Answers to Frequently Asked Questions for Graduate Students

• If you have a graduate stipend and you are a Ph.D. student, you should register for 12-18 graduate credit hours.
• If you have a graduate stipend and you are an M.S. student, you should register for 15-18 graduate credit hours.
• If you have a fellowship (paid through the Ohio University graduate appointment system), you should register for 15-18 graduate credit hours.
• If your advisor approves, you may register for undergraduate courses (no more than 6 hours per semester; your scholarship only covers the first 18 total hours per semester, so if you go over 18 in a semester, you will be paying for those “extra” hours). Register for undergraduate courses only after you have first registered for the required amount of graduate hours.

Check your sponsor agreement for that information. In general, to be a full-time student, you must register for 12-18 graduate credit hours if you are a Ph.D. student, 15-18 graduate credit hours if you are an M.S. student.

Please note: To convert quarters to semesters, multiply by 1.5. Also: summer terms are not to be counted. However, once you reach the limit, you are not able to receive a summer tuition scholarship.

• If you hold a graduate degree from another institution: 10 semesters.
• If you don't hold a graduate degree from another institution: 12 semesters.

Not until you complete the necessary paperwork with International Student and Faculty Services (for international students), the Graduate College, and Payroll.

• Eight paydays in fall semester (Sept. 15 & 30; Oct. 15 & 30; Nov. 15 & 30; Dec. 15 & 31)
• Eight paydays in spring semester (Jan. 31; Feb. 15 & 28; March 15 & 31; April 15 & 30; May 15)
• Six paydays in the summer (June 15 & 30; July 15 & 31; Aug. 15 & 31).

The stipend is paid out in this way

• 8/22 of the annual amount in the fall
• 8/22 in the spring
• 6/22 in the summer.

Not until you complete the necessary paperwork with International Student and Faculty Services (for international students), the Graduate College, and Payroll.

Fellowship paydays are

• Sept. 1, Oct. 1, Nov.1, and Dec. 1 in fall semester
• Feb. 1, March 1, April 1, and May 1 in spring semester
• June 1, July 1, and Aug. 1 in summer semester.

Some fellowships are limited to fall and spring semesters.

M.S. students: CHE 6950

Ph.D. students: CHE 8950, unless you don't have a master's degree. If you don't have a master's degree, register for CHE 6950 until you pass the Ph.D. qualifying exam. After you pass the Ph.D. qualifying exam, register for CHE 8950 rather than CHE 6950.

At the first opportunity after completing your first semester.

When you're beginning to write your thesis, dissertation, or a paper for a peer-reviewed journal, typically after completing CHE 5000 and defending your thesis proposal or dissertation proposal.

The short answer is "yes." Special cases require a waiver. If you think your case qualifies, check with Tom Riggs. You can skip CHE 6000 only for one semester if you register for 1 thesis/dissertation hour only. You must "audit" CHE 6000 without registration if you face a credit-hour limitation. You can stop attending CHE 6000 after your defense if you register for 1 thesis/dissertation hour only.

If you have met the graduation requirements for thesis/dissertation credit hours, and you do not have a graduate appointment, you may register for as few as 1 hour of thesis/dissertation. You must be registered for at least 1 hour of thesis/dissertation in the semester in which you intend to complete the thesis/dissertation process. An exception to this is the "early for fall," "early for spring," or "early for summer" approach, which is used when you are not quite able to finish in time in your intended final semester but can come close and want to avoid registering for the next semester. Contact Tom Riggs for details.

No graduate courses are retakeable. That means you cannot take a course a second time and erase from your graduate record the grade from the first taking of the course. However, there are graduate courses that are repeatable. That means you can take a course a second time, and your grades from each taking of the course will be part of your graduate record. A few courses are designated as repeatable in the Registrar's course offerings listing, such as CHE 6000 (Seminar), CHE 6950 (Thesis), CHE 8950 (Dissertation), and a few others. Most CHE graduate courses are listed as non-repeatable, but those courses can be repeatable--by permission of the department graduate chair. For more information, contact Tom Riggs.

Yes. Graduate students are expected to present one CHE 6000 seminar if they have not done a full-length presentation at a board meeting or national meeting during their time in the program. M.S. students' CHE 6000 presentations should last half the class period. Ph.D. students' presentations should take the full class period. 

No. In general, the best time to make progress on research is when classes are not in session, and your advisor will expect you to be working. You can expect to take vacation when the university is closed, and for an additional two weeks per year. You should consult with your advisor before planning a vacation.

Yes, but working in industry for pay before graduating is more frequently done through Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (IPT), and Internships [Word] .