Academic Warning and Dismissal of Graduate Students

Satisfactory progress toward an advanced degree as determined by the faculty is required at all times. The degree director will inform USC Price students who fail to make satisfactory progress.

Faculty advisors and departments take factors other than satisfactory grades and adequate GPA’s into consideration in determining a student’s qualifications for an advanced degree. A student’s overall academic performance, specific skills and aptitudes, and faculty evaluations will be considered in departmental decisions regarding a student’s continuation in a master’s or doctoral degree program. The faculty has the right to recommend at any time after written warning that a student be dismissed from a graduate program for academic reasons or that a student be denied readmission.

Process for Dismissing a Graduate Student

• The appropriate Degree Director and Student Services Advisor informs a student in writing that he/she is not making satisfactory progress toward the degree. This letter will indicate that the student is on probation and include what deficiencies have led to this action, corrections that need to be made, and the timeframe the student has to improve his/her performance.
• A review is made after the specified timeframe. If the student is making satisfactory academic progress, the degree director sends a letter to the student informing him/her that probation is lifted. If the student has not met the standards specified in the first letter, the degree director sends a letter to the student, references items in the first letter that are still deficient, and informs the student that he/she is dismissed from the program.
• The Student Services Advisor processes the dismissal with the university.

For additional information, go to the Academic Standards page in the USC Catalogue.