Catalog Home
Catalog Search
Colleges and Schools
Social Work
About the College
Academic
Policies
Courses
Degrees Offered
Faculty
Objectives
Organizations
College Web Site
Graduate College of Social Work
Academic and Professional Behavior 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 6 - 8 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 GCSW 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 academic 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 the written recommendation of the academic advisor and 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 grades of C+ or lower in 12 semester hours of credit attempted at the University of Houston for graduate credit or for application toward a 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 advisor 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.
Disciplinary Action and Termination
The nature of social work dictates that practitioners use sound professional
judgment. The college reserves the right to terminate the enrollment of
any student at any time for what the college faculty and administration
believe to be good and sufficient reason(s), such as cheating, plagiarism,
misuse of university property, or unprofessional conduct. Explicit policies
are found in the GCSW Student Standards Policy, as well in the UH Graduate
and Professional Studies Catalog (online).
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). Required 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.
M.S.W. Student Standards Policy
The faculty of the GCSW is responsible for creating a teaching-learning
environment that fosters student growth and professional development. The
Standards Policy includes criteria used to evaluate each student in six
general areas: professional readiness, professional commitment, scholastic
performance, attendance and punctuality, professional behavior, and ethical
conduct. Evaluation is ongoing, from admissions to program entry, program
entry to candidacy, and candidacy to graduation. Students are expected to
demonstrate continuous progress in the acquisition of knowledge, skills,
attitudes, judgment, and behaviors to assume the responsibilities of a competent
professional social worker. When students confirm their admission to
the GCSW, they are provided a copy of the Standards Policy, and they are
required to sign a statement indicating that they have read the policy,
and agree to be bound by the provisions therein.
Grievance Policy and Procedures
The Graduate College of Social Work Student Grievance Policy is available
on the GCSW Web site (www.sw.uh.edu).
It is the responsibility of all students to become familiar with the various policies and regulations of the university and the GCSW and to meet the conditions they impose.