2012–2013 UNIVERSITY CATALOG - Florida Institute of Technology

Residency Requirement
The residency requirement consists of the performance of research
under the direct supervision of Florida Tech faculty for at least one
calendar year; and enrollment in a Florida Tech graduate program
for a minimum of two years from the time of original registration.
A doctoral student who has been admitted to candidacy must
normally register each academic term thereafter for six or more
credit hours of dissertation throughout the remainder of his or
her program. At the discretion of the academic unit, a doctoral
student can register for three semester credit hours of dissertation
where justified. In some cases, registration for fewer credit hours
is permitted in the final semester of registration. See the online
graduate policies for details. After admission to doctoral candidacy,
an interruption in registration is permissible only if the student is
not making any use of university facilities or personnel, and with
written approval by the academic unit head and the director of
graduate programs.
The student’s dissertation performance is evaluated in each term
of registration, and grades of S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory)
are assigned. These grades do not affect the student’s grade
point average. S grades corresponding to the required number of
dissertation credit hours are replaced by grades of P (Pass) upon
successful completion of the dissertation.
Dissertation Preparation and Defense
The dissertation must demonstrate critical judgment, intellectual
synthesis, creativity and skills in written communication. The general
format must follow the guidelines established by the academic
unit and the office of graduate programs. Copies of the dissertation
must be submitted to the doctoral committee at least one month
before the proposed date of the dissertation defense. The office of
graduate programs must receive written notification of the defense
at least two weeks before its scheduled date. The candidate and his
or her committee chair are responsible for scheduling the examination
and notifying the graduate programs office.
The doctoral committee administers the dissertation defense.
The candidate is questioned on the subject of the dissertation and
any additional topics related to the candidate’s ability to organize
and conduct research. The dissertation must have the unanimous
approval of the committee and must also be approved by the academic
unit head. Requirements for the degree are not completed
until the dissertation is accepted by the graduate programs office. A
completed UMI Publishing Agreement form and Survey of Earned
Doctorates form (both available online and from the graduate programs
office) and an additional title page and abstract must accompany
the required dissertation copies.
Academic Unit Requirements
The requirements specified above comprise the minimum requirements
for doctoral degrees at Florida Tech. Academic units may
specify additional requirements for their doctoral degrees as
defined by Florida Tech graduate policy.
46 Florida Tech
Grading system and Requirements
Graduate work is evaluated by letter grades, with only grades of
A, B, C and P being credited toward graduate degrees. Grades
of D and F are failing grades in graduate courses. Failed courses
must be repeated at the earliest opportunity, if they are required
courses. An elective course in which a D or F is received must be
repeated, unless the academic unit approves an additional course
to be taken in its place.
When P/F (Pass/Fail) grading is used, the total credit hours
earned increases without having any effect on the GPA if a grade
of P is earned, whereas no credit hours are earned and the GPA
is adversely affected in the case of a grade of F, just as with any
other F. P/F grading is used for certain courses and for master’s
theses, design projects, doctoral dissertations and doctoral research
projects.
The program GPA is based on the student’s program plan and
includes all courses shown on the program plan as applying toward
the degree, both graduate numbered and undergraduate numbered.
In cases where the degree-related GPA referred to above does not
include all graduate courses taken at Florida Tech, an overall GPA
is also calculated and reported. Graduate courses used to compute
the overall GPA, but not the program GPA, include courses taken
as deficiencies, courses unrelated to the student’s degree program,
courses taken before a change of major and courses taken in satisfaction
of the requirements of a previously earned graduate degree.
Courses related to the degree program that are taken in excess of
degree requirements are normally included in the program plan. It
is not possible to delete a course from the GPA once the course has
been taken, although an exception is made if the statute of limitations
is exceeded, at which time it is dropped from the program
plan and from both the program and overall GPAs on written
request. Courses are not otherwise dropped from the overall
GPA except by special action of the Graduate Council following
a change of major. If no degree was earned in the first major and
the courses are clearly not applicable to the new major, the council
can approve deletion from the overall GPA.
Grades of S and U are used as progress grades in thesis,
dissertation, design project, research and internship, and as final
grades in some zero-credit seminar courses. They are similar to
grades of P and F except that they carry no credit, and S grades
(when used as progress grades) may be replaced at any later time
by credit-carrying grades of P. U grades remain on the transcript
permanently, but like grades of S, they do not affect the GPA.
The basic requirement for receiving any master’s degree is a GPA of
at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale where A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0.
Both the overall GPA and the applicable program GPA must be 3.0
or greater for a master’s degree to be awarded.
For a doctoral student, a 3.2 program GPA represents minimal
satisfactory academic performance and is required for admission to
candidacy and for graduation. In addition, an overall GPA of at least
3.0 is required, based on all courses taken as a graduate student at
Florida Tech.