Academic Regulations and Procedures

This chapter outlines academic regulations and procedures. Part I explains how to plan a program of study; Part II discusses registration, grades and transfer credit; Part III describes academic requirements that must be met to qualify for a degree or advanced certificate as well as miscellaneous other matters. Administration of academic regulations and procedures is the responsibility of the Office of the Associate Provost for Faculty and Administration, 3208 Boylan Hall, 718.951.5771.

Academic counseling for students in each program is available from the graduate deputy or program head in each department. Students should discuss their program of study and academic progress toward program completion with their graduate deputy or program head each semester either in person or by e-mail. For general academic advice and information, students should contact the office of the dean of their respective school or the Office of the Associate Provost for Faculty and Administration, 3208 Boylan Hall, 718.951.5771.

Students are responsible for fulfilling all admission, program, degree and graduation requirements. Students are responsible for adhering to college deadlines, attendance dates, and rules and regulations published in the graduate bulletin. Students are also responsible for knowing and abiding by the college regulations that appear in other official publications from the College.

I. Planning the program of study

At the beginning of course work, and no later than the first week of the semester, all graduate students should prepare a program of study with the appropriate departmental graduate deputy or program head. Programs and regulations are subject to change without notice and therefore current students should maintain regular contact with their graduate deputy or program head. They may also consult DegreeWorks via the CUNY portal.

Matriculated students are responsible for meeting all requirements in their degree or advanced certificate program. Students should consult the appropriate sections of this Bulletin for all official information regarding requirements for their degree or advanced certificate as well as general college requirements. Degree requirements for each program may also be found on the Graduate Programs and Advisers webpage.

Length of time to complete degree or advanced certificate

A master’s degree or advanced certificate must be completed within seven years inclusive of any official leave of absence, beginning with the student’s initial registration for graduate courses in a program at Brooklyn College in any status: matriculated, matriculated with conditions, or nondegree. (See the chapter “Admission” for definitions of each.) Exceptions are sometimes granted with compelling justification or because of the size of a student’s academic program but require the filing of a petition for extension of time to the Faculty Council Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards. A student may petition the Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards for an extension of time to complete their degree one time during their course of study at Brooklyn College. The Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards will require a student requesting an extension of greater than two years to complete additional credits toward their degree. Those courses will be determined by the program’s graduate deputy. Information on how to develop a petition is available in the Office of Academic Standing, 3219 Boylan Hall, 718.951.4866.

Academic residency

At least 60 percent of the credits required for a degree must be earned at Brooklyn College. Departments and/ or programs may have additional academic residency requirements. See the section “Rules about transfer courses and credits,” below, for more information.

II. Registration, Grades and Transfer Credit Registration for Courses

Prior to registration, students should review the degree requirements for their program, as well as their progress toward the degree, by checking the program requirements at the time of their entry or whatever set of requirements they elect if eligible to change program requirements (see the section “Applicable Bulletin,” below). Some programs require a pre-registration visit with the graduate deputy or program head; even if not required, such a consultation is often extremely important to keep moving efficiently toward graduation. The requirements of each program can be found online at the Brooklyn College website under “Academics” or in the electronic copy of previous Bulletins if the student is subject to an earlier Bulletin. Students may also monitor their degree progress by using DegreeWorks accessible through the CUNY Portal.

Registration takes place four times per academic year: fall, January Intersession (winter session), spring, and summer. Registration information is communicated via e-mail. All graduate students register via Self Service in CUNYfirst on the first day of continuing student registration.

Students are expected to complete registration during the official registration period. Registration is not permitted after the last day to add a course for any given term. Under no circumstances will students who are dropped for nonpayment be allowed to reregister for the dropped classes after the end of the last day to add a course. The last day to add a course is listed each semester in the Academic Calendar.

The Schedule of Classes, Final Examination Schedule, and Academic Calendar are published each semester and are available on the Brooklyn College website.

Complete instructions on how to register and registration resources are available on the Brooklyn College website. Students who need assistance with registration should visit the Enrollment Services Center in the lobby of the West Quad Center.

Hours and credits

Statements in this Bulletin regarding a certain number of class hours or credits refer to the number of weekly class hours (or their equivalent). In general one credit represents 15 semester hours of classroom work (or the equivalent). Weekly graduate seminars that do not have a final examination should hold their last meeting during the fifteenth week of the semester. The same is true for the following: a) two weekly hours of laboratory work, b) two weekly hours of supervised fieldwork, c) three hours of unsupervised honors work, or d) three hours of unsupervised fieldwork. Exceptions to this general rule apply in certain programs or courses and are specified in the Bulletin.

Statements in this bulletin regarding class hours and credits usually refer to the total number of semester class hours, unlike undergraduate courses, which usually list weekly class hours. Thus a listing that reads “30 hours plus conference” (or “plus conference and independent work”); “3 credits” means that the course will meet for two class (i.e., lecture) hours each week for 15 weeks, or for some other scheduling pattern that equates to this in terms of total class time in the course.

Modes of instruction

The following is the CUNY definition of modes of instruction and their corresponding symbols. Each course in the Schedule of Classes is designated by a single symbol, indicating its mode of instruction.

P In-Person. In an in-person class, all required class meetings occur on campus, during scheduled class meeting times. Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and student-instructor). An in-person class where material is provided online, via a learning management system or website, does not displace any of the required contact hours that would normally occur in a scheduled in-person class. Assignment deadlines and exam days/times are maintained and included on the class syllabus. All in-person class meeting days/times must be listed in the Schedule of Classes
H Hybrid (Blended). . In a hybrid class, online contact hours (synchronous* or asynchronous**) displace some portion of the required contact hours that would normally take place in a scheduled in-person (face-to-face) class. Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and student-instructor). A hybrid class is designed to integrate face-to-face and online activities so that they reinforce, complement, and elaborate one another, instead of treating the online component as an addon or duplicate of what is taught in the classroom. Assignment deadlines and exam days/times are maintained and included on the class syllabus. All in person and synchronous online class meeting days/ times must be listed in the Schedule of Classes.
O Online. . In an online class (synchronous* or asynchronous**), all required contact hours are online. Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and student instructor). All the class work, examinations, quizzes, writing assignments, lab work, etc., are fully online. All synchronous class meeting days/times must be listed in the Schedule of Classes.

*Synchronous: Synchronous classes meetings resemble traditional on-campus in-person classes in that students must be (virtually) present at the same time. Though they are conducted virtually, synchronous classes meet in real-time. Students must commit to scheduled class times and sign onto their virtual learning platform on schedule. During these classes, students will engage with the instruction during online lessons and presentations and even have virtual class discussions. Assignment deadlines and exam days/times are maintained and included on the class syllabus. All synchronous class meeting days/times must be listed in the Schedule of Classes for students. Per best practices, instructors should make effective use of learning management systems for the posting of class materials and submission of class assignments.

**Asynchronous: Asynchronous class meetings do not require students to log in to their virtual classroom at a specified time. Students do not have to follow a strict schedule to engage in live classes or discussions, and the only requirement regarding when they turn in their work is the assignment deadline, not an arbitrary timeline. Assignment deadlines and exam days/times are maintained and included on the class syllabus. Per best practices, instructors should create non-mandatory opportunities for live interactions with and among students.

Course numbers

Courses numbered 6000 are broadly based survey courses that do not require extensive undergraduate preparation. They are intended for students in other disciplines and may not be offered toward a degree by candidates in the field in which they are given.

Courses numbered 7000 require extensive undergraduate preparation and are intended for candidates for a master’s degree or certificate in the field in which they are given. Other students may be admitted only with permission of the department chair or deputy chair.

Each course number is followed by G, T or X. The letter G means that the course may be credited only toward a master’s degree in liberal arts and sciences programs; T, that the course may be credited only toward a master’s degree or an advanced certificate in the Teacher Education Program; and X, that the course may be credited toward a master’s degree in either liberal arts and sciences programs or the Teacher Education Program. In some cases, a student may receive permission to apply credit for a course designated G toward a master’s degree in the Teacher Education Program or to apply credit for a course designated T toward a master’s degree in liberal arts and sciences programs. Courses whose number is preceded by the letter U are regular master’s courses that may be credited toward a City University doctoral program.

Limitation on credits per semester

Full-time enrollment at the graduate level is defined as taking at least nine credits. Master’s students may not register for more than 15 graduate credits a semester or more than six graduate credits in either of the two summer sessions without special permission from the department and the Office of Academic Standing. Students on F-1 and J-1 visas must carry a full-time load unless a lower load is approved by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. It is recommended that students with full-time employment or other major time commitments carry a maximum course load of no more than six to nine credits each semester.

Registration limitations for nondegree students

Some graduate courses and programs do not admit non-degree students. Non-degree students should seek permission from their departments before attempting to enroll in graduate courses.

Adding, dropping and withdrawing from courses

A registration adjustment consists of adding, dropping or withdrawing from a course; changing from one course section to another; or making any other alteration after registration is completed. A student may add a course only up until the last day to add a course; the procedures for adding, dropping, and withdrawing depend on when they are done. Complete information about registration adjustments, including deadlines and penalties, is available on the Brooklyn College website. The academic (as opposed to financial) consequences of withdrawing from classes depend on when the official withdrawal takes place. A student may drop courses without academic penalty during the designated add/drop period and no record of the course or courses will appear on the student’s transcript. A student may withdraw from courses without academic penalty after the designated add/drop period until the deadline indicated on the college’s academic calendar; a grade of W will be assigned and will appear on the student’s transcript. Withdrawals may be made in person at the ESC or via CUNYfirst

A student who attended a minimum of one class session and stopped attending but did not officially withdraw will receive a grade of WU, equivalent to a failure. A student who never attended a course but did not officially withdraw will receive a grade of WN; a WN grade, like a W, has no impact on the student’s GPA (though the student may be liable for tuition payments associated with the course if the course is not formally dropped). In some cases, if the work is satisfactory and there is sufficient justification, a student may be permitted to withdraw from courses late without academic penalty by filing a petition for withdrawal with the Office of Academic Standing. The petition must provide valid reasons supported by documented evidence of extenuating circumstances responsible for the withdrawal. A grade of WF denotes an official withdrawal initiated by the student or the college, indicating that the student was failing at the time of withdrawal.

Students should note that there are financial implications for courses dropped after the first day of classes, as specified on the Tuition Payment Options Web page and in the section “Refund policy” of the “Tuition and Fees” chapter. A student who withdraws from a course after the third week of the term receives no refund of tuition.

Grades in courses

A+ grade

The grade of A+ indicates a truly exceptional performance and is rarely given.

INC grade — unresolved grades and absence from final examination

A grade of Incomplete (INC) may be given at the discretion of the instructor when 1) a student has satisfactorily completed most, but not all, course requirements, and 2) a student provides to the instructor evidence documenting the extenuating circumstances that prevent the completion of course requirements by the end of the semester. The instructor may change the grade of INC to another grade when the work has been completed.

An INC grade may also be given at the discretion of the instructor when 1) a student has been fulfilling course requirements but is absent from the final examination, and 2) a student provides to the instructor evidence documenting the extenuating circumstances that prevent the taking of the scheduled final examination. The instructor may change the grade of INC to another grade after the final exam has been taken.

Deadlines for resolution of unresolved grades appear in the academic calendar posted each term. Students who do not meet the deadlines are assigned a grade of FIN.

Students who have officially withdrawn from the college and have INC grades may be exempted from the above limitations. Please see the section “Maintenance of matriculation” regarding the need for students to be in a matriculated status when resolving INC grades or completing other degree requirements.

PEN grade

PEN is a temporary grade awarded when the disposition of the final grade requires further evaluation and when the incomplete grade is inappropriate. PEN is also used to facilitate the implementation of the Procedures for Imposition of Sanctions whereby the college must hold a student’s grade in abeyance pending the outcome of the academic review process. Final determination of a grade will depend on final evaluation by the instructor or the outcome of the college’s academic review process.

Calculation of the GPA

The following table demonstrates how a student who has completed 24 credits should compute the GPA.

GPA example

General rule for calculating the GPA

Grades earned in all courses acceptable toward the degree or advanced certificate are included in the calculation of the GPA. In particular, this includes 1) all 7000-level courses in an academic department in which the student has taken one or more courses acceptable for the degree, and 2) all 6000-level courses in an academic department in which the student has taken one or more 6000-level courses acceptable for the degree. A student may not choose from among the courses that will be counted in calculating the GPA.

Calculation of the GPA when a student repeats a course

Credit cannot be earned twice for the same course. When a student repeats a course (or its equivalent) in which a grade of C or higher was earned, no credit is given for the repeated course. The grade for that course will appear on the transcript, but is not included in computing the GPA. This rule applies when a student repeats courses taken at Brooklyn College or when a student completes courses at Brooklyn College that are equivalent to those taken at other institutions and that appear on his or her academic record. Some specified courses may be repeated for credit. Such exceptions are noted in the Bulletin description of these courses.

Calculation of the GPA when a student changes degree programs

When a student changes degree programs without having earned a degree in the first program, the GPA is calculated in accordance with the requirements of the new program. Only those courses from the prior record that are applicable to the new degree program become part of the GPA calculation. (See “Change of program” in the chapter “Admission.”)

Calculating the GPA for a nondegree student who later becomes a degree candidate

Although a maximum of 15 credits earned in nondegree status may be applied to a degree, for a student who moves from nondegree to matriculated status in a program, all courses taken in nondegree status that would apply to the degree for a matriculated student must be included in calculation of the GPA. Students may not pick and choose which of these credits will be calculated in the GPA. This rule applies to both 7000-level and 6000-level courses. Additional information may be found in the “Nondegree” section of the chapter “Admission.”

F-Grade Replacement Policy

A graduate student who receives certain failing grades (F, FIN, WF, or WU, but not an F resulting from an academic integrity violation) in a Brooklyn College course and who retakes that course at the college and earns a grade of C or higher will have the failing grade excluded from the calculation of the GPA. The original failing grade remains on the transcript, followed by a note to indicate that the course grade is not included in the computation of the GPA. Students should monitor their transcripts through CUNYfirst. If there is a question regarding the calculation, students should check with the Enrollment Services Center

Use of the F-Grade Replacement Policy is limited to a total of six credits for the duration of a student’s graduate career in any of the institutions of the City University of New York. A student who has used, for example, four credits of the six credit total may replace only a failed two-credit course. After six credits have been used, the F-Grade Replacement Policy no longer applies; a student who fails a course and later repeats it will have both courses included in calculation of the GPA.

In order to take advantage of the F-Grade Replacement Policy, students must repeat the course at the same college where they originally received the failing grade. An F grade earned at Brooklyn College may not be made up by a course at another CUNY or non-CUNY school, and an F grade earned at another CUNY or non-CUNY school may not be made up at Brooklyn College. Note also that the F-Grade Replacement Policy may not be used to replace an F grade resulting from a violation of CUNY’s policy on academic integrity.

Rules about transfer courses and credits

Transfer Credit

Enrolled graduate students may request to transfer in graduate credits from another college or university. To request transfer credits, complete the Graduate Transfer Credit Request Form, available on the Graduate Admissions webpage, attach an official transcript with a photocopy of the course description from the catalog/bulletin, and submit the package to your adviser for approval.

You may only transfer courses that have not been applied to another degree or graduate certificate.
Transfer credits are accepted only from accredited colleges and universities.
Graduate courses must have been completed no more than five years prior to admission to Brooklyn College.
Transfer credits are accepted up to a maximum of 40 percent of the total credits required for the degree program.
Grades must be B or better (courses taken pass/fail will not be accepted).
A maximum of six credits may transfer for courses for which there are no direct equivalents at Brooklyn College.

For non-CUNY colleges

Currently matriculated students must apply in person to their graduate deputy or program head for permission to use transfer credits. Permission is obtained using the transfer credit application that may be obtained in the ESC. The form is also available online on the WebCentral portal. If the course to be taken is in a department other than the program department, approval of the deputy chair or chair of the appropriate Brooklyn College department is also required. For programs in the School of Education, approval of the deputy for graduate studies is required. With the application, students must include the catalog of the college they plan to attend or a photocopy of the course description for each course they plan to take. Students who take a course at another college that has not been approved in advance may be denied transfer credit for the course.

For CUNY colleges

Currently matriculated students may apply for an e-permit online using CUNYfirst prior to registration. Instructions for filing a permit request electronically (an “e-permit”) can be accessed through the college website. Note that receiving permission to take a course on e-permit is not the same thing as actually registering for that course at the other CUNY colleges. To complete the permit process, students must pay for the course(s) through Brooklyn College and then register for the approved course(s) at the host college. All three steps – the e-permit request, payment at Brooklyn College, and registration at the host college – must be completed or the student is not officially registered for the course(s). There are no restrictions on the number of courses that students can take on e-permit other than the satisfaction of residency requirements, nor on the number of colleges to which students can apply for course(s) on e-permit.

Special considerations for transfer courses from non-CUNY institutions

Courses taken at non-CUNY institutions to be transferred must have been completed with a grade of B or higher; a grade of B- is not acceptable. The courses may not have been applied toward a degree earned previously. Grades in courses taken at non-CUNY institutions and accepted for transfer credit at Brooklyn College are not included in the calculation of a student’s GPA.

Special considerations for courses taken by permit at other CUNY institutions

As of fall 2004, courses taken by Brooklyn College students at other CUNY colleges under the CUNY permit procedure are included in the calculation of a student’s GPA and become part of the student’s record, regardless of the grade earned. CUNY courses not approved by Brooklyn College under the permit procedure must have a B or higher in order to transfer.

Crediting courses to more than one master’s degree and/or advanced certificate program

Departments and programs may choose to allow students to apply courses from a first Brooklyn College master’s degree or advanced certificate to the required course work and credit requirements of a second master’s degree or advanced certificate up to the lesser of 9 credits or 50 percent of the required credits of the second master’s degree or advanced certificate. This dispensation applies only to course work taken at Brooklyn College; courses used toward a prior degree or advanced certificate outside of Brooklyn College may not be credited toward a second master’s degree or advanced certificate at Brooklyn College. Furthermore, it applies only to courses that are required by the second program; courses taken in the first program may not be applied toward elective credits in a second program. If a program chooses to credit a student’s Brooklyn College course work, as described above, toward a second master’s degree or advanced certificate, the department chair, graduate deputy, or program head must specify the same in writing to the Office of the Registrar.

Note: Because Brooklyn College regulations do not permit students to receive two degrees or a degree and an advanced certificate in the same semester, a student must complete the requirements of the two credentials in different semesters.

Special application process for students applying for advanced certificate programs

Currently enrolled students in master’s programs who wish to enroll in an advanced certificate program may apply through the streamlined “second credential” process. The student must complete a Certificate Admissions Form indicating the intention to obtain a graduate certificate. There is no application fee as long as the student maintains continuous enrollment. The student submits the Certificate Admissions Form and letter of interest to the certificate program director, who makes the decision to admit or deny the student.

Attendance in courses

The instructor may consider attendance and class participation in determining the term grade, although a student is not denied credit for a course solely on the basis of the attendance record. It is the student’s responsibility to turn in all assignments on time.

A student late for class may be excluded from the classroom.

To obtain a grade for a course that was not completed due to enlistment in the armed forces, Peace Corps or VISTA, a student must have been enrolled for approximately 13 weeks during the fall or spring semester or five weeks during the summer term.

Appeal of final grade

An instructor may not raise a student’s grade in a class by accepting additional work after the end of the semester, except in cases of INC grades (see the section “Grades in courses,” above) in which the student either takes a makeup final or submits the limited number of assignments still due at the end of the semester. In any other cases, a change of grade can be made only if the instructor certifies that an error was made in entering or calculating a grade. Such a change is made on a Change of Grade Form that must be signed by the instructor and the department chair, and approved by the Office of the Associate Provost for Faculty and Administration.

In the academic community, grades are a measure of student achievement toward fulfillment of course objectives. The responsibility for assessing student achievement and assigning grades rests with the faculty, and, except for unusual circumstances, the course grade given is final.

The grade appeals system affords recourse to a student who has evidence or believes that evidence exists to show that an inappropriate grade has been assigned as a result of prejudice, caprice or other improper conditions such as mechanical error or assignment of a grade inconsistent with those assigned other students. A student who believes he or she has reason to challenge a penalty grade assigned for an alleged violation of academic integrity shall use the Academic Integrity Appeal procedures.

Option One: Informal appeal

Students who believe that they have received an unfair or inappropriate grade are required to meet with the instructor of record to attempt to resolve the matter informally. The student must explain the grounds for the grade appeal to the instructor and attempt to understand the instructor’s reasons for assigning the grade. The purpose of the meeting is to reach a mutual understanding of the instructor’s rationale for the grade and to resolve differences in an informal and cooperative manner.

Option Two: Formal appeal

l If the matter is not resolved, the student has the right to appeal the grade to the department chair or designee. When the department chair or designee receives a formal grade appeal following the student’s informal appeal to the instructor, the chair or designee may attempt mediation and upon failure of mediation, the chair or designee shall convene a Grade Appeals Committee to investigate the appeal and to render a decision. To assure that all departmental committees conform to the principles of due process, the following procedures apply:

The student must submit a completed form to show that he or she has met with the instructor and that informal resolution failed.
The student must submit all relevant documentation to show that he or she has met the course requirements, including, but not limited to, a) course syllabus, b) all documented grades (graded tests, papers, projects, etc.), and c) a list of all other grades that the student knows he or she received in the course and any other factors that may have influenced the grade.
The Grade Appeals Committee has the authority to screen out appeals that do not set forth the aforementioned ground for appeal. The convener will explain any such finding in writing to the student, the faculty member and the department chair.
The department chair will notify the instructor that a formal grade appeal has been initiated and the instructor shall provide the grade distribution breakdown for the student and any other relevant information.
During the regular semester, the Grade Appeals Committee will review the material presented and will advise the student and instructor of its decision, in writing, within 30 calendar days from the date the student submitted a complete formal grade appeal with all necessary documentation. If the appeal is submitted after May 5, the Grade Appeals Committee must respond to the student by the following September 30.

Time limits for appeal

A student who wishes to appeal a grade must initiate the process in the full semester following the one in which the contested grade was received. Spring and summer session courses must be appealed during the following fall semester; fall and January intersession courses must be appealed during the following spring semester. Appeals that are not initiated by these deadlines will not be considered.

Appeal of Departmental Grade Appeals Committee’s decision

A student who wishes to appeal the decision of the Departmental Grade Appeals Committee shall submit the appeal to the Faculty Council Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards. Students must submit their written appeal to the Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards through the Office of Academic Standing. The decision of the Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards will be final.

III. Academic requirements and procedures

This section explains general academic requirements and procedures for graduate degree and advanced certificate programs, including minimum GPA requirement; academic probation and dismissal; comprehensive examination, thesis and language examinations; and applying for graduation.

Academic residency

At least 60 percent of the credits required for a degree must be earned at Brooklyn College. Departments and/ or programs may have additional academic residency requirements.

Minimum GPA requirement

To receive a graduate degree or an advanced certificate, a candidate must maintain and graduate with a minimum GPA of 3.00. Individual departments may, with the approval of Faculty Council, set higher grade requirements in certain specified courses or groupings of courses accepted toward the degree or advanced certificate.

Academic probation and dismissal

Students must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 to be retained in the graduate program. An academic monitoring stop will be placed on graduate students whose GPA falls below a 3.0 during their initial semester of enrollment in a graduate program at the College. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 in any semester after their first semester of enrollment in a graduate program will be placed on academic probation.

Students will be dismissed if, after attempting a maximum of 12 additional credits, their cumulative grade point average remains below the required 3.0. In addition, a grade point average greater than or equal to 3.0 per semester must be maintained during the 12 credits of probation. The student’s graduate program may specify the courses which must be taken and the program may impose a credit limit per semester. Students on academic probation whose term grade point average falls below 3.0 will be dismissed whether or not 12 credits have been completed. INC grades are not permitted while on probation. The Office of the Registrar will notify the student that he or she has been dismissed from the program and will be barred from further registration in the program.

The Office of Academic Standing monitors the GPAs of all graduate students at the end of the fall and spring semesters.

Comprehensive examinations, thesis and language examinations

To qualify for a master’s degree, candidates in most programs are required to pass a written comprehensive examination and/or submit an acceptable thesis or major research paper. An oral examination may also be required. Requirements for each program are specified on the Graduate Programs and Advisers webpage. When there is a choice between exit requirements such as a comprehensive examination and a thesis, a student who fails a comprehensive examination may not then choose to write a thesis, nor may a student who has registered for the department’s thesis writing course then choose to take a comprehensive examination. Students seeking a waiver of this regulation must file a petition with the Office of Academic Standing. A student in a program that requires a comprehensive examination (or a program that requires the student to write a thesis) must complete that requirement to earn their degree.

Comprehensive examinations

Comprehensive examinations are designed to assess how well students have mastered the curriculum in their degree program and are taken near the end of a student’s work in the program. Students who choose or are required to take a graduate comprehensive examination in their program must:

be matriculated,
have a GPA of at least 3.00,
have no outstanding admissions or matriculation conditions, and
be scheduled to complete all course requirements for the degree by the end of the semester in which the examination is taken; in some cases, depending on the number of credits remaining, it may be preferable to take the comprehensive examination in the semester before the student expects to graduate, should all or part of the exam need to be repeated.

Comprehensive examinations are given in the fall and spring semesters on dates determined by individual graduate programs; students should consult with their graduate deputy about when the exam is scheduled each semester. Students apply to take comprehensive examinations online at the BC WebCentral portal under the “eServices/Student Transactions” tabs and are notified by e-mail about their eligibility status. The first date to apply for a comprehensive examination is the first day of classes of the semester in which the examination is to be taken, and students must apply within 30 days of this date. Students must apply each time they wish to take a comprehensive examination. See the section “Maintenance of matriculation” for the procedure to take a comprehensive examination in a semester in which the student is not registered for any classes.

A comprehensive examination may not be taken more than twice. In extraordinary circumstances, exceptions may be granted by the Faculty Council Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards; students may obtain information on filing a petition to this committee in the Office of Academic Standing, 3219 Boylan Hall. Students who are unsuccessful after two attempts will have a stop placed on their records preventing further registration. In order to take the exam a third time (and have the registration stop removed), students must petition the Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards. A student may appeal a failing grade through the College’s established grade appeals process.

Thesis

A student in a liberal arts or sciences program who chooses or is required to write a thesis must consult with the graduate deputy before registering for any required thesis research course. A student in a School of Education program who plans to write a thesis must consult with the appropriate program head.

The document “Guidelines for Thesis Preparation and Submission” is available on the BC WebCentral portal. Some programs provide supplemental instructions. Unless otherwise noted in the department requirements, a student registers for the thesis research course only once. The grade of SP (satisfactory progress) is assigned until the thesis is accepted. Thesis research credit is assigned and a grade of P (pass) is entered on the record when the thesis is accepted.

Language examinations

In some programs, students are required to pass one or more foreign language examinations given by the department or the Educational Testing Service. Language requirements, if any, are stated under a program’s degree requirements on the Graduate Programs and Advisers webpage.

Clinical or Field Experiences:

Any candidate found to be in violation of any of the conduct guidelines detailed in the Brooklyn College Student Handbook and/or the candidate’s discipline-specific code of ethics/conduct may not be recommended for student teaching/clinical placements/fieldwork experiences.

Applying for graduation and the diploma

Students file for graduation via the student self-service area on CUNYfirst. Students who expect to complete all degree requirements in the summer term should file for graduation by the preceding March 15. Students who expect to complete all degree requirements in the fall semester or winter intersession should file for graduation by the preceding September 15. Students who expect to complete all degree requirements in the spring semester should file for graduation by the preceding February 15. Applications on file by the proper date will be processed in time for graduation.

Failure to meet this deadline may delay graduation and may impact the student’s ability to participate in the commencement ceremony. Students who previously filed for graduation but then did not graduate must file again via the student self-service area on CUNYfirst in the semester in which they plan to actually graduate. During the semester in which they intend to graduate, students must be registered for degree-related courses or for maintenance of matriculation (see “Maintenance of matriculation,” below). All degree and advanced certificate requirements and all forms and procedures related to those requirements must be completed by the end of the term in which the student expects to graduate. Degrees are awarded to students in the semester they have completed all degree requirements provided that they have fulfilled all financial obligations to Brooklyn College.

Maintenance of matriculation

As required by CUNY, a nonrefundable maintenance of matriculation fee must be paid by students who do not register for degree-related courses in a given semester but 1) wish to take a comprehensive examination, submit a thesis or resolve an INC grade; 2) expect to graduate in that semester; or 3) wish to use the academic facilities of the college during that semester. This fee may not be waived.

Applicable Bulletin

A candidate for a degree or advanced certificate may complete the program requirements as stated in any single Bulletin in effect during the time of the student’s continuous attendance in a department or program, including any official leaves of absence. If continuous attendance is broken for any reason without an official leave of absence, the applicable Bulletin requirements will be those in effect when the student re-registers. The student may not select particular requirements from different Bulletins.

Readmission

After two semesters of absence, matriculated students who have not yet graduated from their degree programs and who wish to register must submit a readmission application and pay the readmission fee. To print the application, go to the Brooklyn College website, click on “Admissions,” then on “Other Students,” and then on “Re-entry Students.” Students can only readmit into a program to which they have previously been accepted. Students who wish to readmit into a program other than the one in which they had previously been matriculated must apply for admission to that program through the Office of Graduate Admissions and the application will be reviewed by the graduate program to which the student has applied. Non-degree students who have taken a leave of absence from their studies cannot readmit but must submit a new application through the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Students who are maintaining matriculation for a term do not need to readmit. Students with a GPA below 3.00 must be approved by their department for readmission. Students who have been absent from their program for two or more semesters, without an approved leave of absence, must have their applications approved by their academic department. Students who would exceed the seven-year degree completion limit must file a petition with the Office of Academic Standing for approval of readmission. It takes one full term for the petition to be reviewed and approved. Students should file their petition one term prior to the one in which they wish to register.

Official leave of absence

A degree or advanced certificate candidate whose GPA is at least 3.00 may be granted an official leave of absence for up to a cumulative maximum of two years. The Leave of Absence system is now available for the students at BC Webcentral, eServices, Undergraduate/Graduate Student Transactions under Petitions channel. The length of an official leave of absence does not affect the deadline for completion of the requirements for the master’s degree or advanced certificate. The seven-year time limitation includes all periods of nonattendance for any reason except service in the armed services, Peace Corps or VISTA.

ID card

A student is issued a photo identification card for the entire period of enrollment. The card must be validated each term. It is used as an entry permit to college facilities and a library card. It is required identification for receiving checks distributed by the college. A student must report a lost card to the Security Office, and the card must be replaced; a fee will be charged for a replacement ID.

Social Security number

In accordance with New York State Education Law Section 2-b, Social Security numbers are used internally as the permanent identification of a student’s college record. A student who does not have an identification number should obtain one from the Admissions Office before registration.

EMPLID

Each student is issued a student ID number called an EMPLID. The EMPLID is assigned by the CUNYfirst system once the student’s record is created in that system. This ID number will be associated with the student’s record throughout his or her career at CUNY. Most transactions, documents and forms will require the student to submit this number for identification purposes.

Change of name

A change of name must be made in person, with supporting documentation, in the Office of the Registrar or the Enrollment Services Center. The form is available under the “My Info” tab on the BC WebCentral portal. Change-of-name requests must be substantiated with a photo ID with the new name as well as a marriage certificate, United States passport, or court order.

Change of address

Students may change their address on CUNYfirst via Student Self-Service for many different types of addresses such as mailing or local. Change requests for permanent addresses, however, must be filed at the Enrollment Services Center. Students may access a Change of Address Form on the BC WebCentral portal.