Graduate and Professional
Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations
Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations apply to all graduate and professional students in the university and will supersede all school level policies. Students are personally responsible to review the following general academic rules and regulations. If students have questions about particular regulations, they should contact their academic dean's office for clarification.
Attendance Policy for Graduate and Professional Students
The attendance policy for graduate and professional students specifies the role of students, instructors, and university administrators in cases when graduate and professional students are absent from one or more classes. The university does not require faculty to take attendance; however, if faculty use participation/ attendance in their grading rubric, they must include this policy on the course syllabus including a clear definition of the consequences for non-attendance. If participation/attendance is identified as a portion of the students’ final grade, faculty must maintain a record of students’ attendance throughout the term.
Excused Absences
The university recognizes there are times when students must miss class due to extenuating circumstances. Regardless of the attendance policy of the faculty, the following are considered excused obligations and are not to be counted as absences in the class. Excused absences do not preclude the need to fulfill specific program requirements.
- Jury duty (with appropriate documentation)
- Short Term Military Obligation – Veterans Current Students
- This activity must be documented and provided to the faculty in advance of the activity.
- The documentation must be verified by the director or assistant director in the Military Veteran Student Services Office, who has confirmed that the student has orders to report for a short-term military obligation.
- Day(s) for Religious Observances
- Participation in Division-1 athletics or other university-sanctioned events – Travel & Competition Policy
- This activity must be documented and provided to the faculty in advance of the activity.
- The documentation must be verified by an administrator who is directly related to the activity (e.g. Division-1 athletics representative; musical group director; student development representative, etc.).
- Absences resulting from legally mandated accommodation requirements (e.g., Title IX, ADA, etc.).
- In the event of a state or national pandemic, the institution retains the right to amend this attendance policy.
- At their discretion, faculty may permit excused absences for graduate and professional students’ professional development and/or training.
- Graduate and professional students should consult with supervising faculty and/or program leadership regarding the attendance policy for internship, study, and supervision classes.
Making Up Work from a Missed Class
The excused absences outlined above require the faculty to facilitate alternative means for students to make up classwork and/or get notes from a lecture. Labs, clinical hours, group work, performance, studio art, and other field-based classes are the exceptions to this because it may be impossible to make up classwork.
Unexcused Absences
Absences not listed above are unexcused. The ability to make up class work because of an unexcused absence is at the discretion of the faculty, as outlined in the faculty’s attendance policy noted on syllabi. Note that the Loyola University Chicago Wellness Center does not provide documentation for absences.
Military Service
Students who have been called into the armed services of the United States and who are consequently withdrawing from the university before the end of the withdrawal period will receive a refund of all tuition and fees paid for the period in question but no academic credit. If they withdraw after the end of the withdrawal period, they will receive full academic credit for the semester with grades as of the date of withdrawal but no refund of tuition.
Student Enrollment Status
Half-time enrollment is required to receive federal loans, per Financial Aid.
Enrollment Length
- Graduate Semester
- Half-Time - 4-7 hours
- Full-Time - 8+ hours
- Graduate Quarter (Business)
- Half-Time - 3-5 hours
- Full-Time - 6+ hours
- Medical School
- Half-Time - 0.5 hours
- Full-Time - 1+ hours
Generally, to be considered half-time a graduate student must be enrolled in at least four graduate semester hours or three graduate quarter hours (depending on the program). Full-time enrollment is defined as eight graduate semester hours or six graduate quarter hours (depending on the program). However, a graduate student may be considered enrolled full-time in a term if any of the following conditions apply:
- Enrolled in eligible clerkship, internship, or practicum coursework (not all courses are eligible; typically these are classes requiring field/agency work); or
- Semester students enrolled in any masters or doctoral coursework that is considered full-time by Registration and Records.
Note: Students enrolled in Research are considered full-time in terms where their enrollment is at least eight graduate semester hours.
Withdrawal from the University
An enrolled student who wishes to withdraw from the university during any semester must notify the Dean’s office and their graduate program director in writing. A student is considered to be in attendance until such notice has been received by the Dean or the Graduate Program Director. All financial refunds or obligations are dated from the date of the formal notice of withdrawal and not from the date of the last class attended; see the Bursar's website for more information. It is the student's obligation to inform the Graduate School promptly of the intention to withdraw. Telephone messages or non-attendance in class are not official notification.
A student may be required to withdraw from the university because of academic deficiency, lack of sufficient progress toward completion of degree requirements, failure to adhere to university requirements, degree requirements and/or regulations for conduct or failure to meet financial obligations to the university.
Complete Emergency Withdrawal
Students facing a significant emergency circumstance (see “Definitions” section below) that prevents them from continuing in or completing an academic term may submit an Intent to Withdraw form to their program director or the Graduate School. All requests must be supported by appropriate documentation. The Intent to Withdraw form is reviewed by the academic dean’s office of the student’s primary college/school for approval and processing.
Requests for complete emergency term withdrawals are considered after the last day of a term to drop a course or courses without a grade of “W.” In cases where the student is incapacitated (see “Emergencies Resulting in Student Incapacitation” below for more details), the requests for complete emergency term withdrawals may be submitted by a parent, spouse or legal guardian.
Complete emergency term withdrawals constitute a withdrawal from all classes and may result in final grades of “WE” in all classes for the given academic term. The University does not grant partial withdrawals (i.e., requests to withdraw from some classes but not others) for emergencies. Grades of “WE” have no impact on a student’s cumulative GPA. The “WE” grade has no earned or attempted hours associated with the grade; however, “WE” counts towards attempted hours when determining Satisfactory Academic Progress for continued financial aid eligibility. This policy does not apply in cases where the student has completed final exams or final projects for classes in the term impacted by the significant emergency circumstance. When final grades have posted, students should utilize the Appeal for Change of Academic Record form and submit to their primary academic advisor, program director or assistant/associate Dean.
The Office of the Bursar will determine the impact of the Withdrawal on the students account balance in LOCUS. The Student Account Balance will be determined by the University withdrawal calendar Loyola Withdrawal Schedule. The Bursar will not assess any late payment fees after the date of Withdrawal.
EMERGENCIES RESULTING IN STUDENT INCAPACITATION
It is required that a complete emergency term withdrawal request be submitted by the student. However, if an emergency situation has resulted in the student’s temporary or long-term incapacitation for a period that may extend beyond the one-calendar-year deadline of this policy, the student’s college/school academic dean’s office, the Office of the Dean of Students, a parent (for minors), emergency contact person, or other legally assigned designee may submit a request on the student’s behalf. In such cases, the student’s college/school academic dean’s office may require additional documentation (e.g., letter from medical doctor, hospitalization forms, power of attorney).
POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS
The section below provides a non-exhaustive list and general information on the potential implications of a complete emergency term withdrawal. While the University offers a number of considerations that help support students who are facing emergencies, there are other important factors that should be taken into consideration before submitting a request for a complete emergency term withdrawal. Whenever possible, it is strongly recommended that a student discuss all possible options, including the potential implications of a complete emergency withdrawal with their primary academic advisor.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
Students are strongly encouraged to purchase tuition insurance (e.g., A.W.G Dewar, Inc.) prior to the start of the academic term.
Note that a complete emergency withdrawal does not automatically result in tuition credit. Please refer to the withdrawal schedule on the Office of the Bursar’s website.
COMPLETE EMERGENCY WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURES DURING AN ACADEMIC TERM
Although it is recommended that the student submit as much information as possible, documentation does not need to specify details of the emergency that may be protected by law or considered private. Documentation must come from a verifiable authority (e.g., community/licensed healthcare provider, police agency, court of law, US military etc.) and minimally confirm the following:
Requests for a complete emergency withdrawal will be reviewed and decided by the student’s college/school academic dean’s office. Other areas, such as the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office for Equity & Compliance, or Student Accessibility Center, may be consulted in cases where the student was either referred or is being supported by said office. Additional documentation and/or information may be requested of the student before a final decision is made.
The student will receive a written decision notification no later than 14 business days after receipt of original request via LUC email. If the school is unable to meet the 14 business-days deadline, the student will be notified in writing of the new deadline. If the request is approved, the effective date and further instructions before returning to campus (if necessary) will be provided. The date of the complete emergency withdrawal will be determined by the primary college/school dean’s office based on the date of the last academically related activity.
POST-EMERGENCY COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL RE-ENTRY PROCESS
Unless otherwise indicated in the approval notification or by the Office of the Dean of Students in lieu of the Loyola University Chicago Behavior Concerns Team (BCT), the process for returning to the university will follow standard policies and procedures for re-enrollment. Students who were being supported by BCT before withdrawing or are returning because of a mental health hospitalization are required to consult the Office of the Dean of Students for instructions on potential re-entry requirements.
DEFINITIONS
Significant Emergency Circumstance – an unforeseen emergency situation that prevents a student from continuing in or completing an academic term. Some examples include but are not limited to:
- Chronic illness of withdrawing student
- Death of parent/legal guardian or medical issue of a family member and the withdrawing student must become a part-time or full-time caretaker of family member
- Extreme financial hardship
- Mental health condition, serious injury or illness of withdrawing student
- Sudden or consistent lack of transportation which affected the withdrawing student’s ability to meet in-person attendance requirements
- Other situations, at the University’s sole discretion, which are deemed to result in significant hardship to the withdrawing student
This list includes examples of emergency situations that directly affect the student.
Graduate and Professional School Academic Policies
Students should be familiar with these regulations as they apply to their degree program. The academic unit which confers the degree holds the policies that are relevant to a particular degree. Questions should be directed to the office of the academic dean of the school or institute.
Parkinson School of Public Health
Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing
Quinlan Graduate School of Business
School of Continuing and Professional Studies