NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COUNCIL BYLAWS (as revised 5/31/85 and subsequently amended) December, 1997 Contents I. Preamble 5 II. University Graduate Council 5 A. Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 B. Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 C. Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * * 6 D. Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1. Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2. Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * * 6 3. Amendments to the By-Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 III. Standing Committees 7 A. The Executive Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1. Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2. Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3. Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * * 7 4. Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 B. The New Programs Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1. Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2. Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3. Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * * 9 4. Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 C. The Program Review Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1. Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2. Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 3. Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * *10 4. Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 IV. Elections 11 A. University Graduate Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 B. Standing Committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 V. Process for Reviewing New Program Proposals 12 A. Definition of a New Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 1. Proposals Requiring New Program Review . . . . . . . . . 12 2. Ambiguous Situations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 B. Procedures for Reviewing New Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 1 VI. Process for Reviewing Existing Graduate Programs 14 A. Review of Units Granting the Doctoral Degree . . . . . . . . . . 14 1. Schedule of Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2. Review Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 B. Review of Units Offering Graduate Programs other than the Doctorate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 1. Schedule of Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2. Review Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 VII. Procedures for Program Suspension, Reinstatement, and Elimination 19 A. Definition of Suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 B. Procedure for Suspension and Reinstatement . . . . . . . . . . . 19 C. Procedure for Elimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 D. Guidelines for a Proposal for Elimination or Suspension . . . . 21 VIII. General Regulations and Requirements for Graduate Pro- grams 21 A. Guidelines for Degree Designations for Graduate Programs . . . 22 1. Degree Designation for Master's Programs . . . . . . . . . 22 2. Degree Designation for Doctoral Programs . . . . . . . . . 23 B. Regulations Applying to all Degree Programs . . . . . . . . . . 23 1. Official Program Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 2. Entry Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 3. Committee in Charge of the Graduate Student's Degree Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 4. Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * *24 5. Transfer Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 6. Minimum Cumulative Quality Point Average . . . . . . . . 24 7. Uniform Credit System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 8. Full-Time Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 9. Special Student Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 10. Provisional Student Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 11. Undergraduate Credit for Graduate Courses . . . . . . . . 26 12. New Courses Offered for Graduate Credit . . . . . . . . . 26 13. Inter- and Intracollege Graduate Courses . . . . . . . . . 27 C. General Regulations and Requirements for Certificate Programs 27 1. Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * *27 2. Admission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 3. Procedures for the Approval of New Certificate Programs . 27 2 4. Procedures for Program Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 5. Procedures for Program Suspension, Elimination, or Rein- statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 6. General Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 7. Non-Transcript Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 D. General Regulations and Requirements for the Master's Degree 29 1. Admission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 2. Academic Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 3. Course Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 4. Language Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 5. Comprehensive Examinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 6. Thesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 7. Time Limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 E. General Regulations and Requirements for the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 1. Admission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 2. Academic Classifications and Degree Candidacy . . . . . . 31 3. Course Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 4. Comprehensive Examinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 5. Time Limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 F. General Regulations and Requirements for the Engineer Degree 32 1. Admission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 2. Academic Classifications and Degree Candidacy . . . . . . 32 3. Residence Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 4. Course Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 5. Language Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 6. Qualifying and Comprehensive Examinations . . . . . . . . 33 7. Dissertation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 8. Final Oral Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 9. Time Limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 G. General Regulations and Requirements for Doctoral Degrees . . 34 1. Admission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 2. Academic Classifications and Degree Candidacy . . . . . . 34 3. Residence Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 4. Course Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 5. Language Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 6. Qualifying Examinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 7. Comprehensive Examination(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 8. Dissertation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 9. Final Oral Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 3 10. Time Limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 H. General Regulations and Requirements for Interdisciplinary Grad- uate Degrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 1. Admission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2. Oversight of Academic and Administrative Matters . . . . 38 4 I. Preamble The University Graduate Council is established to formulate and recommend for adoption general academic policies and regulations for the creation and governance of graduate programs at Northeastern University. II. University Graduate Council A. Purpose The purpose of the University Graduate Council is to carry on a continuousamend* *ed review of policies, regulations, and procedures affecting graduate prog5/06/88r* *ams, and to make recommendations for their improvement to the Provost. Grad- uate programs are defined as all post-baccalaureate degree, nondegree, and certification programs and packages of courses offered for graduate credits. B. Membership 1. Only Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors from the Basic Colleges who are employed full-time at the University, are actively engaged in graduate teaching and research, and do not have academic appointments which make them eligible for appointment as administrative members of the University Graduate Council shall be eligible for election to the University Graduate Council. Each academic department or unit responsible for offering graduate programs will elect one representative to serve on the University Grad- uate Council. When an eligible college does not have at least three elected representatives as a result of this provision, the college will el* *ect additional representatives as may be required to bring the number of members from that college up to a total of three. The terms of representatives will start in September and be for a amended period of two years. Whenever a representative must terminate his/11/22/91* *her membership before a full term has been served, a new representative will be elected to serve a full two-year term. 2. The Provost or his/her designee will be an ex-officio, non-voting mem- ber and shall be the chairperson of the University Graduate Council. 3. The Dean or the Director of Graduate Studies of each college offer- ing graduate programs will be a member of the University Graduate Council. 5 4. There will be a Secretary appointed by the Chair of the Graduate Council who will attend all meetings. The Secretary will not have voting rights. C. Functions amended The University Graduate Council will recommend approval or disapproval 5/06/88of new graduate programs, review existing graduate programs periodically to assure that their quality is maintained and that there is a proper relationship to other programs, recommend to the Provost changes and additions for the improvement of all graduate studies, and establish and amend the By- Laws of the University Graduate Council to enable that body to carry out effectively the foregoing functions. D. Procedures 1. Meetings The Chairperson of the University Graduate Council will be a non-voting member. The Vice-Chairperson will be the Chairperson of the Executive Committee, who will serve with voting rights in the absence of the chairper- son. At a minimum, the University Graduate Council will meet once during each of the fall, winter, and spring quarters. Additional meetings will be called by the Chairperson at the recommendation of, and with the approval of, the Executive Committee. Additional meetings may also be called at the request of any four members of the University Graduate Council. This re- quest is to be addressed to the Chairperson and to the Executive Committee of the University Graduate Council. A quorum will consist of one-half of the membership. Meetings will be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. 2. Guidelines The University Graduate Council will establish guidelines for the proposal of new programs and the review of existing programs. 3. Amendments to the By-Laws Amendments to the By-Laws will be circulated at least one week before the meeting and will require a two-thirds majority of those present, excluding abstentions, for approval. 6 III. Standing Committees There will be three standing committees: the Executive Committee, New Programs Committee, and Program Review Committee. In addition, the Executive Committee will appoint ad hoc committees when the need arises. Each standing committee will consist of at least one member from each col- lege offering graduate programs. The Chairperson of the University Gradu- ate Council will be an ex officio, non-voting member of all committees. A. The Executive Committee 1. Purpose The purpose of the Executive Committee is to ensure the smooth and con- tinuous operation of the University Graduate Council. 2. Membership The Executive Committee will be composed of one Graduate Council mem- ber from each college elected for a two-year term by the members from that college serving on the University Graduate Council. The chairperson of the Executive Committee will be elected at the first meeting of the academic year by the members of the Executive Committee. The chairperson will serve for two years and may be re-elected. 3. Functions The Executive Committee will call meetings and prepare agenda for Univer- sity Graduate Council meetings, select the chairpersons of all committees, coordinate the activities of all committees, review and respond to reports from all committees, maintain the records of the business of the Univer- sity Graduate Council, and provide an annual report of the business of the University Graduate Council. 4. Procedures a. Meetings The Executive Committee will meet no later than the second week of the new academic year. Minutes of each meeting will be kept and become a part of the permanent record of business of the Committee. A quorum will consist of one-half of 7 the members of the Committee. Meetings will be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. b. Committee Memberships During the spring quarter of each year, the Executive Committee will in- form the Dean/Director of each college of the number of expiring terms and the standing committee memberships which are to be filled. Upon receipt of the results of the election in each college, the Executive Committee will prepare a membership list of the University Graduate Council and its stand- ing committees for the academic year beginning in September and distribute this list to the entire membership. New members of the University Graduate Council will be sent a copy of the By-Laws and Operating Guidelines. The Executive Committee may recommend to certain colleges a modifi- cation of the election procedure to achieve overlapping terms of membership on standing committees. The Executive Committee will select the chairpersons of the New Pro- grams and Program Review Committees from the membership of the Exec- utive Committee. As the need arises, the Executive Committee will select members for ad hoc committees from among the members who have not been elected to the standing committees. Whenever possible, the chairperson of such commit- tees will be selected from among members of the Executive Committee who do not chair a standing committee. c. Proposals for New Programs Proposals for new programs will be received by the Executive Commit- tee for forwarding to the New Programs Committee. The New Programs Committee will review the proposal and report its findings in writing to the Executive Committee so that the proposal can be placed on the agenda for a University Graduate Council meeting. d. Program Reviews The Executive Committee will determine the schedule of program re- views. The Chair of the Graduate Council and the Chairperson of the Executive Committee will inform the head of the department or program to be reviewed and the dean of the college of the date on which the self-study report is due. 8 Self-study reports will be received by the Executive Committee for for- warding to the Program Review Committee. The Program Review Commit- tee will review the self-study report and any other pertinent information and report its findings in writing to the Executive Committee so that the review can be placed on the agenda for a University Graduate Council meeting. e. Annual Reports The Executive Committee will receive an annual report at the end of each academic year from each standing committee. These reports will be incorporated into an annual report of the business of the University Grad- uate Council which will be presented at the first meeting of the University Graduate Council in the following academic year. The Annual Reports will provide a permanent record of the business of the University Graduate Council and will be maintained by the Executive Committee. These records will be housed in the Office of the Provost. B. The New Programs Committee 1. Purpose The purpose of the New Programs Committee is to ensure that new graduate programs are consistent with the overall aims of the University to provide high-quality graduate education in the academic areas identified by each college. 2. Membership The New Programs Committee will be composed of one Graduate Council member from each college elected for a two-year term by the membership from that college serving on the University Graduate Council. In addition, the chairperson will be selected from the membership of the Executive Com- mittee by the Executive Committee. 3. Functions The New Programs committee will review all proposed graduate programs according to the procedures established by the University Graduate Council, report its recommendations, recommend changes as needed in the procedures for reviewing new programs, and submit an annual report. 9 4. Procedures a. Meetings The first meeting of each academic year will be called by the chairperson no later than the fourth week of the fall quarter. Minutes of each meeting will be kept and will become a part of the permanent record of the business of the Committee. A quorum will consist of one-half of the members of the Committee. Meetings will be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. b. Proposals The process for reviewing proposed programs is outlined in Section V. c. Annual Report At the end of the academic year an annual report will be submitted to the Executive Committee detailing the business accomplished, unfinished business, and future plans of the Committee. C. The Program Review Committee 1. Purpose The purpose of the Program Review Committee is to ensure that gradu- ate programs offered by the University maintain the academic standards projected for them at their initiation. 2. Membership The Program Review Committee will be composed of one Graduate Council member from each college elected for a two-year term by the members from that college serving on the University Graduate Council. In addition, the chairperson will be selected from the Executive Committee by the Executive Committee. 3. Functions The Program Review Committee will review on a periodic basis all graduate programs. It recommends program changes and follows up those recommen- dations approved by the University Graduate Council. It may recommend the termination of a program if necessary. The Committee will recommend 10 changes as needed in the procedures for program review and submit an annual report. 4. Procedures a. Meetings The first meeting of each academic year will be called by the chairperson no later than the fourth week of the fall quarter. Minutes of each meeting will be kept and will become a part of the permanent record of the business of the Committee. A quorum will consist of one-half of the members of the Committee. Meetings will be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. b. Program Review The process for reviewing existing programs is outlined in Section VI. c. Annual Report At the end of the academic year an annual report will be submitted to the Executive Committee detailing the business accomplished, unfinished business, and future plans of the Committee. IV. Elections A. University Graduate Council Faculty members will serve a two-year term commencing with the fall quarteramen* *ded of the academic year. The Executive Committee will notify each departme11/22/91* *nt or college when its representatives' terms will expire. Election to the Univer- sity Graduate Council will be by whatever method departments or colleges may choose; however, only those faculty members holding the rank of Assis- tant Professor or above will be eligible to vote in these elections. Elections of members will take place in the spring quarter of the preceding year. B. Standing Committees The members of the University Graduate Council from each college will be convened by the Dean/Director during each spring quarter to elect members to fill expiring terms on the standing committees - Executive, New Programs, 11 and Program Review Committees. The Executive Committee will inform the Dean/Director of these terms. The Dean/Director will inform the Chair of the Graduate Council and the Executive Committee of the results of these elections by the eighth week of each spring quarter. V. Process for Reviewing New Program Proposals A. Definition of a New Program 1. Proposals Requiring New Program Review amended Review by the New Programs Committee and the University Graduate 5/6/88 Council is required in any situation described by either of the following situations: 1. The proposed program carries a new degree or program designation, i.e., title/name. 2. New Major, Option, or Designated Specialization within an existing program which represents a substantial change in program require- ments (e.g. involving more than 10% of total program course require- ments) and/or special requirements such as the addition or deletion of a dissertation, thesis requirement, experiential practicum, and/or professional apprenticeship. 2. Ambiguous Situations The preceding can only be guidelines in a diverse, complex and dynamic University environment. If a particular situation appears to be inadequately defined by the preceding criteria, the proposing department/program has the prerogative and responsibility to request an individual determination of whether or not there is a requirement for review. The procedure for such determination is to supply the Chairperson of the Executive Committee with preliminary and informal data sufficient for the New Programs Committee and the Executive Committee to render a determination specific to the case. Such requests will be treated as a priority agenda item by the New Programs Committee and the Executive Committee. Normally, a determination will be offered within one month of the time that adequate, albeit informal, information is provided. 12 B. Procedures for Reviewing New Programs All proposals will be prepared in accordance with the Outline for the Pro- posal of a New Graduate Program, included as Operating Guideline A of these By-Laws. The proposal must receive the approval of the originating college graduate committee and the college faculty. 1. A copy of the program proposal will be sent to the Office of the Provost for review and for validation of the cost analysis. The program pro- posal will then be forwarded to the Executive Committee of the Uni- versity Graduate Council. 2. The Executive Committee will forward the proposal to the New Pro- grams Committee for review and recommendations. The Executive Committee and the New Programs Committee will consider propos- als in the order in which they are received. New program proposals received between October 1 and January 31 will, under normal cir- cumstances, be acted on by the end of that academic year. 3. The New Programs Committee may request review by an outside con- sultant(s). Funding for the review process will be provided by the Office of the Provost. Representatives from the department(s) sub- mitting the proposal may be invited, by a vote of the Committee, to attend the meetings during which the proposal is being considered. 4. If the New Programs Committee gives a positive recommendation, the proposal is forwarded to the Executive Committee for scheduling of the new program for a vote by the University Graduate Council. If approved by the University Graduate Council, the Executive Commit- tee will send the proposal to the Senate Agenda Committee for a vote by the Senate. 5. If the New Programs Committee gives a negative recommendation, the proposal will be returned to the unit of origin by way of the chairperson of the Executive Committee with a rationale for the recommendation and suggestions for improvement. The unit of origin may then request that the proposal, with a negative recommendation, be scheduled for a vote of the University Graduate Council. 6. New program proposals approved by the University Graduate Council and the Senate will be sent to the Provost and with his/her approval to the President and Board of Trustees. Rejection at any of these final 13 stages will result in the proposal being passed back to the unit of its origin. All bodies which had previously acted on the proposal will be notified of the decision. VI. Process for Reviewing Existing Graduate Pro- grams All graduate programs will be reviewed on a seven year cycle. A. Review of Units Granting the Doctoral Degree 1. Schedule of Reviews amended All graduate programs being offered by a unit granting the doctoral deg6/7/91ree will be reviewed simultaneously. The schedule of reviews is shown in Op- erating Guideline B. External accreditation reviews may be correlated with the Graduate Council Review process. Appropriate review dates may be requested by individual units for the most appropriate correlation. Funding for the review process will be provided by the Office of the Provost. Non-compliance with the review process: enacted 2/21/86 a. If a unit does not supply the required self-study report as scheduled, the Executive Committee will send a warning to the Chair of that unit with copies to the appropriate Graduate Director, and College Dean. b. The Executive Committee may introduce a motion to the University Graduate Council to suspend a graduate program under the following conditions: (1) If the unit which has responsibility for a program has not re- sponded satisfactorily to the Executive Committee after a period of three months has elapsed from the date of the warning notice; or (2) If after negotiating a new due date with the Executive Committee for the submission of a self-study report, the responsible unit fails to submit the report. c. A vote by the Graduate Council for suspension of a graduate program will mean that no new students will be enrolled in that program for the duration of the suspension. Such program suspensions will be lifted 14 upon receipt of a required self-study report acceptable to the Program Review Committee. 2. Review Sequence amended a. The department or program under review will prepare a self-study r6/7/91e- port following the outline found in Operating Guideline C. In cases where a report is prepared for an external accrediting body, this re- port along with the report of the accrediting body may be accepted in lieu of the self-study report. After the self-study report in its final form has been approved by a faculty vote within the submitting unit, the department or program will forward it to the Executive Commit- tee, which will forward it to the Program Review Committee. In the case of external accreditation, the report of the accrediting body will also be forwarded to the Executive Committee. The Program Review Committee may accept the accreditation Self-Study Report and may request additional material. For a Ph.D. program, the Department or program being reviewed will submit a list of at least five internal and five external potential re- viewers. Each name submitted shall be accompanied by a statement delineating the individual's expertise in the field. b. Upon receipt of the self-study report, the Program Review Committee will appoint for each department or program to be reviewed an ad hoc sub-committee which will consist of one member from the Program Re- view Committee (not a member of the department or program under review), two members of the University Graduate Council (excluding administrators) selected preferably from disciplines that are related to the program being reviewed, and two members selected from out- side the University. One Northeastern faculty member who is not a University Graduate Council member may be placed on an ad hoc program review sub-committee when such member would have special expertise in the subject area under review and such expertise is lack- ing among available members of the Council. If the Program Review Committee selects reviewers who are not on the list submitted by the Department, then the Department shall have the right to exclude up to a total of 3 suggested reviewers in each category. The chairperson of the ad hoc sub-committee will be the member from the Program Review Committee. Members of the ad hoc subcommittee will be sent instructions outlining the review procedures to be followed. In addi- 15 tion, the department or program being reviewed will appoint a liaison who will serve as the coordinator within the department for the prepa- ration of the self-study report and for the on-site visit of the ad hoc sub-committee. c. In order to avoid conflicts of interest in choosing ad hoc sub-committee members who may have involvements with the program under consid- eration, a questionnaire, whose introductory paragraph stresses the desire to maintain the integrity of the process, must be completed satisfactorily by all committee members selected. d. The establishment of the ad hoc sub-committee will signify the accep- tance of the Self-Study Report and thereby start the time clock for ad hoc sub-committee actions. In order for the Self-Study report to retain its validity, the ad hoc sub-committee report must be submitted to the Council during the academic year following acceptance of the Self-Study report by the Program Review Committee. If the chair of the ad hoc subcommittee does not complete the report in a timely fashion, the Executive Committee will assume the responsibility for completing the report. If at any time the ad hoc chair is unable to continue with the duties of the chair, for whatever reason, the Execu- tive Committee will appoint a replacement. e. In conducting its review, the ad hoc sub-committee will give each tenure/tenure track member of the unit under review the option of an individual interview by one member of the review committee. In programs with a large faculty, the ad hoc subcommittee will select a representative group of faculty which shall include representation from all ranks and from both tenured and nontenured faculty. The final report will specify the number of faculty interviewed and the total within the unit. The final report must state the number of students interviewed as well as the part-time/full-time breakdown of students interviewed. The Department must provide a means of selecting a representative number of students to be interviewed. If necessary, an internal member of the review team should be asked to be available in the evenings for meetings with part-time students. f.The Program Review Committee, after receiving and reviewing the re- port from the ad hoc sub-committee, will report its findings in writing 16 to the Executive Committee. The Program Review Committee may recommend one of the following: (1) Continuation of the program with no need for a follow-up report, to be used in cases where the program(s) is judged to be very strong with no substantive changes needed. (2) Continuation of the program with a required follow-up report within a one-year period. (3) Probation followed by a new visitation after two additional years if the program(s) is judged to be of marginal quality. This visita- tion committee should include the internal members of the orig- inal ad hoc Committee to the extent possible and one external reviewer. (4) Suspension of the program. The Executive Committee will then schedule the report for presenta- tion to the University Graduate Council. g. One calendar year after the recommendations made by the Program Review Committee have been approved by the University Graduate Council, the department, if required, will submit a follow-up report which has been approved by a faculty vote within the submitting unit to the Program Review Committee. The Chair of the Program Review Committee will convene a meeting of the chair of the Graduate Coun- cil, chair of the Executive Committee, chair of the Program Review Committee, chair of the ad hoc Committee, graduate director of the college involved, chair of the unit being reviewed, Graduate Council member of the unit being reviewed, and director(s) of the program(s) being reviewed to assess the progress being made in meeting these recommendations. This group will report in writing to the Program Review Committee, which will evaluate the response and report in writing to the Executive Committee who will submit the report to the University Graduate Council for action. h. The University Graduate Council Chair will inform the Senate Agenda Committee of the decision of the University Graduate Council. The Senate Agenda Committee will then have ten days to indicate if the Senate will review the decision of the University Graduate Council. Should the Senate review the decision of the University Graduate Council, it will make its recommendations to the Provost. 17 i.The Provost will inform the college faculty concerned of his/her de- cision based upon the recommendations of the University Graduate Council and those of the Senate, when appropriate. Any action neces- sary or indicated will then be taken by the concerned college faculty. B. Review of Units Offering Graduate Programs other than the Doctorate amended 1. Schedule of Reviews 6/7/91 All graduate programs offered by a unit will be reviewed simultaneously. The schedule of reviews is shown in Operating Guideline B. External ac- creditation reviews may be correlated with the Graduate Council Review process. Review dates may be requested by individual units for the most appropriate correlation. Funding for the review process will be provided by the Office of the Provost. 2. Review Sequence a. For masters and other pre-doctoral graduate programs, the Depart- ment or program being reviewed will submit a list of at least four internal and four external potential reviewers. Each name submit- ted shall be accompanied by a statement delineating the individual's expertise in the field. b. The review sequence is identical to that for programs offering the doc- torate, except that the ad hoc committee in this case will consist of three members: one member from the Program Review committee (not a member of the department or program under review), one mem- ber from the University Graduate Council (excluding administrators) selected preferably from a discipline that is related to the program being reviewed, and one member selected from outside the University. One Northeastern University faculty member who is not a University Graduate Council member may be placed on an ad hoc program re- view sub-committee when such member would have special expertise in the subject area under review and such expertise is lacking among available members of the Council. If the Program Review Committee selects reviewers who are not on the list submitted by the Department, then the Department shall have the right to exclude up to a total of 3 suggested reviewers in each category. 18 VII. Procedures for Program Suspension, Rein- statement, and Elimination amended A. Definition of Suspension 11/21/97 The purpose of suspension is to allow a unit to remedy problems within a program or to consider the program for elimination at a later date. If a program is in suspension, it means that the unit may no longer accept students into that particular program. Suspending admissions to a program and suspending a program are identical actions. Students already in the program must be allowed to continue and the unit must make provisions to educate these students in a manner consistent with the curriculum in effect when they entered. B. Procedure for Suspension and Reinstatement A program may be proposed for suspension by the faculty of the unit in which the program resides. In this case, the faculty of the department or unit and the faculty of the College within which the program resides must vote to approve the suspension. The Provost and the Chair of the Graduate Council must be notified in writing of the suspension and of the reasons for it. A program that has been placed in suspension in this manner may be proposed for reinstatement. In this case, the faculty of the department or unit and the faculty of the College within which the program resides must vote to approve the reinstatement. The Provost and the Chair of the Graduate Council must be notified in writing of the reinstatement and of the reasons for it. A program may also be proposed for suspension (a) upon recommenda- tion of the Program Review Committee which has been supported by the University Graduate Council, or (b) by the Provost. A recommendation for suspension should follow the guidelines listed in Section VII. D. below. It must specify the conditions that must be met in order for the program to be reinstated. In this case, a procedure analogous to the procedure for elimination in Section VII. C. below shall be followed, except that in this case, action by the Faculty Senate is final; no action by the President or Board of Trustees is needed. A program that has been placed in suspension in this manner may be proposed for reinstatement by the faculty of the unit in which the program 19 resides. The recommendation for reinstatement must demonstrate that the conditions set in the original recommendation for suspension have been sat- isfied. In this case, the reinstatement must be voted on by the same bodies that voted on the suspension. A program that has been suspended for five years shall be considered for elimination using the procedure in Section VII. C. C. Procedure for Elimination A program may be recommended for elimination (a) by vote of the faculty of the unit or units offering the program, (b) by the Dean of the college, (c) by the Provost, or (d) upon recommendation of the Program Review Committee which has been supported by the University Graduate Council. The proposer shall transmit a formal recommendation for elimination to the Provost, to the College Dean and to the unit. The recommendation should follow the guidelines listed in Section VII. D. below. The procedure below shall be followed. a. The proposal shall be considered and voted on by the faculty of the department or equivalent unit in which the program resides. b. The proposal shall be considered and voted on by the faculty of the college or equivalent unit in which the program resides. c. The proposal shall be transmitted to the Executive Committee of the Graduate Council, which may choose to transmit the proposal directly to the Graduate Council, to convey it to the Program Review Com- mittee, or appoint an ad hoc committee. If the proposal is directed to either the Program Review Committee or an ad hoc committee, that committee will make a recommendation to the Executive Com- mittee. The Executive Committee shall transmit the proposal, along with the recommendation of the study committee, if applicable, to the Graduate Council. d. The proposal shall be considered and voted on by the Graduate Coun- cil. e. The proposal shall be considered and voted on by the Faculty Senate. f.If the Senate approves the proposal, it shall be transmitted to the President. If the President approves the proposal, it shall be reported to the Board of Trustees. If the Senate does not approve the proposal, it shall not go forward. 20 At each stage, the proposal shall be accompanied by the record of the actions taken at all previous stages. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee of the Graduate Council to ensure the orderly progress of such a proposal through action of the Graduate Council. If any of the bodies in the procedure fails to act on the proposal in a timely fashion, the Executive Committee may transmit the recommendation to the next step without that body's recommendation. D. Guidelines for a Proposal for Elimination or Suspension A recommendation for elimination or suspension should include the infor- mation listed below: a. The reasons suspension or elimination is requested, including support- ing data as necessary. b. Statement on the manner in which students currently in the program will be allowed to complete their program of study. c. Discussion of other impacts of suspension or elimination on the unit or related units. How will faculty in the program be affected? If the proposal would entail cancellation of courses taken by students outside the program, how will such students be affected? d. In the case of suspension, statement of conditions necessary for rein- statement. VIII. General Regulations and Requirements for Graduate Programs amended Northeastern University offers a variety of graduate degree and nondegr5/6/88ee programs. The regulations that apply to all graduate degrees are contained in Parts A and B of this section. General regulations and requirements specific to the different programs are found in Parts C-H of this section. Regulations and requirements specific to each program are found in the graduate school and/or University catalogues and may be more stringent than the regulations and requirements found herein. 21 A. Guidelines for Degree Designations for Graduate Pro- grams enacted 1. Degree Designation for Master's Programs 3/20/87 There are three possible choices for the name of a masters program: 1) Master of Arts, 2) Master of Science, and 3) the professional Master of . . . . Either of the first two degrees may or may not be designated (as explained below in 2b), e.g. Master of Science in Chemical Engineering. The name(s) should follow established practice in the academic and pro- fessional area to be served, including consideration for accreditation and credentialing. Subject at all instances to this overriding consideration, the following guidelines are offered to govern those situations where practice and precedent are not definitive. a. Selection of name If the degree program is practice oriented, either with no explicit scien- tific methodology, or with a methodology that is derived from practice rather than taught as preparation for practice, and focuses upon a particular pro- fessional area, then the degree should be named as a professional Master of . . . . This type of program is similar in all other respects to an MA or MS program except for the professional orientation noted above. Examples include Master of Music, and the MBA. If the degree program is in the field of the humanities, then the name of the degree program should be Master of Arts. If the degree program is in the social sciences, but does not require a scientific methodology, then the name of the degree program should be Master of Arts. If the degree program is in the social sciences and requires a scientific methodology, where this qualification is taken to mean the knowledge and rigorous application of the principles of orderly investigation to the phenom- ena of nature and human experience, then the name of the degree program should be Master of Science. If the degree program is in the sciences, then the name of the degree program should be Master of Science. b. Designated versus undesignated masters degree programs If the program is primarily research oriented, then the name of the degree program should be without designation. However, if the research orientation 22 has a strong applied focus and an associated scientific methodology, then the degree program may be with designation. The designated versus undesignated decision is to be guided very strongly by consideration of tradition, accepted practice, and professional recognition and credentialing. 2. Degree Designation for Doctoral Programs The Bylaws of the Graduate Council set forth the criteria a program must meet to qualify as a doctoral program. There is considerable overlap in the requirements among the different doctoral programs named and described therein. These guidelines address the choice between names for a doctoral program. Broadly the choice is between the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) and a variety of more specified doctoral degrees (e.g. Doctor of Science, Sc.D. or Doctor of Education, Ed.D.) As with the decision regarding designated versus undesignated masters degrees, tradition, accepted practice, and professional recognition and cre- dentialing must be strong considerations in the choice. Where these con- siderations are not definitive, the program should be named a Ph.D if the program is primarily oriented toward research. If there is a strong practice orientation, then the program should be given a specified doctoral title. B. Regulations Applying to all Degree Programs 1. Official Program Descriptions A copy of each graduate degree program as approved by the Board of Trustees and as officially amended is on file in the Office of the Provost. This record contains the goals of and all requirements for the program. All descriptions of the program in the University, college, and department pub- lications must conform to this officially approved record. 2. Entry Requirement enacted Prior to beginning a graduate program, students must meet one of the fo5/06/88l- lowing conditions: a. have received a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. b. have received a master's degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. 23 c. be enrolled in a five-year program leading to the master's degree at Northeastern University. 3. Committee in Charge of the Graduate Student's Degree Pro- gram amended The committee in charge of the graduate student's degree program is tha3/15/91t body charged with overseeing all academic and administrative matters re- lating to the program. In most cases it is a department or graduate school committee. In the case of interdisciplinary programs, the committee is com- posed of members representing the departments or schools involved in the program. The chair of the thesis or dissertation committee will be a full-time mem- ber of the faculty of Northeastern University. In addition, the chair of a doctoral program committee will hold a doctoral degree. 4. Registration All students must register for coursework, thesis/dissertation, or contin- uation. Continuation status is for students who are actively pursuing a graduate degree, but who are not registered for coursework or for the- sis/dissertation. Registration is normally continuous. However, when cir- cumstances warrant it, intermittent registration may be permitted by the committee in charge of the program and the appropriate graduate school director. When a final oral examination is required, the student must be registered for dissertation or continuation during the quarter in which the final oral examination is taken. 5. Transfer Credit A maximum of 12 quarter hours of credit obtained at another institution may be accepted towards the degree, provided the credits consist of work taken at the graduate level for graduate credit, carry grades of 3.000 or better, have been earned at an accredited institution, and have not been used toward any other degree. 6. Minimum Cumulative Quality Point Average Grades in courses submitted to satisfy, in whole or in part, the requirements for any graduate degree or certificate of advanced study must yield a cumu- lative quality point average of 3.000 or higher. Grades for courses granted 24 transfer credits from another institution will not be used in computing the cumulative grade point average. This requirement for a 3.000 final cumulative grade point average may be supplemented by additional restrictions established by the graduate schools, such as, but not limited to, the maximum number of individual course with grades below 3.000 which may be obtained without being required to with- draw. 7. Uniform Credit System One quarter hour of academic credit consists of three hours of work per week throughout the quarter, usually one-third in class and two-thirds in preparation. A quarter hour is evaluated as three-quarters of a semester hour. When students are registered for thesis credits, directed study, or in- ternship, the appropriate number of quarter hours will be determined using the same method. Each quarter hour corresponds to at least three hours of weekly effort by the student throughout the quarter or equivalent. 8. Full-Time Status amended A graduate student is considered a full-time student if enrolled in a m6/07/91i* *nimum of 8 quarter hours of credit for the quarter with the following considerations: a. Students for whom English is a second language, at the discretion of their department, will be considered full-time if they are enrolled in a minimum of 3 courses or are carrying 8 quarter hours of credit. b. Students who hold Stipended Graduate Assistantships will be consid- ered full-time if enrolled for a minimum of 6 quarter hours of credit. c. Students who hold Northeastern University Tuition Assistantships (NUTA) will be considered full-time if enrolled for a minimum of 8 quarter hours of credit. d. Students enrolled in doctoral research are considered full-time. e. All graduate students who are in continuation status may be consid- ered full-time at the discretion of their departments. It is ordinarily assumed that such students will be in residence, but exceptions are permissible. 25 f.Students who are engaged in a "practicum" experience as part of their degree requirements may be considered full-time at the discretion of their departments. 9. Special Student Status amended Those students who are not pursuing a specific degree program are class2/05/88i* *fied as special students. Special students must satisfy the requirements for ad- mission and perform work of satisfactory level in order to continue as Special Students. The number of credits which may be earned by a student enrolled as a Special Student is at the discretion of each graduate school. However, a total of only twelve graduate credits earned while enrolled in Special Stu- dent Status may be applied to a degree program. Whether such credits are allowed shall not influence the number of external credits allowed under Sec- tion 5 above. Performance of a Special Student in graduate courses should average at least 3.000 in order for the student to be allowed to register for any subsequent classes. 10. Provisional Student Status Students whose records, inclusive of academic preparation, are considered deficient by the graduate program to which they are applying may be ac- cepted as Provisional Students. Provisional Students must obtain a 3.000 average in the first twelve quarter hours of graduate courses in order to con- tinue in the graduate program. Students may not earn more than twelve graduate credits while enrolled in Provisional Status. After completion of twelve credits, students must either satisfy regular admission standards or be denied further registration in the graduate program. Normally these twelve credits will be earned within a single academic year. 11. Undergraduate Credit for Graduate Courses amended Undergraduate students who are juniors or seniors may enroll in graduat3/11/88e courses for undergraduate credit if they meet all prerequisites as determined by the graduate director and they receive permission from the instructor. 12. New Courses Offered for Graduate Credit enacted All proposals for new courses offered for graduate credit must be submi6/07/91t* *ted to every College Dean, who will submit copies to the appropriate gradu- ate directors, and to the Provost at least forty-five calendar days before 26 the new course can be publicized or implemented by the proposing college. This requirement applies in particular to the inclusion of new courses in the registrar's course registration booklet. Any unit objecting to the course must notify the Provost within two weeks of receipt of the course proposal. The Provost will forward the objec- tion to the Executive Committee of the Graduate Council for adjudication. 13. Inter- and Intracollege Graduate Courses enacted In colleges that have a graduate school, units within the college that 6/07/91d* *o not offer graduate degree programs may offer a maximum of two courses per year if the courses are approved within a unit or units offering a graduate degree program. These courses will be subject to the same review process as with other graduate courses. C. General Regulations and Requirements for Certificate Programs amended 1. Definition 5/26/95 A non-degree certificate program is a program of study requiring at least 5 graduate courses or 16 quarter hours of graduate credit, but no more than 40 quarter hours of graduate credit, except as may be required by an accred- iting or professional certification body. Successful completion of a certificate program will be recorded on the student's transcript. Appropriate graduate credits taken as part of a non-degreee certificate program may be counted towards a regular graduate degree, at the discretion of the committee in charge of the degree program. 2. Admission All students admitted to a certificate program must satisfy the general re- quirements for admission as a graduate student, as given in Section VIII.B.2. Specific requirements for each certificate program will be determined by the committee in charge of the program. 3. Procedures for the Approval of New Certificate Programs All proposals will be prepared in accordance with the Outline for the Pro- posal of a New Graduate Program, included as Operating Guideline A of these By-Laws. The proposal must receive the approval of the originating college graduate committee and the college faculty. 27 a. A copy of the program proposal will be sent to the Office of the Provost for review and for validation of the cost analysis. The program pro- posal will then be forwarded to the Executive Committee of the Uni- versity Graduate Council. b. The Executive Committee will forward the proposal to the New Pro- grams Committee for review and recommendations. The Executive Committee and the New Programs Committee will consider proposals in the order in which they are received. c. The New Programs Committee may request review by an outside con- sultant(s). Funding for the review process will be provided by the Office of the Provost. Representatives from the department(s) sub- mitting the proposal may be invited, by a vote of the Committee, to attend the meetings during which the proposal is being considered. Normally an outside review will not be required. d. If the New Programs Committee gives a positive recommendation, the proposal is forwarded to the Executive Committee for approval. If the proposal is approved by the Executive Committee, a summary of the proposal will be sent for information to the University Graduate Council and to the Faculty Senate Agenda Committee. If the New Programs Committee gives a negative recommendation, the proposal will be returned to the unit of origin with a rationale for the recom- mendation and suggestions for improvement. The unit of origin may then request that the proposal, with a negative recommendation, be scheduled for a vote of the University Graduate Council. e. New certificate program proposals approved by the Executive Com- mittee will be sent to the Provost for final approval. Since a certificate program is not a degree program, approval by the Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees is not required. It is anticipated that proposals for new certificate programs will be acted upon within one quarter of the completion of the budgetary review in step (a) above. 4. Procedures for Program Review Certificate programs will be reviewed on a seven-year cycle. Certificate programs offered by a single unit will be reviewed along with that unit. 28 For certificate programs that are interdisciplinary in nature, a plan for the review must be included in the program proposal. 5. Procedures for Program Suspension, Elimination, or Rein- statement It is anticipated that certificate programs will have shorter lifetimes than degree programs. Accordingly, a certificate program may be suspended or eliminated in two ways: a. A certificate program may be suspended or eliminated according to the procedures of Section VII. b. If no certificate in a program is awarded for a period of three (3) years, the program is automatically suspended. In all other respects, the procedures of Section VII will apply to certifi- cate programs. 6. General Regulations Except as indicated herein, certificate programs shall be subject to the same regulations and procedures as Master's Degree programs. 7. Non-Transcript Programs Colleges offering graduate programs may choose to recognize the completion of sequences of courses requiring less than that required for a certificate pro- gram. No such recognition shall be placed on the student's transcript. Such a non-transcript program shall not involve more than 5 graduate courses or 16 quarter hours of graduate credit. The requirements of any such non- transcript program will be forwarded to the Provost for record-keeping pur- poses. D. General Regulations and Requirements for the Master's Degree amended 1. Admission 2/05/88 Specific requirements for each degree program will be found in each graduate school catalogue. 29 2. Academic Classifications Those students who have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and satisfy the admissions requirements of the appropriate gradu- ate school are classified as regular students. Students whose records are not of acceptable quality may be accepted as provisional students. Provisional students must obtain a 3.000 average in the first twelve quarter hours in order to continue in the graduate programs; at that time they may be re- classified as regular students. Any student whose record is not satisfactory may be dropped by action of the committee in charge of the degree program. 3. Course Requirements amended A candidate for the Master's Degree must satisfactorily complete an ap-6/16/86 proved program conforming to the requirements of the graduate school and department or program in which the candidate is registered. The requirements for the Master's Degree are a minimum of 40 quarter hours of graduate work, beyond the bachelor's degree, together with such other study as may be required by the graduate school and department or program concerned. Under no circumstances will lower division undergraduate coursework be accepted to meet the minimum of the 40 post-baccalaureate credits re- quired for the Master's degree. No more than four graduate credits may be assigned to upper level undergraduate course work to meet the mini- mum 40 quarter hour requirement for the Master's degree. The practice of "double-numbering," i.e., having graduate students meet at the same time and place with undergraduate students in a course substantially intended for undergraduates, does not make the re-numbered course a graduate course. This remains true even if participation in the course numbered for grad- uate students requires additional work and/or a different grading system. (The fundamental concept behind this guideline is that a course experience substantially intended for undergraduate use may be expected to be quali- tatively different than a graduate course.) 4. Language Requirement The language requirement is established by the committee in charge of the degree program. 30 5. Comprehensive Examinations At the discretion of the committee in charge of degree program, final written or oral comprehensive examination(s) may be required. Such examinations will be given at least two weeks before the commencement at which the degree is to be awarded. 6. Thesis If a thesis is required in partial fulfillment of degree requirements, it must show independent work based in part on original material and must meet the approval of the student's thesis committee. Instructions concerning preparation of the thesis may be obtained from the committee in charge of the degree program. 7. Time Limitation Course credits earned in the program of graduate study, or accepted by transfer, are valid for a maximum of seven years unless an extension is granted by the graduate school committee. E. General Regulations and Requirements for the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study provides specialized study above the master's degree. It is a course of study that falls between the master's and doctor's degree and culminates in a certificate. 1. Admission An applicant for the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study must hold a Master's Degree in a related field from an accredited institution and must complete the admission procedure described in the catalogues of the gradu- ate schools. 2. Academic Classifications and Degree Candidacy Students admitted to a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study program will be designated as candidates for the Certificate. 31 3. Course Requirements A candidate for the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study must satis- factorily complete an approved program conforming to the requirements of the graduate school and department or program in which the candidate is registered. The candidate must complete a minimum of 40 quarter hours of credit beyond the Master's degree. 4. Comprehensive Examinations Candidates are required to satisfactorily complete a comprehensive exami- nation(s) to qualify for the Certificate. 5. Time Limitation Course credits earned in the program of graduate study, or accepted by transfer, are valid for a maximum of seven years unless an extension is granted by the graduate school committee. F. General Regulations and Requirements for the Engineer Degree The degree of Engineer is intended for those who do not wish to make a commitment to post-master's degree graduate study which is as extensive as that required for one of the doctoral degrees. It is an intermediate degree, between master's and doctoral degrees. A student who has completed the Engineer degree is eligible to apply for admission to a doctoral degree program. 1. Admission Each department's Engineer degree program has its own admissions proce- dures. A master's degree in Engineering or a related field is required. 2. Academic Classifications and Degree Candidacy Students admitted to the Engineer Degree program will be designated as candidates for this degree. 32 3. Residence Requirement Candidates for the Engineer Degree must spend the equivalent of at least two academic quarters in residence at the University taking graduate work. The committee in charge of the degree program specifies the method by which the residence requirement is satisfied. 4. Course Requirements The minimum course requirement is 40 credit hours beyond the master's degree, with no more than 10 quarter hours of credit out of the 40 allowed for work on the dissertation. A minimum of 20 credit hours must be taken in the department in which the degree is offered. Specific course requirements for each degree program are determined by the committee in charge of the degree program. Course credits earned may subsequently be used toward the doctoral degree. 5. Language Requirement There is no language requirement for the Engineer Degree. 6. Qualifying and Comprehensive Examinations Normally, no qualifying or comprehensive examination is required, but indi- vidual departments offering the degree may require such examinations. The committee in charge of the degree program specifies its own examinations. 7. Dissertation Each Engineer Degree student must complete a dissertation which demon- strates a high level of competence in engineering research, development, or design. As a general guideline, the amount of effort normally expected will be the equivalent of about 10 quarter hours of graduate course work. 8. Final Oral Examination A final oral examination may be required by the committee in charge of the Engineer degree program. The examination will normally consist of a defense of the dissertation. 33 9. Time Limitation After admission to the program, a maximum of five years will be allowed for completion of the degree requirements unless an extension is granted by the graduate school committee. G. General Regulations and Requirements for Doctoral De- grees Doctoral degrees are awarded to candidates who give evidence of high at- tainment and scholarly ability in their major fields. The minimum degree requirements for each degree are stated below. Specific additional degree requirements will be found in each graduate school catalogue. 1. Admission Each degree program has an established admission procedure for students applying for doctoral work at Northeastern University. 2. Academic Classifications and Degree Candidacy Students taking advanced graduate work are classified as follows: a. Doctoral Student: Students in this classification have been admitted to a doctoral program. b. Doctoral Degree Candidate: Students in this classification have com- pleted 40 quarter hours of acceptable graduate work beyond the bach- elor's degree or have received a master's degree in the same or related field from an accredited college or university and have passed the qual- ifying examination(s). 3. Residence Requirement Candidates for doctoral degrees must spend the equivalent of at least one academic year in residence at the University taking graduate work. The committee in charge of the degree program specifies the method by which the residence requirement is satisfied. 4. Course Requirements The doctoral course requirements are specified by the committee in charge of the degree program. 34 5. Language Requirement The nature of the language requirement and how this requirement is satisfied is established by the committee in charge of the degree program. 6. Qualifying Examinations Each student must pass a qualifying examination(s) within time limits set by the committee in charge of the degree program. The material covered in the qualifying examination(s) and the level of course work necessary to prepare for the examination(s) are established by the committee in charge of the degree program. On passing this examination(s) and completing a minimum of 40 hours of graduate credit beyond the bachelor's degree, the student becomes a doctoral degree candidate. 7. Comprehensive Examination(s) Degree programs may require a comprehensive examination during the time in which the student is a degree candidate. The purpose of this examina- tion(s) is to test the knowledge and skills of the student in a particular area and his/her knowledge of recent research developments in the field. 8. Dissertation Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Education must complete a disser- tation which embodies the results of extended, creative and independent research and proper evaluation and interpretation of the results. A dis- sertation committee consisting of the major adviser and two other faculty members will be assigned by the Director of the Graduate School in collabo- ration with the appropriate department. The dissertation committee assists and advises the student and approves the dissertation. A signed copy of the dissertation must be deposited in the University library. Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Engineering must complete a dissertation that focuses on creative engineering design and in-depth en- gineering studies. It may and usually will contain elements that involve research, but, above all, it must demonstrate the student's ability to work creatively on engineering analysis and professional practice. The method of approval of the dissertation is established by the committee in charge of the degree program. A signed copy of the dissertation must be deposited in the University library. 35 Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must complete a dis- sertation which embodies the results of extended research and makes an original contribution to the field. This work should give evidence of the candidate's ability to carry out independent investigation and interpret in a logical manner the results of the research. The method of approval of the dissertation is established by the committee in charge of the degree pro- gram. A signed copy of the dissertation must be deposited in the University library. 9. Final Oral Examination The final oral examination will be taken after completion of all other re- quirements for the degree. The final oral examination will be on the subject matter of the doctoral dissertation and significant developments in the field of the dissertation. Other fields may be included if recommended by the examining committee. This examination must be held at least two weeks before the commencement at which the degree is to be awarded. The committee for the final oral examination for the doctoral degree is appointed according to the procedure established by the committee in charge of the degree program. 10. Time Limitation After the establishment of degree candidacy, a maximum of five years will be allowed for the completion of the degree requirements, unless an extension is granted by the graduate school committee. H. General Regulations and Requirements for Interdisciplinary Graduate Degrees amended Northeastern University offers individually-designed and ongoing interd5/6/88is* *ci- plinary graduate programs. The individually-designed program is for the student who wishes to pur- sue graduate studies in an area that substantially overlaps two or more units. In such cases, an interdisciplinary program may be designed by that student. The program will correspond in scope and depth to regular degree standards, but need not agree exactly with the regulations of individual units. There are also on-going programs for students who wish to pursue grad- uate studies in areas in which two or more units have jointly established a 36 graduate program. As with individually-designed programs, on-going pro- grams correspond in scope and depth to regular degree standards, but do not agree exactly with the regulations of individual units. The general regulations and requirements for graduate programs, (See Sections VIII.A.-VIII.G.) apply to interdisciplinary programs. Additional regulations and requirements are stated below. 1. Admission a. Individually-designed Programs Application for admission to an interdisciplinary program consists of the admissions material required for graduate study plus a carefully thought- out, written proposal describing the areas of proposed study and research as well as the qualifying and comprehensive examinations to be used. The proposal may be part of the initial application for admission to graduate study at Northeastern University, or it may be submitted by a student al- ready enrolled. In either case, the admission material should be prepared in consultation with an academic advisor. In the case of masters and certificates of advanced graduate study, the admissions material and proposal may be directed to a graduate degree- granting unit or to the director of the graduate school, who directs it to the appropriate unit. In either case, admission to interdisciplinary study requires favorable recommendation by all units involved, one of which is chosen as the registration base of the student. In the case of doctoral study, the admissions material and proposal may be directed to a doctoral degree-granting unit or to the director of the grad- uate school, who directs it to the appropriate unit. In either case, admission to interdisciplinary doctoral study requires favorable recommendation by all units involved. The doctoral degree-granting unit becomes the registration base of the student. b. On-going Programs The admission procedures for on-going programs are described in the graduate school catalogues. In all cases, the admissions committee is com- posed of representatives from the units involved in the program. The pro- gram becomes the registration base of the student. 37 2. Oversight of Academic and Administrative Matters a. Individually-designed Programs A student who has been accepted for interdisciplinary study has an ad- visor who will be the chairperson of the interdisciplinary committee for the student. The chairperson may or may not be a member of the registration unit. A second member will be appointed from the registration unit by its chairperson or dean. These two members will obtain one or more additional members. At least two units must be represented on the committee. In the case of doctoral study, a majority of the committee must come from doctoral degree-granting units. A member of the interdisciplinary committee who is also a member of the registration unit will serve as the registration officer to approve the course registration for the student. A copy of the approved course registration must also be filed with the other committee members and with the graduate study committee of the registration unit. The interdisciplinary committee will be responsible for overseeing the completion of all requirements. This committee must also certify to the registration unit the completion of the requirements for the award of the degree. The interdisciplinary committee is also responsible for a periodic report to the registration unit concerning the progress of the student and must obtain approval from the unit for any changes in the approved program. The interdisciplinary committee must assure that the program of the student represents standards comparable to those of the registration unit and that the program is not so broad that it has inadequate depth in any area. The program of the student may be reviewed at any time by the direc- tor of any of the participating graduate schools to determine whether the objectives of the program are being met. b. On-going Programs The oversight committee will be composed of representatives from par- ticipating units. It will meet regularly with the program director, will be responsible for establishing academic policies and program requirements and will certify to the appropriate graduate school the completion of require- ments for the award of the degree. 38