College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences > Student Resources > Graduate Student Support > FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Below you can find answers to frequently asked questions. If the answer to your question is not found below, please contact Graduate Student Services at lasgraduateoffice@depaul.edu​. ​​

Holds

You need to submit final transcripts for your undergraduate or graduate degree to the Office of LAS Graduate Admission. If you did not submit a transcript showing a completed undergraduate or graduate degree at the time of application, a hold will be placed on your account, which prevents all future enrollments, until the transcript has been received.

Please submit final undergraduate or graduate transcripts to the Office of Graduate Admission for the hold to be removed. You may request official e-transcripts to be sent to LASgrad@depaul.edu from your alma mater. 

Please note: Transcripts must be sent directly to Admission; transcripts sent to you and forwarded will not be accepted.

If you did not provide final undergraduate transcripts (or master's degree for PhD Philosophy candidates) by the time of your graduate degree conferral, your conferral application will be denied, and your graduate degree will not be conferred.

All on-campus students enrolled half-time (four graduate credit hours) or more, and born after January 1, 1957 must have reported their immunization status to the Office of the University Registrar (via DePaul Central). By law, DePaul must prevent students from registering after their first term if proof of immunization is not provided.

You can find more information about which immunizations are required and how to submit proof of immunization by reviewing the immunization requirements.

Online only program students are not required to submit immunization records.

DePaul library fines, including for overdue DePaul books or equipment, or fines relating to I-Share or Interlibrary Loan materials will result in a registration hold and/or transcript/diploma hold.

You will need to contact the Lincoln Park Access Services desk at (773) 325-7862 to arrange the removal of any library related registration and transcript/diploma holds.


Enrollment and Registration

Deadlines to add, drop (with 100% tuition refund), and withdraw from a class can be found on the Academic Calendar. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the deadlines each quarter, as you will be held accountable for these deadlines, whether you know them or not.

Please review this handout for detailed instructions on how to register for classes, how the waitlist functions, and info about the swap feature if waitlisted into a class. 

If you are an undergraduate combined degree student, you will not be able to enroll yourself in your LAS graduate courses. Please email LASgraduateOffice@depaul.edu with the class details (e.g., MPS 501-801 12345 with Prof X Mon 5:45pm) and your ID# to request enrollment access.

Please be aware that any holds present when you attempt to enroll may prevent you from registering. Holds will need to be resolved in order to successfully enroll.

You must seek permission to late enroll or request a prereq waiver from the instructor. If the instructor approves, please forward the email to LASgraduateOffice@depaul.edu with all course details (e.g., MPS 501-801, 12345 with Prof X Mon 5:45pm) and your student ID#. 

Please be sure to resolve any holds before requesting enrollment.

Occasionally, graduate study calls for intensive research or a special internship experience that can only be achieved through an independent study course. Graduate students in the College of LAS can submit a request to register for an independent study course whether for dissertation/thesis research or to complete an internship by submitting the Independent Study Online Registration Request.

Please note: Independent study courses require departmental approval. Independent study requests should not be submitted until you have consulted with your prospective instructor.

You must submit the Independent Study Registration Request Form no later than the first week of the quarter in which you wish to start the independent study course. Please consult with your program faculty prior to filling out the online form. 

Once you complete the form, the person whom you indicated as the instructor will receive an email prompt asking them to approve/deny the request. Once they approve the request, the Program Director will receive an email prompt asking them to approve/deny the request. Once they approve, the course will be sent to the college course scheduler to create the course and enroll you. You will receive an email from LASgraduateOffice@depaul.edu once this process is complete.

You are unable to drop yourself from a class in Campus Connect after the 7th week/drop deadline each quarter. If you still wish to drop a class, you can submit a Late Withdrawal Request.

If you wish to drop a class after week 2 (no penalty drop), but before week 7, you may drop a class on your own through Campus Connect, under Manage Classes, Drop, select the course you wish to drop, submit. Withdrawn courses are assigned a grade of W (drop between week 2 and 7) or WA (for late withdrawals) and will appear on the transcript. W/WA grades are not calculated into the GPA, but are calculated into financial aid eligibility (satisfactory academic progress).

Please direct questions regarding the financial implications of dropping a class after week 2 to finaid1@depaul.edu. Classes dropped before week 2/before the no-penalty drop deadline will not negatively impact your financial aid eligibility and you will not be billed for the course. If you already paid for the course and wish to be reimbursed, please contact StudentAccounts@depaul.edu with your student ID#.

Courses required for graduate degrees must be registered under the standard grading basis (A-F) because courses registered under pass/fail or audit will not count as credit toward degree progress. Because courses with these grading bases do not count toward the degree completion, they are considered for personal interest and are not eligible for financial aid and not permitted to be taken on the graduate program record. Students will need to apply to be non-degree seeking students to take these courses.

However, if you are a non-degree seeking student taking a course for personal interest and want to change the grading basis to pass/fail or audit, you can submit a request through the online form. Though they do not earn credit, audited courses still carry a full tuition charge.

If you have completed all of the coursework required to earn your degree and are returning for degree conferral only, please email LASgraduateOffice@depaul.edu with your name, program, and student ID#.

If you still need to complete coursework, or if you are returning to complete a thesis or final project and will need to be enrolled in a continuation course, you will need to apply for readmission through the Admission online application form.


Degree Progress and Certificates

The easiest way to review your degree progress if by running your Degree Progress Report, which you can find in Campus Connect, under "Academic Progress." The DPR is an easy to understand visual layout of the course and program requirements necessary to complete your degree.

You are strongly encouraged to review your DPR frequently and to reach out to your graduate director if you notice any discrepancies, like a class not appearing in the appropriate field or a requirement that you completed not reflecting on the report. (Please note: Often, courses not appearing in the right place will appear under "Additional Courses.") Your program and the college office utilize the DPR for degree conferral auditing, so it is vital that your report is up to date. A current and accurate DPR will ensure a fast and easy degree conferral.

You are also able to review your entire course history by generating an unofficial transcript, also found in Campus Connect.

In graduate courses, your instructor is your primary source for guidance in successful completion of a graduate course. If you need additional guidance, please ask your instructor for suggestions per the content of the course.

The Writing Center provides writing assistance for all students and is located in SAC 212 (LPC). Students may seek feedback electronically/without going in person.

For assistance with research, contact the reference desk in the library.

Yes, you can request academic credit earned at another institution be transferred to DePaul University to fulfill graduate degree requirements, provided the credits were not used toward the requirements of another degree. A maximum of three courses may be requested for transfer. 

Transfer credit can only be awarded for graduate level coursework which was not counted toward the completion of a degree at DePaul or any other institution. Only completed coursework will be considered; in progress coursework is not eligible to transfer.

To transfer academic credit, you must submit one Transfer Credit Approval form for each course requested for transfer, to your graduate program director. Your program director may also require a syllabus and/or transcript. If the program director approves the transfer credit, please forward the Transfer Credit Approval form with their signature to LASgraduateOffice@depaul.edu. The program director must identify a DePaul equivalent course—the course that the transfer credit will be articulated as at DePaul—for each accepted transfer course, at the bottom of the form.

An official transcript (with grades posted for the courses to be transferred) must also be sent directly to the Office of LAS Graduate Admission from the previous institution. Electronic transcripts should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admission at LASgrad@depaul.edu. If these were already submitted (with grades posted) during the application process, they do not need to be resubmitted.

With approval of the graduate director, students in the School of Public Service are eligible to change their program of study without having to formally apply through the Office of Admission:

Students in any other graduate program must formally apply through the online Admissions application to be admitted into another degree program.

Please email LASgraduateOffice@depaul.edu with your student ID# to request the change.

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offers several certificates, many of which can be earned alongside a graduate degree. 

If you are currently enrolled in a graduate degree program in LAS looking to pursue a graduate certificate, please email LASgraduateOffice@depaul.edu.

Please be aware that the degree and certificate must be conferred at the same time. This means that both need to be completed together in order to be awarded.

If you are currently enrolled in a graduate degree program in LAS looking to pursue an undergraduate certificate, you will need to apply to be an undergraduate non-degree seeking student through the online admission application. In this case, the certificate and degree would not need to be conferred together. However, the courses would not be eligible to double-count between the degree and the certificate.

If you are not a current student, you will need to apply to be a graduate non-degree seeking student through the online admission application.

The credits used toward one degree cannot count toward another graduate degree unless part of an approved, established combined degree program. Because of this, it is not advised to enroll in concurrent graduate programs.

If you are considering beginning another degree program, please contact Admissions discuss your options.

Yes. However, there are limitations to double-counting when pursuing more than one graduate certificate. 

Course work credit leading to a graduate degree program in LAS may be double-counted toward ONE approved graduate certificate program. If a student seeks another (second or more) LAS certificate, and those certificate program requirements are again completely comprised of course work leading to the student’s graduate degree, then the student must take at least two additional courses in order to earn the additional certificate(s). 

Here’s an example: If a program requires 12 courses (48 credits) to complete a degree, a student can (potentially, depending on course overlap) earn a certificate on that record without needing additional coursework. If a second certificate is added, even if the coursework entire overlaps, the student will—at minimum—need to complete 14 courses (56 credits). Please make sure that students are aware of this additional work when they ask to add a certificate to their graduate degree program.

The terms thesis and dissertation are often used synonymously. At DePaul University, to facilitate registration and other requirements, thesis is used for the research and document required for the masters degree in many departments and programs. All forms referenced in these requirements can be found in the Forms Library. This page contains information you will need about thesis requirements from the inception to the completion of your project.

1.  "A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations" by Kate L. Turabian, is the handbook which indicates the format, technicalities of form and mechanics of typing/printing required for dissertations, theses and research papers. The only exception we make to Turabian's guidelines is the format for the title page. However, if your thesis advisor determines that your thesis (excepting the title page) would be more appropriately done in another format, follow the advisor's advice.

2.  There are certain other requirements you will need to follow at various stages of your project, about which your director/advisor will inform you, such as how to register for thesis credit hours, insuring candidacy continuation, taking qualifying exams, arranging a thesis defense (if necessary) and meeting various deadlines. Make sure everyone on your committee is aware of what needs to be done and when.

3.  Upon the completion of the thesis, students MUST initiate the committee approval process by filling out the Final Requirements Confirmation. All committee members must approve the thesis. (Detailed instructions on how to fill out the form can be found after logging in to the Final Requirements Confirmation page.)

Required Thesis Materials

The following documents must be submitted to the LAS Graduate Student Services office by the last day of the conferral term. This is a requirement for graduation. Please complete all online forms and email additional documents to LASgraduateoffice@depaul.edu. 

• An electronic PDF copy of the final thesis, fully approved and in the correct format (see Sample Title Page)

• Student-initiated and committee-approved Final Requirements Confirmation Form

• A completed Abstract & Keyword Form

• A signed copy of the ETD Approval Form  (Please note: Unless you choose to embargo your thesis, it will be widely available through internet searches.)

Thesis Binding

The Graduate Student Services Office does not offer binding services. If your department requires a bound thesis, please contact someone in the department for the binding requirements and options. 

The terms thesis and dissertation are often used synonymously. At DePaul University, to facilitate registration and other requirements, dissertation refers to the research and document required for the completion of a PhD.  All forms referenced in these requirements can be found in the Forms Library. This page contains information you will need about dissertation requirements from the inception to the completion of your project.

1.  The graduate student must have a preliminary conference with his/her departmental graduate advisor/director to decide on a research topic and faculty director of the projected dissertation.

2.  Once the research topic and dissertation director have been chosen, the student must submit a dissertation proposal: a written formal statement of the topic and plan of execution for the research. Your advisor/director will let you know what form the proposal should take.

3.  The composition of the committee that will supervise your dissertation should be worked out between you and your dissertation director. The number of members needed on a dissertation committee may vary; check with your advisor.

4.  Upon the completion of the dissertation, students MUST initiate the committee approval process by filling out the Final Requirements Confirmation. All committee members must approve the dissertation. (Detailed instructions on how to fill out the form can be found after logging in to the Final Requirements Confirmation page.)

5.  "A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations" by Kate L. Turabian is the handbook which indicates the format, technicalities of form and mechanics of typing/printing required for dissertations, theses and research papers. The only exception we make to Turabian's guidelines is the format for the title page. However, if your dissertation advisor determines that your dissertation (excepting the title page) would be more appropriately done in another format, follow the advisor's advice.

6.  There are certain other requirements you will need to follow at various stages of your project, about which your director/advisor will inform you, such as how to register for dissertation credit hours, insuring candidacy continuation, taking qualifying exams, arranging a dissertation defense (if necessary) and meeting various deadlines. Make sure everyone on your committee is aware of what needs to be done and when. Please consult the Graduate Student Services Office if you have any questions.

Required Dissertation Materials

The following documents must be submitted to the LAS Graduate Student Services office by the last day of the conferral term. This is a requirement for graduation. Please complete all online forms and email additional documents to LASgraduateoffice@depaul.edu. 

• An electronic PDF copy of the final dissertation, fully approved and in the correct format (see #5 above and Sample Title Page)

• Student-initiated and committee-approved Final Requirements Confirmation Form

• A completed Abstract & Keyword Form

• A signed copy of the ETD Approval Form  (Please note: Unless you choose to embargo your dissertation, it will be widely available through internet searches.)

• Successful electronic submission of the dissertation to ProQuest (details below)

• Proof of successful completion of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (more below)

It is important that you consult with your program's director regarding copyright, embargo and publishing options.

ProQuest

At DePaul University, publication of dissertations are required using ProQuest. Your degree will not be granted/conferred until you complete this final requirement. Visit ProQuest for information on formatting your dissertation and submitting through the ETD Administrator. 

There is no charge for submitting electronically through ProQuest if you select the "traditional publishing" option. If you choose to embargo your dissertation for the maximum length, please select the longest embargo option available and enter "10 year embargo" in the comment box of your submission.

If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact the Graduate Student Services Office at LASgraduateoffice@depaul.edu.

Survey of Earned Doctorate

In addition to submitting a dissertation and all other graduation requirements, DePaul University requires PhD candidates complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). SED gathers data from all research doctorate graduates each year on their educational history, sources of support and post-graduation plans. This data is presented annually in the Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities: Summary Report.

For your convenience, SED allows online submission of the survey. You will be asked to provide your name, institutional name, graduation information and email address. After submitting the form, a URL, PIN and password will be emailed to the address you provided. After submitting the questionnaire, you will receive a certificate of completion. Please email this certificate to the Graduate Student Services Office at lasgraduateoffice@depaul.edu. 

Dissertation Binding

The Graduate Student Services Office does not offer binding services. If your department requires a bound dissertation, please contact someone in the department for the binding requirements and options.

The terms thesis and dissertation are often used synonymously. At DePaul University, to facilitate registration and other requirements, thesis is used for the research and document required for the master's degree in many departments and programs. If students are not required to complete a thesis or dissertation, they may be required by their program to complete a final project. Non-thesis/dissertation final projects do not require publication, but the LAS Graduate Student Services Office must be informed of the student's successful completion.

All forms referenced in these requirements can be found in the Forms Library. This page contains information you will need about non-thesis final project requirements from the inception to the completion of your project.

1.  The graduate student must have a preliminary meeting with his/her departmental graduate advisor/director to decide on a research topic and faculty director of the projected project.

2.  Once the research topic and director have been chosen, the student may be required to submit a project proposal to the program: a written formal statement of the topic and plan of execution for the research. Your advisor/director will let you know what form the proposal should take.

3.  The composition of the committee that will supervise your project should be worked out between you and your director. The number of members needed on a project committee may vary; check with your advisor.

4.  Students in the Critical Ethnic Studies, Sociology, or Women's & Gender Studies program must also complete the Final Requirements Confirmation Form. Students initiate the form, which sends emails to committee members to approve the final project. All committee members must approve the final project. (Detailed instructions on how to fill out the form can be found after logging in to the Final Requirements Confirmation page.)

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Degree Conferral, Graduation, and Commencement

Degree conferral is the process where students request a final review of their record for the purpose of obtaining the degree. In order for the degree to be officially posted and the diploma sent, students must apply for degree conferral (sometimes referred to as graduation) in Campus Connect by the deadline.

The online degree conferral application can be found in Campus Connect under "Apply for Graduation". 

The application deadlines for degree conferral are as follows:

Autumn Quarter October 1
Winter Quarter January 15
Spring Quarter February 1
Summer Quarter July 15

 

 

So when should you apply?

If, for example, you plan to finish courses and all program requirements by the end of spring quarter, you should apply for Spring Quarter conferral before the February 1 deadline.

If you miss the deadline to apply for a particular conferral term, contact Graduate Student Services at lasgraduateoffice@depaul.edu immediately.

Following the end of the quarter in which you apply to confer, your record will be audited by your program and the college office. Auditors will use your Degree Progress Report to determine whether you have completed all requirements necessary to graduate. Provided all program requirements are met, your record will be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar for degree posting.

In order to have your degree conferred, you may not have any outstanding incomplete grades or pending transfer credit, grade changes, substitutions, or waivers. All exams must be completed and graded, and theses/dissertations or other capstone projects must be approved, graded, and submitted. Failure to have any of these items complete by the end of degree conferral period will prompt the Graduate Office to deny your degree conferral application.

Provided all program requirements are met, your degree will be posted by the Office of the University Registrar within 30 days of the last day of the quarter. You should receive an email from the Office of the University Registrar as soon as your degree has been posted. At that point, you will be able to request an official transcript that includes your completed degree.

Once your degree has been posted, your diploma will be mailed within 10 weeks after the end of the graduation term. Please make sure that you provided a "diploma address" in Campus Connect; without one, your diploma will not be mailed. Also be aware that any remaining financial holds may prevent the diploma from being sent.

If you have not received your diploma after 10 weeks, your should contact DePaul Central at dpcl@depaul.edu. 

At the graduate level, students are awarded degrees "with distinction" rather than "cum laude".

Requirements for earning a degree with distinction vary by program. Unless otherwise indicated, the minimum cumulative grade point average for distinction is 3.75. Additional criteria need to be met in many programs, such as passing a comprehensive examination or earning distinction on a thesis or final project. Refer to your program for any differing or specific requirements on minimum grade point average or additional criteria.

There are no exceptions for these requirements (i.e. “rounding up”).

If you earn distinction, "With Distinction" will appear on your diploma and official transcript.

If you have not completed all program requirements by the end of the audit period, your degree conferral will be denied. You will need to reapply for degree conferral for a future quarter.

Even if you complete all requirements shortly after the degree conferral period ends, you will need to wait until the following quarter's degree conferral period for your degree to be posted. The degree conferral period adheres to federal regulations and cannot be extended or changed.

There is no penalty for being denied degree conferral. However, applying for degree conferral locks you out of enrollment for the next quarter, so it is crucial that you only apply for degree conferral if you fully expect to complete all requirements. Applying too early may impact your financial aid and can limit your ability to register for any remaining coursework.

Yes. As with awarded degrees, the Office of the University Registrar will mail students a diploma for a completed degree. This applies to students who are awarded a certificate alongside their graduate degree, as well as students who earn standalone certificates as non-degree seeking students.

Please be sure that the "diploma address" you provided in Campus Connect is correct.

Commencement is the ceremony that takes place only once per academic year in June. It allows graduates and their families to celebrate their achievement. As part of this rite of passage, the accomplishment and contribution to the DePaul learning community is recognized. Visit DePaul's Commencement website for specific details regarding commencement.

Attendance at commencement is optional and is not required to receive your degree.

Steps Toward Commencement

•  Review your personal information for accuracy in Campus Connect. Check your diploma address to ensure that your diploma will be mailed to the correct location. If you need to update your name, please fill out the Personal Information Change Request through the University Registrar.

•  Students must successfully apply for degree conferral in order to participate in the ceremony. Anyone without an active application cannot participate in the commencement ceremony. To apply for degree conferral, select "Apply for Graduation" in the drop down menu under the Student Center tab in Campus Connect. Any students who graduated in fall or winter of that your or who applied for degree conferral for spring or summer and are on track to graduate are eligible to participate. Only degree-seeking students are able to attend commencement.

•  After you have applied for degree conferral, purchase your cap and gown through the link provided on the Commencement website. The ordering site will go live during Winter Quarter, typically in February, and DePaul will email all eligible students instructions on how to reserve a cap and gown. Follow the cap and gown ordering process all the way through the Herff Jones website until you receive a confirmation page.

•  Pick up your regalia at Commencement Kick-Off. The distribution of caps and gowns will take place on the Lincoln Park campus in June, in advance of the commencement ceremony. Your cap and gown will not be mailed to you. You must pick up your cap and gown on campus prior to commencement. If you will be unable to pick up your cap and gown in person, you may send a designee with a letter indicating your permission. Please include your name, student ID number and degree program.

Review additional commencement information, including instructions for picking up your allotted tickets, on the Commencement website. 

If you have any questions, please contact LAS Graduate Student Services at lasgraduateoffice@depaul.edu.

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General Questions

Yes! Please visit the New Graduate Students page for next steps, registration instructions, and an FAQ.

The Graduate Student Handbook includes policies specific to graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

The University Catalog includes the most current policies, program requirements, course information, and degree and certificate offerings. Please be aware that your specific degree or certificate requirements are shown on the catalog that is active during your requirement term, which is usually the term you are admitted. Your Degree Progress Report will display your specific requirements for the degree or certificate.

DePaul University is required to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) which sets forth the requirements regarding the privacy of student records. FERPA governs the release of education records maintained by DePaul and access to these records. This law applies to all levels of education from K-12 as well as postsecondary education.

You can find out more about how FERPA applies to your student records by visiting DePaul Central.

Updates to your address, phone number, email, or preferred name can be done in Campus Connect. To change your legal name, gender, or other personal information, please visit the DePaul Central website for details.

DePaul's Academic Calendar provides important registration, class, and tuition dates and deadlines. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the Academic Calendar and to be aware of deadlines every quarter.

A number of the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences graduate programs offer students the opportunity to perform research and administrative duties in an assistantship format. Qualified students are eligible to receive stipends and waivers or just full or partial tuition waivers. For more information on what assistantship opportunities are available to you, contact your program director.

In addition to assistantships, many of the graduate programs are able to award students with full or partial tuition waivers. If you are interested in tuition waivers, it is important to routinely inquire with your program office about availability, as they are often awarded on a quarterly basis.

There are also many internal and external scholarships that can be found in the Scholarship Connect database. Students are encouraged to apply for any financial opportunities they may be eligible for.

There is an Athletic Fee that is charged every quarter. Graduate students enrolled full time are also charged a fee for the CTA U-Pass. The amount of the various fees can be found on the Cost of Attendance page.

If you were awarded a tuition waiver, the waiver cannot be applied toward the student fees and you are still responsible for paying them each quarter.

The Office of Financial Aid is your guide and your resource for answering questions and finding information for financing your graduate degree.

While DePaul does not provide a student health insurance plan, students are encouraged to explore options in the Healthcare Marketplace and work with local community organizations to provide support. This website provides information on a variety of Affordable Care Act compliant health insurance plans, as well as enrollment for Medicaid, if you qualify. Open enrollment for plans under the Affordable Care Act begins November 1st, but you may qualify to enroll now under the “Special Enrollment” provision. For detailed information, visit studentaffairs.depaul.edu.

In most cases, your advisor is the director of your graduate program. However, depending on your program, there may be exceptions. Please contact your program office to determine who your advisor will be.

If you have already been assigned an advisor, you should be able to see who you are assigned to in Campus Connect.

Only enrolled students are eligible for student employment. Domestic students must be enrolled in at least 4 credit hours per quarter and can work up to 25 hours per week. International students must be enrolled in at least 8 credit hours per quarter and can work up to 20 hours per week.

Please note: The 20 to 25 hours per week limit is inclusive of all employment. For example, if a domestic student works 20 hours a week in one job, he/she may only work 5 hours a week in a second job. This includes salary and stipend positions.

For more information, please visit the Office of Student Employment website.

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