Academic and Professional Behavior Policies: Ph.D. Social Work

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 Doctoral Program Director 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 grated when the grade point average is raised to B or above.

Two "C" Rule

Students who received a grade of C+ or lower in 6 semester credit hours of doctoral credit, while enrolled in the doctoral program, whether or not in repeated courses, will be dismissed from the doctoral program.

The previous rule allowed students to have no more than 2 grades of C of doctoral credit. This meant that students could remain in the program after having received 2 Cs and would not be dismissed unless they received a third grade of C. Note: UH has a 3C policy whereby any student who receives 3 grades of "C+" or below in any graduate level course will be dismissed from the University.

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).

Academic Honesty

All members of, and participants in, the academic life of the University are 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 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.

Grievance Policy and Procedures

Students have the right to appeal any action they feel is unfair or in error. The Graduate College of Social Work Policy for Student Grievance is available in the Doctoral Student Handbook (Word Doc). 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.

Continuous Enrollment

Doctoral students must be continuously enrolled in coursework until the completion of the Ph.D. degree. During their Dissertation phase, students must enroll in at least 3 credit hours per semester of Dissertation study. In addition, students must complete one academic year in residency in continuous full-time enrollment. Full-time study constitutes 9 credit hours per semester while part-time study must constitute 6 credit hours per semester. Students who cannot enroll in a given semester must apply for a leave of absence by completing the required Leave of Absence form (see Appendix A). Students who wish to withdraw from the Doctoral Program should do so properly.

Students who plan on Fall, Spring, or Summer graduation must also: (1) be enrolled during that semester; and (2) file an Application for Graduation for the graduating semester.

Time Limits for Completion of Degree Requirements

Students who enroll as doctoral candidates must complete their degree requirements within ten (10) years of the date of first enrollment with a doctoral degree objective. Failure to comply will result in the candidate being ineligible for the doctoral degree. Doctoral students who fail to complete their dissertation within five (5) years after completion of the qualifying papter must redo the qualifying paper. See Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements in the graduate catalog.

Student Leave Policy

The approval of a student leave from the GCSW Doctoral Program is not automatic; it can be denied if the student does not provide valid grounds for the leave. A student must inform the Ph.D. Program Director of their intent to take a leave. To be eligible, students must complete athe college's Ph.D. Program Form F: Student Request to Take a Leave of Absence. After completing the form, they must submit it to the Ph.D. Program Director for approval.

Leaves from the GCSW Doctoral Program are for a maximum of one academic year. However, under rare circumstances (e.g. severe health problems of the student or close family member), leaves can be extended. However, appropriate documentation is required to extend the leave.

Students who fail to return (i.e., they do not register for classes or dissertation credits) on time from a leave of absence will be dismissed form the GCSW Doctoral Program as per The Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog.

Advisement

The Ph.D. Program Director serves as the Faculty Advisor for students until a Dissertation Chairperson is chosen. Students are urged to consult with a wide range of faculty members on matters related to substantive areas of their course of study.

Coursework and Independent Study/Special Problems Courses

The curriculum plan requires completion of a minimum of 48 semester credit hours. Thirty-nine (39) SCH in coursework and nine (9) SCH in dissertation. The program design is based on a curriculum that provides a theoretical base in social work and social science theories; acquisition of research competencies requisite for doctoral study in social work; and essential content related to the history and philosophy of social work practice. As such, the curriculum strives to achieve a balance between research and theory (which includes social policy, social work practice theory, social justice, and social science knowledge, including theory construction).

The aim of independent study/special problems courses is to develop and pursue expertise in a student's area of specialization for which there is no formal or scheduled classes available. This can involve statistics, research methods, as well as other subject content. Each credit of independent study is equivalent to 3 hours a week of work. An independent study of 3 SCH is therefore equivalent to 9 hours of work a week. Using the Independent Study/Special Problems Request Form, student must make a formal request to the instructor for approved independent study/special problems coursework and course enrollment.

An Independent Study is graded as S/U or letter grade and Special Problems Study will receive a letter grade.

Electives

Students are encouraged to take independent study courses or electives in other departments of the University of Houston or in institutions such as Rice University, UT School of Public Health, Baylor College of Medicine, UT School of Nursing School, UH Law School, and Texas Woman's University. Electives taken at the University of Houston must be designated as 8000 level courses.

Pre-Dissertation Research

Students who have completed the required and elective coursework, but have not yet successfully completed their qualifying paper or have not yet defended their dissertation proposal must take SOCW 8395: Pre-Dissertation Research to maintain continuous enrollment. Students cannot take SOCW 8399 (Dissertation) until they have successfully completed SOCW 8395. In other words, students are not permitted to register for Doctoral Dissertation (SOCW 8399/8699/8999) until after they have been admitted into candidacy (i.e., they have successfully passed their qualifying paper and defended their Dissertation proposal). Students who take SOCW 8395, in preparation for their comprehensive examinations and Dissertation proposal defense must take it on an S/U basis.

Catalog Publish Date: January 14, 2013
This Page Last Updated: December 19, 2012