The Graduate School requires graduate students to maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher to remain in good academic standing.
Graduate programs may have their own requirements to remain in good academic standing which includes but is not limited to earning grades of B or better in all core coursework.
Probation Admission
What is Graduate Probationary Admission at EKU?
Probationary admission is used for applicants who have submitted all required materials but do not meet the minimum 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA requirement
To be considered, the applicant must complete a learning contract when finalizing the graduate application and show promise for graduate-level work.
If the student fails to meet the 3.0 GPA on the nine-hour threshold, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program with no appeal.
Conditions & Limitations Under Probationary Admission
Registration is limited — students under probationary admission cannot register for more than an initial 12 graduate credit hours.
During probation, students may not hold a graduate assistantship until they obtain clear admission status.
Students admitted on probation cannot take courses graded pass/fail. If a program allows satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading, only up to 3 credit hours may be S/U during the first 12 hours.
The required coursework must be taken at EKU (transfers elsewhere do not count during probation).
The Graduate School (or department) may impose additional or special course requirements or conditions beyond the 9-credit hour / 3.0 GPA standard.
The Graduate School and our campus colleagues are here to support you every step of the way. Reach out to our office anytime you have questions or concerns related to your graduate educational journey at EKU.
Moving from Probationary to Clear Admission
To be upgraded to clear admission, the student must successfully complete at least nine hours of approved graduate coursework at EKU and achieve a graduate GPA of at least 3.0 at the end of the term in which the ninth credit hour minimum is met.
Academic Probation
When a graduate student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.0, they are placed on academic probation.
Students with GPA below 3.0 are given a probation period — typically one semester — to bring their GPA back to (or above) 3.0.
During probation, students remain enrolled but must raise their performance.
If, by the end of the probationary semester, the student fails to raise the graduate GPA to 3.0 or higher, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program.
Dismissal
If a student fails to raise their GPA to 3.0 or above by the end of the probationary semester, they are subject to dismissal from the graduate program.
Students who are dismissed may appeal the dismissal — but they must do so within two years of the date they were notified of the dismissal.
Reinstatement after a successful appeal is not automatic. The appeal will be routed to the college and must come with a recommendation from the student’s advisor and the department chair, college dean; and final approval is required from the Graduate Dean via the Office of Graduate Education and Research Administration.
Within the appeal form, you will be prompted to provide a clear, written explanation and any extenuating circumstances that affected your academic performance.
