with the new grade added to the GPA, but the original failure remains on the transcript and continues to be counted in the GPA.ĚýIf a student retakes a failed course and fails it again, the course is again entered on the transcript and the grade is counted in the GPA. If a student retakes a course in which she or he has already received a passing grade, the repeated course is again entered on the transcript and the grade is calculated in the cumulative GPA, but the course is not credited toward the degree.
Please refer to your school’s regulation for additional information on grading.
Grading Scale
In computing averages, the following numerical equivalents are used. The entire grading scale is not used by all schools.
- A 4.00
- A- 3.67
- B+ 3.33
- B 3.00
- B- 2.67
- C+ 2.33
- C 2.00
- C- 1.67
- D+ 1.33
- D 1.00
- D- .67
- F .00
- P No effect on GPA
- U No effect on GPA
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Grade Changes
Grade changes should be made only for exceptional reasons. The grades submitted by faculty at the end of each semester are considered final unless the faculty member has granted the student an Incomplete. Incompletes may be granted to provide a student time to finish his or her course work after the date set for the course examination or in the course syllabus. Incompletes should only be granted for serious reasons, e.g., illness, and only when the student has been able to complete most of the course work but is missing a specific assignment, e.g., a final paper, an examination, etc. Incompletes are not to be granted to allow the student to complete a major portion of the course work after the end of the semester.
All I grades will automatically be changed to F on March 1 for the fall, August 1 for the spring, and October 1 for the summer except for students in the Boston College School of Social Work.
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for more information on grade changes.
Student Work and Assessment
The grading of student work serves as the primary means of individual evaluation; additionally, student work generally may be used to assess course, program, and the related, learning outcomes in support of continuous improvement.
Pass/Fail Electives
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding pass/fail electives.
Good Standing
Grades, satisfactory performance in internships and practica, and timely completion of degree requirements determine a student’s good standing in his or her program. Students should be informed in a timely manner if their good standing is in jeopardy and the conditions needed to maintain or establish good standing.
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding academic good standing.
Graduation
The University awards degrees in May, August, and December of each year. Commencement ceremonies are held only in May. Students who have completed all requirements for the degree before a specific graduation date are eligible to receive the degree as of the university’s next official graduation date. A diploma will not be dated before all work is completed. Students who graduate in December or August may participate in commencement exercises the following May.
In order to ensure timely clearance, all students who plan to graduate should confirm their diploma names online atĚýbc.edu/myservices according to the deadline listed on the diploma name/address link.
Leave of Absence
Voluntary Leave of Absence
Graduate students who do not register for course work, Thesis or Dissertation Direction, or Interim Study in any given semester must request a leave of absence for that semester. Leaves of absence are not usually granted for more than two semesters at a time, and are rarely granted for students on Doctoral Continuation. Students may apply for a personal or medical leave of absence. As described below, appropriate documentation is required for a medical leave of absence.
Students may submit a personal or medical leave of absence request online using a form found on the Student Services Academic Forms page. Once submitted it will be routed to the appropriate school’s Associate Dean’s for review.
Leave time for either a personal or medical leave of absence will normally be considered a portion of the total time limit for the degree unless the contrary is decided upon initially between the student and the Associate Dean.
Personal Leave of Absence
Students on an approved personal leave of absence should contact the Associate Dean’s Office at least six weeks prior to the semester in which they expect to re-enroll. The appropriate Associate Dean will make the decision on the readmission request.
Medical Leave of Absence
If a student is unable to complete the coursework or other course of study for a semester due to medical reasons, the student may request a medical leave of absence. Medical leave, whether requested for mental health or physical health reasons, must be supported by appropriate documentation from a licensed care provider and be approved by the student’s Associate Dean.
The University reserves the right to impose conditions on readmission from a medical leave, which may include: length of time on leave; the submission of documentation from the student’s health care provider; the student’s consent for the provider to discuss the student’s condition with University clinicians, and/or an independent evaluation of the student’s condition by University clinicians; and/or making use of University or outside professional services.
The conditions will be specified at the time of leave, and students will be asked to acknowledge their acceptance of them.
Students seeking to return from leave should contact the appropriate Academic Dean prior to seeking readmission no later than four weeks prior to the desired admission date. However, students seeking to return to a practicum, clinical or field education placement must contact the appropriate Academic Dean expressing the intent to seek readmission at least a full semester before the desired return.
Students on Boston College’s medical insurance policy may be eligible to continue their health insurance the semester in which they take a medical leave of absence and the following semester. Students should consult with Student Services and can learn more about this policy at: . Students granted a medical leave may be entitled to a semester’s tuition credit to be provided upon readmission, and should consult their school’s policy regarding the tuition credit.
Involuntary Leave of Absence
Students may be separated from the University for academic reasons (please refer to specific school or department policies for more information) or for reasons of health, safety, or when a student’s continuance at Boston College poses significant risk to the student or others. For additional information, visit the Division of Student Affairs website.
Readmission
Graduate and professional students seeking readmission to the University should consult with the policies and procedures specified by their department or school. The decision to re-admit a student will be based on a consideration of the best interests of both the student and the University.
Summer Courses
In graduate programs, summer courses may be an integral part of the curriculum. Graduate and professional students should consult with their schools or departments for specific policies regarding summer courses.
Time-to-Degree
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding time-to-degree.
Transcripts
All current graduate and professional students submit requests for academic transcripts atĚýbc.edu/myservices. Alumni should visit for directions on the transcript request process. Students and alumni will be directed to the National Student Clearinghouse transcript fulfillment website as our vendor for transcripts. For more information, visitĚý.
Transcript/Diploma Holds
The University will not issue diplomas or release transcripts for any graduate or professional student with an outstanding financial obligation to the University, which includes failure to complete a mandatory loan exit interview.
Transfer of Credit
Graduate and professional students should consult their school or department for specific policies regarding transfer of credit.
University Communication Policies and Student Responsibilities
Official communications of the University with its currently enrolled graduate and professional students, including notices of academic and administrative matters and communications from faculty and administrative staff, may be sent via postal service, campus mail, or e-mail. To assure that these communications arrive in a timely manner, all enrolled students have the following responsibilities:
Postal service and Campus mail:ĚýFor purposes of written communication, the student’s local and permanent addresses on record at the Office of Student Services will be regarded as the student’s official local and permanent residences. All students have a responsibility to provide both local and permanent mailing addresses and to enter corrections at bc.edu/myservicesĚýif the addresses are not accurate in University records. Students should review their address record for accuracy at the beginning of each semester and again soon after submitting any corrections.
E-mail:ĚýThe University recognizes and uses electronic mail as an appropriate medium for official communication. The University provides all enrolled students with e-mail accounts as well as access to e-mail services from computer stations at various locations on campus. All students are expected to access their e-mail accounts regularly, to check for official University communications, and to respond as necessary to such communications.
Students may forward their e-mail messages from their University e-mail accounts to non-university e-mail systems. In such cases, students shall be solely responsible for all consequences arising from such forwarding arrangements, including any failure by the non-university system to deliver or retain official University communications. Students should send test messages to and from their University e-mail account on a regular basis, to confirm that their e-mail service is functioning reliably.
All student responses to official e-mail communications from the University must contain the student’s University e-mail address in the “From:” and “Reply To:” lines and should originate from the student’s University e-mail account, to assure that the response can be recognized as a message from a member of the University community.
Withdrawal from a Course
Graduate and professional students who withdraw from a course after the drop/add period (after the first seven class-days of the semester) will have a “W” recorded in the grade column of their academic record. To withdraw from a course all students must go to theĚýAcademic FormsĚýpage of theĚýĚýwebsite, submit the online form that will then be routed to the Office of the Academic Dean for their school for review. Students will not be permitted to withdraw from courses after the published deadline. Students who are still registered at this point will receive a final grade for the semester.
Withdrawal from Boston College
Graduate and professional students who wish to withdraw from Boston College in good standing are required to submit an online Withdrawal Form, found on theĚýAcademic FormsĚýpage of theĚýĚýwebsite, which will be routed to the appropriate Academic Dean’s Office for review and processing. In the case of students who are dismissed for academic or disciplinary reasons, the Academic Dean will process the withdrawal.
University Awards and Honors
Please refer to your school or department website for information about awards and honors.