Grace Semester for Graduate Students
During the semester a student defends (or re-defends) a thesis, Plan B paper, or dissertation, or takes final oral examinations, the student must be registered for at least 3 credits. Doctoral and master's Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C students will be given until the last day of the next semester (spring, summer, or fall, known as a grace semester) following the defense to finish degree requirements. If a student has not completed all degree requirements by the end of the grace semester, the student must pay a $100 Late Completion Fee for each semester following the grace semester. If working with faculty involves more than routine submission of the thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School, registration for 3 or more credits is required. If all degree requirements are not complete within one year of a successful defense, the major professor must submit to the vice provost of graduate studies a letter, signed by all members of the supervisory committee, justifying why the student should not be required to re-defend the thesis, Plan B paper, or dissertation.
- Students who wish to retain access to IT(Box, Eduroam, VPN, Computer Labs) and library services during their grace semester should register for USU 7777.
- Students who wish to use university facilities in addition to IT and library services, can pay the fees associated with the 5-credit tuition amount at the Registrar's Office.
USU 7777 allows international students to have a semester similar to the "grace semester" available to domestic students (certain stipulations apply—see department or Graduate School for complete course details; registration is done with the Office of Global Engagement and Graduate School). The purpose of the course is to maintain the "in-status" classification with ICE without paying tuition. Therefore, because the course is not associated with any credits, students who enroll are ineligible for graduate assistantships or subsidized health insurance. International students who would like to register for USU 7777 should meet with the Office of Global Engagement prior to registration to review visa requirements and time limits.
For more information, please reference the Degree Completion page on the Graduate School website or contact your Graduate Program Coordinator.
For further assistance, please contact your Department IT Support or the IT Service Desk