Academic Polices & Procedures

Modifying Academic Program
Any modification to the student's academic program (change of major, change of program type, etc.) must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator.

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Academic Advising

New Students
Ideally, new graduate students should arrive at least two weeks prior to the start of class so that they may be advised. The student and the advisor must complete a graduate advisement form and return a signed copy to the main office by the specified date. Graduate advisement forms are available online and in the main office.

Continuing Students
In mid-October and early March of each year, all continuing graduate students are required to consult with their faculty advisor to create a course schedule for the next term. Both the student and the advisor must complete a graduate advisement form and return a signed copy to the main office by the specified date. A registration stop will be placed on the student registration until the advisement form has been submitted.

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Registration

Registration Deadlines
Registration deadlines are university specific and vary from year-to-year. Students should consult their university's registration guide for exact dates and times. Failure to register by the specified date will result in a late registration fee of $100.00.

Registration Guide
Each university publishes a registration guide. The registration guide contains a list of all registration deadlines; drop/add information, information on the registration process and important announcements.

Course Listing
A list of mechanical engineering course offerings, with the meeting time, location, and where possible the instructor, will be posted online and in the main office each term. Additionally each university provides an online Course Look Up system:

Minimum Course Load
Any student supported by the Department must register for at least 9 credit hours of graduate-level coursework (courses numbered 5000 an above). Students supported on a University fellowship or assistantship (Presidential, Research, McKnight, Auzenne, etc.) may be required to register for 12 credit hours and should consult the Department for details.

Course Under load
Supported students may register for less than nine hours only with the approval of their faculty advisor and the Graduate Coordinator. International students should consult the International Center before enrolling for less than nine hours.

Courses Requiring Instructor Approval
The following courses require instructor approval prior to registration and must be requested during the academic advisement period. Course Request forms are available online and in the main office.

Registering for Undergraduate Coursework
Graduate students may take undergraduate coursework (courses numbered 1000 – 4999) only with the approval of their faculty advisor and the Graduate Coordinator. The course must be substantially related to the student's degree program or part of a Department mandated course of study.

Final Term Registration
Both universities require students to register for thesis or dissertation in their final term even if they have satisfied the thesis or dissertation credit requirement for their degree. Florida A&M students must register for at least one credit hour in their final term. Florida State students must register 2 credit hours if they are a MS student and 3 credit hours if they are a PhD student.

Incomplete Grades
A student who is passing a course but has not completed all of the required coursework by the end of the term may, with the permission of the instructor, be assigned an incomplete or 'I'. Incomplete grades must be resolved by the end of the next term in which the student is enrolled. If it is not, the incomplete grade will be converted to an 'F' grade.

Minimum GPA and Grade Requirement
Students are required to maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA. The department also limits the number of 'C' grades a student may earn (to two) before they are required to repeat a course.

Academic Probation & Dismissal
A student whose cumulative GPA falls below a 3.00 at the end of a term will be considered "not in good standing" and will be placed on academic probation. A registration stop will be placed on the student's record until they have met with their advisor and submitted a revised plan of study to the Graduate Coordinator.

If the student does not raise their GPA by the end of the next term they will be dismissed from the graduate program.

The student's faculty advisor may petition the Graduate Committee for reinstatement. The faculty advisor must submit written justification for granting an exception. If the Graduate Committee accepts the petition, the student will be reinstated under academic probation. However, under no circumstance will a student be allowed more than one additional term of academic probation.

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Residency Requirement

Florida State University requires all PhD students to be continuously enrolled on campus for a minimum of twenty-four credit hours during any 12-month period at least once prior to graduation. The residency requirement must be satisfied of graduation will be denied. There is no residency requirement for the MS degree. Florida A&M University has no residency requirement for either the PhD or MS degree.