The Academic Integrity Policy for PhD students is governed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and applies to all PhD students on the Danforth campus, including dual degree students when one of the degree programs is a PhD program. 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY - PHD (PDF)

The Academic Integrity Policy for Master’s students is governed by the Office of the Provost. 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY - MASTERS (PDF)

In accordance with Section 99.3 of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, a student’s academic record as assembled by the Office of Graduate Studies and kept in the general files may be reviewed by the student upon written request. The Vice Dean of Graduate Education will review petitions to amend a student’s record. All persons other than the student, the academic advisors, and the personnel of the Office of Graduate Studies office in pursuance of their normal work assignments are denied access to student records. Potentially valid requests for access (e.g., by police officers or federal agents) are referred to the General Counsel’s Office and/or the Office of the University Registrar/Office of Student Records if they are not accompanied by a signed release from the student.

Your student status may be changed by:

• change in full-time/part-time status
• degree completion
• leave
• withdrawal
• other

Please be aware that a change in student status may affect:​​​​

• support/fellowship/external funds (NSF, for example)
• tuition scholarships
• student health insurance
• immigration status
• student loan deferral
• income tax
• university-owned housing
• federal work study
• possibly other aspects of your life

The University will strive to protect, to the greatest extent possible, the confidentiality of students involved in matters of voluntary or involuntary leave. Because the University has an obligation to preserve the security of its community, the University cannot guarantee complete confidentiality where it would conflict with the University's obligation to investigate meaningfully matters which may threaten a student's health or safety or the safety and security of the University community. When some disclosure of the University's information or sources is necessary, that disclosure will be limited to the extent possible. Medical records of a student will be protected in accordance with the Washington University Habif Health & Wellness Center Notice of Privacy Practices. The University will, to the extent permitted by law, keep confidential all records of Committee reviews. The records maintained by the Case Conference Committee will be available only to the Administrator and other University officials in accordance with FERPA. All records will be destroyed after a period of ten (10) years from the date of final decision on involuntary leave or the student's decision to take voluntary leave or ten years from the date of graduation or last semester of enrollment.

For information related to graduate courses and grading, including information about courses that are able to count toward a graduate degree and available grading options, please refer to the courses and grades policies in the appropriate “Academic Information” section of the OGS Bulletin (PhD Academic Information) (Master’s Academic Information)

Degree Candidacy Extension (DCE) refers to a non-enrolled status available, under exceptional circumstances, to full-time PhD students who have completed all PhD degree requirements with the exception of the dissertation. Please refer to the Vice Provost for Graduate Education policy on DCE for further information.

*Students admitted prior to the 2024-2025 Academic Year will have 5 years of DCE eligibility

Please consult the University Bulletin for the policy and process regarding one or more dissenting votes at a dissertation defense. 

The university has set up numerous programs that permit students to earn two graduate and/or professional degrees at the same time.

One of those programs, the Medical Scientist Training Program includes a PhD. Two of these programs, the Dual Master of Social Work/Master of Arts in Education and Dual Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, include an MA degree. 

The English Language Program (ELP) offers courses, support, and assessment in academic and professional English Language. For additional information, including how OGS might support students in ELP courses, please see the following policy. 

English Language Program (ELP) Courses Policy

FULL TIME: Students enrolled for 9 or more units per semester are full-time students. Students enrolled in ASGS 9000 Full-time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001 Full-time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia also have full-time status. Full-time status incurs the mandatory student health fee, defers student loans, and is required for internationals on student visas and also for those receiving University funding in the form of Fellowships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, etc.

PART TIME: Students taking between 1 and 8 units of coursework who are not also registered for Full-time Graduate Research/Study do not qualify for full-time student status.

The following scale is used in the calculation of GPAs:

A+    4.0

A      4.0

A-    3.7

B+    3.3

B     3.0

B-    2.7

C+    2.3

C     2.0

If a student receives a grade they believe to be unjustified, whether for a single assignment or for the course grade as a whole, they have the right to discuss any grade(s) with their instructor and to appeal the grade(s). (Students considering appealing their grades are welcome to consult with their advisor or the Office of Graduate Studies Student Affairs team; contact artscigrads@wustl.edu to connect with the Office of Graduate Studies Student Affairs team. Neither the advisor nor the Office of Graduate Student Affairs team may make any decisions with regard to the appeal, but they can inform students about possible options for approaching the appeal.) The full policy can be found in the OGS Bulletin (master’s students) (PhD students)

Grounds for Appeal

Sufficient grounds for appeal include clerical or mathematical errors in calculating the grade; inequitable use of the syllabus’s grading rubric or policies; and grading impacted by issues beyond the course content.

Students should be aware that an appeal may include a complete review of the student’s work in the course as a whole, which may result in a grade being either raised or lowered.

Students may not appeal to raise their grade by completing additional assignments (i.e., “extra credit”) or by submitting late work except in the case of an official Incomplete.

If a student believes that the grade is the result of identity-based discrimination, they should make a report to the Office of Institutional Equity rather than file a grade appeal through this process. Additionally, grades that are a result of sanctions for a violation of Academic Integrity (as determined by the Academic Integrity Board) are not eligible for appeal through this process.

Timing of Appeals

Grade appeals must be initiated within 30 days of the grade being posted and must be addressed by the instructor in a timely manner. Grade appeals in the semester prior to the student’s graduation must be raised immediately and addressed on an expedited timeline so that the appeal may be resolved prior to the conferral of a degree and the sealing of the student’s transcript. A grade appeal submitted after a student graduates will not be reviewed as grade changes cannot be made following degree conferral.

Appeals Process

• The student must first appeal the grade with the instructor. The appeal must be in writing, reference this grade appeal policy, and outline the reasons for the appeal. The instructor must reply to the student in writing within two weeks of the student’s request, providing detailed justification for retaining the assigned grade or confirming that the grade will be changed in light of the student’s appeal.
• If the student’s written concerns have not been met by the instructor’s justification, they may raise the grade appeal to the director of graduate studies (DGS) in the appropriate department or program (based on the department or program that owns the course and not on the student’s program of enrollment) within one week of the instructor’s response. The subsequent appeal must be submitted in writing, and it must reference this grade appeal policy, respond to the instructor’s detailed justification, and explain why the student believes there remains cause for appeal. Disagreement with the instructor’s professional judgement is insufficient grounds for further appeal, and appeals to the DGS that merely reiterate a student’s initial concerns will not be considered. The DGS will review the appeal and provide a written response to the student within three weeks.
• In the rare instance that the student believes further appeal to be necessary, the student may direct a final appeal to the Vice Dean of Graduate Education. If a student wants to pursue a grade appeal at this level, the appeal must be in writing and be submitted within one week of the written response from the DGS. The student’s statement should acknowledge both the instructor’s and the DGS’s responses and explain why the student believes there remains cause for appeal. Disagreement with the instructor’s or DGS’s professional judgement is insufficient grounds for further appeal. The Vice Dean of Graduate Education must respond in writing within four weeks of the student’s appeal. The decision of the Vice Dean is final.

For information on when a student may be eligible for a grade of Incomplete and the procedures surrounding Incomplete grades, please see the OGS Bulletin (master’s students) (PhD students). 

PhD Students can discuss with their advisors individual courses available outside the discipline that may advance their research or professional goals.

Visit Inter-University Exchange Program

For information on the processes and policies surrounding probations and dismissals for academic reasons, please see the following document. 

Probation and Dismissal Policy

Students admitted to a PhD program in the Office of Graduate Studies must maintain full-time continuous enrollment throughout the published length of their programs. During those years, students will be considered full-time if they are:

• registered for 9 or more course units or
• registered in a zero-unit course (ASGS 9000 Full-time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001 Full-time Graduate Study in Absentia) that indicates the student's full-time engagement in research or academic writing.

Students will be administratively registered in ASGS 9000 based on recommendations from their advisers stating the students are making satisfactory progress toward their degrees.

During a student's period of regular registration, they may have a need or opportunity to study away from Washington University. Recommendations from departments for students' registration in absentia will be considered by the Office of Graduate Studies on a case-by-case basis. If approved by the Office of Graduate Studies, these will be registered for ASGS 9001 Full-time Graduate Study in Absentia. Students may be allowed to register for ASGS 9001 for up to four consecutive or non-consecutive fall/spring semesters. Semesters in which a student is registered in absentia are counted as part of the student's program length.

Full-time students registered within their program length and making satisfactory academic progress will receive full funding, tuition remission, and the 90 percent health insurance and wellness fee subsidies. Tuition each semester will be calculated based on the number of registered course units.

There is a residence requirement for all full-time graduate students in the Arts & Sciences. Please refer to the residence requirement policies for graduate students (full-time master’s degree students and PhD students) in the Bulletin. 

For information on the circumstances in which retaking a course is permissible, please see the OGS Bulletin (master’s students) (PhD students). 

There is a time limit for how long PhD students are eligible for enrollment at WashU. For details, please see the following University Bulletin page. 

Students working toward Arts and Sciences graduate degrees are entitled to all official University holidays. To the extent that responsibilities essential to the maintenance of research, such as replenishing liquid nitrogen stocks or feeding laboratory animals, must be done on University holidays, graduate students may be required to share in this responsibility.

Faculty mentors should approve other planned absences, and unplanned absences should be reported to them. “Faculty Mentors” in the graduate years are Program Directors, and Research Rotation or Dissertation Advisors, as appropriate.

The total amount of excused absence should be consistent with that of academic employees in the same area. (Assistantship or stipend payments are not subject to reduction as they represent agreed-upon financial aid.) Decisions regarding the granting of time off will not be based upon the existence of or source(s) of funding.

The program director or department chair should address disagreements between faculty mentors and students over absences. If the director cannot resolve the dispute, the Vice Dean of Graduate Education, or their designee, will serve as the final arbiter.

Students who have completed graduate-level course work or a graduate degree at an institution prior to joining Washington University may request to transfer a portion of that credit toward the course work in their Washington University degree program.

Please refer to the Transferred Credit Policy in the OGS Bulletin (master’s students) (PhD students) for additional information. 

The university requires all university related travel outside the U.S. to be registered.

TRIP REGISTRATION

Refunds

Requests for refund of tuition paid by a student who is withdrawing from a degree program should be made by submitting a Time Away form in Workday Student.

Students receiving financial assistance from the Office of Graduate Studies (fellowships, assistantships, etc.) are required to maintain full-time student status.

Requests for refund of tuition paid by a student who is withdrawing from a specific course should be submitted in writing to the Office of Graduate Studies. The last date of class attendance is ordinarily used in determining the amount that can be refunded. Students withdrawing within the first two weeks of classes will receive a full refund; those withdrawing before the end of the fourth week pay 20 percent; those withdrawing before the end of the eighth week pay 40 percent. Students who have had their full tuition remitted for them by the Office of Graduate Studies or by a third party will not receive any refund.

VISIT FUNDING AND SUPPORT

The Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy that applies to undergraduates was adopted to apply to all PhD students in 2014. 

Students who wish to suspend their graduate study should apply for a leave of absence by filling out the appropriate Time Away form in Workday Student. Detailed step-by-step instructions are available. Students are highly encouraged to first notify and work with their degree program. Leave requests will be routed to the Office of University Registrar for review and initial approval, after which they will be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies. A leave will not be granted for less than one semester or for more than one calendar year at a time. If a student requests a leave of absence beyond one year, the student’s status will be reviewed to determine whether an extended leave will be approved. Students already on leave who wish to extend their leave beyond one year must notify the Office of Graduate Studies, and their program.

A leave, with its loss of student status, may have implications in many areas which should be considered. These may include:

• Student Health Insurance
• Student loans and loan deferment
• Legal status for F-1 and J-1 student visas
• Student funding (fellowships, etc.)
• The right to rent University-owned housing
• Access to University facilities

If students will need to use Olin Library during the leave, this can be arranged by having their department send an email to the Circulation Library requesting their access to the library for the period of the leave.

TYPES OF LEAVES

• Students requiring a leave of absence for family/dependent care, military service or other personal reasons should fill out the Leave of Absence form.
• Students needing a medical leave of absence should fill out the Medical Leave of Absence form after consulting with the appropriate Health Services office their campus.
• Full-time graduate students in Arts & Sciences, including PhD students in Engineering, Business, and Social Work, may request a New Child Leave to assume care for a new child.

RETURNING FROM LEAVE

• At the end of any leave of absence, a student is reinstated into the Office of Graduate Studies under the conditions prevailing at the time the leave was granted.
• All students returning from leave or medical leave must submit a Request for Reinstatement form to their department or program.
• There will be no reinstatement fee for students returning from approved leaves.

PLEASE NOTE

• Benefits and funding support will vary by school. Please refer to the policies of your home department
• All international students should consult with the Office of International Students & Scholars before applying for a leave of absence to determine how it may impact their visa status

ENROLLMENT STATUS

No Enrollment Status

PROCEDURES

• Academic & funding clock pause
• Student submits the request via Workday Student
• National Student Clearinghouse is notified of leave
• Approval required from the department and the Office of Graduate Studies
• LOAs are not counted as part of the student's program length 

STUDENT CONSIDERATIONS

• Students who are enrolled in the health/dental insurance plan may retain coverage through the end of the policy year if the LOA is taken after the first 30 days of the fall semester
• Arts & Sciences will not provide stipend support
• Depending on the date of the leave, students may or may not receive insurance subsidies

RETURNING FROM LEAVE

• At the end of any leave of absence, a student is reinstated into the Office of Graduate Studies under the conditions prevailing at the time the leave was granted.
• There will be no reinstatement fee for students returning from approved leaves.

NOTE

• All international students should consult with the Office of International Students & Scholars before applying for a leave of absence to determine how it may impact their visa status

PROCESS

Workday InstructionS

The purpose of medical leave of absence (MLOA) is to allow students to suspend their studies for the treatment of a condition which interferes with their ability to be successful in their graduate program. All medical leaves must be recommended by WashU Cares (WUC) for Danforth based students, and Student Health Services for DBBS students. The WUC detailed process for requesting a MLOA can be found here.  Once a student has secured the recommendation, they must follow the Workday process for requesting time away. 

ENROLLMENT STATUS

No Enrollment Status

PROCEDURES

• Academic & funding clock pause
• National Student Clearinghouse is notified of leave
• Both approval for the leave and reinstatement following the leave require a recommendation from Student Health Services
• MLOAs are not counted as part of the student's program length 

STUDENT CONSIDERATIONS

• Students may retain health/dental insurance based on enrollment of the previous team or if the student was enrolled for 30 days prior to the approval of the MLOA
• Arts & Sciences will not provide stipend support
• Depending on the date of the leave, students may or may not receive insurance subsidies

PROCEDURES FOR RETURNING FROM MEDICAL LEAVE

Danforth based students must follow the WUC process for returning from a MLOA. 

Clearance from your Health Services office is required for return from medical leave.

When you feel ready to return, please complete the two items numbered below to request consideration for reinstatement to Washington University.  Health Services requires all documentation be submitted between November 1 and December 1 for Spring semester returns, and between June 1 and July 1 for Fall semester returns. 

1. Complete and return a Request for Reinstatement form to your department or program; 

 2. Have the physician/therapist who treated you while you were on leave provide to the Director of your Health Services area, a detailed accounting of your treatment that includes:

     a. your diagnosis;

     b. medications, dosage, length of time on this medication, and how long you have been stable on that dosage;

     c. why the physician/therapist feels you are ready to return to school;

     d. knowledge of any classes you have taken or employment you have maintained while you were on leave.

This detailed accounting of your treatment is required so that the Director can best advise our office as to whether you are up to the rigors associated with your return to graduate studies.  The information provided by your physician/therapist is a confidential communication with Health Services and is not shared with our office.  Your physician/therapist may fax this information to either Student Health Services at (314) 935-8515 for Danforth campus students or to (314) 362-0058 for students on the Medical campus.  After the information is received, further consultation with your physician/therapist may be necessary before the Health Services Director can make an accurate recommendation. 

Please send your request for reinstatement consideration to our office, AND your physician’s/therapist’s detailed accounting of your treatment to the appropriate Health Services office.  You must have clearance and a recommendation from Health Services for your return before our office can approve/deny your request for reinstatement.  Our office will advise you of our reinstatement decision as soon as possible.

NOTE

• All international students should consult with the Office of International Students & Scholars before applying for a leave of absence to determine how it may impact their visa status

PROCESS

WUC MLOA Request

Workday Instructions

Students requesting a Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) must first contact Student Health Services.

Students wishing to withdraw from their programs must give notice in writing by filling out the “Time Away” (withdrawal) form available on the Forms page of the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, where it can be found under the "Change to Enrollment Status" heading. This form must include the date upon which the withdrawal should be considered effective. Without such information, there may be serious financial repercussions for the student and/or the university. International students should contact their advisors in the Office for International Students and Scholars before taking this action so that they can understand all potential visa and student status implications.   

The Office of the Ombuds can provide confidential, impartial, informal and independent conflict resolution and problem-solving assistance to graduate students.

Washington University policies state that members of the University community can expect to be free from discrimination and harassment. Students, faculty, staff, and outside organizations working on campus are required to abide by specific policies prohibiting harassment, which are printed in the Appendix and posted on the Compliance & Policies page of the University’s website.

Occasionally a student may feel that they have a legitimate complaint regarding academic matters, or an interaction with a faculty member or peer. It is important that students and faculty have a common understanding of how such complaints should be expressed and resolved.

STUDENT GRIEVANCE POLICY

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is work authorization available to F-1 internal students who participate in a training experience as part of a curricular requirement (OISS). To apply for CPT, please contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) to obtain a CPT application form. Follow the instructions on OISS’s “Curricular Practical Training (CPT)” webpage to complete the form and obtain departmental approval. 

Once the form is complete, the academic unit should submit it to the Office of Graduate Studies via the ArtSci Portal. Requests must be submitted no later than the first day of the semester in which the CPT will occur, through earlier submissions are encouraged. Requests must abide by the Part-Time Employment policy. 

Full-time Arts & Sciences graduate students must adhere to university policy on part-time employment

Part-Time Employment Policy

When one partner to a consensual romantic, dating or sexual relationship holds a position of academic or professional authority with respect to the other partner in connection with their University roles, the potential may exist for favoritism, breach of trust, abuse of power, or conflicts of interest. Such situations may also raise questions concerning the consensual nature of the relationship.

To avoid those potential concerns, the University requires that when a consensual relationship exists or has existed in which one partner currently holds a position of academic or professional authority with respect to the other partner in connection with their University roles, the partners must promptly report the situation to their supervisor, department chair or dean and arrangements must be made to eliminate the position of authority.

For purposes of this policy, a person holds a “position of academic or professional authority” in situations including, but not limited to, those in which that partner controls or has influence over the other’s employment, assignments, evaluation, recommendation, compensation, discipline, admission, coursework, grading, financial aid, research funding, extracurricular participation, dissertation supervision, and other forms of control or influence over academic or professional matters.

Violation of this policy may result in a range of remedial and disciplinary actions, including but not limited to mandatory training or counseling, reprimand, probation, suspension, loss of privileges, demotion, expulsion, dismissal or termination. 

Nothing in this policy is intended to abridge the rights of faculty as outlined in the Washington University Policy on Academic Freedom, Responsibility, and Tenure.

The University prohibits consensual relationships between undergraduate students and faculty members, and between undergraduate students and employees in administrative or staff roles having broad authority over undergraduate students (e.g., deans and other senior administrators, coaches, academic advisors), regardless of whether the faculty or employee holds a specific position of academic or professional authority with respect to the student.

See Employment of Relatives policy in the Employee Handbook and the Discrimination and Harassment policy.

Please contact the Office of Human Resources, Apryle Gladney for questions about this policy.

VIEW DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT POLICY