Admissions Policies and Procedures 

Student Status

Full time students must be registered for a minimum of nine (9) credit hours for that semester by two weeks before the start of the semester and must maintain a minimum enrollment of 9 credit hours during the semester in order to maintain active student status (eligibility for course credit, malpractice insurance, financial aid, etc.).

Students taking less than nine (9) credits per semester are considered part time. Part time students must be registered for a minimum of five (5) credit hours each semester to be eligible for financial aid.

Continuous Enrollment
Students are required to maintain continuous enrollment each semester until program requirements are complete. Failure to be properly enrolled may result in the student being administratively withdrawn from the program.

Graduate Entry Pathway students are enrolled full-time, that is, with the full credit load in the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters in the Pre-licensure year.

PhD students must register for Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters after passing the comprehensive examination until completion of the dissertation defense.

Maximum Credit Load

A graduate student in the master’s, Doctor of Nursing Practice or PhD programs may register for up to 18 credits each semester.  Exception: A graduate student in the Graduate Entry Pathway pre-licensure year may register for up to 20 credits per semester.  Students who wish to register for more than the maximum credit load must secure written permission from their faculty advisor.

Grading System

The following grades are given to graduate nursing students as established by the University of Massachusetts system:

A 4.0 (93-100)
AB 3.5 (88-92)
B 3.0 (83-87)
BC 2.5 (78-82)
C 2.0 (73-77)
CD 1.5 (68-72)
D 1.0 (62-67)
F 0 (0-61)
I, IF
W, WP, WF
P
F

Licensure

All matriculated Master’s and DNP students must have a current unrestricted Massachusetts RN license and a current unrestricted license in any state where they will perform their clinical practicum (if applicable). Proof of licensure is required upon matriculation into the Graduate School of Nursing. GEP students must meet this requirement prior to the start of their track clinical courses.

Health Clearance

The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) requires all students admitted to the Graduate School of Nursing to complete the Student Health Clearance process prior to matriculation. Non-matriculated students must obtain health clearance prior to taking clinical courses. This policy was developed to decrease risk of transmission of potential infectious agents, and it is part of each student’s professional responsibility to maintain this clearance throughout his/her educational experience at UMMS.
All clinical sites within UMMS and outside of UMMS require documentation of medical clearance prior to starting any clinical educational experience. Student Health Services (SHS) is responsible for tracking this clearance process for all students and notifying students who need updated clearance information.

The Student Health Services (SHS) office can help with any questions regarding the clearance paperwork and can assist with resources to help complete the process. Forms that must be completed can be downloaded from SHS http://umassmed.edu/studenthealth/forms.aspx. For additional information, please call (508) 334-8464.

Any student who fails to comply with SHS requests to complete the clearance process by the first day of class will be reported to the Dean of the Graduate School of Nursing and the Registrar’s Office for further action including suspension of registration, which would result in being withheld from classes and all clinical educational experiences.

Additional resources for assistance in completing these requirements can be found on the GSN website.

Transfer of Credits

Credit for courses equivalent to required GSN courses may be transferred from other institutions with permission. If a doctoral student requests a transfer course to meet an elective requirement, the course MUST complement the student’s program of study. Students who wish to take an elective at another UMASS campus may do so by completing the UMASS Graduate Course Exchange Registration Form that is available in the Registrar’s Office. The signatures of the GSN faculty research advisor and the faculty of record at the other campus are required. The cross-registration form is returned to the Registrar’s Office to ensure continuous enrollment and active student status. For PhD students, transfer of more than 9 credits from other UMASS campuses will be evaluated on an individual basis by the Program Director and the faculty research advisor. In all cases involving transfer of a course from another school, the student receives credit for the transfer courses, but the grades are not calculated in the University of Massachusetts Worcester GPA.

Program

Number of credits that can be accepted in transfer 

 Minimum grade requirment for transferred courses

 Time frame within which courses must have been taken to be considered

Approval granted by 

 GEP

0 

 N/A

 N/A

 N/A

 MS

9 

B 

Within 5 years 

Faculty Advisor 

 DNP

10 

B 

Within 5 years

Director of DNP Program 

 PhD

9 

B 

Within 5 years 

Faculty Advisor and PhD Director 

Change of Track

Change of Track

Students can only change from the track they identified at the time of application into a different track if space is available. A revised personal statement of goals with rationale must be submitted with the request form (available from the Office of Student Affairs) to the track coordinator. Written approval from the targeted track coordinator and the Director of the Program is required.

Change of Sub-Track

Students can add, drop, or change a sub-track during their program of study. Students shall submit the request form (available from the Office of Student Affairs) to the track coordinator and to the Director of Student Affairs. Written approval from the track coordinator and the Director of the Program is required.

Refund Policy

Refunds are calculated when students do not register for the academic term for which they are charged, take an approved leave of absence or otherwise fail to complete the program on or after the first day of class of the period of enrollment for which charges are assessed.

Students who cease enrollment after 60 percent of the term has elapsed receive no refund and are not required to refund any federal aid received for the term. Students who cease enrollment before 60 percent of the term has elapsed receive a refund for the percentage of the term remaining after the last date of attendance. The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of calendar days elapsed between the beginning of the term and the date the individual ceases enrollment by the number of calendar days in the term. For example, a student who withdraws 57 percent of the way through the term of enrollment receives a refund of 43 percent of tuition and fees (100 percent minus 57 percent). If a student received Title IV funds, a “Return of Title IV Funds” calculation will also be performed with the same percentage. Accordingly, only the prorated amount of financial aid is available to the student. Additionally, per federal regulations, the student is required to return the unearned percentage of aid received as cash or from a credit balance. Failure to return unearned Title IV aid may result in ineligibility for future federal aid.

Allocation of Refunds

A share of the refund will be returned to the financial aid programs that funded students. Refunds and recovered overpayments are allocated to the programs from which an individual received aid in the following order:

1. Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan

2. Federal Stafford Loan

3. Federal Perkins Loan

4. Other federal student aid programs

5. Institutional student aid programs

6. State student aid programs

7. Private student aid programs

8. Student

Students must notify the dean and the registrar in writing of their intent to withdraw. Students who withdraw without notifying the dean and registrar of their status will be considered withdrawn as of the last recorded date of class attendance as documented by the University.

Upon request, the school bursar will provide examples of the application of these policies. Any withdrawn student who believes that individual circumstances warrant exceptions from published policy may make a written appeal to:
Nancy E. Vasil, Associate Vice Chancellor, Finance, University of Massachusetts Worcester, 333 South Street, Shrewsbury 01545.

Note: This policy is subject to change at any time without prior notice if necessary to comply with federal law.