Course and Credit Requirements

Degree requirements are set in part by the Graduate School and in part by the School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences. The Graduate School sets University-wide requirements for minimum scholarship (a GPA of 3.0 or higher), residence at the University of Washington, number of required credits, and continuous enrollment; SAFS determines the required curriculum and has added some credit requirements to the University minimums. Each separate requirement fulfills a different purpose.

School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Core Courses

The following courses are required for all students in the SAFS graduate program:

• QSCI 482, Statistical Inference in Applied Research, 5 credits.
• FISH 510-514, Current Topics series (offered credit/no credit only), 2 credits each; students are required to complete at least two of these courses during their graduate program. QERM 597 and FISH 578 also count toward this requirement.
• FISH 521, Research Proposal Writing, 4 credits.
• FISH 522, Hot Topics in Aquatic & Fishery Sciences (offered credit/no credit only), 2 credits.

Satisfactory Progress

Satisfactory progress toward a degree is required of all students.  To maintain good academic standing and eligibility for a degree, students must keep a 3.0 GPA, complete all milestones in a timely manner and graduate within the timeline specified by the UW Graduate School.

Student scholarship is reviewed at the end of each quarter.  Students must maintain a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 for all courses numbered 400 and above. The lowest acceptable grade in any individual course is 2.7. Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA, either cumulative or for a given quarter, automatically leads to notification from the Graduate School to which the Graduate Program Coordinator must respond. A student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will initially be warned and, if the GPA remains below 3.0, placed on academic probation. To be removed from probation, the student must raise his/her cumulative GPA to 3.0 or above.

At least once per academic year, the Graduate Program Coordinator reviews all students’ progress relative to the major milestones of the degree program. Students who fail to make the required progress will be notified of their deficiency and directed to submit a written plan for returning to schedule.  Students who do not improve their academic standing by fulfilling the SAFS requirements for a degree in an appropriate time frame will be placed on academic probation.  Moreover, any student who exceeds the University-established time limits to earn a degree (6 years for Master’s students, 10 years for Doctoral students) will be placed on probation.

In addition to quarterly review of scholarship and annual review of progress toward the degree, students should undergo an annual academic evaluation conducted by the Chair/Major Professor, usually in the Winter or Spring quarter.  A student who has not received an evaluation has the right to request one.

SAFS may academically dismiss a student for lack of satisfactory progress and request the Graduate School cancel enrollment if the student remains on probation for one or more quarters. This action can only be taken if the student was notified in writing of this possibility and given the opportunity to improve academic standing.  More information about these processes can be found in Graduate School Memorandum 16.

Course Restrictions and Course Load Limits

Only those courses numbered 400 and above can be applied toward graduate degree requirements. With permission of the student's Supervisory Committee, courses numbered 300 to 399 from departments other than SAFS may be used as minor or supporting courses to meet the residency requirements. Such courses, however, are not calculated into the GPA. No courses taken as an undergraduate, undergraduate non-matriculated or post-baccalaureate student may be applied for credit toward advanced degrees. Graduate non-matriculated students may transfer a maximum of 12 credit hours of 400- and 500-level courses if they are later accepted into a graduate program.

Full-time graduate students normally register for 10 to 18 credits per quarter during the academic year (Autumn, Winter and Spring), of which not more than 10 to 12 credits are graded courses. Some or all of a student’s enrollment may be FISH 600, 700, or 800. However, any combination of 600-, 700- and/or 800-level work may total no more than 10 credits per quarter. Please note that full time enrollment during the Summer is 2 credits—students are strongly encouraged to register only for this minimum unless enrolled in a specific course (e.g. FISH 491).

Transfer Credit

A student may petition the Dean of the Graduate School to transfer a maximum of 6 graduate-level credits (400-level or above),earned as a graduate student in another recognized graduate school, to satisfy UW Master’s degree requirements. Such credits do not reduce the residency requirement at the University of Washington. A student may also transfer up to 12 Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM) credits earned at the University of Washington toward a Master’s degree. Note that the maximum number of graduate-level credits that can be transferred is 12: no more than 6 credits from another school and no more than 12 UW GNM credits or any combination thereof. Credits earned as a post-baccalaureate or regular non-matriculated student cannot be applied to a graduate program.

Transfer credits cannot be applied to a PhD program.

For more information regarding the acceptance of transfer credits, students should refer to the Graduate School’s Student Services webpage.

Continuous Enrollment

During the academic year (Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters), students must maintain continuous enrollment by being registered full or part-time, registered in absentia, or have petitioned for on-leave status (see below). Students are not required to register or go on leave during Summer quarter. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment will result in being dropped from the University and reapplication will be required to resume studies.

Students who hold a teaching or research assistantship must be registered for the minimum credits required during their appointment period (a minimum of 10 credits during Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters, and 2 credits during Summer quarter). For this purpose, audited courses do not count toward the minimum enrollment requirement.

On-Leave Status

Graduate students who plan to be away from the University and out of contact with the faculty and facilities for a period not to exceed four consecutive quarters must petition to go on leave. Students who do not take an official leave of absence will be considered withdrawn from the University.  On-leave petitions may be obtained from the Student Services Office and must be approved by the Graduate Program Coordinator before the quarterly deadline. Approval of on-leave status is contingent upon a supporting letter from the student's Major Professor stating the effect that taking leave will have on the student’s academic progress. If approved by the School, the petition must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office in Schmitz Hall by the fifth day of the quarter. On-leave status reserves a student's place in the Graduate School and permits the student to use the library, be eligible for language competency examinations, and retain access to e-mail accounts. The student on-leave is not entitled to any of the other privileges of a regularly enrolled student, including extensive consultation with faculty.

To return to the University from leave, the student should register in the usual way via MyUW. Registering cancels any remaining leave period. If circumstances require a continued absence, the student must petition again and proceed in the same manner as for the initial leave of absence. The student's record of previous on-leave quarters and satisfactory progress will be considered when assessing whether an additional on-leave period will be approved.

UW Graduate School Degree Requirements

For a complete listing of the UW Graduate School Degree Requirements (which do not include SAFS Degree Requirements), visit the Graduate School’s Student Services webpage.

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