All students enrolled at Virginia Tech are subject to student life policies set by the university. The university publication, University Policies for Student Life is available at https://codeofconduct.vt.edu/. This document is applicable to students matriculated at the Blacksburg campus, as well as those students at branch campuses, higher education centers, or other university owned or leased properties. In addition, information about medical and health related policies and parking are included below.

All Blacksburg campus students, admitted to the university for the first time, must complete a physical examination form and return it to Student Health Services http://www.healthcenter.vt.edu/

The university has contracted with an insurance carrier to offer group coverage for all students at Virginia Tech. For details on levels of coverage and specific limitation, please contact the Student Medical Insurance office in the Student Services Building, 540/231-6226 or 231-6303, or visit https://risk.controller.vt.edu/studentmedicalinsurance.html.

Medical insurance is mandatory for all international students with F-1 or J-1 visa status and their accompanying dependents in F-2/J-2 visa status. Insurance requirements are posted at https://risk.controller.vt.edu/studentmedicalinsurance/international-students-.html. Medical insurance is mandatory for all College of Veterinary Medicine students at a minimum of $100,000 accident and sickness coverage. All students in these two areas must show in writing that they have coverage from another insurance company that is equal to or better than the minimum levels required by the university, or they must purchase the university-sponsored student plan. Review of insurance policies is done by the Student Medical Insurance office https://risk.controller.vt.edu/studentmedicalinsurance.html.  

Motor vehicles owned and operated by students who drive them on campus and bicycles must be registered with the University Parking Services Office when the vehicle is brought on campus. Parking information and regulations are available at https://parking.vt.edu

Applicants should submit copies of their transcripts with the online application. Unofficial copies are acceptable for review by the department and Graduate School. Upon admission, official transcripts should be sent to the Virginia Tech Graduate School. If the official transcript submitted for admission does not show bachelor's degree completion, the applicant will need to later supply another official transcript showing that the degree has been awarded/conferred.

Letters of reference can be submitted on line (preferred) or sent directly to the academic department.

Individual departments may require applicants to submit the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). For applicants to the Pamplin College of Business, the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is required. Please request that GRE or GMAT scores, if applicable, be sent to Virginia Tech. The Educational Testing Service Institution Code for Virginia Tech is 005859. Please visit academic department websites for other departmental requirements such as resumes, vitas, portfolios, etc. All credentials submitted in support of an application become the property of the university.

Legal Status and Financial Certification

All international students must hold valid non-immigrant visa status to enroll at Virginia Tech. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of eligibility to apply for the appropriate visa (I-20 or DS-2019 form), all international students must submit documentation of funding and demographic information. The following link provides information about what and how to submit: https://international.vt.edu/Immigration-Services/new-students.html. The Cranwell International Center will collect (1) information required for issuance of visa eligibility documents and (2) information that demonstrates that a student has sufficient financial resources for at least the first year of education. International students in F-1 and J-1 visa status and their accompanying dependents are required to carry health and accident insurance approved by Virginia Tech. International students who have been admitted and have shown proof of having sufficient funds to cover their educational and living expenses for at least one year are issued visa eligibility documents (I-20 or DS-2019 forms) by the Cranwell International Center.

Evidence of English Proficiency

International applicants are exempt from demonstrating English proficiency if they have graduated from an accredited university where English is the language of instruction or if they are U.S. permanent residents ("green card" holders). International applicants may demonstrate English proficiency by submitting scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum TOEFL score of 577 on the paper-based test (PBT) or 90 on the internet-based test (iBT) is required for consideration of the application.

On the iBT, subscores of at least 20 on each subtest (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing) are required for admission. A minimum IELTS score of 6.5 is required for admission.  Some departments have higher TOEFL or IELTS score requirements than those set by the Graduate School. Students who anticipate appointment as Graduate Teaching Assistants are expected to have scored 25 or greater on the TOEFL Speaking subtest. GTA appointment of a student scoring 20-24 on the Speaking subtest should be justified explicitly within the particular academic unit; appointment of a student scoring below 20 on the Speaking subtest requires justification with the Graduate School.  For more details, see http://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/testing-requirements.html.

Attending at Extended-Campus Locations

International students in F-1 or J-1 visa status may pursue graduate degrees in Blacksburg or at the extended-campus in the National Capital Region (NCR). Questions regarding enrollment eligibility at the NCR location should be directed to the International Graduate Student Services office of the Graduate School in NCR at 703/538-3743, GSSONCR@vt.edu; http://www.ncr.vt.edu/.

Requirements for Assistantships and Employment

International students in F-1 or J-1 status who obtained admission into a degree program are eligible for consideration by the academic departments for assistantships and in-state tuition scholarships. Part-time employment on campus is subject to federal regulations governing employment of student (F-1) and exchange visitor (J-1) visa holders. Blacksburg students should contact the Cranwell International Center, international@vt.edu, 540-231-6527; National Capital Region students should contact 703/538-3743, GSSONCR@vt.edu.

Regular Admission to a graduate degree is open to an applicant whose grade point average (GPA) meets or exceeds the 3.00 required by the Graduate School for the last half of the credits earned for the undergraduate (bachelors) degree, and whose academic background meets the requirements of the admitting academic unit. A graduate degree, or at least 12 credits of graduate coursework taken post-baccalaureate, while in graduate status, will supersede the undergraduate record in evaluating credentials for admission.

Provisional Admission to a graduate degree is open to an applicant whose GPA is below the 3.00 required by the Graduate School, but generally not lower than 2.75, who has other experience or qualifications that demonstrate potential to undertake graduate study, and whose admission is requested by the admitting academic unit. Provisionally admitted students are regular degree-seeking students with the condition that they must earn at least a 3.00 GPA for the first 12 graduate credits they attempt. If a 3.00 GPA is not earned in the first 12 credit hours attempted, the Graduate School will consult with the academic unit to determine whether the student should be allowed to continue for one additional semester on probationary status (see Academic Progress, Probation). Appropriate coursework taken while on Provisional status may be included on the Plan of Study for the student's graduate degree at the discretion of the student's Advisory Committee.

An applicant whose academic background is deficient in some aspect, but who otherwise meets minimum  GPA qualifications for admission (Regular or Provisional) may be granted “conditional” admission. The admitting academic unit specifies and informs the conditions of admission to the applicant and the Graduate School by letter prior to applicant matriculation. The academic unit notifies the Graduate School when the conditions have been met.

Non-degree status is open to an applicant who qualifies for admission to the Graduate School in Regular status (i.e., who has a 3.00 GPA or better for the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study) but who does not wish to, or cannot be, listed as a degree candidate for one of the following reasons: (a) does not currently desire to work toward a graduate degree; (b) desires to transfer the credits for use toward a graduate degree at another institution; or (c) there currently is no higher degree available at the university other than the one the applicant currently holds in the department or field of study. Official transcripts of the undergraduate degree are required for admission to this status.

The university places no limits on the total number of credits that may be taken while in Non-degree status. Credits earned by students in Non-degree status may be used in meeting degree requirements, if they are appropriate for inclusion, in the Plan of Study if the student is later admitted to a graduate degree. Graduate students in Non-degree status are not eligible for graduate assistantships. International Exchange Students in J1 status only may hold Non-degree status for up to two semesters (note that TOEFL score requirements do apply).

Commonwealth Campus status is open to an applicant who holds an earned bachelors or higher degree from a regionally accredited U.S. university. Examples of students who seek admission into the Commonwealth Campus program include those who (a) may qualify for regular admission but do not currently wish to work for a graduate degree; (b) do not qualify for admission because of a poor undergraduate record and wish to improve their credentials; (c) need to update their academic credentials after several years of professional experience or (d) require graduate courses for professional certification. International students in F1 or J1 visa status are not eligible for Commonwealth Campus status. However, some other types of visa status may allow non-degree enrollment (note that TOEFL or IELTS score requirements do apply). Students applying for Commonwealth Campus status must complete the Application for Admission and submit a transcript (unofficial is sufficient) or a copy of their diploma for the highest degree attained. Students in Commonwealth Campus status are not eligible for graduate assistantships.

Commonwealth Campus students are limited to 12 credits of course work while in this status. Students may not earn a graduate degree while enrolled in Commonwealth Campus status. If a Commonwealth Campus student wishes to enter a degree program, the Application for Admission to that degree needs to be filed early in the semester prior to the desired semester for degree entry.

If the student is accepted to a degree, a determination of the applicability of any courses taken while in Commonwealth Campus status, to a graduate degree, will be made at the time of submission of the Plan of Study for the degree.

A qualified student who wishes to enter Virginia Tech to obtain a graduate certificate, without being enrolled in a degree program, may apply for graduate admission to Graduate Certificate status. Such applicants should submit concurrently an Application for Admission and a Graduate Certificate Application 1.       https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Application_for_Graduate_Certificate_Program.pdf. The Graduate School requires a GPA of 3.0 for admission to Certificate Status and official transcripts must be submitted. Note that students pursuing a degree and a certificate simultaneously are classified in their degree program. All credits applied to the earning of a graduate certificate may be used in meeting degree requirements if they are appropriate for inclusion on the Plan of Study for the degree. No credits can be triple-counted.

A graduate student in good standing at another university may be permitted to take graduate courses by submitting a Visiting Graduate Student Application form, available at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Visiting_Graduate_Student_Application.pdf.  Enrollment as a visiting graduate student is limited to one calendar year or 18 credit hours.

Teaching and research faculty of the rank of assistant professor or above shall not become candidates for degree or be awarded graduate degrees from this university. The Provost's Office may be requested to waive this policy for an individual following successful appeal to the Commission on Faculty Affairs.

Staff and administrative/professional faculty may become candidates for graduate degrees with approval from the academic program, the university employer, and the graduate school. To receive approval, candidates must address conflicts of interest, time, and commitment. Supervisors of these candidates should abstain from chairing and/or serving on the candidates' graduate committees to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

The Conflict of Interest Agreement form and guidelines for staff and administrative/professional faculty seeking a graduate degree may be downloaded at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Employee-student_COI_agreement_May2023.docx.

Questions may be directed to Associate Dean Bill Huckle (wrhuckle@vt.edu).

Once completed, the form may be uploaded to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjrNXTmzLlagnZBctWkEAmYA8b7aRmmRlJmAp1l70G6Bo2SQ/viewform

Seniors

Students in their senior year, with a 3.0 or better GPA, may enroll in 5000-level courses satisfying undergraduate degree requirements within their department with the permission of the course instructor and the Department Head. Should the student become a graduate student, these courses may not be used on the Plan of Study for a graduate degree.

Dual Student Status

Seniors in a bachelor's degree, who have a GPA of 3.0 or better may be eligible for Dual Status during the final semester of their undergraduate degree. To obtain this status, students must file an application for the master's degree and the Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Degree and Course Designation Request (for obtaining Dual Status) (https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Accelerated_UG-GR_Degree_and_Course_Designation_Request.pdf ). The department reviews the student for master's acceptance and, if this is recommended, indicates on the Admission Analysis form that the student will be accepted for Dual Status for the final semester of the undergraduate degree. This acceptance must  occur prior to the final semester of the undergraduate degree. Graduate coursework taken during the semester of dual registration may only be designated for use in the graduate degree when it is not used to meet bachelor's degree requirements (i.e., each course taken during the final semester is specified as being for either the bachelor's or the master's degree). A grade of B or higher must be earned in each Dual course to be placed on the graduate transcript.

 Combined Student Status (Architecture Only)

This status is reserved for qualified students in the bachelor of architecture program who: (a) are within 24 semester hours of graduation; (b) are proceeding toward the two-year master's program in architecture; and (c) have at least a 3.0 GPA for the last two years (60 credit hours) of undergraduate studies. Combined students are permitted to take graduate courses.

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Degree Programs

In accordance with the policy of the Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies for accelerated undergraduate/graduate degree programs, "each graduate degree program wishing to offer one or more accelerated undergraduate/graduate degree programs must submit a written description of their program to the Graduate School for review and approval before students may be admitted hereto."

Consistent with Graduate School policy, the standards for each program must meet the minimum requirements but can exceed these (e.g., GPA, fewer courses to be double counted).  These regulations include the following:

• Students must be accepted into the program prior to the beginning of the semester in which they would enroll in courses to be used on the accelerated program. 
  
• Students qualifying for the program must be in the last 12 months of their undergraduate degree.
  
• A minimum GPA of 3.3 is required at the time of acceptance to the program
  
• Once completion of the undergraduate degree has been verified, students accepted into this accelerated program will be classified as regular graduate students.
• A maximum of 12 credits of graded coursework may be used in the program.
• No more than 6 of the double-counted credits may be at the 4000 level; all others must be offered for graduate credit.
• A grade of B or higher must be earned in each course to be double counted.
• Courses must not be taken pass-fail if a graded option is available.

Programs that intend to accept students into an accelerated graduate program must submit a proposal to the Graduate School that includes the following:

• Accelerated program(s) to be offered.  These can include programs designed for VT students as well as non-VT students from U.S. institutions or in partnership with international institutions.
• Graduate degrees included - master's or doctoral degrees, or both.
• Admission criteria and application materials required, including but not necessarily limited to student status, minimum GPA requirement, statement of motivation and career objectives, student's experience and qualifications as reflected in a resume, a portfolio, and/or letters of reference.
• The number of credits to be double counted towards undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• Process for identifying potential students and faculty advisors, and for mentoring during program.
• Tentative listing of courses that the department expects to be used for graduate plans of study for students in the program.
• Other conditions or aspects of the proposed program as appropriate.

Registration

Registration (Course Request; for continuing students occurs during an eight-day period in the middle of each semester during which current students may request and be registered electronically for classes for the next semester. Registration for new students begins prior to the start of the new semester. For registration procedures, see http://www.registrar.vt.edu/.

Schedule Adjustment

Students may adjust their schedules on a space available basis using web DROP/ADD (available through HokieSPA http://www.hokiespa.vt.edu), an electronic schedule adjustment program. The Add Period is restricted to a short period at the beginning the semester, the Drop Period lasts for a larger proportion of the semester; deadlines for these electronic transactions that can be done by the student are published in the Timetable of Classes for each semester, see Important Dates and Registration Information at: https://banweb.banner.vt.edu/ssb/prod/HZSKVTSC.P_DispRequest.

Force-Add

A Force-Add form permits enrollment in a class, over the set capacity for that class, within the Add period. This transaction is done with the "force-add" form in the department offering the course, and requires the instructor's (or, in some departments, departmental) permission. Force-adds are processed by the department offering the course during the Add Period in the first week of classes of each semester.

Late Adds and Drops

Late Adds and Drops: In unusual circumstances when adjustments to the student's schedule are needed after the last date to add or drop a course, permission is required from the instructor, the student's advisor and a graduate dean (see the current Timetable for deadline dates). The request for the Late Add or Drop and an explanation of the extenuating circumstances necessitating the late change should be submitted to the Dean's office by the student's Advisor or the Graduate Program Director of the department.

Graduate Withdrawal

Course withdrawals late in the semester: If a late withdrawal from a course (after the Drop period for electronic drops) is approved it will be designated as a Graduate Withdrawal (WG on the transcript) and will not carry a grade penalty; this option is only allowed prior to the Friday of the last week of classes for the semester. Use this form: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Course_Withdrawal_Request.pdf

If a student wants to Withdraw from all courses for the semester or if a student who is enrolled for a single course wants to drop that course, a Resignation/Withdrawal form (see below) must be submitted to the Graduate School for approval and to the Registrar's office by specific deadlines. 

Resignation/Withdrawal

A student may resign/withdraw without academic or tuition penalty by completing an official Virginia Tech Resignation/Withdrawal form on or before the first day of the semester/summer session (for relevant dates, see the Registrar's Office website: https://www.registrar.vt.edu/resignation-withdrawal.html). The Student Withdrawal/Resignation Form is available at http://registrar.vt.edu/content/dam/registrar_vt_edu/documents/Updates/forms/Student-Withdrawal-Resignation-Form.pdf. Resignation/withdrawals received at the Registrar's office after 5 pm on the first day of the semester result in partial tuition and fee charges (see Bursar's office refund policy https://www.bursar.vt.edu/students/refunds.html.

Resignation/withdrawal after the specified date for withdrawing without grade penalty requires permission of a Graduate Dean and is only permitted because of extenuating circumstances. The student's grade report and transcript will show that he/she was enrolled for the term and that he/she resigned on the specific effective date. Resignation/withdrawals may have consequences for assistantship and scholarship awards as well as visa status, so these considerations should be investigated prior to completing the forms. Resignation/withdrawals do not affect the student's ability to enroll in the subsequent semester. 

The Graduate School (VP/Dean and Associate Deans) reviews and approves the appropriate date of the withdrawal.  For medical withdrawal with official Schiffert review, the date recommended by Schiffert or Cook is accepted. For withdrawal or resignation from the university (all courses in a given semester, consideration is given to the length of time the student was enrolled in the course and utilized university (faculty, staff) time and resources, the date the form was submitted and the percentage of refund allowed by the Registrar’s office, and the reasons for withdrawal.  Decisions by the Graduate School can include a retroactive withdrawal or adjustments to the specified deadlines for refund.

Student responsibility for enrollment

Student responsibility for enrollment. Each student is responsible for verifying his/her enrollment in courses and for making any changes in that enrollment. Students should check their enrollment in specific courses during the first week of classes of a semester (the Add Period) when any corrections can be made electronically. Faculty cannot add or drop students from their rolls and cannot add or drop a student by including or removing his/her name on the final grade sheet.

Unless on approved in absentia or leave of absence status, graduate students in degree programs must be registered continuously at VT during the academic year (fall and spring semesters) and pay the prescribed tuition and fees (See Policy PPM 291). Students working on research/scholarly activity toward their thesis or dissertation should enroll in the number of credit hours that reflects the extent of a student’s study or research activity. The minimum enrollment is for 3 credit hours at VT except in the case of a student who qualifies for Start of Semester Defense Exception. If the student holds a Graduate Assistantship, scholarship, or other form of financial support, the enrollment requirement is typically set by the conditions for that support. Students on Graduate Assistantships must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credits per semester (see Academic Eligibility to Hold a Graduate Assistantship).

Individual graduate programs may seek approval from the Graduate School to temporarily or permanently exempt some or all of their students from this policy. Such exemptions may be granted to programs that are dominated by distance learning, to programs that are specifically directed at part-time students, to salaried employees qualifying under Policy 4800, or for other appropriate  reasons.

Graduate students who need to break continuous enrollment can do so by applying for a leave of absence or by participating in programs and activities approved by the Graduate School that require absence from the University (in absentia status).

Students who fail to follow this process will be resigned from the university by the Graduate School, and will then need to apply for readmission in order to continue their studies. Readmission requires a positive recommendation from each student's home academic unit, and is not guaranteed.

Graduate students in good standing who for academic reasons need to spend an entire Fall or Spring semester away from campus can apply for and be granted in absentia status (see Policy PPM 293). In absentia status is granted for work that is directly related to a student's academic course of study and that is integral to her or his degree. Examples include field research, clinical internship, or laboratory work with research collaborators at remote institutions. In absentia status is approved by each student's home academic unit and then by the Graduate School. During each Fall or Spring semester in absentia, students must register for one credit hour.

To qualify for in absentia status, students must be stationed a minimum of 50 miles away from Blacksburg, and must not work on or in conjunction with any of Virginia Tech's satellite campuses and facilities. Students can remain in absentia for two consecutive semesters, but must then return to residency at the University for a minimum of one semester. Exemptions may be granted by the Graduate School when longer periods of absence are required.

In absentia status is not available to students who have not adhered to the continuous enrollment requirement, are supported by an assistantship, or are participating in an exchange program or dual degree program with an officially designated partner institution.

See Presidential Policy Memorandum 27 at https://policies.vt.edu/assets/PPM%2027.pdf

All students are expected to make reasonable academic progress towards a degree while participating in a Graduate Cooperative Education Program. The responsibility for monitoring students' academic progress is shared by their department and the Graduate School.

A Graduate School manages the graduate co-op program on behalf of the university.

The department or degree conferring unit must be involved in negotiating a co-op agreement. 

All graduate cooperative programs must be approved by the department or degree conferring unit.

As consistent with these specifications, departmental policies with regard to registration, course load, course number, course credit, program of study, and advising will remain the province of the cooperating department.

Nothing will be included in the agreement that will intrude upon the privileged relation between the faculty advisor/major professor and his/her student.

All students involved in graduate cooperative programs will be enrolled in the zero-credit course "Graduate Cooperative Education Program," GRAD 5944 (master's students); GRAD 5944P (part-time/short-term master's); or GRAD 7944 (doctoral students); GRAD 7944P (part-time/short-term doctoral).

See additional details at  https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-services/GradCoop.html.

Students who wish to study at a different campus, but remain in the same major, should submit a Change of Campus form https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Change_of_Campus_Request.pdf.   International students in F1 or J1 status should consult with their international advisors in the Cranwell International Center or Greater Washington DC Metro area as appropriate.

Students wishing to work toward two graduate degrees in different departments/programs should submit an Application for Simultaneous Graduate Degree form. See also Credit Hour Requirements; Simultaneous Degrees.

Graduate students must be registered at VT for at least the minimum number of credits (3 credit hours) in the semester or summer session when they take an examination required by Graduate School Policies and in the semester when a degree is completed (see Continuous Enrollment). Students who have a thesis/dissertation ready for defense by the beginning of a semester, may schedule that defense early in the semester and qualify for Start of Semester Defense Exception (SSDE, 1 credit); see Start of Semester Defense Exception  under Examinations and see Dates for Degree Completion at: http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/what-you-need-to-graduate/deadlines-for-academic-progress.html. Students are not required to be enrolled for the purpose of certificate completion alone.

A change from one type of degree status to another, while remaining in the same major, requires a Change of  Degree Level Request form https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Change_of_Degree_Level_Request.pdf .  An example of a status change is: Master's to Ph.D. in the same major. International students in F1 or J1 status should consult with the international advisors in the Graduate School for the proper SEVIS changes. For departments where the non-thesis option is available, a master’s degree candidate is allowed to change status from the thesis to the non-thesis option (or vice versa) only once. The Thesis Option Change Request form   https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Thesis_Option_Change_Request.pdf  requires accompanying documentation from the department that verifies the appropriateness of the change of status.

A change from Commonwealth Campus or Non-degree status to Master's or Ph.D. requires an Application for Admission and submission of official transcripts (if these weren't previously submitted) and all other required application materials  (https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply.html)

Change of Graduate Program (between departments)

A change from a degree in one graduate program/department to a degree in another program/department requires the approval of the Graduate Program Director or Department Head of both the old and the new programs and the Graduate School.  https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Change_of_Graduate_Program_Request.pdf

Students wishing to change programs should consult with the department they wish to enter to determine the likelihood of acceptance prior to beginning this process. The department the student wishes to enter may see the original application materials by making a request to the Graduate School and may request additional materials from the student.

Assignment of grades is the responsibility of the course instructor. The university has adopted the following grading system:

Grades in all courses, assigned one of the letter grades above, are calculated into the overall GPA on the transcript. An additional GPA is calculated for the Plan of Study for each graduate degree. There are, in addition to the above grades, the following grades that do not calculate into the GPA: "I" (Incomplete), "P" (Pass; performance of C- or higher when enrolled for the P/F grade option), "X" (a temporary grade for the first semester in those courses that continue across more than one semester; "EQ" (Equivalent Credit, a "pass" for research or project/report credit); "RG and RP" (Repeat Graduate grades) and "NR" (grade Not Recorded, indicating the instructor did not enter a grade). The "NG" (No Grade, assigned when the student has not done any of the work for the course) and the grade "F" on a course taken Pass/Fail calculate as 0.0 in computing the GPA.

Research toward a thesis, dissertation or major paper (the last is generally designated as Project and Report credits) is assigned equivalent credit hours (EQ grade) when satisfactory progress has been made. The "NG" grade can be given when progress on a thesis or dissertation has not been satisfactory.

An Incomplete ("I") grade, which is not calculated in the GPA, may be given when the requirements of a course have not been completed because of illness or extenuating circumstances. It is at the discretion of the instructor whether the circumstances warrant the assignment of an Incomplete. Incompletes should be removed, by completing the course requirements, as soon as possible. Departments should set policies for the time allowed for removal of "I" grades and the number of "I" grades that are allowed by students in their programs. Grades of "I" may be removed during a period when the student is not enrolled at the university. Grades of "X" are assigned initially to students in a course that extends over more than one semester and are removed when the final grade for the course is entered.
Graduate degrees cannot be completed until all "I", "X", "NG" and "NR" grades on the Plan of Study have been converted to a passing letter grade (i.e., a C- or better for courses with the A/F grading option, a P for courses only offered on the P/F grading option).

If a student is ready to complete a graduate degree and grades of “I”, “X”, “NG”  or “NR” are present on the transcript but off the Plan of Study, the department  should investigate why these grades have not been remedied. In many  cases these grades reflect unresolved problems or errors that can and should be remedied.  However, as long as the student has a GPA of 3.0 or better both on the Plan of Study and overall, these grades  can remain on the transcript and not interfere with degree completion.

All courses taken at Virginia Tech that are included on the Plan of Study, i.e., courses that satisfy degree requirements, must be taken for a letter grade (A/F) except for those courses offered on a pass/fail (P/F) basis only (for example,  Independent Study courses  and most seminars are only offered P/F). Courses on the Plan of Study with grades below "C-" must be repeated. Courses on the Plan of Study, once taken, cannot be removed from the Plan of Study.

Graduate students are permitted to take additional courses on a pass/fail basis only if those courses are not on their Plan of Study, are outside the department, and are approved by the student’s advisor. Such courses may not be used to satisfy minimum degree requirements. Under the graduate P/F grading option, a "P" is granted for earning a "C-" or better in a course. Once credit is received for a course taken P/F, the course may not be repeated under the A/F grading system.

Courses originally taken on the P/F option, in which a grade of "F" is earned, may only be repeated on a P/F basis. Courses may not be repeated if a "P" grade is earned, or without permission of the Graduate School if a grade of "C-" or better is earned.

When a course is repeated the grade for the earlier enrollment will be a Repeat Graduate ("RG", defined as a grade of "C-" or lower; "RP", defined as a grade of "C" or higher, when the course was first taken) which will not calculate into the GPA. Only the grade earned for the final enrollment in the course will receive a letter grade and be calculated in the GPA. If a student wishes to repeat a course in which the first grade earned was a C- or higher, permission for a policy exception must be obtained from the Dean's office prior to taking the course a second time.

Students must have a recognized status with the Graduate School (i.e., have been admitted to graduate studies) and be officially enrolled in a course to earn graduate credit in that course. Graduate courses at Virginia Tech are numbered 5000 or higher. As of Fall 2009 there are no 4000-graduate approved courses (see information about the limited use of undergraduate courses on Plans of Study). Instructors should not allow students to attend if they are not enrolled in a course (i.e., are not on the official Class List, which can be viewed on HokieSpa in Faculty Access, by the end of the Add Period for the semester). Students should resolve all enrollment problems before the end of the Add Period to be able to obtain credit for a course.

On-line courses offered for graduate credit from accredited universities may be considered for transfer credit (see section on transfer credit limitations in Plan of Study). Independent study (5974) or Graduate Research credits (5994 or 7994) completed while the student is residing at a distance from the instructor's Virginia Tech location must have regular faculty consultation by means such as email or regular telephone calls. No credit toward graduate degrees may be obtained by correspondence study or from continuing education courses.

Students must obtain a 3.00 GPA, both overall and for courses on the Plan of Study. All courses on the approved plan, including supporting courses must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better (see Graduate Degree and Certificate Requirements section below).

The student's progress on completing the Inclusion and Diversity training approved for their graduate program should be be reported in their annual review of academic progress. Details of approved plans and requirements for all graduate programs are listed on the Inclusion and Diversity Requirement website at the following link: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/programs/inclusion-diversity-req.html.

Students whose cumulative GPA falls below a "B" (3.00 GPA) will be placed on probation by the Graduate School. Enrollment for one semester of probation normally is permitted to remedy an unsatisfactory GPA. If the student does not achieve a 3.0 GPA within one semester after being placed on probation, the Graduate School will consult with the department about dismissal of the student from Graduate School. A department can appeal to the Graduate School for additional time for the student to achieve a 3.0 GPA, providing the student is making reasonable progress in raising the GPA. If an appeal is made to the Graduate School for additional time it should come from the departmental Graduate Program Director or the Department Head. If extra time is granted, the student should be informed in writing of the amount of additional time allowed for achieving a 3.0 GPA. If the department does not support a time extension, the student will be dismissed from the Graduate School.

All graduate students are required to have an Annual Review of Progress at least once a year by their Advisory Committees. Students who do not yet have a Plan of Study and an Advisory Committee should be reviewed by the Graduate Program Director or a departmental Graduate Committee. If a student fails to make satisfactory progress toward degree requirements (coursework, grades, research, projects, examinations, and other requirements), permission may be denied to continue in the degree program. This decision may be reached by the student's Advisory Committee, a graduate program Evaluation Committee in the department and the Graduate Program Director, or the Department Head, and recommended to the Graduate School. The Graduate School will dismiss the student for unsatisfactory progress following the recommendation by the department. The departmental recommendation should include documentation of at least one review indicating unsatisfactory progress, communication to the student about what was needed to reestablish satisfactory progress, and evidence that the student's progress continued to be unsatisfactory (second review).

Full-time enrollment for graduate students, for purposes of tuition and fees, consists of a minimum of 9 credit hours during academic year semesters. However, the Commonwealth of Virginia does not count students as full time unless they are enrolled for at least 12 credits, and in most academic contexts, 12 credits is considered full time. The maximum number of credit hours is 18 during academic year semesters. Overloads (19 credit hours or more per semester) require permission from a graduate dean.

Graduate Assistants (GAs, GTAs, and GRAs) must enroll for at least 12 credit hours per semester to be eligible for their assistantship. Students on full assistantship are expected to work an average of 20 work hours per week for the assistantship and are considered to be 50% employed. Graduate students on assistantship can enroll for up to 18 credit hours of course work in academic year semesters and up to 6 credit hours during each summer session.

Fellowship and scholarship recipients are required to take at least 12 credit hours each semester in which they are receiving a stipend. These credit hours must represent work toward satisfying minimum degree requirements. Audited courses do not qualify in satisfying this minimum.

There are three types of graduate assistantships:

Graduate Assistant (GA): GAs provide academic and program support to faculty or departments. GA responsibilities may be administrative in nature and consist of duties unrelated directly to teaching or research (such as academic advising, program planning, advising student groups, and assisting with the administration of student services offices). GA responsibilities also may be academic in nature and include grading examinations, problem sets, and/or lab assignments, setting up displays for lectures or laboratory sections, and preparing or maintaining equipment used in laboratory sections.

Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA): GTAs assist faculty in the department in the teaching mission, with assignments including laboratory teaching, grading of examinations, problem sets and/or lab assignments, setting up displays for lectures and laboratory sections, and preparing or maintaining equipment used in laboratory sections. GTAs must have 18 credit hours of graduate-level course work in their teaching discipline to be assigned full responsibility for teaching an undergraduate course. GTAs lacking this training may be assigned to work under the supervision of a faculty member who will be the instructor of record for the course. Graduate students may assist faculty in teaching graduate courses but may not be the instructor of record for the course.

GTAs are required to attend and be enrolled in the GTA Workshop (GRAD 5004, 1 cr., P/F) in the first fall semester of their teaching appointment at Virginia Tech. Other students who hope to qualify for a GTA appointment in the future should take the workshop in their first semester at Virginia Tech. The workshop consists of Phase I (two half days, Monday and Tuesday of the week before classes start in August) a wide variety of Phase II sessions during fall semester.

Graduate Research Assistant (GRA): GRAs conduct research under the direction of a faculty member, who is typically a principal investigator on an external grant or contract that funds the GRA and determines the nature of research work required for the assistantship. The research work required for the GRA is determined by the funding source and is typically beyond research  done for academic credit toward the student's degree.

Unless specified otherwise in the assistantship agreement contract, graduate students on full assistantships are not prohibited from seeking additional employment. Students should consult with their academic advisor and/or assistantship supervisor as applicable regarding the fulfillment of their assistantship and graduate study responsibilities. Students must notify the Graduate School about any additional employment agreement, including the period of employment, name and contact of employer, and job title or short description of duties https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/aert/logon.htm.

Assistantships may be offered to degree seeking graduate students admitted to Regular (GPA of 3.0 or greater) or Provisional (GPA of 2.75-2.99) status. To continue to be eligible for an assistantship a student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be making satisfactory progress toward attainment of a graduate degree. The academic department and the Graduate School may allow a student to continue on an assistantship for one semester of probationary status to remedy grade deficiencies.

Students on assistantships must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours per academic year semester. Audited courses do not qualify in satisfying this minimum. Graduate students holding assistantships during the academic year and/or in the summer are not required to enroll during summer sessions, except if they are taking a preliminary or final examination.

For a graduate student, the university degree requirements are those identified in the Graduate Catalog (Policies and Procedures) effective for the academic year in which the student files the Plan of Study. If the requirements will change in the coming academic year (cases where the governance system has set new policy to be effective at the beginning of the next academic year), the graduate student may choose, but is not required, to abide by the "new" requirements. For graduate students not enrolled for more than one calendar year, requirements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis at the time of Readmission.

All graduate students are expected to uphold the Virginia Tech Principles of Community and the Graduate School’s Expectations for Graduate Education as well as the scholarly integrity and research ethics standards of their disciplines. Graduate students must complete degree program requirements for learning about 4 required scholarly ethics and integrity topics plus additional topics relevant to the discipline as follows.

1. Plagiarism and other violations of the Graduate Honor Code
2. Proper use of professional conventions in citation of existing research and scholarship, accurate reporting and ownership of findings, and acknowledgement of contributions to the work
3. Ethical standards in teaching, mentoring, and professional activities
4. Available avenues for reporting alleged misconduct

1. Appropriate lab procedures and maintenance of lab notebooks and other research documentation
2. Fair use of publications, software, and equipment
3. Appropriate research protocols involving human and animal subjects; Institutional Review Board and/or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee certification
4. Guidelines for maintenance of confidentiality (and, where relevant, anonymity) in research
5. Guidelines for determination of authorship
6. Appropriate grant and contract management, including appropriately asserting personal or program capacities and competencies when applying for grants and contracts
7. Discipline‐ or field‐specific professional ethics

1. The Virginia Tech Principles of Community as they apply to the valuing of human diversity and inclusion.
2. The impact that personal actions and words have on self, others, and the communities—university, national, and global—in which we live; issues of privilege, bias, power, prejudice, and discrimination; concepts of multiple personal, social, and cultural identities.
3. Available avenues of redress and our shared responsibilities as active by-standers.
4. The process of individual introspection required both to understand one’s own forms of implicit or unconscious bias and to create inclusive environments.

1. Inclusion and Diversity in a global context; institutional and governmental policies affecting immigration, accessibility, affordability, and related matters.
2. Historical perspectives on diversity and the impact of traditions of privilege on the development of the discipline represented by the particular academic unit; inclusive pedagogy.
3. Effective strategies for inter- or intrapersonal conflict resolution; pathways to individual reconciliation of unconscious or implicit bias.

Submission and Approval

Submission and Approval. All graduate students must submit a Plan of Study that meets at least the minimum Graduate School requirements for the designated degree. The Plan of Study must be approved by the student’s Advisor and Advisory Committee, the Graduate Program Director or Department Head, and the Graduate School. All courses on the Plan of Study, including supporting courses, must be taken on a letter grade (A/F) basis except for those courses approved to be graded on a pass-fail (P/F) basis only. Audit courses cannot be included on the Plan of Study. After approval by the student's Advisory Committee and the Graduate Program Director or Department Head, the Plan of Study should be entered and sent electronically to the Graduate School for approval, according to the following schedule.

   Master’s

Master’s: The Plan of Study is due by the end of the second academic semester for all Master's degree students (based on full time enrollment of 12 credits per semester). For the Master of Architecture or Master of Urban and Regional Planning degrees, the Plan of Study is due before 30 credit hours are completed. For Bachelors/Masters students, the Plan of Study is due by the end of the first full semester of graduate study.

   Ph.D.

Ph.D.: The Plan of Study is due by the end of the third academic semester for all doctoral students (based on full time enrollment).

   Ed.D.

Ed.D.: The Plan of Study is due no later than 30 days after the successful completion of the required qualifying examination. The qualifying exam is an Ed.D. requirement, not a Graduate School requirement.

Transfer Courses on the Plan of Study

Transfer Courses on the Plan of Study. No more than 50% of the graded credit hours needed to satisfy the requirements for a Virginia Tech graduate degree may be transferred in from a regionally accredited university. All such credits must have earned grades of "B" or better, have been earned while in good standing in graduate status, and must have been graduate courses (numbered 5000 or higher) at the institution where the student took the courses. Grades of "S" or "P" are not acceptable for transfer credit. All transfer courses must be acceptable to the student’s Advisory Committee and the Graduate Program Director or Department Head. For transfer course work more than five years old, a Justification of 'Old' Course Work form must be filed with the Plan of Study (see below).

Credits from other universities are transferred to a Virginia Tech graduate degree at the time the Plan of Study that includes those courses is approved by the Graduate School. Transferred courses count only as credit hours and are not included in the calculation of the Virginia Tech GPA. Official transcripts are required before transfer course work can be approved for the Plan of Study.

Research, Project and Report, Practicum or Internship credit hours may not be transferred in from another university to meet Virginia Tech graduate degree requirements (i.e., they cannot be included on the Plan of Study). Credits taken while in undergraduate status or for an undergraduate degree cannot be used as transfer credit for a graduate degree.

Justification of ’Old’ Course Work. Academic work, including transfer credit more than five years old at the time the Plan of Study is submitted, requires Justification for inclusion on the plan. The Justification form requires an Advisory Committee explanation of how the committee will insure that the student will update their knowledge for out-of-date courses. The Course Justification Request form is at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Course_Justification_Request.pdf  and some procedural guidelines are at http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/graduate-catalog-policies-procedures/justification_of_old_coursework.html Justifications remain valid throughout the degree unless the student is out of enrollment for a period exceeding one calendar year. Justification of “old” course work and review of the Plan of Study occurs at the time of re-admission.

Supporting Courses. Supporting courses are those the student's Advisory Committee considers necessary to provide missing background for taking the key courses required for the student's degree program. Courses numbered lower than 4000 can only be used on the Plan of Study as Supporting Courses. All courses listed on the Plan of Study, including Supporting Courses are requirements for the degree and must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better. However, supporting courses do not count toward the minimum number of credit hours required for the degree.

Plan of Study Changes. A Plan of Study Change Form  https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Plan_of_Study_Change_Request.pdf  is necessary whenever changes are made to the course work on the Plan of Study. Changes to the Plan of Study must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee, the Department Head or Graduate Program Director and the Graduate School. Once a course on the Plan of Study has been taken for a grade, it must remain on the Plan of Study.

Change of Thesis Option. A master's degree candidate is allowed to change from the thesis to the non-thesis option (or vice versa) only once. These changes require approval of the Department Head/Graduate Program Director and the Chair of the student's Advisory Committee. Use this form: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Thesis_Option_Change_Request.pdf . Such changes often require changes in the coursework and Plan of Study.

Grades on Plan of Study Courses. All graded courses on the Plan of Study must be taken for a letter grade (A/F) except for those courses offered on a pass/fail (P/F) basis only (for example, Independent Study courses and many seminars are only P/F). Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or better on the Plan of Study course work. Once a course on the Plan of Study is taken for a grade, it must remain on the Plan of Study.

Repeating Courses on the Plan of Study. Students are required to repeat any courses on the Plan of Study in which a grade below "C-" has been earned. Courses may not be repeated if a "P" grade is earned or without permission of the Graduate School if a grade of "C-" or better is earned. After a course has been repeated, the grade for the first enrollment will be Repeat Graduate (RG, defined as a "C-" or lower; RP, defined as a grade of "C" or higher when the course was first taken). Only the most recent enrollment in the course will receive a letter grade and be calculated in the GPA.

Committee Functions

The student's Advisory Committee works with the student to design a Plan of Study, approves the Plan of Study, provides advice, conducts required examinations and regularly assesses the student's progress and accomplishments. Advisory Committee members are appointed by the Graduate School on recommendation of the Department Head or Graduate Program Director via submission of a Plan of Study listing the proposed committee Chair ("Major Advisor") and committee members.

Although all members of the Advisory Committee have a role in guiding the student’s program, the Chair of the student’s committee is solely responsible for assuring that supervision of the student’s program is conducted in accordance with the expectations and policies of the university, the Graduate School, and the program’s academic home.  For this reason, only Virginia Tech faculty members are eligible to serve as an Advisory Committee Chair.  In some cases, it may be desirable to appoint a committee Co-Chair, in recognition of that member’s disciplinary expertise or a existing scholarly relationship with the committee Chair; however, there remains but a single Chair (not two Co-Chairs) with authority to direct the student’s program of study.  Examples of committee members for whom a role of Co-Chair may be justified include faculty members from institutions outside of Virginia Tech who maintain an ongoing research collaboration or jointly-funded project with Virginia Tech faculty members who would chair the committees in question.

Committee Composition and Size

Advisory Committees will be composed principally of Virginia Tech-employed Graduate Program faculty members, who have the primary responsibility for the operation and integrity of graduate education programs in their departments, schools, and programs (“academic units”). These individuals are recommended by their academic units to serve as Graduate Program faculty members on the basis of having earned the appropriate terminal degree (or having gained equivalent professional experience), maintaining a record of scholarly productivity, and showing evidence of successful involvement with graduate education within the previous five years. 

Virginia Tech faculty members who meet the three criteria above can serve as Chairs, Co-Chairs, or Members of graduate student advisory committees.  Eligible faculty categories include the Tenured/Tenure-track, Clinical, Extension, Collegiate, Research, and Professor of Practice ranks as defined in the Virginia Tech Faculty Handbook. Virginia Tech faculty members who meet the first two criteria but have not previously had the opportunity to advise or supervise graduate students can, if paired with or mentored by an experienced Virginia Tech faculty member, qualify as Graduate Program faculty and can serve as Chair, Co-Chair, or Member on graduate student Advisory Committees. 

Department Heads/Chairs or Graduate Program Directors may nominate faculty members in their academic units for Graduate Program Faculty status by submitting the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmnzEYr6e48l2kspRNp-j76l_7q9N5KQmgs-sRJNlc7ZNfXw/viewform?edit_requested=true.  You must be logged into your VT Google account to access this Google form.  A downloadable guide to completing the online request form can be found here.)

A student pursuing a Master’s degree must have an Advisory Committee composed of at least three members with qualifications described above, e.g., the appropriate terminal degree (Master's degree or higher). In some instances, it is appropriate to have fewer (minimum of 1) faculty members serving on the Advisory Committee when students are pursuing a coursework-only degree (e.g., MBA). Departments offering coursework-only degrees can petition the Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies for approval to reduce the size of the committee.  Doctoral candidates must have an Advisory Committee of at least four members with the qualifications described above. The student should also refer to the departmental policies and procedures document for any guidelines for graduate advisory committee service or composition specific to their department or program.

In addition to members of the Graduate Program faculty, other individuals can be appointed to serve as Members or as Co-Chairs under certain circumstances as noted under Committee Functions above, on graduate student Advisory Committees.  This category includes retired or Emeritus Virginia Tech faculty members, Virginia Tech employees (e.g., Research Scientists, Administrative/Professional Faculty, Instructors), and non-Virginia Tech-employed individuals including Adjunct Faculty, who are qualified by terminal degree/professional experience and scholarly productivity and who, by inclusion, can provide specific expertise to enrich the student’s program.  Recommendation that such an individual be appointed to serve on a graduate student’s Advisory Committee is made by the student’s home academic unit using the form linked above and approved by the Graduate School.

Identification of Committee Members

Selection of an individual student’s Advisory Committee membership, drawn from the Virginia Tech Graduate Program faculty and, if desired, approved non-Graduate Program faculty individuals, is performed jointly by the student and their Major Advisor and approved by the Graduate Program Director of the student’s home academic unit when the student's Plan of Study is prepared.  Graduate Program faculty members must constitute at least two-thirds of the minimum committee membership (e.g., at least two of the three members for master’s degrees and at least three of the four members for doctoral degrees).

Once the minimum committee membership total has been satisfied as described, individuals not meeting the criteria of degree/experience credentials, scholarly achievement, and graduate education experience may be added as additional Members of a student’s committee if, in the view of the student’s home academic unit, that individual can provide specific expertise to enrich the student’s program.  Approval of these individuals for service is likewise recommended via the form identified above.

In selecting members of their Advisory Committees, students and their committee Chairs should take pains to avoid situations that might create conflicts of interest for the student or be impacted by coercive relationships among the committee members or between the student and committee members.  It is of paramount importance that all committee members be free to evaluate the student’s work based on its academic merit alone.

Composition of the student’s Advisory Committee is communicated by the Graduate Program Director to the Graduate School in the form of the student’s Plan of Study, on which all committee members are signatories. 

Additional considerations

Faculty members are not permitted to serve as Advisor or committee member for family members (spouse or dependent immediate family member), nor for individuals with whom they have a close personal relationship, such as partner or extended family member, or a close professional relationship such as business associate or supervisor.  A faculty member with a significant financial interest in a company may not serve as Chair of an Advisory Committee for either a student funded through a university-sponsored project supported by the faculty member's company or a student employed directly by the faculty member's company. The faculty member with the conflict may serve as Co-Chair or committee member. If another Chair is appointed, that faculty member must be of equal or greater rank, must have no involvement with the sponsoring company, and must not be subject to undue influence by the faculty-owner. See Policy 13010 for a complete description of the disclosures and protections required in such instances.

Graduate students (including those Virginia Tech employees who are pursuing graduate degrees) may not serve on a graduate Advisory and/or Examining Committees.  Post-doctoral scholars or other advanced degree holders who have earned their graduate degrees at Virginia Tech will not be approved for service on Advisory Committees of students with whom they overlapped as students.

See also Eligibility of Faculty/Staff for Graduate Degrees (https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/graduate_catalog/policies.htm?policy=002d14432c654287012c6542e3720084) for a description of steps needed to document the delineation of employment duties from degree-seeking research work.

Changes in a Student's Advisory Committee

Changes in a student's Advisory Committee will be granted only on approval of all committee members (new and old) and on recommendation by the Department Head or Graduate Program Director, after the Change of Committee/Advisor Request form is completed and signed ( https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Change_of_Committee-Advisor_Request.pdf ).  In the case that one or more members does not approve the change in the membership of the Advisory Committee, an appeal may be made by either the student or a faculty member to the Department Head.  If the Department Head considers the appeal to have merit, he/she may then ask the Graduate School for an exception to all members signing the form.

If the Chair of an Advisory Committee leaves the university or retires during the student's degree program, the department should consult with the Dean's Office in the Graduate School to determine the most appropriate continuing committee composition for advising of the student to degree completion.

Virginia Tech allows for both thesis and non-thesis master's degrees. For each degree type, the student's Plan of Study must meet the semester credit hours requirements shown below. Departments/programs may have additional requirements and an advisory committee may add specific requirements needed for an individual student's academic development. Graded credits must be taken for an A/F grade unless the course is only offered P/F (see Grading System Requirements). See Transfer Credit for policies about the transfer of graduate credits for use on the Plan of Study. See Undergraduates taking Graduate Courses for policies allowing Bachelor/Master's students at Virginia Tech to transfer some courses from the bachelor's degree to the master's degree (also referred to as double counting courses toward both degrees).

Minimum total credits: 30 credit hours

Minimum graded credits: 20 credit hours

• May include a maximum of 6 credits of Virginia Tech 4000-level undergraduate course work
• The 6 credits of Virginia Tech 4000-level course work may include Special Study (4984) courses but may not include Undergraduate Independent Study (4974) or Undergraduate Research (4994) courses.
• All other graded course work must be 5000 level or higher (i.e., graduate course work)
• The 5000-level course work may include a maximum of 6 credits total in 5974, 5984, and 6984 courses and 3 credits of seminar. Some departments have approval from the Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies to reduce the minimum number of graded course work credits required for a specific degree program. See departmental degree requirements to determine if a department has approval for such changes in requirements.

Minimum research credits: 6 credit hours of Master's Research (5994) taken at Virginia Tech.

Minimum total credits: 30 credit hours

Minimum graded credits: 24 credit hours

• May include a maximum of 6 credits of Virginia Tech 4000-level undergraduate course work
• The 6 credits of Virginia Tech 4000-level course work may include Special Study (4984) courses but may not include Undergraduate Independent Study (4974) or Undergraduate Research (4994) courses.
• All other graded course work must be 5000 level or higher (i.e., graduate course work)
• The 5000-level course work may include a maximum of 9 credits total in 5974, 5984, and 6984 courses and 3 credits of seminar.

Maximum project and report or research credits:

• May include a maximum of 6 credits of Project and Report (5904) credits taken at Virginia Tech

Second Master's Degree (both degrees at Virginia Tech). The requirements for a second master's degree (after the first master's has been completed) are the same as for the first master's degree: an additional 30-54 hours, depending on the degree sought. No more than 50% of appropriate graded course work, to meet the requirements for a master's degree, may be common to both degrees. For example, if one master's degree requires 20 credits of graded coursework and the other requires 30 credits of graded coursework, no more than 10 credits (50% of the graded work on the degree with lower graded credit requirements) can be used toward both degrees. No Research or Project and Report credits from the first master's degree can be used for the second master's degree. No credits can be triple-counted. If the first master's degree is from another university, see Transfer Credits.

If a student wishes to pursue two graduate degrees in different departments simultaneously, an Application for Simultaneous Degree must be submitted   https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Application_for_Simultaneous_Graduate_Degree.pdf . No more than 50% of appropriate graded course work requirements for a master's degree may be common to both degrees. For example, if one master's degree requires 20 credits of graded coursework and the other degree requires 30 credits of graded coursework, no more than 10 credits (50% of the graded work on the degree with lower credit requirements) can be used toward both degrees. No Research or Project and Report credits from one degree may be counted toward the other degree. No credits can be triple-counted.

The Education Specialist Degree (Ed.S.) is a post-master's program requiring 60 credit hours. The program consists of 30 credit hours (minimum) from Virginia Tech and up to 30 credit hours of transfer credit from the master's degree. At least 21 credit hours must be completed at Virginia Tech after acceptance into the Ed.S. degree program. In this program, candidates are expected to attain a broad and systematic understanding of professional education, a definitive knowledge of a particular field of specialization and the ability to integrate and apply theoretical concepts of education in an actual educational context. This graduate program is designed for the accomplished, experienced practitioner with special professional aspirations beyond the masters, but who generally does not wish to pursue a doctorate. The Ed.S. is designed to meet this need and is offered in several specialty areas.

Doctoral degrees at Virginia Tech must meet the semester credit hour requirements listed below and include a dissertation that involves original research/scholarship. Departments/programs may have additional requirements and an advisory committee may add specific requirements needed for an individual student's academic development. Graded course work on the Plan of Study must be taken for an A/F grade unless the course is only offered P/F (see Grading System Requirements). Students can apply graded coursework credits taken at Virginia Tech for a master's degree at Virginia Tech to a doctoral plan of study in the same program area if the Advisory Committee considers the courses appropriate for the doctoral degree. No Research and Thesis or Project and Report credits from a master's degree can be used for a doctoral plan of study. See Transfer Credit for policies about the transfer of graduate credits for use on the Plan of Study.

Minimum total credits: 90 credit hours

Minimum graded credits: 27 credit hours

• The Plan of Study may include a maximum of 6 credits of Virginia Tech graded 4000-level undergraduate course work.
  • The 6 credits of Virginia Tech 4000 level course work may include Special Study (4984) courses but may not include Undergraduate Independent Study (4974) or Undergraduate Research (4994) courses.
• All other graded credits must be at the 5000 level or higher (i.e., graduate course work). Some departments have approval from the Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies to reduce the minimum number of graded course work credits required for a specific degree program. See departmental degree requirements to determine if a department has approval for such changes in requirements.
• The 5000-level course work may include a maximum 18 credits total in 5974, 5984, and 6984 courses and 4 credits of seminar.

Minimum research credits: 30 credit hours of Doctoral Research (7994).

The Graduate School course work requirements for the Ed.D. are the same as those listed above for the Ph.D. with the exception that the minimum number of Research and Dissertation 7994 credits is 24.The dissertation for the Ed.D. typically demonstrates the candidate's ability to investigate phenomena in educational institutions or service agencies to increase practitioners' understanding of practical problems and issues.

Virginia Tech offers four doctoral degrees: the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), the Doctor of Education (EdD), the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and the Doctor of Medicine (MD).  The PhD and EdD degrees are offered through the Graduate School, the DVM is offered through the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and the MD is offered through the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.  The PhD is a research degree that focuses on “basic research that expands the knowledge base of the field” while the EdD is focused more on “applied research related to professional practice” (Council of Graduate Schools, CGS, 2005).  The nature and purpose of the PhD is described as the following (CGS, 2005):

      “The Doctor of Philosophy program is designed to prepare a student become a scholar:  that is, to discover, integrate, and apply knowledge, as well as to communicate and disseminate it.  Such skills may lead to careers in social, governmental, educational, biomedical, business, and industrial organizations as well as in university and college teaching, research and administration.  The PhD. Program emphasizes the development of the student’s capacity to make significant original contributions to knowledge in a context of freedom of inquiry and expression.  A well-prepared doctoral student will have the ability to understand and critically evaluate the literature of the field and to apply appropriate principles and procedures to the recognition, evaluation, interpretation and understanding of issues and problems at the frontiers of knowledge.  The student also will have an appropriate awareness of and commitment to the ethical practices appropriate to the field.” (p. 1)

In accordance with the definition of doctoral degrees as involving mastery of intellectual principles, development of original scholarly contributions to the chosen field or fields, and critical evaluation of issues and problems in relevant disciplines, residency is required for all doctoral students at Virginia Tech. 

Residency allows students to concentrate focused time on their degree, acquire the necessary “habits, attitudes, skills, and insights” (CGS, 2005) required for contributions to scholarship, and have opportunities to work closely with other scholars including faculty and other graduate students.  These scholarly skills, attitudes, and experiences go beyond acquiring knowledge in classes and beyond experience in professional practice.

The Graduate School expects all graduate programs to encourage and provide opportunities for immersion of doctoral students in scholarship.  Residency goals can be achieved by multiple means, including but not limited to individual and group research training; providing access to resources such as libraries, research equipment, scholarly materials, and laboratories; providing networking opportunities with Virginia Tech and external scholars and graduate students; participation in scholarly seminars presented by scholars from Virginia Tech or elsewhere; assisting with developing applications for external funding of scholarly endeavors; participation at scholarly conferences; and publications or other forms of scholarly dissemination.

Residency for doctoral degree programs (PhD, EdD) can be accomplished through one of three mechanisms.

• Two consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment:  Programs will be expected to provide opportunities during those two semesters to cultivate immersion in scholarship and achieve the goals of residency.   Students completing residency via full-time enrollment should understand residency goals and plan not only to complete required courses, but also to sustain scholarly engagement and immersion in research, scholarship and professional development.
• Program-specific alternative residency plan:  Academic degree programs may propose alternative methods by which enrolled students will achieve residency goals to be approved by the Graduate School.  Program-specific alternatives may be proposed for doctoral degree programs offered outside Blacksburg or on the Blacksburg campus.
• Individual alternative residency plan:  Proposals for alternative residency from individual students can be submitted for approval by the Graduate School.

Each academic degree unit should determine the mechanism through which the doctoral students can satisfy the residency requirement.  Academic units may utilize any or all of the three options as determined appropriate by the graduate program faculty.  For existing degree programs, the enrollment-based requirement will serve as the mechanism unless a specific request is made for a program-specific alternative residency plan.  For new degree programs, the mechanism for earning doctoral residency should be included in the proposal submitted for approval through the governance process.

Proposals for alternative residency plans (program-specific, individual) should include a description of how the alternative plan will help achieve the purposes and goals of doctoral residency:  Please provide strategies for each of the following goals:

Disciplinary depth and breadth

• Access to a wide variety of classes and academic experiences in the student’s field and in related disciplines
• Access to library, information technology, and laboratory resources
• Quality and rigor of the program through involvement with and scrutiny by peers in other disciplines

Scholarly immersion

• Development of the student’s capacity to make significant original contributions to knowledge in a context of freedom of inquiry and expression (e.g., individual and group research training, assisting with developing applications for external funding, participation at scholarly conferences, publications or other forms of scholarly dissemination). 
• Ability to understand and critically evaluate the literature of the field and to apply appropriate principles and procedures to the recognition, evaluation, interpretation and understanding of issues and problems at the frontiers of knowledge.

Professional socialization

• Substantial interaction with a large pool of faculty to obtain scholarly and disciplinary advice, perspective, and guidance
• Interaction with fellow graduate students on professional issues
• Provision of a broad range of professional development experiences to guard against over-specialization
• Access to a wide spectrum of seminars, professional presentations, and contact with leaders in their own discipline as well as others

Professional practice

• Awareness of and commitment to the ethical and regulatory principles and practices appropriate to the field.

Program-specific alternative residency proposals should clearly identify the various methods the program will utilize to promote scholarly immersion and achieve the goals of residency as discussed above.  The plan should consider the goals of residency and outline the ways these will be achieved, including specific activities and the timeframe as appropriate during which residency will be completed. Program-specific alternative residency plans should be submitted by the academic unit to the Graduate Dean for review and approval.  Proposals should be submitted at least one semester before the desired effective date for implementation. Proposals will be reviewed and feedback provided within 30 days of submission.  As needed, initial proposals can be revised for final review and approval. In addition, programs can submit revised or updated plans if elements of the degree program change.

Individual alternative residency proposals must be submitted by the student and faculty advisor/committee as appropriate to the Graduate School for review and approval. Students should begin planning with their advisors early in their degree programs.  Individual alternative residency plans must be submitted to the Graduate School as early as possible or at the latest, concurrent with submission of the Plan of Study.  Alternative residency will be approved by the Graduate Dean before approval of the Plan of Study

Recording of residency plans: All doctoral students should indicate the mechanisms by which they plan to earn residency on the Plan of Study form.  Should a change in residency plan be required, students can seek approval of such change via the Plan of Study Change form accompanied by relevant documentation.

A student who is seeking a second doctoral degree, regardless of whether the first was earned at this university, must earn a minimum of 48 additional semester credits and must satisfy the residency requirements specified for the doctoral degree at Virginia Tech. No credits can be triple-counted.

Graduate certificates can be awarded to individuals who do not desire to work toward a degree as well as to students who are working on graduate degrees.  Of the graduate course work (5000-level or higher courses) for the certificate, at least 2/3 must be graded course work taken on the A/F grading option.  While some currently-offered graduate certificates can be earned with a minimum of 9 hours of Virginia Tech graduate course work credits, new certificates must require a minimum of 12 credit hours.  No transfer credits can be applied to graduate certificates.  No more than 50% of the credits for a particular graduate certificate can be double-counted toward another graduate certificate, and credits for a particular course cannot be counted toward more than two certificates. All credits for a graduate certificate can duplicate credits on a degree plan of study.  All grades for certificate courses must be "C-" or higher and the overall certificate GPA must be 3.0 or higher.  The specific requirements for each certificate can be found on the Graduate School Certificate Page: https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/graduate_catalog/certificates.htm.  Certificate candidates must be admitted to the Graduate School and formally accepted to the certificate program: http://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply.html

Upon successful completion of certificate requirements, an Application For Certificate Conferral
  https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Degree-Certificate_Conferral_Request.pdf  must be signed by the department and submitted by the Application for Degree deadline in the term in which the certificate will be awarded.  Meeting this deadline is necessary for the student's name to appear in the commencement bulletin. http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/commencement_deadlines.

Scheduling Examinations:

Examinations required by Graduate Policies and Procedures (Preliminary and Final Examinations), are scheduled through the Graduate School.
https://ess.graduateschool.vt.edu

Requests to schedule examinations must include the time, date, building and room number, title of dissertation or thesis, and the names and signatures of the Examining Committee. These requests are due in the Graduate School at least two weeks before the examination date requested. Notification of the approval of the examination scheduling will be sent electronically to the student and all members of the Examining Committee. The examination should not be conducted if the Advisor has not received notification that the examination has been scheduled. The examination result should be entered in the Electronic Signature System within 2 days after the examination, with each committee member signifying whether the exam performance was Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

Before filing the request for scheduling an examination, the student's record should be reviewed by the department to make sure that the Plan of Study has been filed and approved and that there are no problems. The Graduate Program Director's signature on the form is the departmental verification that the Plan of Study has been examined and that it is appropriate for the student to schedule the examination.

For Preliminary Examinations, which commonly are comprehensive examinations of the doctoral coursework, typically students complete the formal coursework on the Plan of Study prior to taking the exam. If a student has coursework remaining to be taken, the department should determine whether or not it is appropriate for the student to take the examination before all the graded coursework on the Plan of Study is completed. Students may take the Preliminary Examination despite having some grade problems on the Plan of Study (e.g., Incompletes, grades <C- that require retaking a course) but the student's Advisory Committee should address whether this will put the student at a disadvantage on the exam. If the  decision is to schedule the exam in a case like this, a note addressing the committee's decision to move forward with the exam should accompanying the exam request. By the end of the degree, all grades on the Plan of Study must be a C- or higher and the Plan of Study and overall GPA must be 3.0 or higher.

For scheduling of the Final Examination, Thesis Master's and Ph.D. students must have the thesis/dissertation ready for defense (as judged by Advisory Committee members having read the document and signed the examination scheduling request) and the student must be able to complete all other degree requirements within the semester when the examination is held:  all coursework on the Plan of Study will need to be completed with grades of C- or higher and both the Plan of Study GPA and the overall GPA must be a 3.0 or higher by the end of the semester. Because some of the problem situations with deficient grades or credits require retaking courses or adding credits, the Plan of Study should be examined at the beginning of the semester in which a student plans to take the Final Examination.

For Non-thesis Master's students, scheduling of the Final Examination requires that the student will be able to complete any Project and Report or Independent Study requirements, complete all coursework on the Plan of Study with grades of C- or higher and attain a Plan of Study and overall GPA of 3.0 or higher by the end of the semester.

Students wishing to schedule the Final Examination, who have not been enrolled at Virginia Tech for more than a year, need to file for Readmission and allow enough time for any problems to be resolved so they can be Readmitted prior to the 2 week period needed for Exam scheduling. The minimum enrollment is 3 cr.

For enrollment requirements when taking a Final Examination, see below.

Required examinations are administered during regular academic semesters or sessions, i.e., between the first day of classes for a given semester or session and ending with the last official day for examinations. Permission to schedule an examination in the time between sessions may be granted if an explanation of special circumstances requiring that scheduling is made to the Dean's office of the Graduate School by the student's Advisor. Scheduling of examinations between semesters/terms does not alter ETD submission or approval deadlines.

At least four scholars eligible to serve are required to participate on every doctoral Advisory Committee, and at least three are required for every master's Advisory Committee. All members of a student's Advisory Committee are required to participate in that student's doctoral (preliminary and final) or master's (final) examinations. If one of the Advisory Committee members cannot participate, the committee member should recommend to the Chair of the Advisory Committee, when possible, the name of a scholar eligible for advisory committee membership to serve as a proxy on the Examining Committee. After consultation with the student, the Chair of the Advisory Committee makes such a proxy appointment in writing. Regardless of the size of the size of the Committee, only one official proxy will be approved.

Those conducting the examination must log in to the Electronic Signature System and enter their decision on the exam result within 2 days after the exam. The proxy must communicate with the committee member for whom he or she is serving as a proxy regarding the exam result decision and the original committee member must log in to the Electronic Signature System and enter the decision.

All committee members must also signify approval or disapproval of the thesis/dissertation in the Electronic Signature System. This signifies that the thesis or dissertation is in final form and ready for ETD submission to the Graduate School.

To pass any of the required examinations, a graduate student is allowed at most one Unsatisfactory vote. If a student fails an examination, one full semester (a minimum of 15 weeks) must elapse before the second examination is scheduled. Not more than two opportunities to pass any one examination are allowed. A student failing any of the examinations required by Graduate Policies two times will be dismissed from graduate studies by the Graduate School.

An oral and/or written final examination or evaluation is required in all master's programs (see departmental policy for specific format). For some non-thesis master's programs, final exams are structured in special ways, including evaluation of a project as the final examination. For non-thesis, coursework-only master’s degree programs, the committee will conduct a final evaluation of the student’s record to confirm degree completion. All master’s final examinations and non-thesis, coursework only evaluations are scheduled through the Electronic Scheduling System. For more information about master's final examinations, consult the departmental policies and procedures document.

Certain departments require doctoral students to take a qualifying examination (see departmental policies). The results typically are used to evaluate subject mastery, to determine deficiencies, and to determine whether the student should continue into dissertation research. The results of qualifying examinations are made part of the student’s departmental record. Qualifying examinations are not scheduled through the Graduate School.

The Preliminary Examination is a requirement for all doctoral students. This examination must be taken at least 6 months before the Final Examination. The Preliminary Examination may be oral or written, or both. Schedule the exam at this site: https://ess.graduateschool.vt.edu. The examination date requested should coincide with the date when the decision about the student's performance is made. If the Preliminary Examination consists of a written section followed by an oral examination, the examination date requested should be the date of the oral. The results should be reported to the Graduate School within 1-2 days of the decision about the examination. 

If an Advisory Committee member cannot participate, the committee member should recommend to the Chair of the Advisory Committee, when possible, the name of a scholar eligible for advisory committee membership to serve as a proxy during the examination. After consultation with the student, the Chair of the Advisory Committee makes such a proxy appointment in writing. Regardless of the size of the size of the Committee, only one official proxy will be approved.

Individual departments may choose to administer the Preliminary Examination as a written departmental examination for a group of doctoral students. In this case the examination is typically administered by a committee with all members certifying the results to the department. After the results are certified to the department, the members of each student's Advisory Committee, including any proxies, must record approval/disapproval in the Electronic Signature System. 

Final Examination (Doctoral)

All doctoral candidates must take a final oral and/or written examination, which is at minimum a defense of the dissertation. See Advisory Committee Approval of Thesis or Dissertation for a full explanation. This examination must be scheduled no earlier than six months after successful completion of the preliminary examination. https://ess.graduateschool.vt.edu

To be eligible for hooding at Commencement, the Final Examination must be completed and the Electronic Thesis/Dissertation (ETD) must be approved by the Graduate School by the published deadline for the semester:  http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/commencement_deadlines

Enrollment and Examinations

The minimum enrollment for students working on writing their thesis/dissertation (including consulting with their advisor and/or committee during a semester or summer session) is 3 credit hours. Graduate students must be enrolled for the minimum number of credits in the semester or summer session in which they take an exam and in the semester in which they complete a degree:

• 3 credit hours during a semester or summer session
• 1 credit hour for students who qualify for Start of Semester Defense Exception (SSDE, see below) in the semester of their final exam

Qualifying for Start of Semester Defense Exception

Start of Semester Defense Exception (SSDE) is a special enrollment category for students who have fulfilled all requirements, including advisory committee review and agreement that the thesis or dissertation is ready for defense, and are registering only to take the final oral examination.

To qualify for start of semester defense exception, a student must have:

• completed all requirements (including passing grades on all courses on the plan of study), except for the final exam and
• submitted the final copy of the thesis/dissertation to the advisory committee within the first three weeks of the semester and at least two weeks before the defense and
• received permission from the advisory committee, who have read the document and consider it ready for defense (to the extent that the student can make corrections and submit the ETD within two weeks of the defense) within the first three weeks of the semester and
• been enrolled in at least three credit hours the preceding semester and
• submitted the SSDE form to the Graduate School by the Friday of the third week of classes or no later than three weeks prior to the defense, whichever date comes first

Scheduling a Final Exam within the Start of Semester Defense Exception Timeline

To defend under SSDE, a student must schedule and attend the defense according to the following timeline:

Within the first three weeks of the semester:

1. Submit SSDE form to the Graduate School
2. Wait for the Graduate School to enroll student in 1 cr (students cannot enroll themselves)
3. Submit Application for Degree in HokieSPA
4. Submit Request for Final Examination (at least two weeks prior to the exam date) in the Electronic Signature System

Within the first five weeks of the semester:

        International students who qualify for SSDE must defend (complete final exam) to maintain immigration status.

Understanding Potential Implications of Start of Semester Defense Exception

If a student registers for SSDE, his/her enrollment status will be less than full time, which may affect the following:

• financial aid or loan deferments
• employment opportunities (not eligible for assistantships or fellowships)
• visa status (for international students)

Students should consult with the Graduate School and/or Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to understand the consequences and additional requirements that may result from enrolling under start of semester defense exception.

Students anticipating degree or certificate completion must file an Application for Degree (AFD) through the Graduate Student Degree Menu in HokieSPA. Students who earn more than one degree and/or certificate in a semester must use the Degree-Certificate Conferral Request form (the paper equivalent of the AFD form in HokieSPA) for the additional degree/certificate after submitting the first request through HokieSPA. Deadlines for those wishing to complete their degrees in time to attend Commencement are posted at  http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/commencement_deadlines.

Summary of Procedures for a candidate for the master's or doctorate degree:

1. Students must be enrolled at Virginia Tech in the term in which the degree is awarded.

2. Filing of Application for Degree, payment of fee. This form makes an individual degree completion checklist available to the student on Hokie SPA. It must be submitted prior to the last day of classes of the term in which the student intends to graduate.

4. Taking Final Examination.

5. Submitting the final version of the thesis or dissertation, approved by the student's Advisory Committee through the Electronic Signature System, as an Electronic Dissertation or Thesis (ETD) within two weeks after the defense.

6. Submitting any applicable supporting documentation for the ETD (e.g., copyright permission letters to reproduce items from other publications, Institutional Research Board approval or exemption notices (if appropriate), UMI form, Survey of Earned Doctorates).

7. Payment of the archiving fee which is required of students at the time the ETD is submitted.

8. Degree Completion requires ETD approval by the Graduate School and completion of all other requirements for the degree.

Master’s students who have completed their degree requirements, and those nearing completion, can participate in Commencement. However, diplomas are not issued until all degree requirements are met. Summer graduates may attend either fall or spring commencement but must confirm their attendance through Hokie SPA.

Doctoral candidates, to be eligible to participate in the doctoral hooding ceremony, must have completed all degree requirements including ETD approval by the Graduate School by the deadlines published each semester on the Graduate School website:  http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/commencement_deadlines

In addition to the traditional twice-a-year commencement, two additional "Degree-Conferring Dates" have been established. These dates appear on the diploma for qualified graduates. These additional degree-conferring dates fall on the last day of final examinations of First Summer Term and Second Summer Term. No commencement ceremonies are conducted during the summer. Students who complete degree requirements during summer may attend the next commencement; students must confirm commencement attendance via Hokie SPA. All degrees conferred between commencements are listed in the next commencement program. Diplomas will be mailed to graduates by first class mail.

Information on master’s and doctor’s regalia is available from the University Bookstore, Clothing and Gifts department, 540/231-5991 http://www.bookstore.vt.edu

Doctoral degrees (Ph.D. and Ed.D.) require a dissertation that involves original research.

Two or more students may work on the same total problem; however, each student must prepare an independent thesis or dissertation on that student's part of the problem. The individual contributions of each student involved in the same problem should be explained in each thesis or dissertation.

Dissertations may be prepared in the traditional multi-chapter format or in manuscript format (minimum of two journal articles, plus front and back matter as indicated in the guidelines). http://etd.lib.vt.edu/etdformats.html

In certain instances a portion of students' thesis or dissertation research might involve proprietary, controlled, or classified information. Although some results might need to be summarized for the sponsor in a separate embargoed document, a completely embargoed thesis or dissertation conflicts with scholarly values of peer review and promotion of knowledge and should be avoided. All theses and dissertations produced to meet Virginia Tech degree requirements should be subject to an open defense and open publication (including ETD submission), and capable of standing as academically-complete works.

Since any proprietary or governmental restrictions should be known at the outset, students are expected to seek a pre-research review of their thesis or dissertation plans with the sponsor whenever there is a possibility that certain findings might be subject to embargo. In coordination with the Chair of their Advisory Committees, students should communicate to the Graduate School as soon as possible any anticipated restrictions on their research. Similarly, a pre-publication review should be conducted with the sponsor as early as is prudent to identify any restrictions on publication, including acceptable separation of restricted findings into an embargoed document. Any publication restrictions should be communicated to the Graduate School as soon as they are known or predicted.

All members of a student's Advisory Committee are required to participate in that student's final examination. Depending upon the technological resources available, committee members may participate from a remote location. If an Advisory Committee member cannot participate, the committee member should recommend to the Chair of the Advisory Committee, when possible, the name of a scholar eligible for advisory committee membership to serve as a proxy during the examination. After consultation with the student, the Chair makes such a proxy appointment in writing. Regardless of the size of the advisory committee, only one official proxy will be approved. Those conducting the examination must log in to the Electronic Signature System and enter in their decision on the exam result. The proxy must communicate with the committee member for whom he or she is serving as a proxy regarding the exam result decision, and the original committee member must log in to the Electronic Signature System to enter the decision on behalf of the proxy. 

All committee members must also signify approval or disapproval of the thesis/dissertation in the Electronic Signature System. This signifies that the thesis or dissertation is in final form and ready for ETD submission to the Graduate School. If a committee member does not approve the thesis/dissertation, that non-approval will be designated on the ETD. A successful candidate is allowed, at most, one negative vote, regardless of the size of the Advisory Committee.

Theses and dissertations are submitted electronically. For instructions, see https://guides.lib.vt.edu/c.php?g=547528&p=3756956.

The final version of the thesis or dissertation approved by the student's Advisory Committee must be submitted electronically as an ETD to the Graduate School no later than two weeks after successful completion of the final examination. The ETD Approval Form, indicating Advisory Committee approval of the document must be returned to the Graduate School when the ETD is submitted. If the process of ETD revisions leading to Graduate School approval of the ETD extends beyond the posted deadlines for a semester, the student will be enrolled for 1 credit of SSDE in the later semester when degree completion occurs.  http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/commencement_deadlines

Degree Completion

Graduate degrees are completed after the approval of the ETD by the Graduate School and the completion of all other requirements for the degree.

The Graduate School does not require students to register their copyright. ProQuest (previously University Microfilms), digitizes abstracts in their book Dissertation Abstracts and also digitizes the dissertations http://il.proquest.com/brand/umi.shtml If a master's student wishes to register the copyright, they must apply directly through the Library of Congress Copyright Registration Office. More information concerning the requirements and cost of copyright registration can be found at http://copyright.gov/eco/

A University Intellectual Property Policy was adopted in 1986 by the university’s Board of Visitors. The policy applies to copyrightable material, patentable inventions, and other creations conceived by any faculty member, staff member, or student employee when substantial university resources, such as money or equipment, are used in connection with the conception and/or development of the creation. All such creations are the property of the university and subject to any applicable agreements with funding agencies.

If a student employee has conceived a creation, which may belong to the university pursuant to the Intellectual Property Policy, it is his or her responsibility to report promptly the creation to the university. All creations must be reported to the Office of the Vice President for Research. Creations must be reported before publication of the item, or before publication of information relative thereto or before disclosure to an outside firm or agency. Under the existing policy, net income to the university in the form of royalties (etc.) from the creation may be shared equally with the creator(s).

Copies of the Intellectual Property Policy and assistance in reporting creations may be obtained from the Office of the Vice President for Research http://www.research.vt.edu/ or http://www.vtip.org/

[See additional information in Expectations for Graduate Education: Complaints and Appeals, http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/expectations/expectations-for-graduate-education-overview/complaints-and-appeals.html]

Graduate education is a complex activity involving a high order of student-faculty relationship. It follows that the evaluation of the graduate student’s progress is, and must be, dependent in large part on the judgment of the student’s Advisor and augmented by the collective judgment of the members of the Advisory Committee. The university, through the Graduate School, defines minimal entrance standards and general rules governing eligibility for continuation in graduate programs. However, the crucial agency in student evaluation is the student’s Advisor and other Advisory Committee members.

It is important that each graduate student be fully informed, not only of the Graduate School Policies and Procedures, but of any additional departmental program requirements beyond those of the Graduate School. The Graduate School website provides a link to departmental policy requirements at https://secure.graduateschool.vt.edu/graduate_catalog/programs.htm . The department should inform graduate students of their degree requirements at the time of matriculation.

It is assumed that most problems involving graduate education will be discussed informally and reconciled at the departmental level. Indeed, most discussions of this kind will commonly occur among the student, the Chair of the student’s Advisory Committee, and the other members of the Advisory Committee. However, from time to time serious questions may arise that place the student’s status in jeopardy. On these occasions, it is important that the university provide full opportunity for the student’s grievance to be reviewed in a judicious manner.

When a graduate student believes that any work has been improperly evaluated, or believes that there has been unfair treatment, it is expected that the student will take up the questions directly with the faculty member involved. This may be the student’s Advisor, other faculty members, or an instructor responsible for a course. If, after earnest inquiry, the matter remains unreconciled, the graduate student will be expected to appeal the question to the Department Head (the Graduate Program Director also may be involved in this level of appeal). If the Department Head is a party to the grievance, the Dean of the academic college will assume this responsibility. The Department Head, in consultation with the college Dean, shall take all reasonable and proper actions to resolve the question at the departmental level. The student shall be informed in writing of the results no later than one month after the appeal to the Department Head. In some matters, the Faculty Handbook provides additional relevant information, for example, "the assigning of grades is the responsibility of the individual instructor in every case. The basis on which grades are assigned rests on his/her judgment alone....").

Should the aggrieved student believe that the student's rights were abridged at the departmental level, the student may file an appeal with the Dean of the Graduate School. In a statement to the Dean, the aggrieved student must clearly state the substance of the appeal. The Dean of the Graduate School shall take all reasonable and proper actions to resolve the question or refer it directly to the Graduate Appeals Committee for its review. As a standing committee of the Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies, this committee will consist of three faculty members and one graduate student. For each appeal the dean shall appoint to the committee one additional faculty member knowledgeable in the academic area of the appeal.
The review by the Graduate Appeals Committee will have available to it all pertinent information in the student’s record in the university and (a) the department’s policy statement concerning its degree expectations, (b) a summary of the department’s  action on the appeal, and (c) copies of the student’s statement to the Dean of the Graduate School recording the student’s view of alleged irregularities (i.e., the basis for university appeal).
The Graduate Appeals Committee may hold a formal hearing on grievance appeals referred to it by the Dean of the Graduate School. The hearing will be conducted with the following procedural safeguards:
1. All parties to the dispute will be notified of the time and place of the hearing at least 48 hours in advance;
2. The aggrieved student will be permitted, if the student chooses, to invite a member of the faculty or student body to represent him/her in the hearing;
3. All parties in the dispute will be given full opportunity to testify and to present such evidence or witnesses as seem relevant;
4. All matters on which the finding will be based must be introduced into evidence at the hearing.

The Graduate Student Appeals Committee will make a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School, which will be acted upon by the Dean of the Graduate School in consultation with the Provost. The Dean will convey the committee’s recommendation and the final disposition of the matter to all concerned parties.