Registration

Students must register via the Student Hub. Procedures to do so are available on the Office of the University Registrar's website. Consult the Academic Calendar for important registration dates.

Students are encouraged to obtain advisor approval of course selections each semester. This approval is required for all assistantship recipients and by some departments for all students. Students should check with individual departments for specific guidelines. 

Students are expected to only complete the courses and semester hours required for the degree or certificate. Any courses taken outside of those requirements must be approved by the director of the graduate program.

Transfer Credit

For general regulations concerning transfer credit in Northeastern University's graduate degree programs, please visit Regulations Applying to All Degree Programs.

Degree students may petition to transfer credit through their departments to the College of Social Sciences and Humanities Graduate Office by completing the Transfer Credit form on the Office of the University Registrar's website. An official transcript must be attached to the petition. 

Awards

Only those students who are registered in degree programs are eligible for awards. Award recipients will receive an official award letter from the CSSH Graduate Office. Please pay attention to this letter as it is an official contract that should be read carefully. In order to maintain awards, students must be making satisfactory progress toward their degrees. Please refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress section below for more information. 

Students receiving a Stipended Graduate Assistantship must be in full-time status and be registered for a minimum of 6 semester hours. The standard duration of the SGA funding window is five years beginning from the time of admission and is not changed based on the source of funding or if the stipend is declined in any given semester(s). The health plan fee (NUSHP) is covered by the SGA award whereas the University Health and Counseling Services fee is not. Students on an SGA must be available to come to campus during normal business hours and are expected to spend 20 hours per week supporting their assignment. Unsatisfactory progress in either the graduate program or performance in assistantship-related duties or any deviation from the above may result in the early termination of the assistantship. Near the end of each funded term, student performance will be evaluated by their assignment supervisor and that evaluation will be filed with the CSSH Graduate Office.

CSSH Dean’s Scholarship and Excellence Fellowship recipients must be in full-time status and be registered for a minimum of 8 semester hours.

Withdrawal from Courses

To withdraw from a course, a student must drop the course via the Student Hub within the deadlines as established by the Office of the University Registrar. Consult the Academic Calendar for more information.

Satisfactory Academic Progress 

Satisfactory academic progress means satisfying requirements in the graduate program's general regulations and in the regulations specified by each department.

The college sets minimum standards for all students to fulfill, including: 

  • Maintaining the graduation requirement of a cumulative grade-point average of 3.000 (3.500 for doctoral programs) in their coursework
  • Timely completion of coursework
  • Timely completion of comprehensive/qualifying examinations

Departments and programs may have additional requirements that exceed those of the college. These requirements can be found in the Academic Catalog and department guides. Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress may result in academic probation or dismissal from the program. 

Receipt of financial support administered by the college is contingent on satisfactory academic progress toward the degree and on meeting department-specific guidelines. The college requires that all students receiving awards will generally have two semesters to reach a 3.000 GPA. Students whose cumulative GPA is below 3.000 (3.500 for doctoral programs) will be reviewed by their departments and by the CSSH Graduate Office and may have their funding terminated on recommendation of their department or by decision of the college in consultation with their department. In addition, continued funding for SGAs is contingent on satisfactorily carrying out duties as assigned.

Students enrolled in a program offering a cooperative education or internship option must be approved to participate. A minimum GPA of 3.000 is required at the time the co-op job or internship begins. Some departments may require a higher minimum GPA for co-op. Please refer to the Academic Catalog for program-specific information. 

Leave of Absence

Full-time students who will not be involved in any academic endeavor for a period of time are required to petition via the Request for Leave of Absence form on the Student Hub. The CSSH Graduate Office will not accept retroactive leave requests. Please note that if a student is requesting a leave for medical reasons, a Medical Leave of Absence form must be completed. Students should contact University Health and Counseling Services.

Leaves of absence generally are not approved for more than one calendar year at a time. Further, a leave of absence is generally not appropriate for an international student on a student visa, unless the student is leaving the United States. The student must consult with an international student advisor at the Office of Global Services.

Leaves of absence are not appropriate for master’s or doctoral students who are working on a thesis or dissertation but are away from the Northeastern campus.

Except in the case of medical leaves, being on an approved leave of absence does not extend the amount of time allowed for degree completion or the makeup of incomplete grades.

Time Limitations

Graduate course credits earned in the program of graduate study or accepted by transfer are valid for a maximum of seven years.

If students wish to apply for an extension of the university's seven-year time limit, they must submit a petition to their department of study. The petition must include a detailed plan for the completion of all remaining degree requirements. In the case of master’s time-limit extension requests for coursework, the department must certify that the content of each of the courses has not changed since the time the student completed the course. If deemed appropriate, the department will recommend the approval of an extension to the college. The associate dean has final approval of time-limit extensions.

Application for the Diploma

Application for the diploma is made by applying to graduate. More information is available on the Commencement website. Even though all other degree requirements may have been met, the application to graduate must be completed in order to assure that the degree will be conferred on the appropriate graduation date. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that degree requirements have been met. Once degree requirements have been met, the student will be cleared for commencement. Please note that there are no honors distinctions awarded at the graduate level.

Changes in Requirements

The continuing development of the college may result in regular revision of curricula. When curriculum changes are made, students are allowed to complete the degree requirements of the program when they matriculated. If a student wishes to complete the degree requirements of the new curriculum, the student may request this in writing to the CSSH Graduate Office via gradcssh@northeastern.edu.