Graduate Course Designation Policy

Policy Number: KC-ACA-3730
Date Revised: Spring 2019
Last Modified: Feb 5, 2024
Effective Date: AY 19-20
Approved By: Graduate Council, SGS Dean, Provost
Sponsor(s): Provost
Responsible Office(s): School of Graduate Studies, Registrar, Departments and Programs

Policy Statement

Course designations

Courses numbered 5000 and above are generally open only to regularly admitted graduate students.

Courses numbered 5580 to 5589 generally are reserved for seminars, workshops and special topics. Consult individual degree programs for possible restrictions on such offerings. The course numbers 5590 to 5598 usually are reserved for non-thesis research, directed studies and readings. Courses numbered 5599 are restricted to research leading to a thesis. No more than 40 percent of courses numbered 5590 to 5599, or other courses which fall in the categories listed above for that course number range, may be applied to a graduate degree program of study, with the exception of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. study.

Courses numbered 5695 to 5699 are restricted to research leading to a dissertation. Continuous Graduate Enrollment is numbered 5899.

Courses numbered 300 to 499 are upper division undergraduate courses. Graduate students who enroll in such courses have the option of designating them, at the time of enrollment, as “not for graduate credit.” If the student chooses this option, the grade will not be included in the student’s graduate grade-point average and the course may not be included on the graduate program/plan of study and will not count toward a graduate degree.

Courses numbered 300- or 400-level may be accepted for graduate credit, based on the following stipulations:

Supplementary work (e.g., additional readings, projects, papers and contact hours with the instructor) is assigned and appropriate assessment demonstrates graduate-level competency and achievement in the subject, as approved by the Graduate Council.
The course must be completed with a grade of B- (2.7) or better.
The total number of 300- to 400-level courses applied to the requirements for a graduate degree may not exceed 40%. For students in the PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies program, 300-400 level courses can comprise only 33% of the total number of courses on the approved Interdisciplinary Ph.D. plan of study.

Courses at the 100- and 200-level are not available for graduate credit and will not be applied toward the number of hours required for a graduate degree.