Academic Regulations and Policies

Office of Academics

Main Office: Student Life and Campus Center, CC-420
Phone: (414) 277-7190

The regulations and policies of MSOE include only those that are necessary for the proper organization and operation of the university. MSOE reserves the right to change the rules governing admission, tuition and the granting of degrees, or any other regulation affecting its students. Such changes shall take effect whenever the administration deems it necessary. MSOE also reserves the right to exclude, at any time, students whose conduct or standing is regarded as undesirable. 

Policy on Student Integrity

As an institution of higher learning, MSOE is committed above all to the educational development of its students as responsible and principled human beings. As such, MSOE is accountable to all whom it serves and by whom it is scrutinized. The university has a priority interest in promoting personal integrity and in ensuring the authenticity of its graduates’ credentials.

The university is similarly mindful that the professions, business and industry are concerned with ethical behavior no less than the professional practice of their members and employees. Therefore, MSOE students-preparing for professional careers and leadership roles that are founded on responsibility and trust- must observe and be guided by the highest standards of personal integrity both in and out of the classroom. The expectations of the university with respect to academic and classroom integrity are reflected in, but not limited to, the following guidelines:

1. Each student must recognize that even a poorly developed piece of work that represents his or her best efforts is far more worthwhile than the most outstanding piece of work taken from someone else.
2. Assignments prepared outside of class must include appropriate documentation of all borrowed ideas and expressions. The absence of such documentation constitutes “plagiarism,” which is the knowing or negligent use of the ideas, expressions or work of another with intent to pass such materials off as one’s own. It is an act of plagiarism if a student purchases a paper or submits a paper, computer program, or drawing claiming it to be his/hers when he/she did not write it.
3. Each student should consistently prepare for examinations so as to reduce temptation toward dishonesty.
4. A student may not share examination answers with others for the purpose of cheating, nor should he or she, intentionally or through carelessness, give them an opportunity to obtain the same.
5. Academic dishonesty or cheating includes the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of any dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Cheating at MSOE includes but is not limited to:
   • Copying, in part or in whole, from another’s test or homework assignments, worksheets, lab reports, essays, summaries, quizzes, etc.
   • Copying examinations and quizzes, in whole or in part, unless approved by the instructor.
   • Submitting work previously graded in another course unless this has been approved by the course instructor or by departmental policy.
   • Submitting work simultaneously presented in two courses, unless this has been approved by both course instructors or by the department policies of both departments.
   • Communicating electronically (unless approved by the instructor) during examinations with the intent to seek or provide answers.
   • Attempting to present as the student’s own work, materials or papers purchased or downloaded from the Internet.
   • Any other act committed that defrauds or misrepresents, including aiding or abetting in any of the actions defined above.
   • Claiming credit for a group project or paper when the individual student made little or no contribution to the group’s product.
   • Accessing reference documents during a computerized exam or quiz unless approved by the course instructor.
6. A student of integrity will not support, encourage or protect others who are involved in academic dishonesty in any way, and will furthermore attempt to dissuade another student from engaging in dishonest acts.

Consequence

A student who in any way acts dishonestly in class assignments or examinations or who submits a plagiarized or unoriginal work to an instructor shall be subject to sanctions up to and including an “F” grade for the assignment, examination and/or the course at the discretion of the instructor. The numerical value of the “F” will be assigned by the instructor. If the instructor assigns an “F” for the course, the student will not be allowed to drop the course. If the instructor assigns an “F” for academic dishonesty, the student has the right to appeal following established procedures. Upon recommendation of the instructor or at his or her initiation, the vice president of academics may decide that repeated or extremely serious acts of dishonesty may be grounds for more severe disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.

Actions or behaviors that are connected with instances of academic dishonesty, and which-in and of themselves-violate the MSOE Student Conduct Code, may subject a student to further sanctions provided by the Code, above and beyond any academic sanctions imposed.

Academic Dishonesty Procedure And Appeals Process

The student will be notified by the faculty member either within three academic working days of the faculty member’s awareness of the problem or at the next class session attended by the student. The faculty member will notify the student using the form designed for notification. A copy of this notice will be sent to the department chairperson and the vice president of academics. The vice president of academics will retain all such reports in a permanent file.

The procedure outlined in steps 1-7 will be used if a student wishes to appeal a faculty member’s judgment that academic dishonesty has occurred.

1. The student will have three academic working days after delivery of the written notification to initiate an appeal to the chairperson of the department in which the faculty member serves. The student will be deemed to have waived his/her right to appeal unless he/she files the appeal with the department chairperson within these three academic working days. The statement of appeal must specify each denial of the faculty member’s decision and the substance of the contentions upon which the student intends to rely in his/her appeal. Filing notices of appeal in accordance with these provisions shall not suspend the operations of the sanction previously declared in the case by the faculty member. The student will remain in class during the entire appeal process.
2. The department chairperson will have three academic working days in which to review the appeal. The sole purpose of the department chairperson’s review is to determine if sufficient evidence exists that the student was cheating. The chairperson must inform the student and faculty member of his/her judgment within those three academic working days.
3. The student or faculty member may further appeal to the vice president of academics within three academic working days.
4. The vice president of academics shall convene an academic review board to hear the student’s appeal within a reasonable time (if possible, within three academic working days of the appeal). The academic review board shall be made up of two department chairpersons selected by the vice president of academics, and one faculty member selected by the vice president of academics and agreed upon by the person initiating the appeal. The vice president of academics will be a nonvoting chairperson. The faculty member assigning the penalty and his/her department chairperson may not be on the board.
5. The sole purpose of the academic review board is to determine if sufficient evidence exists that the student was cheating. The academic review board shall render its decision after all sufficient evidence has been presented, but in a time period not to exceed three academic working days from the commencement of its proceedings. The decision of the academic review board in appeal cases is final and cannot be further appealed under procedures established herein.
6. All appeals established by this procedure must be in writing.
7. The student may bring a representative to any meeting established under this procedure. The faculty member may also have representation at any meeting.

Student Complaint Policy and Procedures

In compliance with directives from the United States Department of Education and from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) seeks to respond to, and to resolve in a timely manner, all complaints by currently enrolled students.

A complaint is a written expression of dissatisfaction or formal allegation against the university, its units, its employees (including faculty and staff), and/or its students.

Currently enrolled students who have a complaint first should try to work out the problem by discussing it in an honest and mature manner with those persons most involved with the issue. Many complaints can be resolved when a student makes an effort to honestly communicate his/her frustrations or concerns. If a student has a complaint related to a specific course he or she is enrolled in, he/she should first consult with the instructor of the course. If necessary, the instructor will consult the academic department chair responsible for the course for guidance on how to best resolve the student’s concern. For all other campus complaints (academic and non-academic) that the student cannot resolve informally with the parties involved, the student should follow the MSOE Student Complaints process. The process includes the instructions, timelines and official complaint form.

Types of Complaints EXCLUDED from this Reporting Procedure
Student complaints concerning sexual harassment and sexual misconduct are excluded from this student complaint reporting procedure. Instead, the student complaint procedure concerning sexual harassment and sexual misconduct is addressed in the MSOE Sexual Misconduct Policy. Students who are victims of sexual misconduct have the right to report the incident in a confidential manner. For details on how to report sexual harassment or a sexual misconduct incident in a confidential manner, or in a manner that maintains privacy, please refer to the MSOE Sexual Misconduct Policy. Students who wish to file an official report with MSOE concerning an incident involving sexual harassment or sexual misconduct should report directly to the MSOE Title IX Coordinator or to the MSOE Title IX Deputy Coordinator.  For more information concerning sexual harassment and sexual misconduct students should refer to the MSOE Sexual Misconduct Policy, which can be accessed online at www.msoe.edu/consumer-info.

Credit Hour Definition

MSOE defines an academic credit hour as a minimum of one hour spent in class each week for lecture-based courses, or as a minimum of two hours spent each week in the laboratory or clinical component of a course.

For each academic credit hour, MSOE further expects that a typical graduate student will spend more than two hours outside of class preparing for and studying for the class.

For courses featuring alternative delivery methods (e.g. blended-Internet), parity tables are maintained that document how expected class contact time is accounted for in the alternative method. Parity tables are developed by and available from the academic department or school offering the course.

Registrar’s Office

Main Office: Student Life and Campus Center, CC-365
Phone: (414) 277-7215
Website:  www.msoe.edu/registrar

Student Responsibility

Students at MSOE are aided in their academic pursuits by various individuals and groups including faculty, academic advisors, program directors and the Registrar’s Office staff. However, each student is ultimately responsible for knowing and complying with MSOE’s academic policies, procedures and deadlines. Each student is responsible for meeting all course, credit and grade point average requirements for graduation with his or her chosen degree.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

MSOE is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the purpose of which is to let the student know what educational records are kept by the university, to give the student the right to inspect such records and to ask for correction if necessary, and to control the release of such information to those who are not involved in the educational process. Under the Privacy Act, certain directory information can be made available to anyone who requests it unless the student specifically asks, in writing, that this not be done. The following is information that MSOE considers to be directory information: name, address, telephone number, email address, program, grade level, dates of attendance, enrollment status (full-time, part-time, withdrawn, not enrolled), degrees and honors received, participation in officially recognized sports and activities, previously attended institutions, class schedule, photographic, video, or electronic images, and program and promotion materials for university-related activities such as athletics, extra-curricular activities and academic competitions.

Registration

The registration process is designed to meet the needs of busy professionals. All new students will be contacted by an advisor or program director to establish a time to meet face-to-face, by phone, or through email to review curriculum and select courses. Please note that all programs require the student to confer with the program director to choose an appropriate program of study prior to registering. 

Current students may register in person, by mail, by fax, or on the Web. Registration forms are available within myMSOE at https://my.msoe.edu/ics about a month before the start of each quarter. Tuition payment is required as outlined in the “Graduate Tuition” section of this catalog.

Information about the MSOE ID card can be found on the Campus ID Card website, and in the Services and Resources section of this catalog. Parking information can be accessed on the Public Safety Department website, and in the Services and Resources section of this catalog.  

MSOE reserves the right to revise admission rules, rules regarding the granting of degrees, tuition and fees, and any other regulations affecting its students at any time. MSOE will exercise the normal means of communication announcing revisions. MSOE also reserves the right to exclude, at any time, any student whose conduct or academic standing is regarded as undesirable.

Attendance Policy

MSOE expects all graduate students to attend regularly and promptly all lectures, laboratories and other sessions of courses for which they are registered.

Graduate students are expected to attend and contribute to all class sessions. However, the faculty recognizes that business travel or other factors may force students to miss some classes. Students should notify their instructor as early as possible if they will be forced to miss a class, and they should make arrangements to make up any missed work. Unexcused absences may result in a lowering of the grade or being dropped from the course.

Academic Advising

Each degree program at MSOE has a designated program director who acts as mentor and academic advisor for all students in that program. Incoming students are provided with a program of study. For those students who meet all of the graduate admission requirements, the program outline identifies all required courses and the exact credit breakdown related to electives.

Most of the graduate programs require new students to meet with the program director prior to registering for the first course to ensure that the new students understand the curriculum and future scheduling procedures. Students are encouraged to call the program director or faculty advisor whenever they have questions about the program. In subsequent quarters, students whose cumulative grade point average falls below a specified minimum (normally 3.00) will be required to consult with the program director prior to registration.

The program director, designated faculty advisors, department chairpersons and the registrar work together to ensure that students in a particular degree program make satisfactory progress without violating prerequisites.

It is recommended that students with a designated advisor consult with him/her during each spring quarter to review their current academic program. At that time, they may discuss with the advisor a provisional study program for the next academic year.

Full-Time Status

MSOE graduate students are classified as enrolled full time if they are registered for nine or more graduate credits as of the close of business on Friday of the first week of the quarter. For financial aid purposes, a student must be enrolled in a minimum of three graduate credits per quarter to be eligible for student loans and deferment of student loans.

Prerequisite Policy

The student is responsible for ensuring that he or she has successfully completed all prerequisites before taking a course. If any prerequisites have not been successfully completed by the start of the course, the student is required to drop the course. Students in violation of this prerequisite policy are subject to removal from the course. The student will be allowed to continue in the course only if a prerequisite waiver is approved by the appropriate program director. Prerequisites are listed in the Course Descriptions  section of the academic catalog.

Final Exam Policy

A final examination is required in every credit course except in courses designated by the various departments, and that exam will be administered in the two-hour block designated. The type of examination should be in agreement with that specified in the departmental course outline and announced to the class near the beginning of the quarter. Undergraduate final examinations may not count for more than 40 percent of the final grade.

The final examination period will be Monday-Friday of the eleventh week during the Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters. Day class exams will be held between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Night class exams will be held on a day the class usually meets between 5:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. at a time somewhat similar to the time the class usually meets. In the case of graduate courses that meet one evening per week, the final exam will be held on the same day as the class meets and will start at the same time as the class starts. Exams for classes meeting only on Saturday will be held on Saturday of the eleventh week. Exams for summer classes will be scheduled by the teacher. If an unavoidable conflict exists, the student will contact all teachers for resolution of the conflict. Department chairs will ultimately resolve conflicts. If a student has more than two final examinations scheduled on one day, the student is encouraged to petition individual teachers to see if one exam could be rescheduled. All written, in-class final examinations should follow the examination schedule available on the Registrar’s Office website. Faculty needing to schedule examinations, other than make-up examinations, at other than the regularly designated times, should obtain the written approval of the department chairperson.

No classes will be held during the exam week. Voluntary (optional) class review sessions may be held. If local or national emergencies prevent the university from being open on one or more days of exam week, the exams on those days will be cancelled. Individual faculty members may give an exam if a student requests it. The exam would be given at a time arranged by the faculty member but within the next quarter, and a change of grade submitted.

Adding/Dropping Courses and Changing Sections

If a change of schedule is necessary, this may be done in the Registrar’s Office before 4:30 p.m. on Friday of the first week of classes. Students may neither add a course nor change sections after 4:30 p.m. on Friday of the first week. This policy must also be followed by students who want to change from credit to audit status or from audit to credit status.

A student may drop a course and receive a grade of “W” after the first week and before 6 p.m. on Monday of the eighth week of classes. Drop forms are available in the Registrar’s Office. These must be completed, properly signed and received by the Registrar’s Office before the deadline for dropping courses.

During the summer term, the deadline to drop individual classes is the Friday of the week before the final exam at 4:30 pm. If there is no final exam scheduled, the deadline is the Friday of the week before the final class meeting.

All students are responsible for their academic schedule. Students should not rely on instructors to drop them for non-attendance.  Faculty are not required to drop students who stop attending class.

Withdrawal From All Classes

Students who wish to drop all classes must complete a withdrawal form which is available in the Registrar’s Office. This must be done before 4:30 p.m. Friday of the 10^th week of classes. 

During the summer term, the deadline to withdraw from all classes is the Friday of the week before the final exam. If there is no final exam scheduled, the deadline is the Friday of the week before the final class meeting at 4:30 pm.

Tuition refunds will be based on the date of official withdrawal, NOT on the date of last class attendance. The official withdrawal date is the date that the completed form is received by the Registrar’s Office. Should a student fail to meet the withdrawal deadline, he/she will be responsible for tuition for all scheduled classes and will receive final grades in all of them.

If a student plans to complete the current quarter but not return in a future quarter, he/she should fill out a “Notification of Intent Not to Return” form which is available in the Registrar’s Office.

Auditing a Class

An audit is intended to provide students with an opportunity to review subject matter they have previously studied or to participate in courses to obtain information of interest to them.  Since an audit does not carry any credits, auditing of noncredit courses such as seminars and short courses is not permitted. Students may not enroll for subsequent courses for credit based upon audited prerequisite subjects. Auditors may not use audited courses as a means for obtaining credit for any course or to satisfy any degree requirement.

To audit a course, a student must be accepted by MSOE as a regular or nondegree graduate student. A student wanting to audit a course must have the proper prerequisites for the course. Permission to audit a course must be granted through the student’s program director or advisor. Students may change from audit to credit status or credit to audit status only until Friday of the first week of classes.

At the completion of the audit, no letter grade is issued and no graduate credit is awarded. A notation is made on the student’s transcript of successful/unsuccessful audit based upon the course requirements. The tuition rate for audit of graduate level course work is specified in the Graduate Tuition section of this catalog.

Directed Study

In the unusual event that an undergraduate student is unable to schedule a specific course required for graduation, the student may be eligible to register for a directed study. Directed Study provides one-on-one instruction with an MSOE faculty member. Generally, permission for such registration is granted only if the course is essential to the program of study and if the student is in the last quarter before graduation. Some courses due to their nature may not be eligible for directed study. Rare exceptions can be made for students whose lack of pre-requisites would significantly delay them in their program of study. Appropriate forms are available, and permission must be obtained from the chairperson of the department under which the course is taught.

Re-admission of Service Members Policy

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires that students who left MSOE to serve in the uniformed services be re-admitted into the same program with the same standing they had when they left. MSOE allows for special re-admission of these students, with the following provisions:

1. Student’s lapse in attendance was due to active duty in the uniformed services-including the National Guard or Reserve-for more than 30 days.
2. The student must submit documentation that their absence was due to participation in the uniformed services. (Examples of such documentation include a copy of the student’s orders, a DD214, or a signed and dated statement from the student’s commanding officer.)
3. The cumulative length of all absences from MSOE for participation in the uniformed services does not exceed five years.
4. The student will be admitted to the same academic program, with the same academic standing, that he or she was in at the time the absence began.  If the exact program is no longer offered, the student will be placed into a program that is most similar to that program, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program.
5. The student’s ability to be readmitted under the terms of the HEOA terminates upon any of the following events:
   a.    Being separated from the armed forces with a dishonorable discharge.
   b.    Being dismissed as permitted under section 1161(a) of title 10, United States Code.
   c.    Being dropped from the rolls pursuant to section 1161(b) of title 10, United States Code.

To start the readmission process, servicemembers must complete an admissions application and contact MSOE’s Admissions Office as well as MSOE’s Veterans Certifying Official.

Undergraduate/Graduate Courses

Courses whose numbers start with “5” are generally open to both undergraduate and graduate students. The instructor will typically give additional assignments to the graduate students.

Undergraduate/graduate courses have a double designation. Students taking them for graduate credit register under the 500-level designation. Those taking them for undergraduate credit, including graduate students fulfilling prerequisite requirements, register under a 400-level designation. Graduate tuition is charged for such courses having the 500-level designation.

Undergraduates who meet the grade point requirements for graduate study may enroll in 500-level courses and receive graduate credit, so long as they have not already taken the equivalent undergraduate course.

Receiving Graduate Credit for an Undergraduate Course

MSOE recognizes that on occasion a graduate student having a free elective in his/her graduate program may wish to enroll in an undergraduate course that contains subject matter of particular interest to the student, and to receive graduate credit for so doing. MSOE also recognizes that graduate students need to be held to a higher academic standard than do undergraduate students. The following policy shall therefore be in effect regarding graduate students wishing to receive graduate credit for attending an undergraduate course:

In the quarter preceding the one in which the undergraduate class is offered, the graduate student shall contact his/her graduate program director and request a graduate independent study form. The student shall then contact the instructor of the undergraduate course in question, and will explain his/her desire to obtain graduate credit for the course. The graduate student will ask the instructor if he/she is willing to assign and grade an additional project or projects to supplement the standard undergraduate course materials, in order to raise the level of the course to that of a graduate offering. The student also will request permission to attend the lecture and/or lab portions of the course, along with its undergraduate enrollees. If the instructor and the department chair of the department offering the course so agree, then the student will ask the instructor to complete the independent study form, which stipulates all requirements for completing the course for graduate credit. The student should submit the original, signed, independent study form to the registrar. The student will then register for the course just as he/she would for any graduate independent study course. Upon completion of all stipulated requirements, the instructor will award the student a grade for the course, and the student will receive graduate credit for that course.

The procedure will not apply to courses that already carry an undergraduate/graduate (U/G) designation. Such courses may be taken for graduate credit simply by registering for the appropriate course number, as discussed above.

Students wising to transfer in course work from another institution for graduate credit may only do so if the course work carries a U/G or G designation, as stated in that institution’s official catalog.

Receiving Undergraduate Credit for a Graduate Course

The following provisions do not apply to students in approved undergraduate/graduate dual degree programs. Current MSOE undergraduate students may take graduate-level courses for one of two reasons: for the course to count toward the student’s undergraduate degree to fulfill elective requirements, or to reserve the graduate credit for future use toward a graduate degree. An undergraduate student must have achieved senior standing (completion of 144 credits) and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 before taking any graduate course. Program directors are required to inform the registrar of students taking graduate courses under this policy. A student may not apply the credits from any course to both the undergraduate and graduate degrees unless the course is part of an approved curriculum. If the number of undergraduate and graduate credits in a quarter total 12 or more credits, the undergraduate student will be charged tuition as if all credits were undergraduate credits. If the number of undergraduate and graduate credits in a quarter total less than 12 credits, the student will be charged tuition on a per-credit basis at undergraduate rates for undergraduate credits and graduate rates for graduate credits.

Taking a graduate course for undergraduate credit

Current MSOE undergraduate students who wish to take a graduate course for undergraduate credit will not have to formally apply to the graduate program to take the graduate course. However, before taking the course, the undergraduate student must receive permission from the department chair to ensure the course will fulfill undergraduate degree requirements and from the graduate course program director to ensure the student is qualified to take the course. Each program director is to decide which, if any, courses within their program may be taken by undergraduate students for undergraduate credit. These courses shall have “Open to undergraduate students with permission of course program director” added to the list of prerequisites in the catalog and the quarterly schedule of classes.

Taking a graduate course for graduate credit

Current MSOE undergraduate students with senior status and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 who wish to take a graduate course and reserve it for graduate credit must get the approval of the program director whose curriculum encompasses the course before taking any graduate courses. An undergraduate student may not reserve more than nine graduate credits. These nine credits are not to be applied toward the limit of transferring nine credits into a graduate program. These reserved credits are subject to evaluation upon admission to a graduate program, but will not count toward the transfer credit limit of that program. 

Grading

Graduate students are expected to earn at least a “B” grade in all course work attempted. With the exception of medical informatics, MSOE uses the following grading system for graduate-level courses:

For those courses in the Master of Science in Medical Informatics program (i.e., courses with the MI-prefix), MSOE uses the following grading system:

Letter grades of A-F that are received for graduate courses completed at MSOE are included in the calculation of the average. To receive the degree, the student must attain a 3.00 cumulative GPA.

Students who are unable to complete course work due to business travel, health or other factors are urged to either arrange with the instructor for an incomplete grade or officially drop the course. Otherwise, an “F” grade will be assigned for the course.

A student who enrolls in a section of a capstone project but does not complete the requirement before the end of the quarter shall receive a grade of Project in Progress, or PIP. Once the student completes the requirements, the faculty member who assigned the PIP (typically the program director with input from the student’s project advisor) shall send a change-of-grade form to the registrar, who then assigns the final grade. If the PIP grade is not changed within one calendar year from being first recorded, the registrar is to change the PIP grade to a grade of “U”. The program director can prevent the conversion to the U grade if the student’s advisor verifies that the student is still making suitable progress on the project.

Grade Appeals

A student may appeal a final grade he or she believes was given unfairly or in error. The student should first contact the instructor assigning the grade and explain why they believe the grade to be in error. If the appeal to the instructor does not lead to resolution, the student may formally appeal the grade in writing to the chairperson of the department/school in which the course is being offered. If the appeal to the chairperson does not resolve the issue, a final written appeal may be directed to the vice president of academics. Any grade change appeal must be in process by the official end of the term following the term in which the grade was earned; if the course is a prerequisite to a next term course and the initial grade submitted was a failing grade, the process must be completed by Friday of the first week of the term.

Incomplete Grades

A letter grade followed by an asterisk is a temporary grade indicating incomplete work. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor to have the work completed; these arrangements must be initiated within the first two weeks of the following quarter (not including the Summer Quarter). The student must submit the required work to complete the course within the time deadline set by the instructor, but this may not be later than the end of the same quarter. If the student has not completed all work for the course after this period of time, the asterisk will be dropped and the letter grade preceding the asterisk will become the permanent grade. The letter grade preceding the asterisk is calculated into the student’s GPA. The letter preceding the asterisk represents the grade the student will earn if no additional work is complted. The grade can go up if additional work is completed, but it cannot go down.

An incomplete grade is given at the discretion of the instructor. Incomplete grades are reserved for situations in which a student has done satisfactory work in a course until near the end of the term but, because of extenuating circumstances, the course could not be completed.

Grade Replacement

Graduate students are not allowed to repeat a graduate-level course for which a grade has been earned unless given written permission by the program director. When granted permission, graduate students may repeat for grade replacement any graduate-level course for which a letter grade below a B was earned. The grade and credits earned from the second attempt will appear on the transcript and will be used to calculate the student’s GPA. The grade for the first attempt will still appear on the transcript but will be preceded with a “#” indicating that the grade and credits from the first attempt will not be used to calculate the student’s GPA.

Academic Progress Requirements

MSOE expects all students to complete their academic objectives as outlined under the “Grade Point Requirement” and the “Maximum Time Period” sections that follow. In addition, students are expected to follow the prescribed sequence of courses for the degree program selected, observing all course prerequisites and corequisites.

Grade Point Requirement

A student is expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 in any graduate program. The cumulative GPA is calculated on the basis of all graduate courses completed or attempted at MSOE with final grades to which grade points are assigned. This would exclude, for example, a project course graded on a pass/fail basis when a pass (P) grade is earned. The cumulative GPA will include courses completed at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) for students in the MSMI program. The cumulative GPA will be recorded on grade reports and on the student’s permanent record each quarter. A student also is expected to maintain a program GPA of at least 3.00, calculated on the basis of all MSOE graduate courses applicable toward the degree being pursued (including those at MCW for students in the MSMI program).

A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 in any given quarter will be placed on academic probation. Each graduate-level program may impose restrictions on registration privileges for students on academic probation.

A student whose cumulative GPA falls below the minimum given in the table below, where “N” is the number of graduate credits over which the GPA is based, will be subject to academic termination.

Individual graduate programs may impose additional requirements (for example, a minimum program GPA) that, if not met, would also cause a student to be subject to academic termination.

Termination from a Graduate Program

A student who receives a letter grade of “F” in a graduate class may be subject to academic termination.

A student who has been terminated from a graduate program due to academic difficulty may appeal the termination decision to the Graduate Student Advancement Subcommittee. The student must submit a written petition to the Registrar’s Office, addressed to the Graduate Student Advancement Subcommittee. The decision of the Graduate Student Advancement Subcommittee will be final.

Maximum Time Period

A student in the MBA, MBA Education Leadership, MBA STEM Leadership, MSCBM, MSCVE, MSE, MSEM, MSN, MSNP, MSST or MSXM has a maximum of seven years from his/her initial enrollment in a graduate course to complete all degree requirements. A student in the MSMI program has a maximum of five years to complete all degree requirements. A student in the MSP program is expected to complete the program’s requirements at the end of the six consecutive quarters of enrollment, including summer, of his/her initial matriculation and has a maximum of two years to complete all degree requirements. Any student failing to complete all degree requirements within the deadlines described should consult with his/her program director and request a time extension (described below).

Time Extensions

Students having a valid reason for being unable to meet deadlines established by MSOE for completion of the graduate degree programs (see above for specific time limits) may appeal in writing to the program director for an extension of time of up to one year. The decision of the program director may be appealed to the Graduate Programs Council. An appeal for an extension of more than one year must be approved by the Graduate Student Advancement Subcommittee.

The written appeal for an extension must explain why the deadline was not or will not be met and propose substitute deadlines. The appeal should be submitted to:

Registrar’s Office
MSOE
1025 N. Broadway
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3109

If the Graduate Student Advancement Subcommittee grants a time extension, the subcommittee will outline academic requirements the student must meet prior to graduation. These may include additional course requirements, reflecting changes in the degree program or updated content. For students requesting a time extension for the MSMI program, the request must be approved by both MSOE and The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Prior to submitting a request to MSOE or MCW, contact the Medical Informatics program director for further instructions.

Transfer of Graduate Credit

A maximum of nine credit hours (or three MSOE courses, whichever is less), of approved graduate work taken at another institution may be transferred with the consent of the appropriate program director. A course completed at another institution must meet the following conditions to be accepted for credit: (1) it was taken for graduate credit; (2) a grade of “B” or better was earned; and (3) it was taken not earlier than five years prior to the first course in the program.

If transfer credit is granted, the grades earned in those courses will not be counted in the MSOE grade point average.

Transfer of graduate credit for a non-elective course

Transfer credit will be granted for a non-elective course in a program only if the course content of the non-elective course was met in the proposed transfer course.

Applicants should send a letter to the program director identifying the course(s) they wish to transfer and the MSOE course(s) for which they propose to substitute. The letter also should contain any catalog course descriptions and course syllabi for the proposed transfer courses to assist the program director in assigning transfer credit.

If transfer credit is approved by the program director, it will be indicated on the transcript as “TR” next to the course number for which transfer credit was granted.

Transfer of an elective course

Elective courses may be one of two types:

1. Restricted elective - such as a technical elective
2. Non-restricted or “free elective”

Transfer credit granted for restricted electives will follow the policies footnoted on the official curriculum track of the student’s program.

Any graduate course meeting the conditions for acceptable graduate credit, and that have relevance to the program, will be allowed to transfer for a non-restricted elective. The decision of relevance will be made by the program director.

Transfer credit approved to take the place of an elective course will be indicated on the transcript with a “TR” designation. The course title will indicate the subject matter of the transferred course and will be determined by the program director. The course number will be indicated as EL1 for non-restricted electives and EL1R for restricted electives.

Procedure for Changing Graduate Program

A student wishing to change from one graduate program to another must complete a Graduate Change of Program Request form (available from the Registrar’s Office) and consult with the director of the program to which the student is applying. The program director will determine if entrance requirements of the new program are met, and if any additional materials are required. At the time the student is accepted into the new program, the student’s previously completed course work will be evaluated to determine which courses will qualify to meet requirements of the new program. Only those courses used to fulfill the program track of the new program will be included in the GPA that is used to determine if the student meets GPA requirements. 

Graduation Requirements

1. Satisfactory completion of all courses listed in the student’s program of study within the maximum time period allowed (unless a time extension has been officially granted).

2. A cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher in graduate course work counted toward the degree.

Degrees are conferred at the end of the Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer Quarters. The official graduation date will be the end of the quarter in which all graduation requirements have been met. In order to receive a diploma, students must also participate in the university Commencement. Formal ceremonies are conducted at the end of Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters. Students are expected to meet all graduation requirements by the time they participate in Commencement. An exception will be made for students intending to complete no more than two courses during the summer months; these students may participate in the Spring Commencement. Program directors will verify that students qualify to attend Commencement. Students must apply for graduation in the Registrar’s Office by the dates posted on the Registrar’s Office website, www.msoe.edu/registrar.

Graduation Procedures

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN A FORMAL UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT IS REQUIRED OF ALL BACHELOR’S AND MASTER’S DEGREE CANDIDATES AS A PRIOR CONDITION FOR RECEIPT OF THE OFFICIAL DIPLOMA.

Each student must apply for graduation by completing a Graduation Application Form and submitting it to the Registrar’s Office no later than the end of the seventh week of the quarter preceding the quarter in which the student expects to graduate. Graduation applications are available from the Registrar’s Office or on the Registrar’s Office website. Medical Informatics students must also apply to The Medical College of Wisconsin for graduation. Contact the Medical Informatics program director for further instructions.

For those who submit a Graduation Application Form by the above stated deadline, the Registrar’s Office, in conjunction with the program director, will do preliminary graduation checks before the end of the first week of the quarter in which the students plan to graduate, and notify them if additional courses are required.

A student completing graduation requirements by the end of a quarter, but who has not submitted a Graduation Application Form by the above stated deadline, may be allowed to participate in the Commencement exercises with approval of the program director and the Registrar’s Office. The diploma for the student may, however, be delayed. 

Awarding of Two Master’s Degrees

MSE and MSEM

A student may pursue both the MSE and MSEM either concurrently or separately.

For students pursuing both degrees, up to six credits may be shared between the MSE and MSEM programs as follows:

1. Students may use one three-credit MSE course to satisfy three of the elective credits in the MSEM program.
2. Students may use two three-credit MSEM courses to satisfy the six elective credits in the MSE program.

MSCBM, MSEM, MSNP, MSXM

A student who has earned a MSCBM, MSEM, MSNP or MSXM degree may be awarded 15 credits towards the pursuit of a second degree, either MSCBM, MSEM, MSNP or MSXM.

MBA

A student who has earned the MSEM, MSNP, MSXM or MSCBM degree from MSOE within the last 10 years may be awarded 21 credits towards the pursuit of the MBA. Students will be required to take 24 credits in the MBA program as follows:

• 16 credits: MG-6000, MG-6310, MG 7800, MG 7900, MG 8110, MG 8120, MG 8130
• 4 credits: MG 8900 integrated field project
  • The integrated field project will be customized to each student
  • The purpose of the field project is to demonstrate the learning from the prior MS program and utilize the MBA assessment rubrics
  • The MBA program director will determine the scope of the integrated field project and assign an instructor to the student
• 4 credits: Selected from the remaining MBA courses. These courses will be selected with the approval of the MBA program director