Graduate Academic Request

This form should be used to request a variance, transfer of graduate credit, admissions status change or workload waiver.

This form may be submitted by either a student or a representative of a graduate program.

Who are you submitting this request as? (Student, Graduate Program Representative (DGS, Department Staff, Mentor etc.))

Before submitting:

Select the appropriate request type. Additional questions will appear based on your selection.
Provide complete and accurate student information.

After submission, requests will be routed electronically to the appropriate reviewers, which may include:

Director of Graduate Studies or designee
Unit Dean or designee (when required)
Graduate School (Vice Provost/Dean)

The student and/or program representative will be notified throughout the process and once a final decision has been made.

Please note: Submission of this form does not constitute approval. Requests are evaluated in accordance with Graduate School policies and may require additional information before a decision is rendered.

Submitter and Department Information

Submitter Name

Submitter Email Address

Submitter Department Name

Submitter Title

Student Information

Student ID Number (7-digit number)

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Current Academic Unit

Current Academic Program

Department Chair Name

Department Chair Email

What was the initial admit term to the current program?

Is the student requesting to graduate in the current term?

Type of Request

What type of request are you submitting?

What type of variance request are you submitting?

Transfer of Credit Request

How many graduate credit hours are you requesting to transfer?

PLEASE NOTE: Requests to transfer more than 6 graduate credit hours require a Graduate School variance. You will be asked to provide additional justification and supporting documentation as part of this request.

Course 1

Name of Institution Where Credit Was Earned

Course Number

Course Title

Course Hours

Course Grades

Semester Taken

Equivalent UofL Course Number and Prefix (e.g., BE 560, ASNB 601)

Do you have another course to add?

Course 2

Name of Institution Where Credit Was Earned

Course Number

Course Title

Course Hours

Course Grades

Semester Taken

Equivalent UofL Course Number and Prefix (e.g., BE 560, ASNB 601)

Admissions Status Change Request

Review the admission status definitions below before selecting the appropriate option:

Good Standing – Admitted without conditions. All required application materials have been received, and the student meets the Graduate School and program admission requirements.
Provisional (PROV)– Admitted with missing application materials. Required documents must be submitted within one semester.
Special Conditions (SPCO) – Admitted with a complete application but academic deficiencies. Must satisfy program-defined conditions.
Provisional / Special Conditions (PSPC) – Admitted with both missing application materials and academic deficiencies. Must submit missing documents and satisfy program-defined conditions.
Provisional Probation (PPRB) – Admitted by approved admission variance despite not meeting minimum requirements. Must satisfy program-defined conditions.

What was the student's admission classification at the time of admission?

What conditions were placed on the student at the time of admission? (Information can be confirmed by viewing the student's admission letter)

Why is the student's admission status being updated? (Select all that apply.)

Please provide any additional details or explanation for your request.

GA Workload Waiver Request

Graduate assistants who are supported by an assistantship, either as a GRA (research), GTA (teaching) or GSA (service), are limited to 20 hours of work per week on service related to the graduate assistantship. However, students may be eligible to work an additional 9 hours per week with the possibility to earn income for the work. Graduate students are first and foremost students, and the additional work must provide professional development for the student. The Chair of the student’s department or the Director of Graduate Studies must complete the form every semester the student seeks additional work. The duration of the additional work is typically within one semester

International students who have an F1 VISA may be eligible for this waiver, but they must abide by UofL policies, which limit the amount of additional work for both domestic and international students to 9 hours per week over the course of the semester, as well as federal regulations governing Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for F1 VISA holders.

If a student is funded as a GRA by an external source, submission of this waiver affirms that the request falls within the student’s current funding source regulations on additional aid. The Dean of the Graduate School, or the Dean’s designee, must approve requests for students to perform additional work, based upon the information requested below. If the request is approved, the person who initiated the request will be notified.

Year in Program

Type of current Graduate Assistantship

Please describe/outline - what will the student be doing and how is the nature of the additional work different from what is required for their current assistantship?

Explain how the additional work provides a professional development opportunity for the student

Please affirm that the student is in good standing in the program and that the work will not impede or slow the student's progress towards their degree.

Please estimate the average number of hours per week the student will work. (Cannot average more than 9 hours per week).

If student is working on a limited or individual service, please estimate the total hours the student will spend on this activity

Will the student be paid for this work?

Where will this work be performed?

Please provide the term of additional service/work (limited to one semester)

Please provide the start date of additional service/work (limited to one semester).

Name of Student's Mentor (if applicable)

Email of Student's Mentor (if applicable)

Name of Student's Thesis Chair (if applicable)

Email of Student's Thesis Chair (if applicable)

Grades of C
A maximum of 6 credit hours with a grade of C+, C, or C- may count toward a graduate degree with program approval. Requests to count more than 6 credit hours (up to a maximum of 9 credit hours) require approval from the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs. Courses with grades below C- cannot be applied toward degree requirements. Individual programs may have more restrictive policies.

Graduate Catalog Policy

Are you requesting approval to count more than 6 credit hours with a grade of C+, C, or C- toward the degree?

Leave of Absence
Students who will interrupt their graduate studies for more than one term may request a Leave of Absence if they are in good standing. Leaves are approved by the academic unit for up to one year; a second year requires approval from the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs. Students on leave may not enroll, receive university services, or graduate until they return to active enrollment.

Graduate Catalog Policy

What is the reason for the leave of absence?

Other (please explain)

How long is the requested leave?

Has the student previously been granted a leave of absence?

Is the student currently in doctoral candidacy?

Nine Month Rule
Doctoral students must be admitted to candidacy at least nine months before their degree is awarded.

Graduate Catalog Policy

Has the student been admitted to doctoral candidacy?

Will fewer than nine months have elapsed between candidacy approval and degree conferral?

Why is an exception to the nine-month candidacy requirement being requested?

Other (please explain)

Overload
Students requesting to enroll above the maximum credit hour limit must obtain approval from their unit dean.

Graduate Catalog Policy

Is the student currently in good academic standing?

How many credit hours is the student requesting to enroll in?

Why is the overload being requested?

Other (please explain)

Continuous Enrollment
Students must maintain continuous enrollment throughout their program. Students enrolled in coursework must register each Fall and Spring term. Students admitted to master's or doctoral candidacy must maintain continuous enrollment in Fall, Spring, and Summer (one summer registration is required).

PLEASE NOTE: Students must also be enrolled in the term in which they graduate.

Graduate Catalog Policy

Is the student currently enrolled?

Is the student requesting to graduate in the current term?

Why did the student fail to maintain continuous enrollment?

Other (please explain)

Residency for Doctoral Students
Doctoral students must complete at least two years of study at the University of Louisville, including one year of full-time residency. Full-time residency is defined as 18 graduate credit hours completed within a 12-month period.

Candidacy registration does not count toward the residency requirement.

Residency for Master's Students
Master's students must take at least 24 credit hours of coursework at the University of Louisville to satisfy the residency requirement for the master's degree.

Graduate Catalog Policy

Why is an exception to the residency requirement being requested?

Other (please explain)

Time Extension

Doctoral: Students must complete all degree requirements within four years of passing the qualifying examination. Extensions require approval from the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs.

Master's: Graduate credit earned more than six years before degree completion cannot be applied toward the degree unless an extension is approved by the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs upon recommendation of the academic unit.

Graduate Catalog Policy

What type of extension is being requested?

Why is an extension being requested?

Other (please explain)

Transfer Credit

Students may transfer up to 6 graduate credit hours with program approval. Requests to transfer more than 6 credit hours (up to 12 total), coursework more than 3 years old, or courses graded Pass (P) require additional approval. Transfer credit must be from an accredited graduate institution, earned with a grade of B or better, and meet all Graduate School policy requirements. Thesis, practicum, internship, and other culminating experience credits are generally not transferable.

Graduate Catalog Policy

What type of transfer credit request is being submitted? (Select all that apply)

Other (please explain)

Does the request include any of the following? (Select all that apply)

Variance Request
Please provide a detailed justification for this request. Include the circumstances supporting the variance, why an exception is warranted, and any relevant information that will assist in the review of the request.

Are you requesting to transfer more than 6 graduate credit hours and have already added 2 courses in the "Transfer of Credit Request" section?

Course 3

Name of Institution Where Credit Was Earned

Course Number

Course Title

Course Hours

Course Grades

Semester Taken

Equivalent UofL Course Number and Prefix (e.g., BE 560, ASNB 601)

Other(Please describe)

Rationale:

Do you have any documents to upload?

Documentation Upload

Please provide any additional information or documentation supporting this request.

University of Louisville Transcript

Other University/College Transcript (If you have two or more separate transcripts, please combine them into a single file before uploading.)

Medical Records

Supporting Documents