Department of Political Science University of Missouri-Columbia College of Arts and Science

Graduate Program - Good Academic Standing

  • Students are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher at the end of the first semester.
  • Students are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher at the end of the second semester and each semester thereafter.
  • In determining GPAs, incompletes or delayed grades shall be counted as C's except in continuing research courses (PS 8085, 8090, 9970, and 9090).
  • The M.A. program must be completed within five years of the first semester of enrollment.
  • All required courses for the Ph.D., as well as comprehensive exams, must be completed within five years of the first semester of enrollment in the graduate program.
  • Ph.D. students are expected to successfully defend the dissertation prospectus by the end of the semester in which they pass their comprehensive examinations.
  • Doctoral candidates must successfully defend the dissertation within five years of passing the comprehensive exam.
  • All degree candidates who are enrolled full time are expected to complete the following courses by the end of the first year: PS 7000, PS 7010, PS 9000. Exceptions are made only when these courses are not offered in a given year, or there are extenuating circumstances. All of these courses were offered annually.