Semester Evaluations

Departments must evaluate each graduate student’s progress at least twice during an academic year (September through August) per Graduate Studies requirements. The department requires that we evaluate each student after Fall, Winter, and Summer semester/term.

Ratings are as follows - (1) Satisfactory, (2) Marginal, or (3) Unsatisfactory.

In order to receive a satisfactory rating, a student must:

• Have a 3.0 overall GPA on program of study courses
• Have a 3.0 program GPA excluding Chem 697R
• Have passed all proficiency exam requirements
• Have satisfactory TA/RA assignments feedback
• Have been productive in lab research 

There may be other areas that the faculty advisory chair reviews. Each student should discuss their advisor or committee requirements that may be beyond those mentioned above.

Students making marginal or unsatisfactory progress are informed via their faculty advisor and/or the graduate program administrator. The student will be asked to meet with the graduate program administrator to go over:

1. What they need to do to make satisfactory progress.
2. When each task needs to be completed.
3. Which faculty member(s) they should contact for more information or support.
4. What will happen if these tasks are not finished by the set deadline.

NOTE: If a student receives a marginal rating in one semester and is not making satisfactory progress in the next semester, the student must be rated as making unsatisfactory progress. In other words, a student may not be rated as making marginal progress in two sequential semesters. Failing to correct marginal progress is unsatisfactory.

If a student receives a marginal and an unsatisfactory or two unsatisfactory ratings in succession, the university will terminate the student’s program.