Q & A
I passed my comprehensive preliminary exams, but then received a letter from the Graduate School that states that I have not yet taken my oral candidacy exams, and that I might lose my funding if I don’t do it by the end of the year. Did the Graduate School make a mistake? Was there a form I had to send them?
The Graduate School did not make a mistake. What it calls the “oral candidacy” exam is the doctoral dissertation proposal (not the prelims). There is no mechanism to report the results of your prelims, so the Graduate School doesn’t know anything about that. But it does care (as we do) that you make steady progress towards the dissertation research, and there is a form that must be submitted to the Graduate School when it comes time to propose your dissertation (which you can download from the Forms Packet).
How many credits do I need to take to be full-time student?
You must take at least 9 credits per semester to be considered a full time student. But once you have completed all of your coursework, a one-credit load will maintain full-time status.
Can my spouse get a Notre Dame ID card, and if so, how?
Yes, your spouse can (and should) get an ID card. First, you need to fill out this form, and then follow these instructions.
I am a new student and I want to come to Notre Dame before school starts to “jump-start” my work in a lab. Am I able to get health insurance?
The graduate student health insurance plan starts on the first day of the school year, so you are not eligible for coverage, nor can you buy your way in to it prior to your becoming an official student. However, you can purchase a health insurance plan to cover yourself before the regular health plan kicks in on the first day of the school year. Inquire at Health Services for details.
I am a new student who already has a masters degree. Will Notre Dame accept my degree? Will any of my credits transfer?
Let’s take up transfer credits first:
A student may transfer credits only if 5 conditions hold:
(1) the student is enrolled currently in an ND graduate program;
(2) the courses taken are graduate courses appropriate to the ND graduate program ---and the student had graduate student status when he or she took the courses;
(3) the courses were completed within a 5-year period prior to admission to ND.
(4) grades of B (3.0 on 4.0 scale) or better were achieved;
(5) the transfer is recommended by the department chair and approved by the Graduate School
The University will consider transfer requests only after the student has completed one semester in an ND graduate program. You should meet with your advisor and program director (or program faculty) to determine whether the course credits that you wish to transfer are appropriate to your program. A recommendation should then be sent to the Department chair (as per # 5 above).
The Graduate Bulletin (see p. 14) also notes that the “university of origin must submit two transcripts directly to the Notre Dame Graduate School.”
Also, if a student has a completed a master’s or Ph.D program, he or she may transfer up to nine semester credit hours to an ND master’s program and up to 24 semester credit hours to a Notre Dame Ph.D. program.
Note: grades of transferred courses are not included in the student’s GPA.
Now, what about accepting the master’s degree earned elsewhere?
Near the end of one’s second semester the student will submit the masters thesis to his or her advisor and one other faculty member (typically from one’s program). This committee will make a determination as to whether the thesis earned elsewhere meets the department’s expectations.
On this page are questions that I am asked about some aspect of graduate studies in the Department. That one person has a question probably means that others have wondered about it, too.
Remember, most questions can be answered by consulting the General Requirements Document
Questions and Answers
