Policies and Procedures for Current Master's Students
ACADEMIC ADVISOR
• The Folklore Director, in consultation with core faculty, will assign an academic advisor based on student research interests and equitable distribution of advising responsibilities at the time of admission.
• It is a student’s responsibility to confer with an advisor, who will assist in planning a course of study consistent with the student’s interests, competence based on prior performance, and the program’s requirements. The design of a course of study remains primarily the responsibility of the student, drawing upon the counsel of the advisor.
• If an advisor takes a leave of absence or sabbatical, the student should consult with the advisor to work out a plan well in advance of the leave to determine mentoring needs during the period of leave and how they will be met. Whatever arrangements the student makes with an advisor should be mutually agreeable.
• Students wishing to change their academic advisors should consult with the Program Director.
RESEARCH COMMITTEE
By third term of their first year, students will establish a research advising committee. The research committee will serve to help guide students though their thesis/terminal projects.
The research committee members should be selected in consultation with the student’s academic advisor based on research interests and professional goals. The research committee will consist of two members: the chair must be a core folklore program faculty member, and the other should be a faculty member who has research expertise related to the student’s project.
If appropriate the academic advisor can serve as a member of the research committee.
RESEARCH COMPLIANCE
University of Oregon policy requires that students who expect to engage in research involving human or animal subjects receive approval of their research procedures prior to the collection of data. Protocol forms and a detailed explanation of procedures may be obtained from the Office of Protection of Human Subjects (541) 346-2510. The Research Clearance form must be completed, signed, and on-file in the Graduate School before data is collected. Failure to follow the required procedures below may result in a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School that the University not accept your thesis, project, or dissertation. An overview of Graduate Student Research Compliance Policy is available on the following site: http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/?page=researchCompliance
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
All Master of Arts degree candidates are required to demonstrate foreign language proficiency equivalent to second year, third term college level. Proficiency must be demonstrated within the time limit set for completion of the Folklore Program (within 7 years of your graduation date from the Folklore program, not from entrance). It may be demonstrated by (1) presenting a transcript showing successful completion of a second year, third term level language course; (2) enrolling in and passing any second year, third term level language course; (3) passing the Graduate Student Foreign Language Test (GSFLT) with a score in the 25th percentile or above; (4) negotiating and passing a proficiency test administered through one of the UO foreign language departments; (5) obtaining credit by exam; or (6) passing a language waiver test. [NOTE: Computer language is not acceptable as a foreign language.]
THESIS/TERMINAL PROJECT
Every Folklore Master's Degree shall culminate in either a thesis or a terminal project based on original fieldwork. The thesis/project must show evidence of original ideas within a theoretical framework. A thesis is a written document following the Graduate School guidelines, whereas a project is somewhat more flexible, but just as rigorous. The faculty evaluates each of these with the same expectation of quality. The project may take many forms, such as a film, slide show, or museum exhibition. The project must be archivable. Every master's terminal project and thesis should be presented at a public forum or defense.
Click *Thesis and Terminal Project Requirements* for more information.
GRADE POLICY/GPA
To remain in the Folklore Program, each candidate must maintain a B (3.0) grade point average in graduate-level course work. Any candidate falling below a 3.0 GPA will have one term to restore his/her cumulative to the 3.0 level. Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA may result in termination of a candidate's Folklore Program. Classes completed with lower than a B- will not count for the degree.
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
Each spring, academic progress shall be determined through an annual review of the candidate's records by the folklore faculty. The review will include course work, GPA, incompletes, Y grades, late work, quality of written and oral work, and progress through the program. Failure to make satisfactory academic progress may result in termination of the candidate's Folklore Program.
GRADING OPTIONS
Candidate may elect to take Folklore courses as graded only; or, with the approval of their academic advisor, may designate up to six credit hours under the pass/no pass option. Exceptions to this policy are those courses, such as thesis and terminal project, which are offered only pass/no pass.
INCOMPLETES
An incomplete may be issued when the quality of work is satisfactory but some minor requirement has not been completed for reasons acceptable to the instructor. An incomplete should be cleared within one calendar year if the course is to be included in a Folklore Program degree. Any candidate having more than two incompletes on record at one time (excluding thesis/terminal project courses) is considered to be making unsatisfactory academic progress toward the degree; his/her Folklore Program may be subject to termination. FLR 609 Terminal Project and FLR 503 Thesis credits are given incompletes until a student completes the degree at which point they are changed to “Pass”.
OPEN-END COURSES
A maximum of fifteen graduate credit hours in open-end 600 level research, reading and conference, and field studies may be used in the Folklore Program. Such open-end hours shall be distributed across all three areas.
TRANSFER CREDITS
After admission into the Folklore Program, at least thirty credit hours must be completed at the UO. Approval of the transferability of classes will be determined by a student's academic advisor. Transfer work must be relevant to the Folklore Program, be graded A, B or Pass, be taken for graduate credit, and be listed on an official transcript. Note: The graduate school requires an official transcript attached to the Request for Credit Transfer form.
JOINT CAMPUS PROGRAM
A maximum of ten credit hours taken under the Joint Campus (JC) Program may be used to fulfill Folklore Program degree requirements. However, only JC courses not offered on the UO campus will qualify for use in the Folklore Program. Under special conditions, an entire area may be taken at another Oregon State System of Higher Education institution.
ON-LEAVE STATUS & PERMISSION TO REREGISTER
A candidate may apply through the Graduate School for "on leave" status for any term (except summer) or academic year that he/she will be unable to attend the UO. Only graduate students in good standing are eligible.
The Graduate School must receive the application by the last registration day in that term, as noted in the schedule of classes. On-leave status is granted for a specific time period that may not exceed three academic terms, excluding summer session. Students with on-leave status are not required to pay fees. However, students must register and pay fees if they will be using university facilities or faculty or staff services during that term. The on-leave form is available from the Graduate School website http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/gs_770-a.html. Master's degree candidates may apply for a maximum of three academic terms of on-leave status during the course of study for the degree.
A candidate who does not apply for on leave status must file a “Request for Permission to Re-Register” form to be readmitted to the Folklore Program (and a re-registration fee will be assessed). Any candidate who re-registers is subject to all Folklore Program requirements in effect at the time of re-registration (i.e., if Program requirements have changed during the period the candidate is unable to attend -- and the candidate did not obtain on leave status -- he/she will have to meet any NEW requirements to complete the Folklore degree). The Permission to Reregister form is available on the Graduate School website at http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/forms/gs_710.pdf.
When re-registration is approved, a master's candidate must register for 3 credits for each term he or she has stopped out. If the accumulated credits total more than 16, the student may be required to enroll in more than one term of increased registration.
CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT
Unless On-leave or In Absentia status has been approved, graduate students enrolled in an advanced degree or graduate certificate program are required to be continuously enrolled, excluding summer session, until all requirements have been completed. “On-leave” status is granted to Master’s students by petition.
To remain in compliance with the Continuous Enrollment Policy, graduate students must be registered for a minimum of 3 graduate credits each term. This includes students who are taking only comprehensive exams, final examinations or presenting terminal projects. Also, students not in residence while writing a thesis, dissertation or project, but using faculty assistance, university services or facilities such as sending chapters to an advisor by mail or email for criticism must register for a minimum of 3 graduate credits per term. Registration should be for Thesis or Project credits.
For the term in which a degree is granted, graduate students must register for at least 3 graduate credits. If submitting a master's degree thesis in this final term, registration must include at least 1 of the 3 credits as Thesis (FLR 503) or Terminal Project (FLR 609).
Various on-and off-campus agencies and offices have their own course-load requirements. For example, some agencies offering student loans set registration requirements. Because the minimum registration requirements for the Graduate School may not satisfy some agency requirements, it is the student's responsibility to register for the required number of credits. The Office of the Registrar can certify a student's registration.
TIME LIMIT
While candidates take varying amounts of time to complete the Folklore Master's Degree, the average completion time is two academic years (six quarters). The typical course load for graduate students is three courses per term.
All credits to be applied toward the Folklore Program Master's Degree must be completed within a seven-year period from a student's entrance into the program.
WAIVER OF REGULATIONS
Graduate students may file a petition requesting exemption from any academic requirement. The Graduate School reviews, upon petition, the educational purpose the regulation in question was designed to serve. Please be aware that petitions are seldom granted if the only reason given is to save the student from inconvenience or expense. The petition form is available on the Graduate School website http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/forms/gs_610.pdf.
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