Statement of Satisfactory Progress

Satisfactory progress for all graduate students (in the Masters in International Relations, the Masters of Public Policy and Administration, and in the PhD program in political science) consists in maintaining a 3.5 GPA. If in any semester a student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.5, that student will have one semester to bring his or her cumulative GPA up to 3.5, in order to remain on financial aid.

Students in either the MAIR or MPPA degree programs are also expected to complete the following deadline:

1. completing 18 credits hours before their third semester of graduate work at Baylor.

Students in the PhD program in political science (who have no prior graduate training) are also expected to meet the following deadlines:

1. completing the requirements of MA degree in political science before the beginning of their fifth semester of doctoral work at Baylor;
2. passing the PhD comprehensive exam before the beginning of their 8th semester of doctoral work at Baylor; and
3. defending a dissertation prospectus before the end of their 8th semester of doctoral work at Baylor.

Students in the PhD program in political science, who have earned an MA degree before matriculating in the program, are expected to meet the following deadlines:

1. passing the PhD comprehensive exam before the beginning of their 6th semester of doctoral work at Baylor; an
2. defending a dissertation prospectus before the end of their 6th semester of doctoral work at Baylor.

Students who do not defend their dissertation prospectus by the required semester may upon the recommendation of their dissertation mentor receive tuition remission for the following semester, as a grace period for the defense of their prospectus. Additionally, they may begin receiving their stipend once their prospectus is defended, beginning in the first pay period after their defense.