Doctorate in Computer Science and Information Systems (PhD), University of Colorado Denver Business School, CU Denver

Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Cheating, plagiarism, illegitimate possession and disposition of examinations, alteration, forgery, or falsification of official records, and similar acts or any attempt to engage in such acts are grounds for suspension or expulsion from the University. Also, actions that disrupt the administrative process, such as misrepresentation of credentials or academic status, other forms of deception, or verbal abuse of University staff, are grounds for suspension or probation. All reported acts of dishonesty must be referred to the PhD program co-directors. In particular, students are advised that plagiarism consists of any act involving the offering of the work of someone else as the student's own. It is recommended that students consult with the instructors as to the proper preparation of reports, papers, etc. in order to avoid this and similar offenses.

Classes dropped prior to census date will not appear on the transcript. Therefore, to drop with a grade of W, a student must be earning a grade of C or better; otherwise an F will appear on the transcript. Students will not be permitted to drop a course or withdraw from all courses after the 10th week of the semester, unless circumstances outside the student's control are documented. The petition to drop or withdraw after the 10th week must be approved by one of the program co-directors and the course's instructor(s).

Courses that are to be applied to a student's CSIS PhD program requirements must be explicitly and specifically documented as acceptable in the published CSIS program rules. Exceptions must be approved in advance and in writing via petition by the dissertation advisor (if applicable) and by the CSIS PhD program director. Without advance approval, exceptions will not count towards fulfilling CSIS program requirements. Note that exceptions include but are not limited to:

• MSIS or MSCS prerequisite courses
• Dissertation hours taken before passing the comprehensive examination and completing the
• preliminary exam requirements
• Independent study courses

Students must complete at least 30 dissertation hours in order to graduate. In general, dissertation hours should be taken when the student begins work on his/her dissertation. Usually, a student will have completed the preliminary exam and coursework before enrolling for dissertation hours. Exceptions to this policy should be approved by the student's advisor and program co-director.

During the pre-comprehensive exam phase of the PhD program, each CSIS PhD student must enroll for at least three hours per semester unless obtaining a waiver by the student's program director. Typical reasons for waivers are medical problems, birth of a child, and unanticipated work demands. The student should submit a petition to the program director for approval preferably by the first week of the semester. Students who fail to submit a petition will need to reapply to the program director for admission. This policy only applies to fall and spring semesters, not summer semesters. After successful completion of the comprehensive exam, each CSIS student must follow the graduate school rule for dissertation hour enrollment. The graduate school requires a minimum enrollment of five hours and a maximum enrollment of 10 hours of dissertation credit for each fall and spring semester. After completing 30 hours of dissertation hours, a student need only register for one hour for each fall and spring semester until successful dissertation defense. Students who are unable to register for these minimum credits because of extenuating personal circumstances should apply for a leave of absence as explained in the Graduate School handbook.

Academic policies that apply to all UC Denver students are described in the General Information section of the UC Denver catalog. Each student is responsible for knowing and complying with the academic policies and regulations established for the PhD program. The program cannot assume responsibility for problems resulting from failure to follow the policies stated in this catalog. Similarly, students are responsible for all deadlines, rules, and regulations stated in the Schedule of Courses.

Grade appeals and academic dishonesty cases will be handled by the academic unit offering the course from which the appeal arises. For jointly listed courses, the academic unit offering the course is the one in which the instructor is associated.

Students will be graded using letter grades. Normally, instructors use +/- grading to provide a finer grade distribution.

The only incomplete grade given in PhD course is IF. An IF grade is assigned only when documented circumstances clearly beyond the student's control prevent completion of the course requirements. Students must sign a contract outlining how they will make up the missing work with the instructor giving the IF. Students may not register for the class a second time. All IF grades must be made up within the contract period (which may not exceed one year), or the IF will automatically be changed to the grade of F.

Also, IF grades must be completed and recorded at the Office of Admissions and Records no later than four weeks before graduation. The student is responsible for contacting the instructor concerning the removal of incomplete grades.

Grades as reported by instructors are final. Grade changes will be considered only in cases of documented clerical errors or when a student is making up an incomplete grade (IF). All changes must be made within one year after the course has been taken, unless highly unusual circumstances can be documented and the change has been approved by one of the program co-directors. Normally, grade changes will not be considered for any circumstances after three years.

A minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 must be achieved and maintained for courses taken toward the PhD degree. All UC Denver classes completed to meet PhD requirements are computed in the PhD grade-point average.

Any grade below a C (2.0) is a failing grade for PhD students. Failure of a course may result in suspension from the PhD program.

Students cannot repeat CSIS PhD courses. For other courses in the program, the UC Denver graduate school rules apply about repeating courses, including grade-point calculation and permission to repeat courses.

If a student's cumulative grade-point average falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation and normally given one semester or nine semester hours of coursework (whichever occurs last) in which to achieve the required 3.0 cumulative average. Failure to achieve the required GPA within the allotted time period will result in suspension. If a student fails a PhD course, the program directors may suspend the student without providing a probationary period.

In addition, the student's advisor in consultation with the program co-directors will determine if a student is making satisfactory progress each year before the student submits an accepted dissertation proposal. If the student has not demonstrated adequate progress, such as not completing the first or second papers, the student can be placed on probation. This determination will be made with respect to the student's enrollment status (full time or part time) and other factors. If the student is deficient in completing program requirements, the advisor in consultation with the program co-directors will determine a remedial course of action. Failure to follow the course of action within the allotted time period may result in suspension.

The PhD program typically requires four years for full-time students with an MS degree. Part-time students are expected to complete the program in six years. A student may maintain a mix of full-time and part-time status during the program.

PhD students must finish the degree within seven years plus one semester from the first term of enrollment in the program unless written permission is obtained from both program co-directors. Time-limit extensions are given only for external situations, such as medical conditions that restrict a student's ability to complete the program in a timely manner.