For matters pertaining to University academic regulations and records management, students should refer to the Enrollment and Academic Records section of the Dedman College Graduate Catalog. The policies listed below provide either additional information or supersede the general information in the Enrollment and Academic Records section of the Dedman Graduate Catalog.
General Policies
Credit Hour Loads
The unit of measure for the valuation of courses is the credit hour. Based upon the federal definition of a credit hour, each credit hour requires one hour of direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours per week of preparation on the part of students for approximately 15 weeks a term. Most courses are valued for three credit hours, i.e., three contact hours per week and at least six hours of preparation. For three-credit-hour courses deployed via different course types, modes of delivery, or calendars, the total number of direct contact hours should be equal to or greater than 45 hours with the total of out of class work total equal to or greater than 90 hours. Courses that deviate from this standard must provide documentation illustrating how the number of contact hours and/or work outside the course equate to this standard within the term in which the course is offered.
A full-time load in the fall, spring and summer terms is 9 credit hours. Individuals who enroll for fewer than 9 hours are designated as part-time students. Although classified as “part-time students”, M.S. in data science students are encouraged to enroll in either a 5-term or a 7-term track, and are fully meeting expectations for academic progress at less than 9 credit hours.
Minimum and Maximum Course Loads. Minimum and maximum course loads allowed are based on the school of record.
Enrollment Policies
Schedule Changes
The deadline for adding courses, dropping courses without grade record and changing sections for each enrollment period is listed on the Research & Graduate Studies (Data Science and Creative Technology) Academic Calendar. Students are encouraged to seek assistance from their advisers when considering whether to add or drop a course. A student may drop a course with a grade of W (Withdrew) through approximately midterm by using the my.SMU Student Dashboard. The specific deadline is listed on the Research & Graduate Studies (Data Science and Creative Technology) Academic Calendar.
After the deadline date on the Official MSDS Academic Calendar, the student may not drop a class. All schedule changes must be processed by the deadline date specified on the Official MSDS Academic Calendar. Note: Schedule changes are not complete for official University record purposes unless finalized in the University Registrar’s Office.
Withdrawal from the University
Policies on refunds for withdrawal from the University are found in the Financial Information section and in the Financial Information Bulletin . No refunds are made without an official withdrawal.
Students should be aware of the difference between a drop and a withdrawal and remember that they have different deadlines and separate financial policies. The deadlines for each are posted each term on the Research & Graduate Studies (Data Science and Creative Technology) Academic Calendar. A drop occurs when students remove one or more courses from their schedule and remains enrolled in at least one credit hour for the term. A withdrawal occurs when removing the course or courses will result in the student being enrolled in zero hours for the term.
If students remove all courses from their schedule prior to the first day of the term, the transaction is considered a cancellation and does not result in financial penalty or impact the student’s transcript.
A student who wishes to withdraw (resign) from the University before the end of a term or session must initiate a Student Petition for Withdrawal form and secure approval from the MSDS program office. The statistics and data science department will then obtain appropriate signatures and submit the form to the Office of the University Registrar. The effective date of the withdrawal is the date on which the Student Petition for Withdrawal is processed in the University Registrar’s Office. Discontinuance of class attendance or notification to the instructors of intention to withdraw does not constitute an official withdrawal.
The enrollment of students who withdraw on or before the last day of add/drop as listed on the Research & Graduate Studies (Data Science and Creative Technology) Academic Calendar. will be canceled. Courses and grades are not recorded for canceled enrollments; however, students will not be eligible for tuition reimbursement after the last day to enroll, add a course, or drop a course as indicated on the MSDS Official Dates for Terms. Additional information is available in the Financial Information Bulletin . A student who withdraws after the add/drop period will receive the grade of W in each course in which enrolled and is not eligible for a refund in accordance with the Research & Graduate Studies (Data Science and Creative Technology) Academic Calendar.
Medical withdrawals allow a prorated refund of tuition and fees and have conditions that must be met prior to re-enrollment at SMU. Medical withdrawals can only be authorized by professionals in the Dr. Bob Smith Health Center, Dean of Student Life, or Vice President for Student Affairs. The last day for a medical withdrawal is the last day to withdraw for the term from which the student is withdrawing. A medical withdrawal that is authorized for a summer term is for the entire summer term, not an individual summer session. Retroactive medical withdrawals cannot be granted.
Mandatory administrative withdrawal occurs when a student is not suspended but current and/or future enrollments are canceled or withdrawn. The student’s academic record is annotated with “mandatory administrative withdrawal” and the effective dates for this withdrawal. Mandatory administrative withdrawals allow a prorated refund of tuition and fees and have conditions that must be met prior to re-enrollment at SMU. Mandatory administrative withdrawals can be authorized only by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Student Affairs or Dean of Student Life.
Withdrawing students living in SMU housing must check out of the residence halls with the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing per established procedures.
Audit Enrollment (Course Visitor)
M.S. in data science courses cannot be audited. Non-degree seeking and non-major students can be admitted for credit into select classes.
Grade Policies
For the full grading policy, refer to the Enrollment and Academic Records: Grade Policies section of the Dedman College Graduate Catalog.
Grade of Incomplete
The policy below provides additional information for M.S. in data science students:
At the time a grade of I is given, the instructor must stipulate the requirements and completion date that are to be met and the final grade that will be given if the requirements are not met by the completion date. The instructor and the student sign an Incomplete Grade Agreement form indicating this information, with a copy of the form given to the student and to MSDS program office and with the instructor retaining the original form.
The grade of I must be resolved by the instructor who gave the grade and using the resources of the course in which the student was enrolled. A student working to complete a grade of I is not authorized to attend or enroll in a different section of the course again during a later term. Graduation candidates must clear all Incompletes prior to the deadline on the Research & Graduate Studies (Data Science and Creative Technology) Academic Calendar. Failure to do so can result in removal from the degree candidacy list and/or conversion of the grade of I to the grade indicated by the instructor at the time the grade of I was given.
Academic Advising and Satisfactory Progress Policies
Discontinuation/Readmission
A student who does not enroll in classes for between 1 and 3 terms is still considered active and is able to register for classes when they are ready to return to their studies without requiring a formal readmission process. However, a student who does not enroll for 4 consecutive terms and who did not request a formal leave of absence will have their program discontinued (“stop out”) and will no longer be considered an active student in the program.
These former students must reapply and be accepted anew in order to return to the program. If accepted, they may return to the program either in good standing or on academic probation depending on their academic record at the time of their last enrollment.
Students who request a formal leave of absence can be readmitted to the program for up to 24 months without having to re-apply.
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