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Table of Contents
Information for Both Programs and Students ............... 1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
Shared Governance of Graduate Education: The Graduate Council ............................................................... 1
Graduate Council Review of Graduate Programs ............................................................................................ 2
Doctoral Degree Programs .............................................................................................................................. 2
Financial Support for Graduate Study ............................................................................................................. 3
Doctoral Student Support Models and Appointment Types ............................................................................ 4
Teaching Appointments ................................................................................................................................... 4
Teaching Assistants ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Teaching Assistant II ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Teaching Fellows............................................................................................................................................. 5
Teaching While Receiving Support from External Funding ........................................................................... 5
Research Assistants ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Proctors ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
Fellowships ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
External Funding Information ......................................................................................................................... 7
External Funding Incentive Policy .................................................................................................................. 7
Scholarships ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
Advanced Status .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Summer Support .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Non-Performance or Disciplinary Action ........................................................................................................ 8
Funding Beyond Brown’s Support Guarantee ................................................................................................. 8
Master’s Degree Programs .............................................................................................................................. 9
Terminal Master’s Degrees – Program Structure and Matriculation ............................................................... 9
5
th
Year Master’s Degrees ............................................................................................................................. 10
Master’s Degrees en route to the PhD (Transitional Master’s) ..................................................................... 10
Concurrent PhD/Master’s Degree.................................................................................................................. 10
Concurrent Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree ....................................................................................................... 11
Integrative Studies ......................................................................................................................................... 12
PhD in Integrative Studies ............................................................................................................................. 12
Master’s in Integrative Studies ...................................................................................................................... 12
Directors of Graduate Study .......................................................................................................................... 12
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Program Handbooks ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Changes in Status .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Academic Standing and Warning Policy ....................................................................................................... 13
Academic Standing ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Deadlines for Evaluation and Notification .................................................................................................... 14
Warning Letters ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Actions and Deadlines for Withdrawing a Student........................................................................................ 15
Deadlines for Alerting Students on Warning Status by Term ....................................................................... 15
Evaluation of Students with TA or RA Appointments Outside of their Home Program ............................... 16
Implications of Enrollment Status for Financial Aid and Student Loan Deferral .......................................... 16
Enrollment Satisfied, Requirements Pending (ESRP) Status ........................................................................ 16
Visiting Research Fellows and Non-Degree Students ................................................................................... 17
Visiting Research Fellows ............................................................................................................................. 17
Visiting Fellow Processing Table .................................................................................................................. 18
Non-Degree Graduate Students ..................................................................................................................... 19
Non-Degree (Visiting) Students .................................................................................................................... 19
Non-Degree (Postdoctoral) Students ............................................................................................................. 20
Non-Degree Graduate Student Processing Table .......................................................................................... 20
Non-Degree Student Information Table ........................................................................................................ 22
Information Primarily for Programs ............................ 24
Admissions .................................................................................................................................................... 24
Guiding Principles ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Admission Committees ................................................................................................................................. 24
Recruiting ...................................................................................................................................................... 24
Limits on Recruiting ...................................................................................................................................... 25
Applications ................................................................................................................................................... 26
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) ...................................................................................................................... 26
Privacy of Applications ................................................................................................................................. 26
Early Matriculants ......................................................................................................................................... 26
Advisors and Advising .................................................................................................................................. 26
Selection of Advisor/Mentor ......................................................................................................................... 26
First-Year Advising ....................................................................................................................................... 26
Student Records ............................................................................................................................................. 27
Changes to the Curriculum ............................................................................................................................ 27
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New or Revised Graduate Programs.............................................................................................................. 28
New Graduate Courses .................................................................................................................................. 28
Guidelines for New Course Syllabi ............................................................................................................... 28
Financial Support for Doctoral Students: The Brown Guarantee .................................................................. 29
Student and Alumni Achievement Awards ................................................................................................... 29
Information for All Graduate Students ........................ 30
Coursework ................................................................................................................................................... 30
Tuition Unit versus Academic Credit ............................................................................................................ 30
Grading Standards ......................................................................................................................................... 31
Grade Options ................................................................................................................................................ 31
Graduate Credit ............................................................................................................................................. 31
Brown Summer and Continuing Studies Program ......................................................................................... 31
Deadlines ....................................................................................................................................................... 32
Grades of INC (Incompletes) ........................................................................................................................ 32
Conference and Research Travel Funds ........................................................................................................ 32
Language Requirements ................................................................................................................................ 32
English Language Proficiency ....................................................................................................................... 32
Foreign Language Requirements ................................................................................................................... 33
Application of Prior Graduate-Level Coursework ......................................................................................... 33
Limits ............................................................................................................................................................ 33
Transfer for Credit or Research ..................................................................................................................... 33
Applying for Transfer Credit ......................................................................................................................... 34
Registration at Other Universities ................................................................................................................. 34
Cross-Registration ......................................................................................................................................... 34
Steps for Cross Registering at Harvard ......................................................................................................... 34
Steps for Cross Registering at RISD ............................................................................................................. 35
International Mobility Programs.................................................................................................................... 35
Employment, Health Insurance, and Loans ................................................................................................... 35
Outside Employment: Students on a Stipend-Based or Research Appointments .......................................... 35
Outside Employment: Students Not on a Stipend-Based Appointment......................................................... 36
Student Health and Dental Insurance ............................................................................................................ 36
Student Loans ................................................................................................................................................ 36
Leaves of Absence ......................................................................................................................................... 37
Categories of Leave ....................................................................................................................................... 40
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Family Leave of Absence .............................................................................................................................. 40
Medical Leave of Absence ............................................................................................................................ 41
Professional Development Leave of Absence ............................................................................................... 42
Probationary Leave of Absence ..................................................................................................................... 42
Personal Leave of Absence ............................................................................................................................ 43
Leaves and Progress in the Program .............................................................................................................. 43
Filing a Dissertation or Thesis While on Leave ............................................................................................ 43
Readmission from Leave ............................................................................................................................... 43
Accommodations ........................................................................................................................................... 44
Short Term Medical Accommodation ........................................................................................................... 44
Support for Student Parents ........................................................................................................................... 45
Parental Relief Support .................................................................................................................................. 46
Part-Time Status ............................................................................................................................................ 47
PhD ................................................................................................................................................................ 47
Master’s ......................................................................................................................................................... 47
Financial and Legal Implications of Part-Time Status .................................................................................. 47
Codes of Student Conduct ............................................................................................................................. 48
Academic and Student Conduct Codes .......................................................................................................... 48
Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment .......................................................................................................... 48
Grievance Procedures .................................................................................................................................... 48
Commencement ............................................................................................................................................. 48
Prizes and Awards ......................................................................................................................................... 48
Procession and Ceremony ............................................................................................................................. 48
Post-Graduation ............................................................................................................................................. 49
Student Privileges .......................................................................................................................................... 49
Alumni Relations ........................................................................................................................................... 49
Student Records ............................................................................................................................................. 49
Information Primarily for Doctoral Students ............. 50
Dissertation Advisor and Committee ............................................................................................................. 50
The Dissertation Committee .......................................................................................................................... 50
Policy on Advisors Who Have Left Brown ................................................................................................... 50
Policy on Emeriti Faculty .............................................................................................................................. 50
Admission to Candidacy ................................................................................................................................ 51
Extension of Candidacy ................................................................................................................................. 51
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Conducting Research Away from Brown ...................................................................................................... 52
Conducting Research and Travelling Abroad ................................................................................................ 52
Exchange Scholar Program ........................................................................................................................... 53
Submission of Dissertations and Theses ........................................................................................................ 53
Filing of Dissertations and Policy on Public Access to Dissertations ........................................................... 53
Deadlines ....................................................................................................................................................... 54
Formatting Guidelines ................................................................................................................................... 54
Information Primarily for Master’s Students .............. 54
Master’s Theses: Policy on Emeriti Faculty .................................................................................................. 54
Financial Aid ................................................................................................................................................. 54
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Information for Both Programs and Students
Introduction
This handbook contains the policies, procedures, and rules applicable to graduate education at
Brown University. Individual graduate programs often have additional or complementary
policies, procedures, and rules. In the event of a conflict between the policies, procedures, and
rules of an individual graduate program and this handbook, this handbook will take precedence.
This handbook supersedes any conflicting information that may appear elsewhere on the
Graduate School website. The information contained in this handbook is subject to revision and
change by the Graduate School at any time.
Please remember that every official step in a graduate student’s career, such as passing
preliminary exams, completing a thesis, or changing advisors requires written notification
of the Graduate School, and/or Registrar.
If you are unsure about which steps in a graduate
student’s career requires written notification, please write to [email protected].
Shared Governance of Graduate Education: The Graduate Council
Brown University’s Faculty Rules and Regulations delegate certain powers with respect to
graduate education to the Graduate Council. They specify that the Graduate Council shall consist
of the Dean of the Graduate School, who chairs the council; the Dean of Medicine and
Biological Sciences or their designee; the Dean of Engineering or their designee; the Dean of
Public Health or their designee; the Dean of the School of Professional Studies or their designee;
the University Librarian; and eight other members of the Faculty chosen by the Dean of the
Faculty and four graduate students chosen by the Graduate Student Council. The University
Registrar, the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning are invited as ex-officio, non-voting
guests. Assistant and associate deans of the Graduate School and School of Professional studies
may be invited as non-voting, ex-officio members.
The Graduate Council’s duties are to set policy for graduate education at Brown, subject to the
approval of the faculty and the Board of Fellows. Such policy includes the conditions for
admission and the procedures for the award of graduate fellowships and scholarships, the
supervision of degree requirements, the approval process for new courses and other
modifications of existing degree programs, and approval and recommendations to the faculty
regarding new degree programs.
The Graduate Council also regularly reviews graduate programs in consultation with the
departments and makes annual reports to the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC) and the faculty
of its activities during the preceding year.
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Graduate Council Review of Graduate Programs
As part of its regular review of graduate programs, the Graduate Council review is now tied to
the external review schedule. The Graduate Council normally conducts its review two to three
years after a program’s most recent external review.
The goal of the review is to provide a forward looking opportunity for reflection and assessment
as programs approach the mid-point between external reviews. The Graduate Council asks
programs to summarize the external review report, the departmental response to the report, and
the impact of their efforts to address points of concern from the review. In collaboration with the
program, the Graduate Council reviews steps taken in response to the review as well as further
actions that might be taken in the remaining years until the next external review to more fully
address the areas for improvement highlighted by the previous review.
Doctoral Degree Programs
Brown University has over 50 PhD programs and awards more than 200 doctor of philosophy
degrees annually. (A full listing of all PhD programs can be found here on the Graduate School
website.) The Brown PhD is primarily a research degree though teaching is an important part of
many doctoral programs, and most departments require candidates for the PhD to develop
teaching experience.
Students admitted to any PhD program at Brown University are guaranteed at least five academic
years of support that includes a stipend, full tuition scholarship, health insurance, dental
insurance, and coverage of the University health services fee. Students admitted to any PhD
program in the sciences or humanities are guaranteed a sixth year of funding. All University-
based student support is subject to a student’s remaining in "good academic standing" in their
graduate degree program, as well as fulfilling the responsibilities associated with their
appointment.
There are four general requirements for the doctor of philosophy:
1.
Admission.
The candidate must be formally admitted to a degree program.
2.
Residence.
The normal residency requirement is the equivalent of three academic years
of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree. Students who enter a PhD program at Brown
already holding a Master’s degree in a related field have a residency requirement equivalent to
two academic years of full-time study upon entering the PhD program at Brown. Use of a
previously earned Master’s degree to reduce PhD residency requirements is contingent upon
approval of the program’s Director of Graduate Study.
Graduate work conducted at other institutions and not used in fulfillment of the requirements for
any doctoral degree elsewhere may, on the approval of the program’s Director of Graduate
Study, be counted in fulfillment of up to, but not more than, one year of the residency
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requirement. A student who desires credit for work conducted elsewhere should file a timely
application with their program’s Director of Graduate Study. Transfer credit forms are available
through the Office of the Registrar.
Some graduate student appointments, such as Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Proctor,
and Teaching Fellow, typically require being on campus regularly. In order to be employed by
the University when an appointment does not require being on campus regularly, the student
holding the appointment must nevertheless reside in a location where Brown is registered to do
business.
3.
Advancement to Candidacy.
A student is advanced to candidacy for the PhD upon
satisfactorily completing all the requirements, departmental and general, requisite to beginning
work on the dissertation. Requirements for candidacy are determined by the department or
program of study. Most departments require the completion of specified coursework plus
passage of a preliminary examination or examinations or a qualifying paper before advancing
any student to candidacy.
4.
Dissertation.
The candidate must present a dissertation on a topic related to their area of
specialization that presents the results of original research and gives evidence of excellent
scholarship. The dissertation must be approved by the supervising faculty under whose direction
it is written.
Financial Support for Graduate Study
The Graduate School at Brown University guarantees incoming doctoral students five academic
years (six in the case of students in the Humanities and Social Sciences) of support that includes
a stipend, full tuition scholarship, health insurance, dental insurance, and coverage of the
University health services fee subject to their remaining in "good academic standing" in their
graduate degree program, as well as fulfilling the responsibilities associated with their
appointment. The support may take the form of a Teaching Assistantship, Research
Assistantship, Fellowship or Proctorship. All such assignments form part of the student’s
professional training and are viewed as integral to the student’s academic development.
The guarantee of financial support only refers to the first five years of study (six in the case of
students in the Humanities and Social Sciences) in the Graduate School; it does not refer to years
of support that can be used at any time, or that can be used in addition to external support. This
support includes a stipend, tuition, health insurance, dental insurance, and the health services fee.
The Director of Graduate Study (DGS), in consultation with students and other faculty in the
program, and the deans in the Graduate School, decides the most appropriate form of support
(e.g., fellowship, teaching assistantship, research assistantship, etc.) for each doctoral student in a
given year. All such appointments are made by virtue of the student’s status as a graduate student
at Brown and are seen as an integral part of the student’s academic training. The flexibility of
this approach helps to ensure that, within the constraints of other departmental needs, doctoral
students receive the type of appointment that is most appropriate for their current level of
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professional development and that will support their progress through the program. The Graduate
School coordinates with those programs that support many of their students on external grants in
order to determine exactly how to integrate the needs of graduate students with those of the
faculty securing those grants, and the conditions of the grants themselves.
Doctoral Student Support Models and Appointment Types
The diversity of funding resources for doctoral education implies that funding models for
supporting doctoral students vary by discipline. Even within a single graduate program, support
models are flexibly defined to accommodate the needs of individual students as well as external
fellowships and grants. Note that some forms of external funding enable students to take
Advanced Status or Professional Leaves, which “stop the clock” for the University funding; see
below for details. In most cases, Graduate School support will be in the form of a teaching
assistantship, a teaching fellowship, a research assistantship or an approved proctorship.
Appointments are made on an annual or semester basis on the recommendation of the
department. Double work appointments are not allowed. In some areas, students may also
receive one, or at most two, years of fellowship support through the Graduate School. Please
consult with your program about typical funding models for its students.
Teaching Appointments
Teaching is an integral part of doctoral training at Brown. Students are expected to teach as part
of their professional training and scholarly apprenticeship. Teaching assistantships and teaching
fellowships are awards made by programs to students in good standing. In some cases, a student
whose academic standing is “satisfactory” or “warning,” as opposed to “good,” may be
appointed as a teaching assistant or teaching fellow, but academic standing may be a reason for
not making such an appointment. A violation of the Academic Code, Code of Student Conduct,
or any other University policies, rules, or procedures may also be a reason for not appointing a
student as a teaching assistant or teaching fellow. Appointments are made by the Graduate
School on the basis of departmental recommendations. Double appointments are not allowed.
Students whose primary language is not English must pass a panel evaluation of their English
proficiency shortly after arrival and before teaching. Evaluations are conducted by the program
in English for International Teaching Assistants. Students whose English language skills require
further support will be enrolled in an English-language training course during the first semester.
Students in a Teaching Assistantship should consult with the faculty member teaching the course
for which they are a teaching assistant, their DGS, and the staff of the Sheridan Center for
Teaching and Learning in developing teaching strategies. Students experiencing difficulty in the
performance of their teaching duties may be referred to the Sheridan Center, but teaching
assistants should not wait until there are difficulties to seek guidance.
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Teaching Assistants
A Teaching Assistant (TA) assists a faculty member both inside and outside the classroom on
activities related to the teaching of a particular course. The nature of the tasks may vary
depending on the teaching needs of the individual department. TAs are supervised by a faculty
member and do not have primary responsibility for the design or implementation of a course.
Appointments are made in the sole discretion of the Graduate School on the basis of
departmental recommendations.
The duties of a TA vary across courses and departments and examples of standard duties may
include some classroom teaching, the presentation of occasional lectures, leading discussion
sections, preparing and supervising labs, conducting tutorials, holding office hours, grading
papers, problem sets, quizzes, and examinations, and other programmatic duties for a course.
Programs often assign graduate students to courses according to their interests and areas of
expertise, broadly defined; however, a student’s teaching experience is greatly expanded by
teaching assignments outside of their immediate area of expertise. A full appointment should not
exceed an average of 20 hours per week over the course of the semester. Doctoral students who
serve as Tas (or TA II’s, see below) receive tuition, health insurance, dental insurance, the health
services fee, and a stipend.
Teaching Assistant II
A Teaching Assistant II (TA II) is a TA who has primary responsibility for instruction and
grading of a particular course. This does not include guest lecturing or irregular and infrequent
instruction of a course section. Appointments are made in the sole discretion of the Graduate
School on the basis of departmental recommendations.
Teaching Fellows
A Teaching Fellow (TF) is an advanced student with teaching experience who is responsible for
the design and teaching of their own course. Teaching Fellows bear primary responsibility for
the gradable component of a course and serve as the instructor of record. Eligibility for
appointment as a Teaching Fellow varies across departments. Appointments are made in the sole
discretion of the Graduate School on the basis of departmental recommendations.
Doctoral Students who serve as Teaching Fellows receive the same support as a Teaching
Assistant but with a slightly higher stipend. As with a teaching assistantship, the time required of
the appointment should not exceed an average of 20 hours per week over the course of the
semester.
Teaching While Receiving Support from External Funding
Teaching is an important part of the academic training students receive while at Brown.
Therefore, students supported by external funding sources can be Teaching Assistants or
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Teaching Fellows in certain instances. Students who are appointed as TAs, TA IIs, or TFs while
receiving external funding will not receive an additional stipend for the teaching assistantship,
but the regular incentive funding policy applies. Details of the External Funding Incentive Policy
can be found on the Graduate School website.
Research Assistants
A research assistant (RA) works with faculty on the faculty member’s academic and research
projects, both at the University and in the field. RA research duties vary across departments and
projects, and are thus administered independently by each department and/or investigator. The
University and the Union acknowledge that due to the nature of research and education in the
sciences, the research being conducted by an RA on behalf of a principal investigator may also
be, in whole or in part, in furtherance of the Graduate Student Employee’s thesis. Normally the
time devoted to being an RA should not exceed a maximum of 20 hours per week, unless the
research being conducted is integral to the RA’s academic research. Doctoral students who serve
as Research Assistants receive a stipend, tuition, health insurance, dental insurance, and the
health services fee.
Proctors
Graduate Student Employees assigned as Proctors serve in non-instructional positions with an
academic department, degree program, or through another research, academic, or administrative
office. Proctors perform work (research, program development, projects, etc.) that is pre-defined
and relevant to the appointing department or office’s academic objectives. Proctorships involve
appointing a departmental faculty or staff as a mentor to supervise the proctorship. These
positions are intended to foster the professional development and/or research interests of
Graduate Student Employees. Under no circumstances are proctors to be used for general
administrative work. Appointments are made in the sole discretion of the Graduate School on the
basis of departmental recommendations and programmatic need.
Proctors appointed outside of academic departments either provide assistance in the
implementation of the appointing office’s ongoing programs, or they engage in other activity
(research, program development, projects, etc.) that is pre-approved and relevant to the
appointing office’s academic objectives.
Proposals from nonacademic departments for extra-departmental proctorships that are relevant to
students’ professional development or research interests may be made to the Graduate School at
any time. Ideally, such proposals will originate as the result of a consultation between a
particular campus office and the Graduate School. Funding for extra-departmental proctorships
are determined on a case-by-case basis.
All proctorship appointments must be proposed by the originating department or office and the
Director of Graduate Study in the student’s home department, and must be approved by the
Graduate School. For details on this process, please see the Graduate School’s page on
Proctorships.
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Fellowships
Doctoral students appointed to fellowships receive tuition, health insurance, dental insurance, the
health services fee, and a stipend. During semesters in which their primary appointment is a
University-funded fellowship, they are not normally expected to serve as teaching assistants or
research assistants. Regarding fellowships funded by external grants, see above.
External Funding Information
The Graduate School strongly encourages students to independently seek external funding.
Receiving a fellowship award is a sign of distinction, and writing grant applications is an
important part of students’ professional development. For information on funding opportunities,
please consult the Graduate School’s webpage.
External Funding Incentive Policy
It is vitally important that graduate students gain the recognition and the experience entailed in
applying for, and winning, competitive grant funding. This experience will be a central part of
post-graduate life, whether inside or outside of the academy. In order to encourage graduate
students to gain this experience as part of their professional development and educational
experiences at Brown, the Graduate School has created a policy to reward students who secure
funding from sources outside the University. Details of this policy may be found on the Graduate
School’s webpage.
Scholarships
Students who would otherwise be supported with a stipend may apply to the Graduate School to
retain their tuition, health services fee, and health insurance scholarships in instances when, with
permission of their graduate program, they are opting out of a stipended appointment. Such
circumstances may include students opting to study out of residence, when they would otherwise
be appointed to a residence-based appointment, or seeking an alternative to a professional
development leave. In exceptional circumstances, students may request with approval of the
Graduate School to defer funding commitments for the duration of a scholarship semester.
Advanced Status
Students within the five-year guarantee who have completed their residency (24 tuition-unit)
requirement and plan to be away from Brown for a semester or the academic year conducting
dissertation research and who choose to defer Brown stipend support may apply for Advanced
Status. Students approved for advanced student status are considered full-time students and
receive full tuition coverage, as well as coverage of the annual health and dental insurance
subsidy.
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Students who are interested in Advanced Status must write to their DGS to express their interest.
The DGS will then communicate this to the Graduate School. Receipt of tuition and health/dental
insurance scholarship does not count toward the years of Graduate School guaranteed support.
Summer Support
Doctoral students are guaranteed summer support for the first four summers in the program (five
in the case of students in the Humanities and Social Sciences). Summer support is provided
specifically to enable students to make progress toward the successful and timely completion of
the degree. This may include conducting research, preparing for preliminary exams, and working
on the dissertation. The most appropriate use of this time will vary by program, and programs
have some flexibility in determining the activity most appropriate while students are supported in
this manner. Students should consult with the Director of Graduate Study or the research advisor
about projects for the summer months.
Students in the Life and Physical Sciences are typically supported during the summers on grant
and department-based funding. Students in the Humanities and Social Sciences are typically
supported by the Graduate School during these summers.
Non-Performance or Disciplinary Action
Students should be mindful of the fact that teaching, research, and proctorship appointments are
part of their professional training. Such appointments establish a student’s responsibility to the
faculty and students within the academic unit. Performance in these appointments is also a
component of a student’s academic review and standing. Students who fail to perform in their
funded Graduate School appointments (as RAs, TAs, fellows or proctors) may be withdrawn
from the University and/or have their funding suspended under the following conditions:
●
negligence or intentional misconduct,
●
failure to appear for activities required by the appointment,
●
failure to complete work by deadlines,
●
inappropriate behavior in the classroom or laboratory, or
●
violations of the University’s policies, rules, and procedures, including but not limited to
the Academic Code and Code of Student Conduct.
Grounds for termination must be presented in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School, who
shall make the final determination.
Funding Beyond Brown’s Support Guarantee
In some cases, the completion of the dissertation will require more than five years for students in
the Life and Physical Sciences and more than six years for students in the Humanities and Social
Sciences. Students needing to continue their studies beyond Brown’s support guarantee can find
support opportunities through specific research projects and various fellowships.
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Additionally, the Graduate School has made support available for students in the Humanities
beyond their funding guarantee. Those Graduate School funds are pooled with departmental
resources and provide full and partial tuition scholarships and, when budget allows, grant health
insurance. Details about Dissertation Extension Proposal (DEP), for students beyond year 6, can
be found on the Graduate School website.
Master’s Degree Programs
The Graduate School awards Master’s degrees as terminal degrees or during ordinary progress
toward a PhD. Master’s degrees awarded at Brown are the Artium Magistri (AM degree),
commonly referred to as the Master of Arts degree, the Scientiae Magistri (ScM), commonly
referred to as the Master of Science degree, Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Public Affairs
(MPA), Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Business Administration (MBA) and
Master of Public Health (MPH).
The minimum requirements for a Master’s degree are admission to a program and successful
completion of eight graduate-level courses. Individual departments and programs may have
additional requirements regarding the number of required courses, proficiency in languages other
than English, special examinations, consultancies, and theses. All work to be used in fulfillment
of the requirements for a Master’s degree must be completed within a period of five years.
Graduate work conducted in graduate residence at other institutions may be offered in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for a terminal Master’s degree. This coursework should be
approved prior to the first semester of registration in courses by the Director of Graduate Study
or Program Director and by the Registrar’s Office. One post-graduate course may be transferred
to an 8-course Master’s program. Students in programs that require more than 8 classes should
confirm with the Registrar’s Office the number of courses taken at other institutions that may be
transferred toward their Brown degree, pending approval of the program.
Students who have been admitted into graduate programs that also offer a PhD may apply to the
PhD program while they are enrolled as Master’s students. These applications will be evaluated
in the context of all applicants to the PhD program during that admissions cycle.
Terminal Master’s Degrees - Program Structure and Matriculation
Every program has a pre-determined structure and pattern of matriculation. Deviation from the
program structure and standard matriculation pattern by a student can affect time to completion
and tuition cost. There can also be visa implications for international students who deviate from
the standard pattern of matriculation. Examples of deviation are: adding an extra course,
dropping a course, or changing a course for credit to audit
. Any student contemplating a
deviation from the set program structure should first seek approval from the Director of
Graduate Study or Program Director. Once approved, the program’s administrator will
send a request for approval to the School of Professional Studies or, in the case of MFAs,
the Graduate School.
Additional information can be found on the Registrar’s website.
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For the table of standard matriculation patterns by program, please see here.
5th-Year Master’s Degrees
The 5th-year Master’s degree program (additional information found on the Graduate School
website) allows Brown undergraduates to continue at Brown for a Master’s degree after
completing their bachelor’s degree. With the approval of the Master’s program, up to two
courses taken as an undergraduate but not counted toward the undergraduate concentration may
be counted toward the Master’s degree. Students who use two undergraduate courses to count
toward the Master’s degree cannot transfer a graduate course taken at another school.
Students must apply for the 5th-year Master’s program before they complete their undergraduate
degree. Admission must be approved by the department in which the Master’s degree is sought
and by the Graduate School. While a student must be enrolled as an active undergraduate student
at the time of application, admission to the graduate program can be deferred for up to two years
with approval of the program.
Students apply using the Graduate School’s online application and selecting the 5th-year
Master’s program. They should work with the department or program to complete the associated
paperwork.
Master’s Degrees en route to the PhD (Transitional Master’s)
Students enrolled in doctoral programs can, with the approval of their graduate program, earn the
Master’s degree en route to the PhD, as long as they do not already hold a Master’s degree in the
same field of study. Please note that receipt of a Transitional MA means that a student cannot
later request an ScM in the same field, or vice versa where available.
Sometimes a student enrolled for the PhD leaves the program and completes the master’s
instead. In that case, the student should log on to UFunds to fill out a status change form,
indicating the change in degree.
International students should be sure to consult with OISSS about the transitional master’s
degree and the most appropriate time for obtaining it.
Concurrent PhD/Master’s Degree
In addition to obtaining a Master’s degree in the field of the PhD on the way to the doctoral
degree, it is possible, with approval of the Directors of Graduate Study and the Graduate School,
for doctoral students to earn a concurrent, terminal Master’s degree from Brown in a program
different from the PhD program. Degree requirements for a transitional Master’s degree in the
field of the PhD and terminal Master’s degree in a second field must be separately met; no
courses or theses may be counted for more than one Master’s degree.
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Work on a concurrent Master’s degree should be part of an integrated plan of study that leads to
the PhD in the student’s doctoral program. Approval of the plan of study for the concurrent
Master’s degree must be obtained from the Directors of Graduate Study in both graduate
programs. Students seeking approval for pursuing a Concurrent Secondary Master’s Degree
while they are in a PhD program must complete the Application for a Second Master’s Degree
Outside of the PhD Program via UFunds.
Concurrent Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree
In some exceptional circumstances students may combine their last year or two years of
undergraduate study with graduate study to complete both a bachelor's degree and a Master’s
degree in eight or nine semesters. More information on this concurrent degree, including a link to
the application form, can be found on the Graduate School website.
Integrative Studies
Brown University has a long tradition of creating, encouraging and fostering interdisciplinary
and multidisciplinary programs. Students who propose scholarly work that crosses disciplinary
boundaries and cannot be accommodated within an existing program are eligible to file an
application for a degree in Integrative Studies.
PhD in Integrative Studies
To pursue an Integrative Studies PhD, students must have already been admitted to an existing
doctoral program. After completing one semester of full-time graduate study, students may apply
for permission to enroll as a doctoral student pursuing integrative graduate study. Only current
PhD students enrolled in one of the existing PhD programs may apply for the PhD in Integrative
Studies. Students who are approved for the PhD in Integrative Studies must designate a home
program for administrative purposes. Students are encouraged to contact the relevant dean in the
Graduate School to discuss the program and for advice about the application process.
The application is submitted to the Graduate Council and includes, at a minimum, the following
components:
●
A proposal detailing a plan of study. This should be reviewed and approved by the Director of
Graduate Study in the program to which the student was admitted and a faculty advisor(s) in
the relevant field(s).
●
A statement of rationale for pursuing the PhD in Integrative Studies rather than in an existing
doctoral program.
●
Written statements of support by the Director of Graduate Study in the program to which the
student was admitted and a faculty advisor(s) in the relevant field(s).
●
Statements verifying the continuation of support in accordance with the five-year guarantee.
The completed proposal is submitted to the relevant dean in the Graduate School, who will make
it available to the Graduate Council for their consideration and approval.
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Master’s in Integrative Studies
In exceptional circumstances, students internal and external to Brown may apply for permission
to enroll as a Master’s student pursuing integrative graduate study. Students are encouraged to
contact the relevant dean in the School of Professional Studies to discuss the program and for
advice about the application and admission process. The Graduate Council reviews and decides
all applications to the Integrative Studies Program. Students may apply at any time during the
academic year but no later than the first Tuesday in April if they would like to enroll in the
following fall semester.
The application process proceeds as follows:
●
Students identify a Brown faculty advisor for their program of study.
●
Students write a proposal detailing a plan of study. It should include the rationale for the
program, the curriculum, an explanation of the curriculum, and the degree type (AM or
ScM). The proposal should include a completion timeline and specify how many courses will
be taken each semester. The faculty advisor must review and approve this document.
●
The faculty advisor and Director of Graduate Study (if there is one in the department with
which the student would be associated) submit letters of support. These letters must address
the rationale for the plan for study.
●
For administrative purposes, Integrative Studies Master’s students are considered students in
the department of their advisor, even if that department does not have an existing Master’s
program.
●
Students who are not already enrolled in a Master’s or doctoral program at Brown apply
using the regular application portal. Before they do so, they should notify the relevant dean in
the School of Professional Studies, who will open the application for them. Students should
upload the proposal and letters of support as part of the application. They should also submit
all of the other regular application components, including unofficial transcripts. Note that
applicants are expected to submit three letters of recommendation that can address their past
academic and/or relevant professional performance.
●
Students who are already enrolled in a Master’s or doctoral program at Brown submit the
materials directly to the relevant dean in the school of professional studies. The letters of
support can be sent directly from the faculty to the doctoral program at Brown submit the
materials directly to that dean.
●
Students must take the GRE or another standardized test if the advisor requires it.
Once students have completed the application, the coordinating dean will make it available to the
Graduate Council for their consideration and approval.
Directors of Graduate Study
Every department or program offering a graduate-level degree at Brown has a Director of
Graduate Study (DGS). (In some programs, the person is called the Graduate Program Director;
but the role is the same.) Faculty members who act as the primary liaisons between graduate
students, the faculty in their programs, and the Graduate School, DGSs are responsible for all
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graduate-related issues in their respective programs. DGSs are the primary point of contact for
students on all issues related to admission, academic standing, funding and appointments, etc.
They are responsible for the regular evaluation of their program’s students, and for notifying
students in cases where there may be problems (see Academic Standing and Warning Policy).
All official changes to graduate students’ academic or financial records require the signature of
the program DGS.
An especially important responsibility of the DGS is to ensure that each graduate student in the
program has an advisor at all points in the student’s career. However, students should also be
proactive in seeking advice from their faculty advisor/mentor, the DGS, chair, and instructors.
Program Handbooks
Each graduate program at Brown is required to maintain a handbook that provides detailed and
up-to-date information to students regarding the path toward their degrees. Handbooks must have
a clear outline of all expected academic milestones, along with a timeline for their completion,
teaching and language requirements, expectations regarding coursework, as well as detailed
information on any and all other completion requirements. The program handbooks should also
provide clear information regarding the consequences of failing to meet milestones and what
opportunities exist for students to have a second chance to meet milestones. Each graduate
program should revisit this document on an annual basis to make sure it is kept current. All
handbooks must also be available electronically (via department websites).
Written documents do not take the place of sustained, proactive advising, and it is the
responsibility of department chairs, DGSs, and advisors to interact often and regularly with the
graduate students in their programs.
Changes in Status
Any changes in a student’s status (i.e., leaves of absence, withdrawals, changes in degree
program) should be submitted by program staff or the DGS via UFunds. When the change
reflects the changing or dropping of a degree program, a statement from the student
acknowledging notice of the change must accompany the request.
Academic Standing and Warning Policy
Academic Standing
Students’ academic standing are classified in four ways: good, satisfactory, warning, or
termination. Each program’s Director of Graduate Study is required to maintain an -to-date and
comprehensive list of the status of each student in their graduate program. DGSs are also
required to update students on a regular basis regarding their academic status; requirements for
the scheduling of these notifications are below.
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Students should be evaluated in terms of their performance and progress in three broad areas:
research, coursework, and teaching.
However, not all students will necessarily be evaluated in
all areas every year, since (for example) coursework may only be relevant during the initial years
of a doctoral program and teaching evaluations will only be necessary if students have had
appropriate appointments. Since TA, RA, or Proctorship assignments form part of a student’s
professional training, performance in those areas can also affect academic standing.
Students who are in good standing are making both good and timely academic progress.
Normally, no more than one incomplete can be carried on a student record in good standing.
Satisfactory standing indicates that a student has encountered difficulties of some kind –
inadequate performance or slow progress in coursework, research, writing, in their performance
as a TA or RA, etc. Two or more incompletes will, at minimum, result in a shift from good to
satisfactory standing. This status level normally has no immediate impact on funding. If the
concerns impacting a student’s status are not resolved, the student will move to warning status.
Warning status signals chronic or severe deficiencies. Students on warning must be given a
written notice of the deficiencies in their performance and the consequences of those
deficiencies. Students must also receive clear, written instructions of the steps to be taken (if
possible) to regain good or satisfactory standing, and date-specific deadlines for recovery. Please
see the guidance below on the specific information that must be included in a warning letter.
Such notice must come at the end of every semester that a student is on warning status.
Except in exceptional cases, a student must have a full term (Fall, Spring, or Summer) on
warning status before being withdrawn from the program. If the deficiencies are not resolved by
the specified deadline, the student on warning will be withdrawn from the program on the
specified date. Students will typically continue to receive funding in a probationary state while
on warning. Warning can lead to an immediate removal of funding depending on the severity of
the deficiency, but this occurs only in rare circumstances and only with the approval of the Dean
of the Graduate School.
Termination signals severe and irremediable deficiencies. Termination indicates an immediate
removal of matriculation/enrollment status, as well as all forms of financial support.
Deadlines for Evaluation and Notification
Enrolled students in good or satisfactory standing must receive an evaluation of their standing in
the program
at least once every academic year. First-year students and those on warning
status must receive an evaluation at least once every semester.
All students should also
receive written notification promptly following the successful completion of each academic
milestone in their program. These letters regarding academic standing must also be provided to
the Graduate School by being uploaded into the Graduate Student Information System (GSIM).
Changes to academic standing—and the accompanying standing letter to the student—normally
come at the end of a term. An evaluation of the student at the end of a term should be reflected in
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the student’s academic standing for the beginning of the following term. For instance,
evaluations conducted at the end of the academic year in May should determine the student’s
academic standing for the summer (not for the spring semester). The student’s standing in a
given term reflects performance prior to that term.
A student’s status only changes in the middle of a term in severe cases. In cases of extreme non-
performance, such as when a student stops attending courses and is unresponsive to departmental
outreach, a student can be removed from the program immediately, but only with approval of the
Dean of the Graduate School.
Warning Letters
It is essential that warning letters contain the following elements:
●
A clear statement of the grounds for being placed on warning.
●
A clear statement of the requirements for coming off warning (if possible), with deadlines.
●
A statement regarding the program’s commitment to helping the student satisfy these
requirements.
●
A clear statement of the consequences of not meeting those requirements, with an indication
of when those consequences will take place (typically withdrawal at the end of the following
term).
●
Indication of additional resources, e.g., Associate Deans of Academic Affairs and Student
Support.
Programs are encouraged to discuss the content of warning letters with the appropriate deans in
the Graduate School (for MFA and PhD students) and the School of Professional Studies (for all
other students)
Actions and Deadlines for Withdrawing a Student
In order for a student to be withdrawn by the end of a particular term (whether Fall, Spring, or
Summer), the student must receive a warning letter in accordance with the deadlines listed
below. If the student does not subsequently satisfy the requirements for continuing in the
program, they should be notified as soon as possible and no later than ten days prior to the date
withdrawal. Exceptions to these deadlines for notification require approval by the Graduate
School.
Deadlines for Alerting Students on Warning Status by Term
Assessment in
Produces Standing for
Deadline to Alert Students on
Warning Status
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Summer
Fall
August 31
Fall
Spring
Tuesday prior to the beginning
of Spring Term classes
Spring
Summer
June 1 (May 1, for students in
the Online MPH program)
Evaluation of Students with TA, RA, or Proctorship Appointments Outside of
their Home Program
As a part of the evaluation process, students who have a TA or RA appointment in a program
outside of their home program should receive an evaluation of their performance at the end of
each academic semester by the course instructor or research supervisor. A copy of the evaluation
should be provided to the student and to the DGS in the student’s home program. The DGS in
the student’s home program should review the report with the student and use it in the program’s
annual evaluation of the student. With the student’s permission, a copy of the evaluation may
also be made available to the student’s academic advisor.
Implications of Enrollment Status for Financial Aid and Student Loan
Deferral
Students must be enrolled in a degree seeking program to maintain eligibility for repayment-
deferral status for any existing federal student loans they hold. Following federal guidelines, the
Registrar reports to the National Student Clearinghouse any student who falls below “half time”
time status. The student’s program must inform the Graduate School in writing of all changes
in status, particularly in cases where a student’s aid may be adjusted or terminated. Failure to
do so will result in charges being applied to the department.
Enrollment Satisfied, Requirements Pending (ESRP) Status
The status of Enrollment Satisfied, Requirements Pending (formerly ETRP or TP status)
indicates that a student has satisfied the enrollment requirements but still needs to complete
certain requirements in order to be awarded the degree. For instance, a student may have
completed all coursework but still have to complete the thesis or dissertation. Alternatively, a
student may have taken all required courses but still have an Incomplete in one of those courses.
Please note that some requirements, such as additional courses or teaching requirements, cannot
be satisfied while on ESRP status.
Note that ESRP is not an active student status and, once taken, students cannot return to active
status. No tuition is charged, and no stipends can be awarded. Because it is not an active student
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status, it may have significant implications for student loans as well as for visas for international
students. Because of this, international students are required to consult with OISSS and obtain
their approval prior to the Graduate School authorizing ESRP status. Students may request an
extension of email and library privileges, but students on ESRP status should not be active in
University laboratories.
Visiting Research Fellows and Non-Degree Students
The Graduate School offers the Visiting Research Fellow and non-degree student statuses to
visiting graduate students from other institutions and other non-degree students. The Visiting
Research Fellow status is for graduate students from other institutions who would like to come to
Brown for durations of usually less than 12 months to conduct research with a Brown faculty
member. Visiting Research Fellows are not enrolled in classes and do not have official student
status at Brown. They are required to have a faculty advisor at Brown who will supervise and
direct their activities.
The non-degree (visiting) student status is for either a graduate student from another institution
or for a non-affiliated post-baccalaureate who would like to enroll in a class or classes or needs
official student status at Brown for visa or funding purposes. This is the appropriate status for a
graduate student wishing to take a graduate course or courses at Brown without being admitted
to and enrolled in a graduate program at Brown. Even though the applicant will not be enrolled
in a program, the applicant must notify a program that the applicant wishes to take courses in the
program, and the program must approve. The non-degree (visiting) student begins the process by
first communicating with the receiving program at Brown. Once this connection has been
established the next step is the completion of an online application by the non-degree (visiting)
student, stating the program with which the non-degree (visiting) student will be affiliated. The
application will be sent to the program for their approval. All non-degree (visiting) students must
obtain the written acknowledgement and permission of the applicable department(s) in which the
visiting student will be taking a course or courses and/or working with a professor or professors
in the program. Upon program approval the application is sent to the Graduate School for final
approval.
The non-degree (probationary) student status is for applicants to graduate programs who have
been admitted on a probationary basis, and will be considered for admission as a degree student
after 1-2 semesters.
The non-degree (postdoctoral) student status is for postdoctoral students at Brown University
who need to enroll in courses for credit as part of their training program.
Visiting Research Fellows
Visiting Research Fellows are enrolled in graduate programs at other institutions and come to
Brown for durations of usually less than 12 months to conduct research in collaboration with a
Brown faculty member. The Visiting Research Fellow appointment is for up to 12 months and
the appointment must be renewed for a longer stay, with a maximum stay not to exceed two
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years. Visiting Research Fellows are provided access to the library, an email account, and limited
building access. Requests for Visiting Research Fellow status are made by programs to the
Graduate School. Programs should submit a Visiting Research Fellow Appointment Request
Form, letters of endorsement by the program chair/director and the faculty member who will
advise the visitor at Brown, and a copy of the student’s original appointment request to the
program.
Visiting Research Fellows are required to provide proof of health insurance for the full duration
of their stay at Brown well in advance of arrival either in the form of an insurance card, a signed
letter on letterhead from the insurer stating coverage, or a receipt of payment from a short-term
health insurance provider. Visiting Research Fellows who do not provide proof of coverage to
the Graduate School will not have their Visiting Research Fellow appointment activated and will
not be issued a Brown ID.
Visiting Research Fellows from universities outside of the United States who are in need of a
visa are required for visa purposes to provide proof of financial support well in advance of their
stay. The Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) cannot provide assistance
with a visa application without this material.
Visiting Research Fellow Processing Table:
1. Applying
Applicants make a request for a Visiting Research Fellow appointment directly
to the program. Programs may establish their own application requirements and
evaluation criteria, but there should be an identified source of funding for the
student and a faculty member who is willing to serve as an advisor to the visitor.
Prior to the student’s arrival at Brown, programs submit to the Graduate School
Admissions Office a Visiting Research Fellow Appointment Request Form,
letters of endorsement from the program chair/director and the applicant’s
faculty advisor at Brown, a copy of the applicant’s original appointment request,
and any additional required documentation (see the Graduate School Website).
The Graduate School issues an appointment letter to the applicant with a copy
sent to the chair/director in the host program. Applicants are required to notify
the Admissions Office by email or in writing of their acceptance of the
appointment offer.
2. Acceptance
International applicants who need assistance from Brown in securing a visa are
required to submit to the Graduate School proof of support at the time of
application. Failure to provide this material in a timely manner will delay the
processing of visa requests.
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3. Arrival
Visiting Research Fellows should report to the Brown Card Office to have their
photo taken and to receive their Brown Sponsored ID.
Note: Activation of Visiting Research Fellow status and the issuance of the
Brown ID card is contingent upon prior submission of proof of health insurance
and, in the case of international visitors, proof of financial support.
4. Payroll
Programs that wish to pay Visiting Research Fellows from faculty research
grants or other sources should contact Accounts Payable in the Controllers
Office. In the case of international visitors, programs must coordinate with the
Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) prior to the
visitor’s arrival to ensure that the international Visiting Research Fellow may
work, and that the appropriate visa is acquired for temporary employment.
Non-Degree Graduate Students
Non-degree graduate students are not candidates for any degree. They pay the University health
services fee and tuition by the course for any courses they take. Student must also have Brown
health insurance or provide proof of comparable coverage. Non-degree students are admitted for
a limited time period, a semester or a year. Departments must re-enroll students every semester
after the first. If a non-degree graduate student is subsequently admitted to a degree program,
their transcript will report on their initial “non-degree” status. Coursework completed for credit
as a non-degree student may be counted toward graduate degrees with the approval of the
graduate program. All non-degree graduate students should be recorded and monitored by the
Graduate School, and their progress monitored by the advisor, graduate program, and Graduate
School deans.
The application requirements and conditions of the non-degree student status are summarized in
the Non-Degree Student Information Table below. The procedural steps for non-degree student
applications and processing are described in the Non-Degree Graduate Student Processing Table
below.
Non-Degree (Visiting) Students
Individuals who wish to come to Brown for one or two semesters as non-degree (visiting)
students start this process by first contacting and obtaining permission from the host
department(s) in which the visiting student will be taking a course or courses and/or working
with a professor or professors in the program. Having received prior approval from the
department, the visiting student next completes an online application. The student completes the
first page and the signature page of the on-line application for admission to the Graduate School.
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Non-degree (visiting) students who do not enroll in regular courses are required to register for an
independent or directed study with a faculty member in the host department and pay the assessed
tuition charge. The independent or directed study is recorded on the student transcript and one
credit is granted.
Non-degree (visiting) students may enroll in classes for credit. Non-degree (visiting) students
who enroll in classes for credit are not required to enroll in an independent or directed study
course, but will be charged the standard per credit tuition fee.
Non-Degree (Postdoctoral) Students
Postdoctoral students at Brown who wish to enroll in courses for credit need to apply for non-
degree student status by completing the first page and the signature page of the on-line
application for admission to the Graduate School. Postdoctoral applicants to the Graduate School
should request their faculty advisor to submit to the Graduate School a letter requesting
admission as a non-degree student along with the source of funding for tuition.
Non-Degree Graduate Student Processing Table
I. APPLYING
1.
a. Applicants to Degree Programs [Non-degree (Probationary) Students]: The student follows
standard application process to the Graduate School as a degree student. Special
(probationary) student status is requested by the student’s degree program in instances where
the degree program does not want to admit the student with multiple years of guaranteed
support. At the start of the second semester, the degree program must decide whether or not to
admit the student into the graduate program starting semester I of the following academic
year. Special (probationary) students who are subsequently admitted into the degree program
will count as one of the degree program’s targeted number of new admissions.
Pays online Graduate School application fee.
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b. Non-degree Student Applicants [Non-degree (Visiting) Students]: The prospective student
first contacts the Director of Graduate Study (DGS) in the department where they plan to take
courses or work with faculty. In the case of the latter, the prospective student locates a faculty
advisor who agrees to supervise the student while at Brown. Upon receiving approval from the
department DGS and/or faculty member, the student completes the first page and signature
page of the online application for admission to the Graduate School. In the case of non-degree
visiting students who plan on working with Brown faculty, the faculty member submits to the
Graduate School a letter recommending that the student be admitted as a non-degree (visiting)
student. The letter should specify the duration of the student’s appointment, the conditions of
the faculty member’s advising relationship with the student, and if appropriate, any financial
support that the faculty member will provide the student.
The student completes the first page and the signature page of the on-line application for
admission to the Graduate School. The student should select “Non-degree” for degree type,
and “special (non-degree)” for program.
Pays online Graduate School application fee.
c. Postdoctoral Students Taking Classes [Non-degree (Postdoctoral) Students]: Postdoctoral
students wishing to take a Graduate course complete the first page and the signature page of
the on-line application for admission to the Graduate School. The student should select “Non-
degree” for degree type, and “special (non-degree)” for program.
The Director of Graduate Study in the student’s host program or the Associate Dean of
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in the Division of Biology and Medicine, submits to the
Graduate School a letter requesting admission as a non-degree student along with the source
of funding for tuition.
Pays online Graduate School application fee.
II. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
2.
a. Applicants to Degree Programs [Non-degree (Probationary) Students]: Same documents as
applicants to degree programs.
b. Non-degree Student Applicants [Non-degree (Visiting) Students]: Non-degree (visiting)
student applicants are required to submit a copy of their transcript from their current or most
recent program. GRE scores are not required for students who apply directly for non-degree
(visiting) student status.
c. Postdoctoral Students Taking Classes [Non-degree (Postdoctoral) Students]: The Director
of Graduate Study in the student’s host program or the Associate Dean of Graduate and
Postdoctoral Studies in the Division of Biology and Medicine, submits to the Graduate School
a letter requesting admission as a Special Student along with the source of funding for tuition.
Transcripts, GRE, TOEFL are not required at the Graduate School.
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III. ADMISSION TO BROWN
3.
a. Non-degree (Probationary) Students: Non-degree (probationary) student status is requested
by the admitting department after the application has come into the Graduate School and been
processed as an applicant to a degree program. Admissions staff will be informed on a case-
by-case basis to adjust the applicant’s status from a degree student to a special (probationary)
student.
b. Non-degree (Visiting) Students:
(i) Applicants first contact the program and/or faculty for approval. Prospective student then
applies online filling out first page and signature page. Program and/or faculty letters of
recommendation for non-degree (visiting) students are reviewed by the Graduate School.
(ii) Non-degree (visiting) applicants who are offered admission by the Graduate School are
sent an admission letter from the Graduate School. International students who are admitted
into non-degree (visiting) status must provide proof of financial support for the duration of
their visit to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.
Applicants who wish to accept the offer of admission should do so through the online
application system.
Upon arrival to campus the host program at Brown and faculty advisor are responsible for
providing orientation to the non-degree student to Brown and the surrounding community.
c. Non-degree (Postdoctoral) Students: Postdoctoral students who wish to enroll in graduate
courses are charged the standard per credit tuition fee.
IV. REGISTRATION
4.
a. Non-degree (Probationary) Students: Register with the Office of the Registrar. Registration
forms are signed by program’s Director of Graduate Study or program advisor.
b. Non-degree (Visiting) Students: Register in-person at the Office of the Registrar.
Non-degree (visiting) students must enroll in a minimum of one course, sometimes an
independent study course with a particular professor, and the visiting student will be charged
tuition on a per course basis. Non-degree (visiting) students obtain a registration form from
the Office of the Registrar and register for a standard course or an Independent Study using
the appropriate course number and section number for their host program and faculty advisor.
The form is signed by the faculty advisor and given to the Graduate School for the signature
of the relevant dean. The completed form is submitted to the Registrar.
c. Non-degree (Postdoctoral) Students: Register with the Office of the Registrar. Registration
forms are signed by program’s Director of Graduate Study or program advisor.
Non-Degree Student Information Table
Application process/
Application fee
Transcripts/
GRE/
Duration
Course
enrollment/
Teaching
Brown health
insurance and health
services
Facilities
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TOEFL/
Proof of Support
Application process:
(1) Non-degree
(probationary)
Student follows standard
application process for
the Graduate School.
Non-degree
(probationary) student
status is requested by the
student’s degree
program.
OR
(2) Non-degree (visiting)
Student locates faculty
advisor. Faculty advisor
submits recommendation
for non-degree (visiting)
student status to the
Graduate School.
Student completes first
page of on-line
application for admission
to the Graduate School.
Application fee: (1) (2)
Yes
Transcripts: (1) (2) Transcripts
from most recent graduate
program required.
GRE: (1) Students who apply
through standard application
process must follow program
requirements for GRE.
(2) Not required for students
who apply directly for non-
degree (visiting) student status.
TOEFL: (1) Same country-
specific requirements for
admittance to degree programs.
(2) Not required for students
who apply directly for non-
degree (visiting) student status.
Proof of support: International
students who are admitted into
non-degree (visiting) status
must provide proof of financial
support for the duration of the
visit to the Office of
International Student and
Scholar Services.
Duration:
1-2
semesters
Course enrollment:
Students may
enroll in classes for
credit.
Registration:
Students must
register for the
independent/directe
d study or courses
in person at the
Office of the
Registrar.
Tuition: Students
who enroll in
classes pay full per
credit tuition fees,
unless other
arrangements have
been made.
Teaching: Students
may be contracted
to teach 1-2
courses per
semester.
Sponsor pays for
teaching stipend.
Health insurance:
Student must have
Brown health
insurance or
provide proof of
comparable
coverage.
Health service fee:
Student is charged
health service fee.
Student pays health
insurance and
health service fee,
unless other
arrangements have
been made.
Student has
Brown ID, email
account, library
privileges, access
to university
housing, and
access to athletic
facilities.
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Information Primarily for Programs
Admissions
Guiding Principles
Graduate students make important contributions to the University, including but not limited to,
the discovery and preservation of knowledge, participating in faculty research, communicating
research outcomes, and supporting undergraduate instruction. The overarching goal of
recruitment efforts is to attract the best students to our graduate programs. Through the
recruitment and selection of students who have academic potential, creativity, diversity of
background, perspective, and experience, graduate programs and the Graduate School
collaborate in developing competitive scholars who will graduate from Brown to play leading
roles in the future, both domestically and internationally.
Admission Committees
It is the prerogative of programs to determine the make-up and functioning of their own
admission committees. If programs so desire, students in the program may serve on an
admissions committee.
Recruiting
Recruitment is a comprehensive effort that involves:
1. Promoting awareness of the institution and its graduate program(s) to produce a competitive
applicant pool,
2. Selecting appropriate applicants to achieve a diverse pool of admitted candidates, and
3. Securing the matriculation of accepted candidates for an incoming graduate cohort.
The Graduate School is engaged in activities at each stage of recruitment and encourages
partnership with every program in ways that lead to the recruitment and enrollment of the most
promising students.
Awareness strategies provide accurate information about graduate programs at Brown. Given
that top students can come from various institutions both nationally and internationally,
information should be readily accessible and disseminated widely.
Recruitment strategies assist in the identification of the appropriately prepared and diverse
students who comprise a high-quality applicant pool. Professional societies, research consortia,
graduate preparation institutes, and federally-sponsored undergraduate honors programs present
recruitment opportunities to increase diversity among underrepresented students in specific
disciplines.
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Yield strategies increase the matriculation of students who have been offered acceptance by the
Graduate School. These activities are a vital part of students’ understanding of the specifics of
the disciplinary training and encourage them to choose Brown as their academic home for
growth into professionals and scholars.
Our recruitment plan is consistent with the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan of Brown
University and is in keeping with the overarching goal of the Graduate School to attract the best
possible students to our graduate programs and provide them with competitive levels of support.
One of the most effective recruiting techniques is personal contact with faculty. Within the limits
of recruiting discussed below, it is permissible for the DGS or any faculty member to contact by
telephone or in writing an applicant whose application seems particularly of interest, or whose
interests seems particularly suited to Brown’s program, or to gather more information on the
applicant’s interests.
Limits on Recruiting
All formal offers of admission come from the Graduate School in the form of a letter signed by
the Dean of the Graduate School. Directors of Graduate Study and other faculty may not promise
admission, but may indicate that the program will recommend admission to the Graduate School.
Generally, the Graduate School accepts the program’s recommendations; but there may be cases
where the Graduate School intends to limit the number admitted or where the applicant’s
qualifications, particularly English proficiency, may be an issue. The Graduate School also will
not matriculate an applicant without official transcripts of previous academic work, without an
official TOEFL or IELTS score, or without two of the requested three letters of recommendation,
even though the program may be satisfied with fewer or less official documents.
Fellowships, teaching assistantships, proctorships and tuition scholarships are offered by the
Graduate School, on recommendations from the graduate programs. No offers of financial
support from Graduate School funds can be made by the faculty or Directors of Graduate Study.
Departments can offer RA and fellowship support from their own funds, but admission and the
appointment are contingent on Graduate School approval.
Brown University subscribes to the policy adopted by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) on
a universal deadline of April 15 for responses to offers of admission with financial support
(defined by CGS as graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship). It is
forbidden to pressure an applicant to respond to an offer before April 15. Nevertheless, it is
permissible to ask an applicant to inform the Graduate School as soon as their decision is made.
The same CGS policy requires that an applicant who has accepted an offer and then wants to
relinquish it must write to the Graduate School to be released from their commitment. Programs
recommending offers of admission after April 15 should be aware that such offers are contingent
on the applicant’s obtaining a written release from any other graduate school whose offer they
may have accepted.
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Applications
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Some graduate programs at Brown University require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
as part of the application. The Graduate School allows individual graduate programs to
determine whether they require the GRE.
Privacy of Applications
Applications are to be seen only by the admissions committees and support staff and used only
for the purpose of admission. Applications and associated materials may not be viewed by
anyone without an official role in the admissions process.
All materials submitted as part of the application to the Graduate School become the property of
the Graduate School. Transcripts and other documents submitted as part of the application will
not be returned to applicants or admitted students.
For information on the retention of records, please see the University’s Retention Policy.
The applications of students who matriculate are subject to the requirements of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Brown University’s FERPA policy is maintained
on the Registrar’s website.
Early Matriculants
If a program wants to bring a new PhD student in before the start of the Fall semester, they must
consult with the Graduate School to review options. Tuition and fees may be assessed depending
on the specifics of the case.
Advisors and Advising
Selection of Advisor/Mentor
It is the responsibility of the program to ensure that each graduate student is assigned an advisor
upon entering a program and continues to have an advisor at every point until completion of the
program. All advisors must be designated in GSIM. Students also have a responsibility to be
proactive in seeking advice from their faculty advisor/mentor, DGS, chair, as well as from their
instructors and peers.
The Graduate School has gathered extensive resources to support Graduate Advising and
Mentoring. These resources are intended for faculty, graduate students, and program leadership.
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First-Year Advising
Each entering student needs to be placed into the available courses that fit the requirements of
the program and the student’s personal goals. Those goals may have changed since the student
applied, almost a year previously, and care should be taken to see that each student enrolls in the
most appropriate courses. Any gaps in preparation should be filled as soon as possible. Courses
essential for passing departmental exams should be taken, and plans for meeting language
requirements must be begun. Sometimes it is clear to a student after only a few meetings of a
course that the course is at the wrong level or its content is not what was expected. Students
should be encouraged to seek advice after the first week of classes and revise their registrations
appropriately, if necessary.
The DGS must provide a report to each student in writing before the second semester begins on
their first semester’s progress and the faculty’s expectations for progress in the second semester.
This academic standing letter should also be uploaded into the Graduate Student Information
System (GSIM). Plans for second semester courses may need revision.
Student Records
All students have a Banner student record as well as a GSIM record. These records should at all
times be kept up to date by the DGS and/or program administrator. Any change in academic
status (especially academic warning) should be recorded in the GSIM record. Letters regarding
academic standing, including warning letters, should be uploaded into the student’s GSIM
record.
GSIM is an online system that allows the Graduate School and individual graduate programs to
monitor and predict the progress of all its students. The information generated by GSIM allows
tracking of academic standing and progress (or milestones, which vary by program), funding
commitments, and other significant student events (admission to candidacy, leaves, graduation,
etc.). It also allows programs and the Graduate School to model and predict program-specific and
overall student support budgets.
Student records are subject to the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA). Brown University’s FERPA policy is maintained on the Registrar’s website.
Changes to the Curriculum
The Graduate Council meets once each month during the academic year to consider proposed
changes and to review existing graduate programs. Anyone intending to bring a proposal before
the Council may discuss it first with the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs or the Senior
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
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New or Revised Graduate Programs
All new programs and any significant revisions to existing programs must be approved by the
Graduate Council. New programs approved by the Graduate Council must subsequently be
reviewed by the Academic Priorities Committee (APC) and the Faculty Executive Committee
(FEC), and approved by the Faculty as a whole and the Corporation. New graduate programs that
also affect the College or the Medical School must also be approved by the College Curriculum
Council (CCC) or the Medical Curriculum Council (MCC), as appropriate.
Generally, only major revisions to existing programs, such as changes in the number of required
courses, language requirements, or thesis requirements require Graduate Council approval.
Changes in matters internal to the program, such as changes to the format of prelims or in the
mechanism for forming an advisory committee do not require the approval of the Council.
Questions about whether proposed changes require review should be directed to the Assistant
Dean of Academic Affairs or the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Graduate
School should be notified in writing of any substantive revisions to program handbooks.
Programs are required to give students ample warning of any proposed changes to a program’s
requirements or curriculum. Normally students proceed through their degrees with the
requirements that were in place when they were admitted. Sometimes, due to staffing changes or
other events, there may be slight variations in availability of courses or in the sequence of
graduate program requirements. Any substantive change that affects a student’s ability to fulfill
requirements must be reviewed by the Graduate Council.
New Graduate Courses
New courses in which the primary instructor is a voting faculty member are approved by the
Office of the Registrar for a one-year “provisional” period. If that same course is to be offered in
any subsequent year, regardless of the voting status of the faculty, the course must go through a
full approval process. For graduate (2000-level) courses, this means that a course proposal,
including a complete syllabus, must be submitted to the Graduate Council for review. Graduate
Council approval of the course proposal is required for course continuation beyond the initial,
provisional year.
New courses in which the primary instructor is a non-voting member of the faculty must be fully
approved by the Graduate Council on the initial offering.
Guidelines for New Course Syllabi
Criteria for the evaluation of syllabi, as well as sample syllabi, can be found under “Creating a
Brown University Syllabus” on the website of the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning.
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Financial Support for Doctoral Students: Brown Support Guarantee
The 5-year support guarantee for doctoral students in the Life and Physical Sciences and 6-year
support guarantee for doctoral students in the Humanities and Social Sciences places Brown
University’s graduate programs in an excellent competitive position. Coupled with support for
four summers for students in the Life and Physical Sciences and five summers for students in the
Humanities and Social Sciences, this support enables students to focus on progress through their
academic program.
The Graduate School’s support package should be considered a minimum package. Programs
may increase funding. All such additional commitments must be funded through departmental
resources.
For information on topics such as doctoral program support allocation and costs and support
guidelines for doctoral students on external funding, please see the documents available on the
Graduate School Program Resources google site, under Internal Documents.
Student and Alumni Achievement Awards
For information on student achievement awards such as the Wilson-DeBlois Award for
outstanding contributions to graduate students and the Graduate School and the Horace Mann
Medal for distinguished alumni, see the Graduate School’s website.
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Information for All Graduate Students
Coursework
Tuition Unit versus Academic Credit
Tuition units refer to a portion of a student’s tuition obligation. Specifically, one tuition unit
equals one-eighth of full-time tuition. Academic credits refer to credits earned upon the
successful passing of a course. The two, tuition units and academic credits, are loosely coupled.
Academic credit requires that tuition be paid. That is, tuition unit credit is required for academic
credit to be earned. For example, a student could pass a course, but if the student were
responsible for the tuition payment on that course and did not fulfill this obligation, the academic
credit for the successfully completed course would not be earned.
The converse is not true; tuition credit stands even if the student fails the course, or even if the
student did not register for as many courses as were paid for. This becomes important for degree
requirements for doctoral students because they are required to satisfy the residency requirement,
which is 24 tuition units. Full-time doctoral students are billed for four courses per semester,
even if they register for fewer. The importance of tuition units for Master’s students is that the
achievement of tuition units is also linked to degree requirements. Master’s programs may differ
in terms of length, e.g., 8 tuition units, 16 tuition units, etc., and in terms of the structure of the
timing of how the units are billed each term. For example, one 8 tuition unit program might be
structured as a two-term, 4 tuition unit + 4 tuition unit program, while another 8 tuition unit
program might be structured as a four term, 2 tuition unit + 2 tuition unit + 2 tuition unit + 2
tuition unit program.
Doctoral students with Teaching Research Assistantship, or Proctorship appointments normally
take three courses in a term, but are billed for the four tuition units. Thus, in these cases the
student who successfully passes all three courses would earn three academic credits while
simultaneously earning four tuition unit credits. Doctoral students entering with a Master’s
degree can petition for up to 8 units of transfer credit at the end of their first semester. For
information on transferring credit, please see the entry on transfer credit later in this document.
Doctoral students are normally required to enroll for 4 course credits (3 if an RA or TA) per
semester during their first 3 years (2 years if transferring in 8 credits). After a doctoral student
has met the residency requirement (normally after three years) and satisfied a given program’s
academic credit requirement, to remain an “enrolled student,” the student must enroll in either a
full-time independent study, a thesis preparation course, or take the equivalent of a full-time
course load.
Master’s students are required to enroll full-time in accordance with the program’s degree
requirements. Any deviations from full-time enrollment in any given semester must first be
approved by the program DGS and the Graduate School in advance of that semester or else
the student or the program may be responsible for full-time tuition-related charges.
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Grading Standards
The Graduate Council has set no more specific standards for the grades that graduate students
must achieve than that implied by the grading scale itself: a “C” is a passing grade. Individual
graduate programs may set more demanding standards such as requiring a B average, or grades
of B or better in specified courses. Students need to be aware of the standards they must meet;
such standards should be explicitly stated in each departmental handbook for students. If a
student’s performance in coursework is poor enough that they may be asked to leave the
program, their grades should have indicated that fact.
Grade Options
Some programs restrict graduate courses to the S/NC (Satisfactory/No Credit) grade option,
while others insist that all graduate courses be taken for a grade of ABC/NC. Since the Registrar
does not allow professors to restrict the grade option to ABC/NC for all students, students must
be advised to register for that option when necessary. Similarly, a professor who does not intend
to grade more precisely than S/NC should restrict the grade option of the course (Graduate
Council approval required) or clearly advise the students to register for S/NC. Change of a grade
option after the deadline is not impossible but requires a strong rationale as well as a dean’s
permission, and is strongly discouraged.
Graduate Credit
Courses numbered less than 1000 do not normally carry graduate credit. With permission of the
instructor and approval from a dean in the Graduate School, a graduate student may do extra
work to earn credit towards a graduate degree. It is essential that the student who makes such an
arrangement to register in the course for credit type “E” (for “Extra”). The tuition credit for
undergraduate courses automatically counts towards the tuition units needed for the graduate
degree. Since PhD programs normally do not require 24 academic credits, allowing a doctoral
student to take an undergraduate course without earning graduate academic credit often does not
present a problem. But Master’s students who do not want to take or pay for more than the
minimum number of courses required should be counseled to make arrangements for graduate
credit when a nominally undergraduate course is an appropriate part of their program.
Brown Summer and Continuing Studies Program
Graduate students may register for one or two independent study or research courses in the
summer, by special arrangement with the instructor, and be charged at the rate of one tuition unit
per course. This option is only available to students who do not have a multi-year guarantee of
support from the Graduate School.
Courses in Brown Summer Session, offered by the Division of Pre-College and Summer
Undergraduate Programs, are open to graduate students. If a graduate student wants graduate
credit for a Summer Session course to count towards the residency requirement for a degree, they
must obtain the approval of their DGS and the Dean of the Graduate School or School of
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Professional Studies; regular tuition will then be charged rather than the undergraduate rate. The
ordinary restrictions on graduate credit for courses numbered under 1000 apply (see
above). Online and residential Master’s students should consult with their program directors to
determine if courses in Brown’s summer session are compatible with their program’s course
sequences.
Deadlines
Graduate students are subject to all of the Registrar’s deadlines regarding course registrations.
Students should review their enrollments well in advance of the deadlines. Changes after the
deadlines are possible with departmental approval and a Dean’s signature, but are to be avoided.
Grades of INC (Incompletes)
Graduate students may (and do) request grades of incomplete. Students should be aware,
however, that failure to complete courses on time can affect their academic status and jeopardize
their funding. Two or more incompletes will normally result in a shift from good to satisfactory
standing. The Graduate School may delay approval of a teaching appointment or other funding
until course work has been completed. An instructor may allow a student to complete course
work after the normal deadline, but after one year, the permission of a Dean is required for a
grade to be given.
Conference and Research Travel Funds
Presenting papers at professional conferences and conducting field research is important to
graduate students' academic careers and growth as professionals, and is relevant experience for
all career paths. The knowledge gained from these endeavors, when shared with peers at Brown,
contributes to the scholarly development of the entire campus. For information on these
offerings, see the Graduate School’s pages on the Conference Travel Fund, the Joukowsky
Summer Research Award, and the Doctoral Research Travel Grant.
We also encourage students to seek out additional sources of conference and research funding,
including the Graduate Student Council (GSC), the Graduate School’s Distinctive Opportunities,
as well as departments and centers around campus.
Language Requirements
English Language Proficiency
English language proficiency requirements for international applicants whose primary language
is not English can be found on the Graduate School website.
Admitted students whose primary language is not English and who will potentially have a
teaching assistant appointment must pass a panel evaluation of their English shortly after arrival
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and before teaching. Evaluations are performed by the program in English for International
Teaching Assistants. Students whose English language skills require further support for the
purposes of holding a Teaching Assistantship will be enrolled in an English-language training
course during the first semester.
Foreign Language Requirements
Each program determines its own foreign language requirements. Changes in the program
language requirements must be approved by the Graduate Council. Each program sets the criteria
for passing its requirement, whether by previous course work, passing a course at Brown, or a
departmental exam. Once a student has passed a language requirement, the program will make a
notation in GSIM indicating what language has been passed and the date; the dates of satisfying
language proficiency requirements are printed on transcripts. This information must also be
included by the DGS in the program’s annual report.
Application of Prior Graduate-Level Coursework
Graduate-level academic credit earned outside of and prior to a student’s current degree program
at Brown may accelerate the time to the completion of the tuition unit requirement of the degree.
Limits
For PhD students: Up to 8 courses may be used to satisfy the tuition requirement of a doctoral
degree.
For Master’s students: One course may be used to satisfy the tuition requirements of an 8-course
Master’s degree. Two courses may be used to satisfy the tuition requirements of a 14-16 course
Master’s degree. Students should note that this is the upper limit set by Brown policy. Individual
programs have discretion to set lower limits on the number of courses that may be used to satisfy
the tuition requirements for a Master’s degree.
Only advanced coursework taken while the student was a graduate student either at Brown or
another institution may be used for graduate credit at Brown. With the exception of Brown
undergraduates continuing on for a fifth-year Master’s degree, courses taken while the student
was an undergraduate may not be used, no matter how advanced the coursework was. Likewise,
undergraduate courses may not be used even if the courses were taken while the student was a
graduate student.
Transfer Credit for Research
Students who have not otherwise reached their limit of transfer credit may be able to obtain
transfer credit for research conducted away from Brown. When there is no transcript to show that
the student was effectively engaged in full-time study or research, other evidence can suffice at
the discretion of the Graduate School, such as proof of holding a fellowship such as a Fulbright
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and/or certain letters from libraries or archives. A dean’s signature will be required in order for
the Registrar to accept transfer of credits for which there is no transcript.
Applying for Transfer Credit
To apply to transfer credit, please see the form provided by the Office of the Registrar. The form
requires the signature of the DGS. It is submitted to the Registrar’s office. Only when the request
is not justified by a transcript or when it is desired to round up semester-hours to the next higher
multiple of 4 is the approval of the Graduate School required.
A student suspended for an academic code violation or disciplinary violation must be enrolled
for at least one full semester at Brown following the suspension in order to be eligible to
graduate. Permission to return to Brown must take place through the relevant readmission
application process and is neither implied nor guaranteed by this requirement.
Registration at Other Universities
In addition to the transfer of credit earned at other universities, there are three ways for
students to earn credit for academic work performed elsewhere: cross-registration available
through the Harvard University Faculty of Arts & Sciences (FAS) and Rhode Island School of
Design (RISD), registration in the Exchange Scholar Program, and international exchange
programs.
Cross-Registration
There are agreements in place between Brown and the Harvard University Faculty of Arts &
Sciences and Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design to allow cross-registration of
graduate students in courses without paying tuition to the host institution.
A Brown graduate student is required to use the appropriate form in UFunds to obtain
authorization from the DGS of their graduate program and a dean from the Graduate School. The
Brown graduate student would then receive instructions to electronically enroll at Harvard FAS
or manually at RISD. Neither Harvard nor RISD is required to offer courses in online or hybrid
formats by virtue of these agreements. Students should confirm that they can participate in the
course in accordance with its listed format.
Steps for Cross Registering at Harvard
Brown students go to the “Graduate School Administrative Forms” page in UFunds and fill out
the “Harvard and RISD Cross-Registration” form. The student will get the approval of their
program’s DGS to take the course. If approval is given, the student will designate the DGS a
recommender for the form in UFunds and the department representative will complete the online
recommendation. This notifies the Registrar’s office that the student may proceed, at which point
the student will be instructed to register online at Harvard.
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Harvard Registration Process
1. Create an account allowing you to enroll through my.harvard. The New User Registration
form needs to be re-submitted each term regardless of previous FAS course enrollments.
2. Step 2: Cross-register for courses directly in my.harvard.
Steps for Cross Registering at RISD
Brown students go to the “Graduate School Administrative Forms” page in UFunds and fill out
the “Harvard and RISD Cross-Registration” form. The student will get the approval of their
program’s DGS to take the course. If approval is given, the student will designate the DGS a
recommender for the form in UFunds and the department representative will complete the online
recommendation. This notifies the Registrar’s office that the student may proceed, at which point
the student will be instructed to register online at RISD.
RISD Registration Process
1. The student will take the RISD cross-registration form to the first day of class at RISD. If
the instructor is willing to allow them into the course, the instructor will sign the form.
2. The student will take the form to the RISD Registrar’s Office for their approval. If they
approve, an office representative will sign the form. Because cross-registered students are
registered at both RISD and Brown, the student should expect to complete further paperwork
for RISD’s registration purposes.
3. Once the student has all of the necessary approvals, the student will bring the form back to
the Brown Registrar’s Office. A Registrar’s Office staff member will sign the form and will
register the student for the course.
International Partnership Programs
Brown has a variety of partnership programs with international institutions. Some are open to
students in every discipline, while others are restricted by field. A list of these opportunities may
be found on the website of the Office of Global Engagement.
Employment, Health Insurance, and Loans
Outside Employment: Students on a Stipend-Based or Research
Appointments
Brown’s doctoral programs are residential degree programs that require full-time dedication in
order to reach the goals of superior scholarship envisioned for all students. Brown University
awards doctoral students generous stipends, tuition and health insurance with the express
expectation, and for the express reason, that students devote themselves fully to the prospect of
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becoming the very best possible scholar during their time as a graduate student at Brown.
Additionally, students in the sciences may be supported as research assistants via grant funding.
In any given academic term (spring, summer, or fall), a graduate student’s stipend or research
funding is attached to a particular activity, either a fellowship, teaching assistantship, research
assistantship, or proctorship as a part of the candidate’s scholarly training. The Graduate School
also recognizes that various training opportunities outside regular appointments can play
important roles in preparing graduate students for careers both inside and outside of academe.
For supported graduate students in good standing, the Graduate Council is supportive of such
additional training opportunities. Such paid activities by graduate students in receipt of Graduate
School stipends or research funding should not exceed twelve (12) hours per week. Students
wishing to exceed this limit must obtain permission from both their advisor and the Senior
Associate Dean of Student Development at the Graduate School. In addition, policies of outside
agencies that provide funding to specific students, as well as those governing visas for
international students, must be observed at all times.
Students on a stipend-based or research appointment who desire to work in an outside
employment position at Brown are only eligible to be employed in an exempt position; such
students are not eligible to work in a non-exempt position at Brown while receiving a stipend.
Outside Employment: Students Not on a Stipend-Based Appointment
Graduate students who are not supported on full-time, stipend-based appointments (e.g. Master’s
students, doctoral students beyond year 5 who do not receive a stipend) may choose to find
hourly employment. University Human Resources posts work opportunities on Workday, where
students can browse available postings any time. Any current, unsupported graduate students are
eligible to work through the student employment program without regard to financial need.
International students should consult with the Office of International Student and Scholar
Services on the visa implications of hourly student employment.
Doctoral students employed full-time as an adjunct instructor at Brown or another institution
may be eligible for a professional development leave of absence during the period of their
employment.
Student Health and Dental Insurance
For the most current information on the policies surrounding health and dental insurance for
Brown graduate students, please see the Graduate School website.
Student Loans
To supplement other forms of support they receive from Brown, students may also be eligible for
federal direct student loans and other educational loans. Student loans for graduate and
undergraduate students are administered through the Office of Financial Aid. To be considered
for any student loans, domestic students are required to submit a FAFSA (Free Application for
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Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA should be submitted online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. (Brown
University’s graduate code for the FAFSA is: E00058).
The Federal Direct Student Loan program may provide loans to eligible applicants. International
students are not eligible for these loans. In order to be considered for a federal loan, students
must submit the FAFSA form, and complete any additional requirements requested by the Office
of Financial Aid before the loan application can be processed. Students in most graduate degree
programs may be eligible for Federal Graduate Unsubsidized loans each academic year. Students
should check with the Department of Education for up to date information on borrowing limits
and interest rates. A Federal Graduate PLUS loan can also be applied for after a FAFSA is
completed, but this loan requires a credit history check as part of the application. Unlike the
Federal Graduate Unsubsidized loans, the PLUS loan has no set limit, and can be up to the
student’s cost of attendance. Students should consult the Office of Financial Aid for the
maximum borrowing eligibility. A FAFSA must be on file for the student to be considered for
these funds.
Should a graduate student require additional loans beyond federal eligibility, various alternative
loans are available in the commercial marketplace. Eligibility is based on credit and both U.S.
citizens and international students (with an eligible U.S. citizen co-borrower) may apply.
Students would apply directly through the third-party lender and the Loan Office would certify
the student’s loan amount eligibility.
To learn more about loan borrowing options please visit the Office of Financial Aid’s website for
graduate students or write to the Graduate School Financial Aid counselors at
Brown University also provides a number of opportunities for short-term loans and emergency
funding. Please see Emergency Loan Programs on the Graduate School website.
Leaves of Absence
The Graduate School recognizes that during the course of graduate study a student may need to
request a leave of absence. Students considering a leave of absence are encouraged to make an
appointment with a dean in the Graduate School or School of Professional Studies to review their
leave options. Depending on individual circumstances, students may also be referred to other
offices for additional support, such as Student Accessibility Services (SAS), the Office of
International Students and Scholar Services (OISSS), and the Office of Financial Aid. Students
with disabilities are also encouraged to review whether reasonable accommodations through
Student Accessibility Services might make it possible to continue as an active registered student.
Requests for leaves of absence should be submitted to the Graduate School at least four weeks
before the start of the semester in which the leave is to be taken. Students who need to address a
medical need may request a medical leave of absence at any time, and students experiencing an
urgent personal matter may request a personal leave of absence at any time. Requests received at
a later date will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Students who have not been approved for a
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leave by the Graduate School or School of Professional Studies will still be considered active
and be billed for tuition. Until students receive written confirmation of the approval of their leave
of absence request from the Graduate School or School of Professional Studies, they are
considered registered and will be expected to fulfill their academic and other responsibilities as
enrolled students, including completing coursework. All leave of absence applications require
approval by the Director of Graduate Study via the appropriate form in UFunds.
Initiating a Leave Request:
Students must use the relevant UFunds application (under Graduate
Student Leaves and Accommodations) to request a leave.
For leaves other than medical leave, the process for which is discussed later in this handbook, the
leave request process then follows these steps:
1. Once the student submits the request via UFunds, the Department Chair or the program DGS
must review the leave request for approval.
2. If approved, the form is then reviewed by the relevant dean.
3. If a student has existing Federal Title IV Aid funding or prior Federal student loans, the
UFunds application must also be reviewed and approved by Brown’s Office of Financial Aid.
Students with loans lose their eligibility for student loan repayment deferral while on leave
because they are no longer considered enrolled students. Whether or not students on leave
will enter or continue repayment is governed by federal regulations on student loan
repayment. Students can receive information on this topic from the Office of Financial Aid.
4. If a student is an international student, the UFunds application must also be reviewed and
approved by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) regardless of
program modality.
Eligibility for all types of leave:
All students in good academic standing are eligible to apply for
a leave of absence. Eligibility for leave of absence requests from students who have completed
less than one full term or who are not in good academic standing will be reviewed on a case-by-
case basis. Leaves are available only in instances when a student’s academic standing permits
them to continue in the degree program when they return from leave and when there is otherwise
a viable path to completion of the degree. Students on warning status may have their request for
leave denied.
Length of Leave:
Leaves of absence may range in length from one semester to one full year
(two semesters and a summer term). Leaves of absence are not regularly granted for the summer
term only. Readmission from a leave for the summer term requires additional approval by the
program and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. To request an extension to a leave of
absence for a second year, students must file a request for an extension with the Graduate School
or School of Professional Studies prior to the expiration of their leave; this request must be
accompanied by a supporting letter from the program DGS. Students who do not file extension
requests or whose extension requests are not approved may be automatically withdrawn from
their graduate programs at Brown.
Student Status:
Students on a leave of absence are not active enrolled students. Students on
leave retain their admitted student status; however, they are not registered and enrolled and
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therefore do not have the rights and privileges of registered and enrolled students. Because
individuals on leave are not active enrolled students, taking a leave may have significant
implications for student loans as well as for visas for international students.
Academic Obligations:
All types of leave “stop the clock” on the student’s academic
requirements, including service requirements, for the duration of the leave—with the exception
of requirements that should have been met prior to the leave. Thus, students on leave may be
expected to complete academic work from previous terms (e.g. incomplete grades) before
readmission. Taking a leave of absence in and of itself should not affect a student’s academic
progress or standing. Teaching and research requirements must be met by the student following
return from leave.
University Privileges:
Students on all types of leave will retain their Brown University email
account during the first year of leave and as needed if leaves are extended. Students on all types
of leave can request continued access to Brown University libraries and recreation facilities,
unless otherwise noted, for the period of the approved leave by emailing the dean approving their
leave. Students requesting access to recreation facilities will have to pay the standard recreation
fee for students. No fee will be charged for continued access to Brown University libraries.
Students may also request continued building access, which will be reviewed on a case-by-case
basis.
As students on leave are not active registered students, they do not have continued access to all
University services available to registered students, such as University Health Services
(including the Pharmacy), Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), free RIPTA use, and
student membership to Brown Recreation facilities while on leave of absence.
Insurance:
Students who are approved for a leave of absence and who have been previously
insured under the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for the enrollment period immediately
prior to taking the leave of absence are eligible to enroll in SHIP for a maximum of one year.
Students are responsible for the payment of the premium, unless they are doctoral or MFA
students on medical leave in which case the Graduate School pays the premium. It is not possible
to extend enrollment in SHIP beyond one year even if the leave is extended further.
Financial Terms:
No financial support will be given during the leave period. Students should
consult with the Office of Financial Aid regarding the implications of a leave for financial aid
and student loans. Students in Master’s programs should also consult with the Office of Financial
Aid on the Brown policy regarding tuition refunds.
Family, Medical, Professional Development, and Probationary Leaves allow students to defer
funding commitments from Brown. Personal Leaves do not allow students to defer funding
commitments from Brown, except by petition in exceptional cases, with approval by the graduate
program and the Graduate School.
Students receiving funding from external sources, such as the government grants, are subject to
the conditions established by the funding source.
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International Students:
A student in F-1 or J-1 status seeking a leave of absence is required to
contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) as soon as possible for
advising and to enter the contact information of an OISSS staff member in the “recommender”
on their leave of absence application in UFunds. When on a leave of absence a student is no
longer enrolled full-time and is not allowed to remain in the U.S. during a period of approved
leave of absence (for students seeking medical leave, please see the section for international
students below).
Categories of Leave
●
Family Leave: This leave is granted for family needs. (See below for more details. The
Family Leave is distinct from the “parental relief” accommodation discussed in the following
section.)
●
Medical Leave: This leave is granted for a graduate student to address a medical need. (See
below for more details.)
●
Short-Term Medical Accommodation: This accommodation is granted for temporary relief
from academic duties due to illness, injury, or a temporary acute phase of a chronic
condition. (See below for more details.)
●
Professional Development Leave: This leave is granted for an approved educational or
professional development opportunity that advances the student’s pedagogic goals. (See
below for more details.)
●
Probationary Leave: This leave is granted to students for problems with academic
performance. (See below for more details.)
●
Personal Leave: This leave is an elective leave taken for personal reasons. (See below for
more details.)
Regardless of the type of leave, the leave will be recorded in the academic transcript as “Leave
of absence.”
Family Leave of Absence
Subject to the conditions above, a graduate student at Brown University may take an unpaid
Family Leave of Absence for the birth or adoption of the student’s child within one year of the
child’s birth or placement for adoption or for care of the student’s spouse, domestic partner,
child, or parent with a serious health condition. One student per family may be on Family Leave
at a given time. Students may take a Family Leave for up to one year (two semesters and a
summer) Requests for extension of a Family Leave beyond one year, or for repeated Family
Leaves, may be made. Approval of extensions, deferral of funding and continued academic
accommodation is at the discretion of the deans of the Graduate School. The student is expected
to notify the DGS in writing of plans to take a Family Leave at the earliest possible date, so that
appropriate arrangements can be made to cover any teaching/research responsibilities.
For information on academic requirements, insurance, financial terms, etc., please consult the
information common to all leaves above.
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Medical Leave of Absence
Subject to the conditions above, a graduate student may take a Medical Leave of Absence to
address a medical need. A student considering a Medical Leave should consult with the
Associate Dean of Student Support in the Graduate School or the Associate Dean of Student
Affairs in the School of Professional Studies, as well as University Health Services and/or
Counseling and Psychological Services. Students may request a Medical Leave at any time.
Students requesting a Medical Leave of Absence initiate the process with the Associate Dean of
Student Support in the Graduate School or the Associate Dean of Student Affairs in SPS and
must submit a Medical Leave of Absence Request application in UFunds. (No confidential
information need be shared with except with the relevant deans and health care providers.) The
request for a medical leave must be approved in writing by the student’s department and the
Graduate School or the School of Professional Studies (as applicable). The student’s transcript
will read only “Leave of Absence.”
In exceptional circumstances and where program and funding structures allow, medical leaves
may be approved for periods of that do not fully align with the semester and summer term
periods.
Students who are seeking to return to Brown following a medical leave should follow the
Guidelines for Clearance to Return from Medical leave (found here on the Graduate School
website).
Requests for extension of Medical Leave beyond the initially approved period may be made with
approval the relevant dean in the Graduate School or School of Professional Studies and the
student’s graduate program.
Insurance:
Students who take a Medical Leave of Absence who have been previously insured
under the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for the enrollment period immediately prior to
taking the leave of absence are eligible to enroll in SHIP for a maximum of one year. For
doctoral students on Medical Leave, the Graduate School or the Division of Biology and
Medicine will pay their insurance premium. It is not possible to extend enrollment in the Student
Health Plan beyond one year even if the leave is extended further.
International Students:
A student approved for a Medical Leave of Absence, who intends to
seek treatment in the U.S. (doctor’s note required) during the approved period of leave, may be
approved to remain in the United States. Students seeking to remain in the U.S. while on Medical
Leave are required to request this with OISSS.
Accommodations:
Students with disabilities who are considering a Medical Leave are
encouraged to review, depending on their circumstances, whether a reasonable accommodation
through Student and Accessibility Services (SAS) might either make it possible to continue as an
active registered student and/or be appropriate once a student has returned from leave.
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Medical Leave Grant:
The Graduate School recognizes that a Medical Leave of Absence,
particularly the temporary interruption of a stipend, can be a financial challenge. In an effort to
help graduate students prioritize their health and wellbeing and alleviate the potential financial
difficulties, doctoral and MFA students who are supported by a stipend are eligible to apply for a
Medical Leave Grant to be paid at the onset of a Medical Leave. Students should submit the
Medical Leave Grant application in UFunds. Students with disabilities may request reasonable
modifications to these medical leave of absence procedures by contacting the Associate Dean for
Student Support in the Graduate School.
Professional Development Leave of Absence
A graduate student may take a one to two semester leave for an approved educational or
professional development opportunity that advances the student’s pedagogic goals. Examples of
reasons for a Professional Leave include full-time professional internships, or short-term
teaching or research appointments at another institution. Applications for a Professional Leave
must be require the approval of the student’s department and the Graduate School or School of
Professional Studies. Professional development leave requests and should be made at least four
weeks before the start of the semester in which the student would like to take the leave.
Professional Leaves are normally for a maximum of one year. In extraordinary situations the
Graduate School or School of Professional Studies will consider a request for one, and one only,
extra year.
Probationary Leave of Absence
A graduate student may take a one to two semester academic Probationary Leave at the
recommendation of the student’s graduate program for deficiencies related to academic
performance. For all Probationary Leaves, the Graduate School and School of Professional
Studies will require written confirmation that both the graduate program and the student agree to
the leave of absence. A Probationary Leave allows a student additional time to meet academic
requirements while on leave, preserving any funding commitments and the possibility of a return
to active student status in the program. In some circumstances, a graduate program may
recommend Probationary Leave following a term or semester on Warning status. Probationary
Leaves must be accompanied by a plan of action that describes what the student needs to
accomplish during the leave in order to be considered for reenrollment in the program.
Applications for a Probationary Leave must be completed with the student’s graduate program
and with the Graduate School or School of Professional Studies, and should be made at least four
weeks before the start of the semester in which the student would like to take the
leave. Probationary Leaves are granted for one to two semesters, with the possibility of extension
for up to one additional year. Students on a Probationary Leave may only reenroll with the
written permission of the Director of Graduate Studies and approval by the Graduate School or
School of Professional Studies.
Requests for extension of a probationary leave may be made to the Graduate School or School of
Professional Studies.
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Academic Obligations:
As with other types of leave, students on Probationary Leave will have
their academic “clock stopped” and will not accrue new academic obligations. However, students
are still responsible for academic obligations incurred prior to going on Probationary Leave, such
as grades of incomplete.
Personal Leave of Absence
A graduate student may take a one to two semester leave for personal reasons, including military
service. Applications for a Personal Leave must be completed with the student’s graduate
program and with the Graduate School or School of Professional Studies, and should be made at
least four weeks before the start of the semester in which the student would like to take the
leave. Personal Leaves are granted for one to two semesters, with the possibility of extension for
up to one additional year.
Financial Terms:
Funding commitments from Brown are not deferred while a student is on
Personal Leave; this means that a student who takes Personal Leave during years one through
five (year six in the Humanities and Social Sciences) in the program forfeits guaranteed funding
from the Graduate School or School of Professional Studies equal to the duration of the Personal
Leave. In exceptional cases, the Graduate School and the graduate program may allow funding
commitments to be deferred while a student is on personal leave. Students receiving funding
from external sources, such as government grants, are subject to the conditions established by the
funding source.
Leaves and Progress in the Program
Doctoral students have five years from the time they advance to candidacy to submit their
dissertation. Extensions to candidacy may be granted by the Graduate School. If time on leave
will place a student past the five-year post-candidacy deadline for completion, then the student
must request both a leave of absence and an extension to candidacy.
Filing a Dissertation or Thesis While on Leave
Students may file their thesis or dissertation while on leave.
Readmission from Leave
To return to active status, and to be eligible for funding in the next academic term, students for
all leave types, including Medical Leave, must notify the Graduate School or School of
Professional Studies in writing by May 1 for a fall-semester return or November 1 for a spring-
semester return. Readmission for summer term requires additional approval by the program and
will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis; such requests must be submitted no later than April 1.
For readmission from leaves other than medical, the student should write to the program
requesting readmission, and if the request is approved by the program, the DGS should endorse
and forward the request to the Graduate School or School of Professional Studies.
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Students who are seeking to return to Brown following a Medical Leave should follow the
Guidelines for Clearance to Return from Medical leave (found here on the Graduate School
website).
Return after an extended leave: Before students are readmitted from an extended absence, chairs
and DGSs need to take special care to re-orient them. Completion requirements and the
processes for determining financial support and appointment types, among other things, may be
different than when that student was previously enrolled. Advisors and faculty may have
changed, as well as training and degree requirements.
Accommodations
Short-Term Medical Accommodation
The Graduate School recognizes there are times when an acute medical matter may arise that
requires accommodations but not a Medical Leave of Absence.
A Short-Term Medical Accommodation allows graduate students from one week up to a
maximum of 4 weeks away from academic responsibilities (including coursework, teaching, and
research) to focus on their health and wellbeing, when the accommodation would not
fundamentally alter a student’s academic program. A graduate student requiring temporary relief
from their academic duties due to illness, injury, or a temporary acute phase of a chronic
condition may apply for a Short-Term Medical Accommodation at any point during the
academic year. Students approved for a Short-Term Medical Accommodation maintain their
active, full-time student status and all accompanying privileges, including stipend, where
applicable.
As Short-Term Medical Accommodations may not fundamentally alter the essential nature of a
student’s course, curriculum or program, a medical leave may be required if an accommodation
for the period requested would result in a fundamental alteration.
Eligibility:
Graduate students in good or satisfactory academic standing are eligible for up to 4
weeks of Short-Term Medical accommodation.
Length of Accommodation:
Short-Term Medical Accommodations provide one to four weeks
of relief from academic responsibilities. The length is determined by the nature of the acute
medical matter and any documented recommendation from a licensed provider.
Financial Terms:
Stipended students approved for a Short-Term Medical Accommodation will
continue to receive their stipend for the period of the accommodation. As such, a student’s
funding clock is not paused. Students receiving funding from external sources, such as
government grants, may, subject to the conditions established by the funding source, require
additional review and may elect to be fully supported by the Graduate School for the term of the
accommodation.
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Concurrent stipends from an external source and the Graduate School are not allowed.
Request Procedure:
Graduate students who experience an acute medical matter must meet as
soon as possible with Associate Dean of Student Support in the Graduate School (for doctoral
and MFA students) or the Associate Dean of Student Affairs in the School of Professional
Studies (for all other master’s students). Students should submit the appropriate Short-Term
Medical Accommodation Request Form in UFunds. The relevant dean will review the
application and share the accommodation request with the student’s department, asking the
Chair, DGS and faculty or research advisor, as applicable, to determine if the Short-Term
Accommodation would be a reasonable in the context of the particular degree program. If a
reasonable accommodation cannot be identified, a Medical Leave of Absence may be necessary.
Students are required to register with Student and Accessibility Services (SAS), which includes
completing an Information and Release for, meeting with a SAS professional staff member to
discuss student needs, and submitting documentation that meets their guidelines.
Supporting Documents:
Documentation from a medical provider must be submitted to SAS at
the conclusion of the accommodation period, clearing the graduate student to resume all full-time
academic duties. In those instances where a student has not been cleared to return to full
academic responsibilities, a Medical Leave of Absence may be necessary.
Medical documentation will also be required at the conclusion of the accommodation period,
clearing the graduate student to resume all full-time academic duties. In those instances where a
student has not been cleared to return to full academic responsibilities, a medical leave of
absence may be necessary.
Support for Student Parents
Brown University is committed to supporting all of our graduate students in their professional
development, and to finding ways to accommodate life events in that process. The Family Leave
and Parental Relief policies are aimed at helping graduate students successfully balance their
parenting responsibilities and their academic and professional pursuits. The Parental Relief and
the family leave policies both provide ways of “stopping the clock” for graduate students facing
special family needs that require their full-time attention.
The Parental Relief and Family Leave policies establish minimum standards for accommodation
for graduate students. It is expected that advisors, academic staff, and departmental leaders will
work with sensitivity and imagination to provide more than this minimum, according to the
particular circumstances of the student. For example, students whose research involves working
with toxic materials or requires extensive travel to remote archives or field areas may need
additional forms of accommodation during the entire term of their pregnancy and during
lactation. Advisors should have realistic expectations about rates of progress on research for
students with new additions to their families. We encourage students availing themselves of
Parental Relief or Family Leave to keep open lines of communication with their departments.
The Parental Relief and Family Leave policies do not replace the communication and
cooperation between students and their programs, and the good-faith efforts of both to
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accommodate family needs. Programs are also encouraged to take into consideration the
additional challenges that after-hours programming may place on graduate students who are
parents.
Students who are not eligible for Parental Relief should contact any Associate Dean in the
Graduate School or School of Professional Studies to request modifications of academic
responsibilities because of the birth or adoption of a child. Such students include many Master’s
students and doctoral students beyond year six. The Associate Deans will provide guidance to
the student and faculty advisors, department chairs or DGSs, where relevant. Student parents are
encouraged to review the eligibility requirements for other family resources, including the child
care subsidy, child dependent health insurance subsidy, and backup care.
Parental Relief Support
Parental Relief is designed to partially ameliorate the academic and professional demands on
graduate student parents who are primary caregivers of newly born or adopted children.
Recognizing the demands of being the primary caregiver for a newborn infant or adopted child,
Parental Relief provides stipended graduate students with an additional semester, or a summer,
of stipended support, regardless of funding source, at the standard rate set annually by the
Graduate School.
●
Parental Relief “stops the clock” on the student’s academic requirements, including service
requirements, for the duration of one semester or summer.
●
Eligible graduate students may take this relief during the semester or summer in which birth
or adoption occurs, or in the immediately following semester.
●
Students on Parental Relief maintain full-time student status. Insurance coverage, eligibility
for deferment of student loan repayment, and visa status for international students are thus
maintained during the relief period.
●
In instances in which co-parents are both graduate students at Brown both parents are eligible
for Parental Relief for a birth or adoption.
Eligibility:
Graduate students in good or satisfactory academic standing who are supported by a
stipend are eligible for Parental Relief for the care of a newly born infant or adopted child under
16 years of age. Doctoral students beyond year 6 are not eligible for Parental Relief. Graduate
students may request Parental Relief up to two times during their tenure as a student at Brown.
Length of Parental Relief:
The relief provides a stipend for one semester or a summer. Students
electing summer support will receive the summer support outlined in the applicant’s admissions
letter at the monthly stipend rate set by the Graduate School.
Financial Terms:
The Graduate School provides support at the rate of the standard base stipend
for the duration of the relief period. Health insurance, health service fee coverage, and dental
insurance for the student are maintained. Students receiving funding from external sources, such
as government grants, may, subject to the conditions established by the funding source, elect to
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be fully supported by the Graduate School for the term of the Parental Relief instead of by the
external funding source. Concurrent stipends from an external source and the Graduate School
are not allowed.
Request Procedure:
Graduate students who anticipate the birth or adoption of a child are
encouraged to meet early with the Associate Dean of Student Support in the Graduate School, to
address questions about the Parental Relief policy. Students should submit the Parental Relief
Support Request application in UFunds. Students are encouraged to communicate with their
advisor(s) and DGS as early as possible prior to the anticipated start of the Parental Relief term
in order to allow programs to rearrange teaching duties and research directors to work out
schedules as appropriate.
Supporting Documents:
Students approved for Parental Relief are required to submit
supporting documents of the adoption or childbirth event 15 days before or after the event.
See also: Family Leave of Absence section.
Part-Time Status
Part-time study requires written prior approval of the Graduate School and the DGS of the
program.
PhD
In some degree programs, it is possible for doctoral students to study on a part-time basis, with
the approval of the program director of graduate study and the Graduate School. Enrollment in
fewer than four courses per semester does not in itself make a student part-time.
Master’s
The number of courses required for full-time enrollment status in Master’s programs depends
upon the program structure. Students whose enrollment is less than or more than full time will be
charged at the rate per tuition unit set for that program by the Corporation.
Financial and Visa Implications of Part-Time Status
Half-time is usually enough to maintain eligibility for student loan deferrals, but students should
review their specific loan agreements before relinquishing full-time status. International students
should also be aware of potential impact on their visa status, and should confirm any change with
the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS).
Additional information on the tuition implications related to part-time status can be found on the
Office of the Registrar’s website. Once financial and visa implications have been considered, the
student should request part-time status and the DGS endorse the request and forward it to the
Graduate School.
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Codes of Student Conduct
Academic and Student Conduct Codes
Graduate students are expected to be aware of, and to comply with, the Academic Code:
Graduate Student Edition and the Brown University Code of Student Conduct. The Academic
Code: Graduate Student Edition can be found on the Graduate School website, and the Code of
Student Conduct can be found on the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
website.
Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment
Graduate students in their roles as students, research assistants, teaching assistants, and teaching
fellows are expected to comply with the University’s policies prohibiting sexual and gender-
based harassment and sexual violence. The applicable policies can be found on the Title IX and
Gender Equity Office’s website. The Title IX and Gender Equity’s Office website also contains
information on reporting options, support services, and resources available to students.
Grievance Procedures
Read the updated Graduate Student Grievance Procedures (adopted by the Faculty on November
6, 2018). They can also be found in the Faculty Rules and Regulations, Part 4, Section 11, IIA.
Grievances related to students’ appointment as RAs, TAs, TA IIs, TFs, and Proctors may be
subject to further processes outlined in the union contract.
Commencement
Prizes and Awards
There are a number of awards for which students can be nominated to recognize excellence in a
variety of areas including teaching, scholarship, community engagement. For more detailed
information, please refer to the Graduate School’s webpage on awards.
Procession and Ceremony
Only students who are receiving advanced degrees from Brown are permitted to march in the
Commencement procession and participate in the Graduate School graduation ceremony.
Students who have been awarded degrees the prior October or February are also eligible to
participate in the May Commencement ceremony.
For information on registering for commencement, please consult the Graduate School website.
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The Graduate School requires that degree requirements be complete to participate in the
Commencement ceremony. The only exception to this rule is for a diploma that is withheld for
financial reasons. In this instance, a student may march and receive a blank piece of paper
instead of the diploma. Departments may include students who are almost finished with their
degree requirements in their departmental ceremonies.
After degree requirements are complete but before the next Commencement, a student may
request a Certificate of Completion from the Registrar’s office.
Post-Graduation
Student Privileges
Students transition from student status to alumni status as of the date of graduation. This
transition entails a number of practical changes of which students should be aware. Brown card
access is terminated on May 31; students who need access to card-controlled buildings should
request such access with the appropriate program staff. Students must return keys to Brown
facilities once they graduate unless other arrangements are made with their program. Brown
student email accounts are migrated from brown.edu to alumni.brown.edu ten days after
Commencement.
Students who have graduated and were covered by the Brown University health insurance
program will continue to be covered by their insurance until August 14. While insurance
coverage remains active during the summer, access to University Health Services, athletic
facilities, and other benefits specific to active students ends with the close of the academic year
for students who graduate.
Alumni Relations
Brown University is proud of the accomplishments of its students, and the University encourages
students to remain in contact with their program staff, faculty members, the Brown Alumni
Association, and the Graduate School. Students who have graduated may contact the Brown
Alumni Association to request activation of an alumni email account and to establish alumni
borrowing privileges at the Brown libraries.
Student Records
Students may order documents such as a transcript or enrollment verification at any time from
the Office of the Registrar. Students who have completed and filed their dissertations but not yet
received their degrees may request a Certificate of Degree Completion from the Office of the
Registrar once their degree requirements have been fulfilled.
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Information Primarily for Doctoral Students
Dissertation Advisor and Committee
The Dissertation Committee
Each program should provide in its handbook the procedure for how students select their
dissertation advisors and committees, and set a timetable for doing so. Programs should be
structured so that each student always has an advisor; leaving a gap between advice from the
DGS and advice from the preliminary examination committee and/or dissertation advisor may
prolong time to degree and increase attrition.
Chairs and DGSs need to be aware of the advising and mentoring relationships in their graduate
programs. Monitoring the progress of each student is the responsibility of the program and not
only that of the faculty advisor. The dissertation chair and the other faculty members of a
dissertation committee should meet with the student on a regular basis, with a minimum of once
a semester.
Policy on Advisors Who Have Left Brown
Under normal circumstances, when a faculty member leaves Brown, their advisees will be
required to seek a new advisor. Subject to the approval of the chair of the department, faculty
who leave Brown may continue to serve as dissertation or thesis advisors for students whom they
were advising at the time of their departure. The program must be mindful of the need to provide
students with some on-campus supervision and contact in the cases where a non-resident advisor
continues service.
Policy on Emeriti Faculty
Emeriti faculty are a valuable resource for students, programs, and the University. The Graduate
School has adopted the following guidelines regarding the role of emeriti faculty:
●
Faculty who retire and move into emeritus standing may, at the request of the relevant
student(s) and program(s), continue to serve as advisors to students who were under their
tutelage at the time of retirement.
●
With departmental approval, an emeritus faculty member can serve as a reader on a
dissertation provided there are no other emeritus faculty members on that thesis committee.
●
With departmental approval, an emeritus faculty member can serve as a co-primary advisor
on a dissertation along with a regular member of the faculty. An emeritus faculty
member cannot serve as the sole primary advisor on a dissertation.
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Admission to Candidacy
Admission to doctoral candidacy is a student’s last formal requirement for earning the PhD
before the submission of the dissertation. To be admitted, the student must have passed all other
departmental requirements, usually including courses, language proficiency, and one or more
written or oral examinations (prelims). Each program’s handbook should clearly explain what
the requirements are, how they may be met, what is the timetable or deadlines for meeting them,
how students will be notified when they have met requirements, and what happens when students
fail to meet these requirements upon the first attempt as well as what happens regarding
subsequent failed attempts.
Most programs allow a second attempt at all or part of the preliminary exams. The program’s
handbook should state clear standards for allowing the exam to be retaken and a reasonable time
frame for a second attempt. If the exams are tailored to each student’s specific interests, the
scope in each case should be clear to the examiners and the student.
Advancement to candidacy must be recorded in GSIM. The date of admission is printed on the
student’s transcript, and the fact that they have been admitted is required for general reporting
purposes within the University as well as many applications for external funding.
Doctoral students have up to five years after admission into their program to achieve candidacy.
Students who do not achieve candidacy by the end of their fifth year will be withdrawn from the
Graduate School. Requests for a one-year extension for achieving candidacy may be made to the
Graduate School by the DGS in the student’s program.
Extension of Candidacy
It is University policy that the dissertation should be completed within five years of achieving
candidacy. Nevertheless, students sometimes require more time, and in cases where the faculty
believes the student will finish and accepts the reasons for delay, candidacy may be extended.
Extensions of up to an additional two years beyond the five years since achieving candidacy may
be granted by the Graduate School; extensions beyond two years require a vote of the Graduate
Council.
The DGS must request any extension of candidacy from the Graduate School in writing. Note
that the student must also write to justify the extension. Any extension must be to a specific date
mentioned in the request.
Students who are more than five years beyond achieving candidacy and who have not been
approved for an extension of candidacy may be withdrawn from the Graduate School.
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Conducting Dissertation Research Away from Brown
Conducting Research and Traveling Abroad
Research related activities under any circumstances are subject to a variety of important
requirements. When there is an international component, these requirements still apply and there
may be additional compliance issues that need to be addressed.
Before you engage in Brown-sponsored travel abroad, you are required to register your travel
plans in TravelSafe, Brown’s international travel registry. Adding travel itineraries and
emergency contact information enables international travel risk management staff to reach out
and assist travelers in the event of an emergency. Registration also provides travelers with pre-
authorization to access the benefits provided--at no additional cost--through International SOS,
Brown’s emergency assistance provider.
All Brown graduate students traveling abroad on behalf of the University (i.e., internships,
research, study abroad, conference travel, etc.) are automatically enrolled in a blanket
study/travel abroad accident and sickness insurance policy. Please review the information about
what is covered and what the limitations are, per this policy. Benefits covered through both
International SOS and the accident and sickness insurance policy are all coordinated through
International SOS.
Depending on where you are traveling, you may be required to complete a Safety Plan and
obtain approval prior to making your travel arrangements. For more information, and to review
the international travel policy, please visit the international travel risk management website.
Students who plan to conduct dissertation research away from Brown during one of their years of
guaranteed support from the Graduate School have the following funding options available to
them: (1) they may be eligible for a dissertation fellowship based on the recommendation of their
department, in which case they use one of their years of guaranteed funding; (2) they may have
an external fellowship and apply for supplemental stipend and tuition support from the Graduate
School under the incentive program; or (3) they may “opt-out” of Graduate School funding and
“stop their funding clock” for up to two semesters by taking Advanced Status. For information
on Advanced Status, see above. Students who are ineligible for Advanced Status may, with the
approval of the graduate program and the Graduate School, have the option to opt out of the
stipend but retain tuition remission in order to maintain active student status; please note that this
does not defer funding commitments.
Students who are awarded external fellowships and do not take Advanced Status are considered
by the Graduate School as funded students and the conditions of the external award incentive
policy apply.
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Exchange Scholar Program
Under terms of the Exchange Scholar Program, the graduate schools of the University of
California at Berkeley, Brown, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, MIT, the
University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Stanford and Yale have agreed to admit each others’
students for one year of study, where appropriate, without charging tuition. For information on
this program, see the Exchange Scholar Program page on the Graduate School website.
Submission of Dissertations and Theses
Filing of Dissertations and Policy on Public Access to Dissertations
PhD candidates at Brown must file their dissertations electronically. Brown's electronic theses
and dissertation (ETD) system was developed by the Graduate School and the University Library
and launched in 2008. The system is designed to collect and archive final dissertation as a text-
based PDF file. Electronic dissertations submitted through the ETD will appear in the Library's
discovery service and in the Brown digital repository.
In the spirit of the dissemination of new knowledge that is a hallmark of higher education,
dissertations will be subject to web searches and unrestricted downloads unless the student
requests to opt out that system and have their dissertation unavailable for download outside of
the Brown community. A request to restrict download access to a dissertation has an initial two-
year window from the time the degree is conferred. Guidelines associated with restricted
dissertation access are:
●
The full text version of the dissertation will be available for download only to members of
the Brown community.
●
Web searches including the citation and abstract of restricted dissertations will continue to be
available to the general public.
●
After two years the restriction will elapse.
●
Restrictions on full text download may be renewed for two-year periods up to a total of ten
years from the date of degree conferral. Requests for additional two-year restrictions should
be made to the Graduate School.
●
Any requests to extend the restriction beyond ten years must go to the Graduate Council for
approval.
●
In cases where the dissertation is a co-worked piece and there is disagreement between the
student and the advisor over whether the dissertation will or will not be available for
download outside of the Brown community, the dispute will be brought before the Graduate
Council for resolution.
To complete the electronic submission process, doctoral candidates must have successfully
defended their dissertation and had it approved by their committee. To use the ETD system,
doctoral candidates must possess a valid username and password for accessing Brown’s
computer network. If you are unable to create an account in the system, please
contact ETD@brown.edu for assistance.
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Deadlines
For current information on deadlines, please see the Registrar’s webpage on degree conferrals.
Registration in semester I allows a student to submit a dissertation or thesis until the start of
classes in the spring. Registration in semester II allows a student to submit a dissertation or thesis
until the start of classes in the following fall. If the student does not submit the dissertation or
thesis by then and does not need to be an active student, they can be placed on “Enrollment
Satisfied – Requirements Pending” status. For information on ESRP (formerly, TP) status, please
see above.
Formatting Guidelines
The current dissertation formatting guidelines can be found on the Graduate School website. If
you have questions that are not addressed on that site, please contact the a member of the
Academic Affairs team.
Information Primarily for Master’s Students
Master’s Theses: Policy on Emeriti Faculty
Emeriti faculty are a valuable resource for students, programs, and the University. The Graduate
School has adopted the following guidelines regarding the role of emeriti faculty:
●
Faculty who retire and move into emeritus standing may, at the pleasure of the relevant
student(s) and program(s), continue to serve as advisors to masters students who were under
their tutelage at the time of retirement.
●
With departmental approval, an emeritus faculty member can serve as a reader on a Master’s
thesis provided there are no other emeritus faculty members on that thesis committee.
With departmental approval, an emeritus faculty member can serve as a co-primary advisor on a
Master’s thesis along with a regular member of the faculty. An emeritus faculty member cannot
serve as the sole primary advisor on a Master’s thesis.
Financial Aid
Financial aid for Master’s students is not currently managed centrally, and it varies among
programs. Prospective Master’s students who have questions about financial aid should contact
the program’s DGS. Students on campus can also contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Official letters of admission for Master’s students provide details of their funding packages (i.e.,
the number of years and levels of support). All subsequent funding decisions are made at the
departmental level and depend on students’ academic progress. Students with questions or
concerns regarding their funding should address them to their program’s DGS
