Below are a selected list of university policies.  It's important to keep in mind that the list only supplements the official policies in the Graduate Catalog and other official documents.

Academic Policies

• Academic Program Review
• Board of Regents Policy on Admissions Criteria
• Competitive Fellowships Factors
• Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Guidelines & Prodecures
• Doctoral Student Tuition Fellowship
• Inter-Institutional Working
• Last Day to Drop without a Grade
• Minimum Qualifications for Admission
• Optional Practical Training
• Overload - Dean's Memo & Employment
• SSN Letter-On-campus Employer Form
• Standardization of Appointment & Denial Letters
• Religious Holy Days
• Work and Reduced Course Load
• Leaves of Absenses

Registration Policies

• Board of Regents Policy on Admissions Criteria
• Dropping Courses
• Medical Withdrawal
• Student Initiated Withdrawal
• Post-Bacularate Status

Leave of Absenses

Leaves of absence may be granted by the college dean for extenuating circumstances such as educational opportunities which will not require the use of university resources, personal problems which temporarily interfere with the student's ability to continue in the program, or other such circumstances as the dean determines are extenuating.

Leaves of absence may not be granted for the student to avoid exceeding the doctoral credit hour cap, to avoid paying tuition, to avoid the regulation on continuous enrollment of doctoral students, or to avoid the full-time requirement for international students.

Leaves of absence shall be granted for specific periods of time, e.g. one semester, one year, etc. and may contain requirements for readmission into the program. A student who requests an extension of a current leave of absence shall have that request considered as a new request.

Medical Withdrawal

A student may request withdrawals from all courses in which the student is enrolled in cases where the student experiences a medical situation that impedes academic progress.

Policy

• The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies may grant medical withdrawals at any time to graduate and professional students who must withdraw for medical reasons from all courses for which they are registered at the University of Houston.

• Students who receive medical withdrawals after the last day to withdraw without receiving a grade shall receive an ‘I', a ‘W', or, (in some instances) a grade, in each course for which they were registered.

• Graduate and professional students who receive medical withdrawals must obtain permission from the university to enroll again at the University of Houston.

• Under extenuating circumstances, this policy may be applied retroactively.

Student Initiated Withdrawal

Students are responsible for initiating action to drop or withdraw from classes on or before the last day to drop a course. Students who fail to do so will be retained on the class rolls even though they may be absent for the remainder of the semester. In such instances grades of F (or U in S/U graded courses) will be given unless mitigating circumstances warrant grades of I (incomplete).

Dropping Courses

The last day to drop a course or withdraw without receiving a grade is the twelfth class day of the Fall or Spring semester and the fourth class day for each of the summer sessions.

The last day to drop a course or withdraw with a grade of "W" is generally four weeks prior to the last day of class of the Fall or Spring semester and six class days prior to the last class day of summer sessions 6W1, 9W, and 6W2; approximately three weeks prior to the last day of class for 12 week Regular summer session. Graduate students who are in a warning status because they failed to maintain a B average the previous semester may not drop a course without the recommendation of the graduate advisor and the approval of the department chair.

Post-Baccalaureate Status

The post-baccalaureate status is designed for applicants who have earned one or more degrees at an accredited institution and seek another undergraduate degree, wish to enter a non-degree program, or wish to further their education by taking courses in varying fields of study.

Students who received their prior degree at another institution should apply to be admitted as a post-baccalaureate student. This includes students who received their prior degree at the University of Houston.

An applicant who is not accepted for graduate study or who is unable to complete the admission application prior to registration may place a request with the Office of Admissions to be admitted as a post-baccalaureate student. This may enable the applicant to enroll in classes prior to (or instead of) being admitted to a graduate studies program. (See section on Applicable Graduate Credit).

Students may petition to have graduate credit granted for course work completed as post-baccalaureate students under the following conditions:

• The course must be at the 6000 level or higher.

• If the course is below the 6000 level, the student must have conformed to the same standards required of graduate students similarly enrolled.