Academic Policy
Degree Requirements
Diploma Conferral
Enrollment
Faculty Advisors
Full and Half Time Study
Good Standing Requirements
Graduate Courses
Grading Policy
Academic Probation
Leave of Absence and Withdrawal
Waiving Courses
Academic Appeals
Transcripts
Degree Requirements
Upon completion of the MPIA degree requirements, it is the student’s responsibility to file the appropriate forms. Student Affairs hosts a series of "graduation workshops" to lead June graduates through this process. Students completing requirements in summer, winter or fall quarters need to take the initiative to complete this process.
The MPIA degree is made up of 98 units, comprising the MPIA core, a career track, a regional core, elective, and possibly language courses. All 98 units must be taken for a letter grade. Students must also satisfy the School's language requirement detailed in the IR/PS Language Policy.
Students must attain a C- or better in all MPIA core courses. Students who fail to attain a C- or better in a core course must take the course again to get C- or better. Failure to achieve a C- or better on the second attempt will result in exclusion from the program.
Overall, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (equivalent to a B average) to remain in good academic standing. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be warned, in writing, that they have a maximum of two further quarters to lift their performance to the required level. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from the program.
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Diploma Conferral
The MPIA diploma will be dated as of the last day of the quarter in which all requirements, including current course work, are satisfactorily completed. Diplomas will be mailed by the Registrar's Office four to six months after the close of the quarter in which the degree was conferred. Transcripts noting conferral are usually available prior to this. Review your academic history on TritonLink for your conferral prior to ordering a final transcript. Transcripts may be ordered at: http://registrar.ucsd.edu/ver2/. Students with compelling reasons may request a "verification of completion" letter from Student Affairs, if this timeframe creates a hardship.
Career tracks, language and regional specialization are posted to the student’s transcript at the time of degree conferral. These designations do not appear on the diploma.
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Enrollment
New students will meet with their faculty advisors during student orientation, which is held prior to the start of the academic year. Continuing students meet with their advisors during the fourth week of the prior quarter. Appointments are set via sign-up sheets posted to faculty office doors the week prior to advising. During advising sessions, the student and advisor complete and sign an advising form. The form will reflect the student's intended courses for the next quarter and the advisor's approval of his/her decision. The student then files this form in the IR/PS Student Affairs office in room 4211. Failure to file this form will block enrollment.
Enrollment and registration deadlines are scheduled for the same day and must be met to avoid penalties. These deadlines are listed under Enroll/Register on TritonLink. Late fees will be charged for failing to meet these deadlines—do not wait to receive a statement from the Bursar's Office. All fees (including late fees) must be paid in full by the end of the second week of instruction to avoid cancellation of enrollment in classes. Reinstatement thereafter requires IR/PS and OGS approval, in addition to payment of late fees. Late enrollment requires a $100.00 late fee payment. If fees are not paid by the end of the fourth week of instruction, students will have their enrollment cancelled permanently for the quarter. Fees paid by IR/PS or other awards are not credited to a student's account until the student enrolls.
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Faculty Advisors
Incoming students are matched with a faculty member who provides curriculum and career guidance. Every effort is made to match students with a faculty member who shares their interest in a region and/or career specialty. Both student and advisor must agree that a reassignment should occur in order for a student to change their faculty advisor. In addition, it is the student's responsibility to find a new faculty member who will undertake the advising responsibilities.
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Full and Half Time Study
A full-time student must be registered for at least twelve (12) units each quarter of each academic year until the completion of all requirements for the degree. Failure to register or take a "leave of absence" constitutes withdrawal from graduate studies.
IR/PS students file for approval to study half-time prior to the second week of the quarter. To qualify for half-time study, a student must be enrolled in six units or fewer per quarter. Students should note that only the tuition, education fee, and professional fee are reduced during half-time study; all other fees remain the same. Additionally, campus financial aid may be reduced.
Please note that a part-time student enrolled in seven to eleven units per quarter is considered a regular student and charged full-time fees. International students are required to be enrolled in twelve (12) units per quarter to maintain their visa status.
Any IR/PS student interested in applying for half-time study should contact Academic Affairs immediately.
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Good Standing Requirement
As a graduate student, you must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all lower division language, upper division, and graduate level course work, and have no more than eight units of F and/or U grades. All MPIA students are required to meet with their faculty adviser quarterly. The purpose of these sessions is to help students match their study plan with their career goals, review scholastic progress, and encourage communication between students and faculty. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisers beyond the required advising sessions.
Good standing is a requirement to:
- retain campus employment
- retain fellowship and scholarship funding
- take a leave of absence
- receive a graduate degree from UC San Diego
- participate in the University Extension Complimentary Enrollment Program
Graduate Courses
IR/PS MPIA courses are listed in the TritonLink Schedule of Courses in the 400 series. With prior approval via the petition process, MPIA students may also take upper-division undergraduate courses (100 series) and outside department graduate level courses (200 series). A maximum of 16 units of outside coursework may be used toward the MPIA degree, excluding approved language coursework.
With the exception of the Education Abroad Program (EAP) and the University of California Intercampus Exchange (ICEX), no degree coursework may be taken outside of UCSD.
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Grading Policy
Students should give particular attention to the policies and procedures relating to the following grade options: incomplete (I), in progress (IP), and no report/no record (NR). Failure to follow grading policies and procedures can lead to unnecessary hardships, such as jeopardizing continued financial support at UC San Diego. Official grading policy information is contained in the UCSD General Catalog.
All MPIA courses are graded using the IR/PS Grading Guideline as follows:
1. For a class with 25 or larger enrollments, the median grade should be no higher than B+. In addition, the number of grades strictly above B+ should not exceed the number of those strictly below B+.
2. For a class with more than 10 but fewer than 25 enrollments, the grade A (including A+ and A-) should not be given to more than half of the class. This rule also applies to regional cores with no more than 10 enrollments, required classes for career tracks with no more than 10 enrollments, and language classes with no more than 10 enrollments.
3. Students who take the class on P/NP or S/U basis are not included in the enrollment number for the purpose of this policy. Students taking the class on a letter grade basis, whether MPIA students or not, are included.
4. When there is a justifiable exception to the guideline, the faculty member shall attach an explanatory note to the grading sheet.
The Incomplete (I) Grade
If a student is doing passing work in a course, but is unable to complete the work at the end of the quarter for legitimate reasons (circumstances beyond the student's control), the instructor may assign the “Incomplete” (I) grade. Legitimate justification for petitioning for the I grade is illness or family crisis. Unacceptable reasons are lack of time, lengthiness of research and other controllable circumstances. To receive an I grade, a student must file the proper petition prior to the end of the final week in the quarter in which the course is taken. Petitions may be obtained from the Student Services Office 4211. Without the petition, the I grade cannot be assigned.
In order to remove an I grade, the required work must be completed and a grade assigned prior to the end of the final week of the following quarter or the instructor’s noted deadline. It is the student's responsibility to get the work completed and submitted to the instructor on time. In addition, the student should check with Student Services to ensure that the grade has been assigned.
Please note the following regulations:
- If an I grade is not replaced with a final grade prior to the end of the final week of the following quarter, the I grade will lapse to a Fail (F).
- Extensions on I grades will not be made retroactively.
- If a student takes a leave of absence, he/she must still remove any outstanding “Incomplete” grades before the end of the first quarter of leave.
- It is the student's responsibility to make sure that all proper forms have been completed.
The In Progress (IP) Grade
If a sequence course has been approved for an “In Progress” (IP) grading option, the IP grade may be assigned until the work is completed for the sequence. If an IP grade has not been replaced by a final grade at the time of graduation, the IP grade will remain on the student's records. If the entire sequence is not completed, the instructor may assign grades and unit credit for what has been completed. Courses graded IP are not used in calculating a student's grade point average until graduation. At that time, course units still graded IP must be treated as units attempted in calculating the GPA; thus units graded IP will have the same effect on the overall GPA as an F or U.
The No Report/No Record (NR) Grade
If a blank appears on the transcript, it means that the Registrar did not receive a grade for the student on the grading sheet submitted by the instructor. Some reasons for this are 1) the grading options for the course did not correlate with the grade that the instructor assigned, 2) the student may have entered an incorrect course code on the enrollment request, thus, he/she is enrolled in the wrong course/section, or 3) the instructor did not report a grade.
It is the student's responsibility to remove a No Report/No Record (NR) grade before the end of the following quarter or it lapses to an F or U grade. An NR grade, which has lapsed to an F or U grade, cannot be changed. See Academic Affairs for assistance.
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Academic Probation
University academic policy requires all graduate students to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 are put on academic probation and required to restore 3.0 GPA within two quarters. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from the program, according to general University policy.
Under discretion granted to IR/PS under University policy allows for some students on academic probation at the end of the spring quarter of the first year to continue the program if they successfully pass the makeup exams, which will be given during the summer. To qualify for this exception, a student must have a cumulative GPA that can reasonably be expect to increase to a 3.0 by the end of the second academic year. Students with cumulative GPAs that are too low to be reasonably expected to bring them up to 3.0 by the end of the second year will be removed from the program, following the UCSD rule for graduate students.
If a student is allowed to take the makeup exams, (s)he needs to take the exams in all the first year core courses that (s)he received the grades of C+ or worse. The student needs to pass all the makeup exams to remain in the program. Students who receive a grade of C- or below must pass the exam and repeat the course for a higher grade.
The makeup exam for each core course is administered by the instructor of the course whenever (s)he is available. The exam can be written or oral. The grading is done on Pass/No Pass basis. The Pass grade for a makeup exam should be equivalent of B or above in a regular course.
A student who has passed the makeup exams will be put on a contract that specifies the minimum GPA that must be maintained for every quarter during the second year. The minimum required GPA is calculated so that maintaining the level throughout the second year will increase the cumulative GPA to 3.0 or above by the end of the year. A failure to achieve the minimum required GPA in any quarter will result in exclusion from the program.
It is ideal, of course, to stay out of academic probation. If you happen to find yourself on academic probation, however, and expect to be required to pass the makeup exams to stay in the program, you will want to keep your summer schedule flexible so that you have time to prepare for the exams. You may see this as inconvenience, but it is much better than being removed from the program without a chance to prove that you are serious about and capable of completing the program.
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Leave of Absence and Withdrawal
Graduate students are eligible for a maximum of three quarters leave of absence with IR/PS approval. A student who leaves the University for no more than three quarters with the intention of resuming study must file a formal Leave of Absence, Extension and/or Withdrawal form prior to leaving the campus. Graduate students must have completed at least one quarter of academic residence and be in good standing (GPA 3.0 minimum or equivalent and no more than eight units of U or F grades) to be granted a leave. A student on leave of absence status cannot make use of university facilities or faculty time, be employed at UCSD, UCSD Medical Center or UC Extension. Merit and need-based fellowship recipients taking leave are advised to meet with a member of the Academic Affairs staff at IR/PS and/or Elvee Borgonia in UCSD Student Financial Services to discuss the impact to their aid packages. See Student Services for forms and information.
International Students on Leave of Absences
Under normal conditions, an international student is not permitted to go on a leave of absence. Immigration regulations require that the student must be enrolled in a full-time course of study for the duration of the student’s stay in the United States. Exceptions may be granted to students wishing to return to their home countries for the duration of their leave and must be approved by the UCSD International Center. See Student Services for forms and information.
Parental Leave of Absence
A graduate student who is bearing a child, or who has primary responsibility for the care of an infant or young child immediately following the birth or adoption of a child under age five, is eligible for up to three (3) quarters of parental leave. During the quarter in which the childbirth or adoption occurs, the student may, with departmental approval, continue to register as a full-time student and retain eligibility for support, reduce to part-time status (less than twelve units) and be eligible for up to 25% time employment on campus, or take a leave of absence and request a one-quarter extension of all unexpired time limits. Students are entitled to no more than three quarters parenting leave, regardless of the number of children. See Student Services for forms and information.
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Waiving Courses
A student may waive a (first year) core course, a regional core course, or a required career track course. Placing out of a course requires completion (prior to matriculation at IR/PS) of two undergraduate courses with a grade of “B” or higher. One of the two classes must be at an intermediate level. If a student places out of one course, the evaluator may require a replacement course from the same disciplinary area (e.g., political science, economics/management). Economics and management are considered to be the same disciplinary area for purposes of this ruling.
If a student feels that he or she should be placed out of a course, he or she must file a petition with IR/PS Academic Affairs. Petitions to waive or substitute courses must be submitted no later than the second week of the quarter in which the course in question is scheduled.
Placing out of a course does not reduce the number of units required for the MPIA degree.
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Academic Appeals
A student may appeal a final exam result or course grade only if he or she believes that non-academic criteria, not directly reflective of academic performance in the course, were used in determining the result. As detailed more completely in the "Grade Appeal" section in the UCSD General Catalog and Academic Senate Regulation 502 a student appeal of an academic performance decision should first be made to the individual faculty member or teaching assistant who made the decision, and should be made within one month of the decision or within the first month of the following regular academic quarter. If this does not result in a resolution that is satisfactory to the student, he or she may appeal to the IR/PS Associate Dean.
Within twelve months of an action by UCSD with which the student disagrees, such as denial of a right to withdraw, dropping or adding a class, or other decisions related to the student's transcript, a student may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies for review. Appeal and other rights for students accused of violating UCSD policies and procedures are outlined in the UCSD Student Conduct Code.
Petitions pertaining to matters that occurred in excess of twelve months in the past shall be presented directly to the Committee on Educational Policy of the UCSD Academic Senate, available at the Academic Senate Office.
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Transcripts
Students may view their academic record on TritonLink. Students may print unofficial transcripts directly from TritonLink. Official transcripts must be ordered through the UCSD Office of the Registrar and can be done so online at: http://registrar.ucsd.edu/ver2/.
Students with compelling reasons may request a "verification of completion" letter from Student Affairs, A "verification of completion" may only be requested by the student.
IR/PS cannot provide copies of undergraduate transcripts to students. Students should order several copies of their undergraduate transcripts, and keep copies sealed in the sender's envelope in order to have an "official" copy.
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