Academic Policies & Procedures

Registration and Academic Standards for Graduate Students

Change of Grading Basis

With Dean's Office approval, the grading basis can change from "Graded" to "Pass/No Pass" for elective courses. Students need to request the grading basis change prior to the last week of classes. No more than six hours of elective courses can have the grading basis change from "Graded" to "Pass/No Pass."

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings for the courses in which they are registered. Students should notify faculty when they are forced to miss a class because of extenuating circumstances. Faculty should report excessive absences to the program's faculty director. Students who are not on the class roster for a course are not permitted to attend the course.

Course Loads

Weatherhead requires students to register for and complete courses as specified in their cohort program curriculum plan to continue in their program and maintain any scholarship granted. Failure to adhere to the program curriculum plan may result in separation from the program.  Full time, three-quarter time, half time and less than half time enrollment information is provided by the University Registrar

Course Registration

A student may enroll during each registration period through the last day of late registration, as set by the official university calendar. Exceptions will be granted only upon the recommendation of the Dean of Weatherhead School of Management. A fee of $25 is charged during the late registration period.

To register, students must have a clear balance unless they are participating in the Bridge Loan Program. Students eligible for the Bridge Loan Program need to submit a company tuition reimbursement letter, Bridge Loan application, and fee each semester. Students register online using the Student Information System (SIS). Students who wish to apply for loans should contact the Office of University Financial Aid.

During any semester, a student may not register in more than one career in SIS, unless the student is in a dual-degree program. 

If at any time a student, other than Online MBA students, fails to register in two consecutive semesters, excluding the summer session, the student must reapply for admission to Weatherhead, unless prior approval was granted by the Weatherhead registrar.  Online MBA students should review the details in the Retention Requirements section.

Degrees Conferred

Case Western Reserve University confers degrees to qualified candidates three times per year: in August, for students who complete their programs during the summer semester; in January, for students who complete their programs during the fall semester; and in May, for students who complete their programs during the spring semester.

There is only one diploma ceremony each year, in May, and all candidates are invited to march at this ceremony, regardless of the month in which their degree was awarded. May degree candidates receive their diplomas the day of the ceremony. May degree candidates who do not participate in the diploma ceremony can have diplomas mailed or held for pick up. January and August degree recipients can have diplomas mailed or held for pick up. Students may not receive diplomas prior to the date on which the degree is to be granted.

Extra Assignments

No student is permitted to do extra assignments beyond the work assigned to all students in a course in order to obtain a higher grade. This policy applies to changing an I (Incomplete) grade to a regular grade or to changing one regular grade to another. However, faculty may replace or substitute assignments for individual students in a course, based on extenuating circumstances.

Grades

Letter Grade Meaning Quality Points Notes
A Excellent 4
B Good 3
C Fair 2
D Passing 1
F Failure 0
R Completion of the first semester of a two-semester course No degree credit awarded
P Pass 0 Degree credit awarded
NP No pass
I Incomplete No degree credit awarded
AD Successful audit No degree credit awarded
NG No grade, unsatisfactory audit
W Withdrawal from a class No degree credit awarded
WD Withdrawal from all courses in a semester No degree credit awarded

Midterm Grades

Letter Grade Meaning Quality Points Notes
S Satisfactory 0 No degree credit awarded
U Unsatisfactory 0 No degree credit awarded

Grade of Incomplete (I)

The grade I is assigned at the discretion of an instructor, provided that two criteria are met:

  • There are extenuating circumstances, explained to the instructor before the assignment of the grade, which clearly justify an extension of time beyond the requirements established for other students in the class. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of the circumstances that prevent completion of the course
  • The student has been passing the course and only a small segment of the course, such as a term paper, remains to be completed, for which the extenuating circumstances justify a special exception

In order to receive credit for an I, the student must complete the work by the date specified by the instructor, and no later than the end of the next regular semester (fall or spring semester).

In the absence of notification or adequate justification, the I will automatically change to F or NP (depending on the grading basis for the course) on the stated deadline.

If the student wishes to petition to extend a grade of I beyond the stated deadline, the student must obtain approval from the faculty member who assigned the I, and from the program's faculty director, before the deadline. A request must be made in writing, preferably via email, and convey (a) the extenuating circumstances justifying the extension and (b) the expected date of completion of the work. If approved, the request should be initialed by the faculty member and delivered by the student to the faculty director for approval and then to the Weatherhead registrar. Failure to complete course requirements by the extended date will result in a grade of F or NP, depending on the grading basis for the course.

Graduation Requirements

A cumulative GPA of 2.5 in all graduate courses taken for credit in the Master of Accountancy, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Positive Organization Development and Change, Master of Business Analytics and Intelligence, Master of Finance, and Master of Supply Chain Management degree programs is required for graduation. Candidates must submit an application for graduation in SIS no later than two months before the graduation date at which their degree is expected to be awarded. The candidate is responsible for filing the application. Students are advised to contact the Weatherhead Registrar's Office if they have any questions regarding requirements for graduation. 

Leave of Absence

If a student will not be taking classes for more than one semester, the student should request a one-year leave of absence. Approval for any leave of absence from a degree program must be requested in writing by the student. This request for approval should be submitted to the faculty director of the program and the Weatherhead registrar. Unapproved interruption in the program sequence constitutes separation from the program.

Retroactive leaves of absence are not permitted. Students who fail to return upon completion of a leave of absence need to re-apply to the degree program. Students must graduate within six years from the start of their first semester at Weatherhead. A leave of absence does not extend the maximum time permitted for the completion of degree requirements. A leave of absence cannot be taken if students are on an approved extension of the time limit to complete their degree.

Registration

Students generally register for classes and make changes to their schedule using SIS. Step by step information on registering for classes is available online. For assistance with this process, students must contact the Weatherhead registrar before the last day of the drop/add period.

Repeat Policy

In general, Master's students can take a course for credit only one time. Master of Accountancy, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Positive Organization Development and Change, Master of Business Analytics and Intelligence, Master of Finance, Master of Science in FinTech, and Master of Supply Chain Management students who earn a grade of F or NP in a core course must repeat the course, or an equivalent course as approved by the faculty program director. Graduate students can repeat Curricular Practical Training or the equivalent, Independent Study/Special Problems and Topics, and International Institute/study abroad electives. Full-semester study abroad experiences at an international school are not repeatable. Doctor of Business Administration students who earned a grade of NP in a doctoral course are required to repeat the course and earn a P. 

Residency

For the Doctor of Business Administration program

In-person presence at each residency is critical for success in the Doctor of Business Administration program. Student participation at the residency sessions is obligatory. Students are expected to attend each residency and each class and to participate throughout the program with classmates in small groups, team projects and practicums. If unavoidable absences arise, these should be approved in advance and accommodation should be reached with the faculty member(s) in question to make up the content.

For the Executive MBA program

In-person presence at each residency is critical for success in the Executive MBA program. Students are expected to attend each residency and each class. If unavoidable absences arise, these should be approved in advance and accommodation should be reached with the faculty member(s) in question to make up the content. In addition to regularly scheduled classes, students can expect to attend frequent meetings with small groups formed at the start of the program.

For the Master of Science in Positive Organization Development and Change program

In-person presence at each residency is critical for success in the Master of Science in Positive Organization Development and Change program. Students are expected to attend each residency and each class and to participate throughout the program with classmates in small groups, team projects and practicums. If unavoidable absences arise, these should be approved in advance and accommodation should be reached with the faculty member(s) in question to make up the content.

Retention Requirements

All students are required to follow their curriculum plan and graduate with their cohort. If at any time a student, other than Online MBA students, fails to register in two consecutive semesters, excluding the summer session, the student must reapply for admission to Weatherhead, unless prior approval was granted by the Weatherhead registrar.

For the Master of Accountancy, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Positive Organization Development and Change, Master of Business Analytics and Intelligence, Master of Finance, and Master of Supply Chain Management degree programs

  • All grades received are included in the calculation of the GPA
  • A cumulative GPA of 2.5 is needed to maintain good standing
  • A cumulative GPA below 2.5 will result in probation
  • A cumulative GPA below 2.5 in two semesters will result in separation from the program
  • Students must retake a core course in which they earn an F or NP, or an equivalent course approved by the faculty program director
  • A course in which an F or NP is earned contributes no hours toward graduation requirements

For the Online MBA program 

All students are required to follow their curriculum plan and graduate with their cohort. If a student fails to register in two consecutive semesters, including the summer semester, the student must reapply for admission to Weatherhead unless prior approval was granted by the Weatherhead registrar. All other requirements as stated above apply.

For the Master of Engineering and Management degree program

Students should contact the Master of Engineering and Management program director for specifics regarding Retention Requirements.

Time Limit to Return to a Degree Program

Students who leave their WSOM Graduate program (after not returning from an approved one-year leave of absence or not returning due to a lapse in enrollment) and request to return to complete their degree after a time period greater than six years from the start of their program, need to start their program from the beginning and are not eligible to resume working on their degree using their previously completed coursework.

Transcripts

Case Western Reserve University considers grades and other information about a student’s performance at the university to be a private matter and will release such information to the student only upon written request. Transcripts are issued by the University Registrar's Office. Transcript requests can be made online.     

Transcripts of work completed at other institutions will not be released to the student or other third parties.

Transfers and Waivers

In general, students may not transfer more than 10.5 credit hours of prior course work from an AACSB or equivalent accredited institution with prior written approval from the faculty director and the Weatherhead registrar. Please consult with the faculty director to confirm specific restrictions and limits for their program.

No course in which the student received a grade lower than a B will be accepted. Graduate courses counted toward another degree are not eligible for transfer credit. Courses completed more than five years prior to the start of the master’s program are not eligible for transfer credit. If a transfer credit request is approved, upon completion of the course, it is the student’s responsibility to provide the Weatherhead Registrar’s Office with an official transfer transcript. Courses cannot be transferred without an official transfer transcript. Quarter hours convert to semester hours with a conversion of 0.67 semester hours for every 1.0 quarter hours.

Withdrawals

To withdraw from courses during a semester, the student may either initiate a request to withdraw in SIS or contact the Weatherhead registrar before the last day of classes. All withdrawals after the official drop/add periods will result in a grade of W (WD if withdrawing from all classes) on the student's transcript. A student withdrawing after the last day of classes will receive a grade of F unless, in the judgment of the program's faculty director, there are valid reasons for recording the grade of W.

Failure to attend class, giving notice to the instructor, or nonpayment of fees will not be regarded as official notice of withdrawal. A grade of F will be assigned in each course from which the student has not officially withdrawn.

Note: A student is not entitled to any tuition adjustment for a single course dropped after the drop/add deadline. However, if a student is forced to withdraw from all coursework for the semester due to unavoidable and unforeseen circumstances, they may petition (in writing to the Weatherhead registrar) for a partial tuition refund. Tuition charges for withdrawals after the drop/add deadline are prorated based upon the week of withdrawal and according to the withdrawal and refund schedule published by Student Financial Services.

Undergraduate Policies

For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.

PhD Policies

For PhD policies and procedures, please review the School of Graduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.