Divisional Academic Policies

Good Academic Standing

All Students: Enrollment

All full-time students, following federal financial aid regulations, must be enrolled quarterly in course work and must maintain good academic standing in their program of study.

Doctoral Students

Good academic standing for doctoral students is determined throughout the year by the student's home program. For more information, please review this section of the student manual. Additionally, in the summer, the Graduate Financial Aid office reviews student records for federal loan eligibility, in compliance with federal financial aid regulations. To determine whether a doctoral student is in good academic standing in a given academic year in accordance with federal financial aid regulations and remains eligible for federal loans, grades must have been entered by the end of the spring quarter for all courses of each previous academic quarter during which the student was enrolled.

Spring Review

Spring review is a process in which departments review students for good academic progress during Spring Quarter. This can be the evaluation and assessment of coursework, grades, program participation, exam scores, and milestone marker completion. For students who are post-candidacy, there will be a yearly writing requirement needed for submission to show academic progress. The Dean of Students Office will review this process with departments and will assist in communicating the outcome of these evaluations if there are concerns about the student's progress.

Advanced Studies

All doctoral students who are enrolled in fewer than 300 units (typically 3 courses) will be enrolled automatically in an “Advanced Studies” course, which will carry up to 300 units of course credit. The instructor of record for this course will be the Director of Graduate Studies of the student’s program.

All students enrolled in this course must receive a grade for the course for every quarter and the grade will be recorded by the Director of Graduate Studies or a faculty designee. The DGS will confer with the faculty advisor and others, as appropriate, to ensure that each student is making satisfactory academic progress and will assign either a grade of “satisfactory” (S) or “unsatisfactory” (U). A grade of "unsatisfactory" (U) is to be entered in a particular quarter if a student’s academic advisor communicates to the Director of Graduate Studies that the student is not making satisfactory progress or if a student has not met specific academic requirements set by a department. A student scheduled to graduate in a particular quarter must be assigned a grade by the convocation grade deadline for that quarter.

Academic Probation

A doctoral student who receives a grade of “U,” who fails to meet other milestone markers or departmental policies articulated in a department's handbook, or who receives a poor evaluation following Spring Review may be placed on academic probation. The department will communicate with the student in collaboration with the Dean of Students Office who is not making satisfactory academic progress and what the expectations are for the student to return to good academic standing in accordance with department policy. If the student fails to meet specified expectations during their academic probation, the student may be administratively withdrawn. Some departments have very clear milestone markers delineated for students which do not account for an academic probation timeline, but rather immediate administrative withdrawal, i.e. failing comprehensive exams a set number of times, failing to submit a Qualifying Paper or receive a failing grade for a set number of times on a QP, etc.

Multi-Year Masters Students

Satisfactory academic progress for students in multi-year masters programs is determined:

Quarterly by the program for academic purposes and
In the summer by the Student Loan Administration for federal loan eligibility, in compliance with federal financial aid regulations.

To determine whether a student in a multi-year masters program is making satisfactory academic progress in a given academic year in accordance with federal financial aid regulations and remains eligible for federal loans, grades must have been entered by the end of the spring quarter for all courses of each previous academic quarter during which the student was enrolled.

Masters programs may have additional requirements and expectations as it pertains to satisfactory academic progress, including academic probation parameters and withdrawal designations as outlined in their program handbooks.

One-Year Masters Students

Satisfactory academic progress for students in one-year masters programs is determined:

Quarterly by the program for academic purposes and
Quarterly by the Graduate Financial Aid office for federal loan eligibility in compliance with federal financial aid regulations.

To determine whether a student in a one-year masters program is making satisfactory progress in accordance with federal financial aid regulations and remains eligible for federal loans, grades must have been entered by the end of each quarter for all courses in which the student was enrolled.

Masters programs may have additional requirements and expectations as it pertains to satisfactory academic progress, including academic probation parameters and withdrawal designations as outlined in their program handbooks.

Further Information

For more information about the federal aid regulations and satisfactory academic progress, please see the Graduate Financial Aid Office's policy here.

Academic departments and programs may have additional requirements as it pertains to this policy that students must adhere to during the course of their program.

Incomplete coursework (I, NGR, blank)

For various reasons, students may find themselves unable to complete their coursework by the end of the quarter and may need to make formal arrangements with the instructor to take a grade of "I", Incomplete, in that class. Instructors are not required to grant a grade of "I" and will adhere to program specific policies about granting a grade of “I”. Students should use the Incomplete Request Form found on the divisional website to communicate with their faculty. If the instructor agrees to grant a grade of "I" to reflect that the course work is incomplete, the instructor will indicate in writing (via the Incomplete Request Form) what work remains to be completed, the deadline to complete the outstanding work, and what the grade will be if the student fails to complete that work by the deadline. A grade of "I" cannot be carried from one academic year into the next academic year. If no specific deadline for the course work to be completed is set by the course instructor, the default deadline for completion of the work is the start of the autumn quarter of the next academic year. The course instructor is expected to evaluate the completed work as quickly as feasible upon receipt. After the work has been completed, and when a quality grade is submitted with the Office of the Registrar before the start of the autumn quarter of the next academic year, no intervening “I” will be recorded.

Please note that if no formal arrangements are made to receive an I grade, a faculty member may leave the grade blank or assign a NGR (no grade reported). The below encompasses any I, NGR, or blank grades.

If the work is not completed by the deadline set by the instructor or by the start of the autumn quarter of the next academic year, a grade of “UW” will be recorded. A “UW” indicates an “Unofficial Withdrawal” and bears no point value and does not confer credit. Beginning in AU26, students who receive a UW grade for missing coursework from the previous year will be placed on academic probation by the Dean of Students office in the 2nd week of Autumn Quarter and provided a deadline for the end of Autumn Quarter to submit the work necessary to receive a quality grade. Departments will be notified and included on all communications. If the work is not submitted by the end of Autumn Quarter, the student will be administratively withdrawn.

If there are concerns from a student that a faculty member is not grading their submitted coursework, they should contact the Dean of Students Office at ahd-dos@uchicago.edu to review. The Dean of Students Office will work with the faculty to ensure grading occurs before the end of Autumn Quarter. If coursework is provided after a UW is given, faculty have a limited time in which they may change the UW to a quality grade.

Additionally, a student may choose not to complete the coursework for a given class for a variety of reasons. In this instance, a student may formally request from the instructor prior to the end of the quarter, a grade of “R,” which means “Registered” or “Audit.” This status has no point value and does not confer credit. Grades of “R” are either assigned by the instructor or arranged in advance by the student via the registration process. Instructors are not required to grant a grade of "R” if requested outside of the registration process. Students may be required to take a new course to fulfill the given program requirement.

This policy conforms to other divisional and university requirements.

Academic departments may have additional and stricter requirements as it pertains to this policy that students must adhere to during their program.

Related Documents: Incomplete Request Form.pdf

Students seeking a joint Ph.D. may petition to be admitted into a second department only after completing at least one year in a Ph.D. program.

Students in the Division enrolled in a doctoral program may be permitted to pursue a joint program with another doctoral program in the University leading to a joint degree in both programs. Students admitted to such a joint program pursue a specific course of study depending on their research and professional interests and must satisfy all the requirements of both doctoral programs.

Permission to pursue a joint degree is a privilege extended only to those students who have demonstrated in their work a record of uncommon excellence and who can convincingly demonstrate that they will be able to complete the requirements for each of the two degrees within the maximum time period a student is accorded enrollment status.

Students interested in such a course of study should begin by discussing this option with their Director of Graduate Studies followed by a conversation with Director of Graduate Studies in the other program. They should subsequently meet with the Assistant Dean of Students for Admissions to discuss their interest and the process to petition for the joint degree.

Students may apply to pursue a standing or an ad hoc joint degree program. Contact your department to find out about available standing joint degree programs.

Admission to a Joint Degree Program

Students wishing to pursue a joint degree program must petition to be admitted into a joint program, whether it is a standing program or an ad hoc program. Students who meet the standards of admission for the second program are, upon approval, admitted to joint degree status. They are not considered to have transferred into the second program, but the original doctoral program remains their sole program for purposes of registration and financial aid including dissertation year fellowships. Students in a joint doctoral program generally will be assigned two faculty advisors, one whose primary appointment is in the original department and one whose primary appointment is in the second department. When a faculty member has an appointment in both departments, one faculty advisor suffices.

The student is to articulate in writing the nature of the research to be undertaken and why training in two doctoral programs is needed. The faculty of each doctoral program will review the proposed project and certify whether the joint course of studies forms an integrated academic whole.

A petition for a joint degree will not be entertained before the end of the first year of studies.

Petition Process

To file a petition for a joint doctoral degree, students should submit the following documents to the Dean of Students office:

A statement of intellectual interests that includes both programs
Academic work already accomplished and work to be completed to meet the degree requirements of each program
Pedagogical training already completed and training yet to be completed to meet the requirements of each program
At least two letters of endorsement for the program, one from a faculty member in each department; letters should address why the joint degree is necessary for the applicant's doctoral work and the applicant's ability to complete the additional requirements within the standard framework for satisfactory academic progress
A curriculum vitae

The petition to pursue an ad hoc joint degree program will be reviewed and needs to be approved by:

The Chair of the student’s original department
The Chair of the department the student wishes to join
The Dean of Students in the Division of the Arts & Humanities
The Dean of Students of the student’s home Department if other than the Division of the Arts & Humanities
The Dean in the Division of the Arts & Humanities
The Dean in the Division of the student’s home Department if other than the Division of the Arts & Humanities
The Deputy Provost for Graduate Education

The petition to pursue a standing joint degree program, such as between Philosophy and Social Thought, will be reviewed and needs to be approved by:

The Chair of the student’s original department
The Chair of the department the student wishes to join
The Dean of Students in the Division of the Arts & Humanities
The Dean of Students of the student’s home Department if other than the Division of the Arts & Humanities

Joint Degree Requirements

The requirements for the joint degree are the separate requirements for each degree as normally administered in the separate departments. There are no separate or additional requirements of the joint degree program. The Director of Graduate Studies of each department will articulate in writing the nature of the program requirements that the student is to complete, including coursework, examinations, teaching, and language requirements. In general, any overlapping requirement need only be met once if each department would otherwise consider it met for a student not in the joint degree program.

Overlapping course requirements may be jointly counted toward each degree and language requirements common to the two departments need only be met once. Examination requirements for each program must be fulfilled. Typically this involves separate examinations for each program, but in cases where there is disciplinary overlap between the two programs, relevant examinations may be counted jointly towards both programs’ examination requirements, with approval of the Director of Graduate Studies in both departments.

Programs have defined pedagogical training requirements, and joint PhD students are expected to meet the requirements of both programs. As part of the application review process, both programs will determine whether any similar requirements may be considered to overlap.

Proposal requirements must be separately satisfied in both departments and the dissertation will be defended before both departments. The dissertation must meet the dissertation requirements of each department. There will be one dissertation committee with members from both departments. Each department must approve the dissertation separately even though there is a joint defense.

Dissertation Committee

A critical step in the progress towards the degree for doctoral students is the formation of the dissertation committee. Students should plan ahead in forming and maintaining their dissertation committee. The dissertation committee must be established by the time the student is admitted to candidacy.

The Division recommends that a dissertation committee consist of at least three and no more than five members. In some departments the dissertation advising structure is such that the dissertation committee may consist of two to three faculty members. The majority of the committee members must be University of Chicago faculty; any exception has to be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Department Chair. The dissertation chair must be a faculty member in the student's home department. Each doctoral program is to articulate which academic personnel are eligible to serve on a dissertation committee and make this information easily accessible to students.

Students are expected to discuss the composition of the dissertation committee with the dissertation chair or the Director of Graduate Studies. Students typically choose as the dissertation chair a faculty member with whom they have worked on the development of their dissertation topic. The role of the dissertation chair is to supervise the timely progress of the student's development of the dissertation topic, the research and writing of the dissertation, and to support the student in working with other dissertation committee members. The membership of the dissertation committee may be modified in consultation with the dissertation chair or the Director of Graduate Studies, as long as the dissertation committee adheres to the dissertation committee requirements stated above.

The role of dissertation committee members is to provide feedback on the dissertation within a reasonable time period. Generally, this means that dissertation committee members read chapters, provide written or oral responses and participate in the dissertation defense.

Dissertation Timing

Starting in Autumn Quarter 2026, the quarter in which a PhD student successfully defends the dissertation will be the student’s final quarter of enrollment. The full policy is published in the Student Manual. We encourage all PhD students, and especially those who are planning to graduate next year, to review the new policy and discuss any potential implications for their defense timing and graduation planning with their dissertation committees.

In summary:

The quarter in which a PhD student successfully defends the dissertation is the final quarter in which the student may be enrolled and funded, regardless of whether they graduate that quarter or in a future quarter.
Students are expected to submit their approved dissertations to Knowledge@UChicago, the University’s open access repository, during the quarter in which they defend. Students who are unable to deposit their dissertation prior to deposit deadlines in the quarter of their dissertation defense are expected to meet deposit and graduation deadlines for degree completion in the following quarter, during which they will be placed in a non-registered status, which will affect student privileges. Students should consult with their Dean of Students and the Office of International Affairs to understand implications. If graduation does not occur during the quarter following the defense quarter, the student will be administratively withdrawn and must consult with their Dean of Students for appropriate processes for graduation in a future quarter.
Students and dissertation committees should plan the date of defense carefully, paying attention to the Office of the Registrar’s deadlines for graduation application and the library’s deadlines for dissertation submission.
In rare cases where major revisions are required after the defense, and these required revisions will necessitate significant research and writing such that the student needs to stay enrolled beyond the quarter of defense, students may be approved by the Dean of Students for one additional quarter of enrollment.
1. For AHD students, a request form can be submitted to the Dean of Students Office following receipt of dissertation results. Note: Submitting this form does not mean automatic approval. The Dean of Students will follow up with the student after consultation with the department/committee.

The current policy that permits students who submit their approved dissertation by Friday of the first week of a quarter to choose whether or not they wish to be registered in that quarter will be eliminated after the first week of Autumn Quarter 2026. This option originated in a time when PhD students were responsible for out-of-pocket tuition, fees, and health insurance and is outdated now that the University funds these costs for PhD students.

The revised policy does not change the fundamental principle that finalizing the dissertation and deciding on the appropriate time for defense remains a conversation between students and their committees

Dissertation Defense Process

The dissertation defense is one of the most important moments in a graduate student’s career. When a student is deemed to be ready to defend the doctoral thesis, the student is the expert in a particular research area. At the defense the student is expected to cogently and clearly explain their research and how it fits with other scholarship in the field of study. The exact nature of the oral defense may vary by discipline and department, so it is important that the student talk to the dissertation committee chair about what to expect and how to prepare.

The defense typically lasts about two hours and may be open to the public. The defense aims to accomplish two goals. First, it will provide an occasion for the presentation and recognition of the completed doctoral work. Second, it will furnish the opportunity for discussion and formal evaluation of the dissertation.

The timing of the defense will be set by the student in consultation with the dissertation committee. Students should contact their departments to schedule the dissertation defense. Note that some departments do not schedule examinations in summer. The student should send copies of the dissertation to the members of the committee no later than three weeks prior to the defense. The time and place of the defense shall be announced on the department’s calendar of events.

The chair of the student's dissertation committee and at least one other committee member must be present in person unless there is a reason for a remote defense should that be what the participant wants and the dept/committee approves. In the case that a committee member is unable to attend in person, the committee member may participate by Skype or other teleconference media and dissertatoin will be held in a hybrid format. The defense must be open to all faculty within the department. Broader attendance will be left to the discretion of the student in consultation with the committee.

The dissertation defense shall be an open presentation by the student on the main aspects of the research reported in the dissertation, followed by questions, comments, and discussion. The chair of the dissertation committee or a designee shall act as the moderator of this discussion and shall have discretion to decide whether questions are germane to the topic of the dissertation. After discussion is completed, the departmental faculty in attendance and the dissertation committee will decide privately whether the dissertation defense has been satisfactory.

The dissertation chair or designee will report the results as soon as possible after the dissertation defense to the Dean of Students office by submitting a signed Report of Final Examination and a Dissertation Defense Form. If the manuscript is to undergo revisions, the student will be informed of the timeframe in which the revisions are to be completed.

Dissertation Submission

A final copy of the dissertation must be submitted following the procedure outlined on the Dissertation Office website and by their timelines The defense should be held in sufficient advance of this deadline to allow revisions recommended by the student's dissertation committee.

Students should contact the Dissertation Office no later than early in the quarter in which they intend to graduate in order to resolve any questions or problems they may have in preparing the dissertation. The Dissertation Office staff is willing to look at a draft of the dissertation. Having them do so avoids both the expense and headache of having to re-format the dissertation. They offer a schedule to help students plan for a smooth process to meet these deadlines.

Additional requirements including where the dissertation must be submitted is available at: https://studentmanual.uchicago.edu/academic-policies/dissertation-requirements/

Academic departments may have additional requirements as it pertains to this policy that students must adhere to during the course of their program.

The University of Chicago is a community of scholars dedicated to research, academic excellence, and the pursuit and cultivation of learning. Every member of the University—student, faculty, and staff—makes a commitment to strive for personal and academic integrity; to treat others with dignity and respect; to honor the rights and property of others; to take responsibility for individual and group behavior; and to act as a responsible citizen in a free academic community and in the larger society.

From the Student Manual of University Policies and Regulations:

The Division of the Arts & Humanities aspires to be a community in which the commitments of a free academic community are upheld and in which students and faculty cultivate excellent relations. If questions or grievances about an academic matter arise that need to be addressed the following procedures are recommended. Students should bring concerns about an academic matter forward in a timely manner, and the concern should be responded to as expeditiously as is feasible. Academic matters include but are not limited to such matters as course grades, teaching assignments, publication rights, timely feedback on academic work, timeliness of letters of recommendation, and application of policies and practices.

Complaints or Disputes about Grades and Academic Evaluations

Faculty have the authority and the responsibility to assess the academic performance of their students. Only the instructor who gave the course, examination, or evaluation has the authority to change the assessment of the students' performance. Similarly, the evaluation of students' academic progress and standing in the program is the prerogative of the department faculty.

Learning how to communicate with instructors and other faculty about confusion or concern around fairness in grading and evaluation is an important skill, and students may respectfully request explanations of grading decisions and feedback about how performance can be improved. If a student feels that a grade has been assigned unfairly or improperly, they should discuss their concerns with the instructor directly, consult with advisers within their program or department, or bring concerns to and seek advice from the Dean of Students. If a department has a prescribed formal grade appeal process, students can follow those procedures to contest a grade.

A grade dispute or complaints about other academic evaluations may be evidence in support of a formal grievance, but these complaints cannot constitute a formal grievance on their own.

Abuse of Authority - Formal Grievance Policy and Process

The formal grievance policy establishes a process by which currently enrolled graduate students in the Division of the Arts & Humanities and those on an approved leave of absence can file a formal grievance alleging abuse of authority by faculty, other academic appointees, postdoctoral researchers, or staff.

The policy also offers options for resolution through informal means and information about offices and individuals who can support students in resolving conflicts or addressing concerns. Informal resolution is available to all students and should be the first recourse for addressing all conflicts, concerns, or complaints. A concern does not have to involve allegations of abuse of authority in order for it to be resolved through informal methods. Likewise, complaints that do involve allegations of abuse of authority can often be addressed informally without needing to go through a formal grievance process. Absent exceptional circumstances, the Division of the Arts & Humanities requires that students attempt informal resolution before proceeding to file a formal grievance and will support students in these attempts.
In the case where a Arts & Humanities student has a potential grievance alleging abuse of authority by someone outside of the Division of the Arts & Humanities, students should follow the grievance policy of the Arts & Humanities Division.

In extraordinary circumstances, students may request that a grievance case be handled by the Office of the Provost. If a student wishes to submit a grievance case to be handled by the Provost’s Office, they must provide supporting rationale for why their case cannot be fairly heard within the Division of the Arts & Humanities. Please consult the University Grievance Policy for Graduate Students for more information.

To submit a formal grievance complaint alleging abuse of authority, please review the attached policy document and click here.

Related University Policies

Allegations of sexual harassment, misconduct and unlawful discrimination are addressed exclusively under the University's Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct and Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment. More information about these policies and options for reporting and support are available through the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs.

Complaints about student conduct involving possible violation of University policies and regulations and other breaches of standards of behavior should always be brought to the attention of the Dean of Students. For more information, please see University Disciplinary Systems and Disciplinary System for Disruptive Conduct.

Allegations of academic fraud (e.g. plagiarism; fabrication or falsification of evidence, data, or results; the suppression of relevant evidence or data; the conscious misrepresentation of sources; the theft of ideas; or the intentional misappropriation of the research work or data of others) should also be brought forward in accordance with procedures established in the University’s Policy on Academic Fraud.

Issues related to the conduct of members of the University of Chicago Police Department should always be directed to the University’s Safety & Security Complaint Process.

Related Documents: Arts & Humanities Division Grievance Policy

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Divisional Academic Policies

Good Academic Standing

All Students: Enrollment

Doctoral Students

Spring Review

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Further Information

Incomplete coursework (I, NGR, blank)

Admission to a Joint Degree Program

Petition Process

Joint Degree Requirements

Doctoral Programs

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Dissertation Committee

Dissertation Timing

Dissertation Defense Process

Dissertation Submission

Complaints or Disputes about Grades and Academic Evaluations

Abuse of Authority - Formal Grievance Policy and Process

Related University Policies