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Graduate School of Social Work

Academic Policies

Enrollment Status

Applicants request admission into either full- or part-time enrollment status. Full-time students complete the program in 21 months. This requires enrollment in 12-16 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters, plus six credit hours of enrollment in the summer (first year only). Part-time students have a maximum of four years in which to complete all degree requirements (including field practicum). Part-time students are required to take six-eight credit hours in the fall and spring, plus some summer enrollment. See section on Master of Social Work Course Requirements for explicit full- and part-time enrollment models.

Most students are admitted into the specific enrollment status to which they have applied; however, the GSSW reserves the right to limit the number of full- and part-time students admitted in a given year. Students who wish to change their status prior to their initial enrollment may have to postpone starting the program for a full year if all slots are full. Once enrolled officially (i.e., tuition and fees are paid), students may change their status only with the recommendation of the faculty advisor and approval from the associate dean.

Academic Probation and Suspension

A student whose grade point average (GPA) falls below 3.0 (B) will be placed on academic probation, and will be allowed to continue his/her enrollment only with written approval from the dean. Permission to continue will be granted only if there is reasonable likelihood that the grade point average will improve in the subsequent semester. Removal from academic probation is granted when the grade point average is raised to B (3.0 or above).

Four C Rule

A graduate student who receives a grade of C+ or lower in 12 semester hours of credit attempted at the University of Houston for graduate credit or for application toward the graduate degree, whether or not in repeated courses, is ineligible for any advanced degree at this institution and will not be permitted to re-enroll for graduate study.

Incomplete Grades

The grade of I (Incomplete) is a conditional and temporary grade given when students are passing a course but, for reasons beyond their control, have not completed a relatively small part of all requirements. Students are responsible for informing the instructor immediately of the reasons for not submitting an assignment on time or not taking an examination as scheduled. The grade of I must be changed by fulfilling the course requirements by the deadline set by the instructor, but no more than one year from the date awarded, or, in conformance with university policy, it will be changed automatically to F or U (in S-U graded courses).

Continuous Enrollment

Students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment throughout their course of study. A temporary, time-limited leave of absence may be granted for compelling reasons with the recommendation of the adviser and approval of the associate dean. However, students who fail to maintain continuous enrollment without initiating an official leave of absence will be considered as having withdrawn from the M.S.W. program. In such cases, students may be required to reapply for admission.

Time Limitation

As an explicit accreditation policy of the Council on Social Work Education, all requirements for the M.S.W. degree must be completed no more than four years from the date of the student's first enrollment at the GSSW.

Academic Honesty

All members of, and participants in, the academic life of the university are to be governed by the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy. Copies of this policy are distributed to all students during their first semester, but are also available from the dean's office and the Office of Student Services.

Course Numbering, Credit, and Clock Hours

All M.S.W. courses are graduate level and begin with either 6 or 7; the second digit of the course number represents the credit hours (e.g., 6300=three credit hours). Field Practicum courses require a minimum of 225 clock hours per semester in the field agency. Advanced Field Practicum electives require no fewer than 75, 150, or 225 clock hours, depending on the specific course and credit hours.

Non-Academic Policies

Disciplinary Action and Enrollment Termination

The nature of social work dictates that practitioners use sound professional judgment. The NASW Code of Ethics serves as a guide to professional practice, and students in the GSSW are expected to familiarize themselves with and follow the code. The college reserves the right to terminate enrollment of any student at any time for what the college faculty and administration may believe to be good and sufficient reason(s), such as cheating, plagiarism, misuse of university property, or unprofessional conduct. In such cases, students will be notified with a written explanation by the dean of the GSSW.

Grievance Policy and Procedures

Students have the right to appeal any action they feel is unfair or in error. The Graduate School of Social Work Policy for Student Grievance is available in the GSSW Student Handbook, from the Office of the M.S.W. Program, or from the dean's office.

It is the responsibility of all students to become familiar with the various policies and regulations of the university and the GSSW and to meet the conditions they impose.