Students are responsible for knowing and abiding by the general University rules and regulations pertaining to graduate study at the University of New Mexico and the specific academic requirements of their particular degree program. They are also expected to be aware of their academic standing at all times.

Ignorance of a rule will not be accepted as a basis for waiving that rule.

Students may graduate under the degree requirements of any catalog in effect since the year in which they were first enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program at The University of New Mexico, provided that they have maintained continuous active status and they complete the graduation requirements for the degree sought within the appropriate time period. Students who are readmitted or who transfer from one degree granting program to another within the University will graduate under the catalog in effect at the time of their readmission/transfer or a succeeding catalog. The catalog under which a student intends to graduate must be specified on the first page of their Program of Studies/Application for Candidacy. Students must meet all the degree requirements for graduation in the catalog chosen.

Notwithstanding the above, the University of New Mexico reserves the right to make changes in the curricula and degree requirements as deemed necessary, with the changes being applicable to currently enrolled students.

If a deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday for which the University is closed, the deadline will automatically be moved to the next business day.

The University requires that all requirements for master’s degrees be completed within seven years prior to the granting of the degree. No course work applied to the degree requirements, including transfer work, may be more than seven years old at the time a master’s degree is conferred.

M.F.A. Doctoral students have a five-year time limit for completion of degree requirements commencing with the semester in which they pass the M.F.A. Doctoral Comprehensive Examination.

In general, a graduate student enrolling for and completing a minimum of 9 graduate credit hours per semester is considered to be a full-time student at the University of New Mexico. However, if holding an assistantship, the minimum course load is 6 graduate credit hours per semester.

Graduate students not holding an assistantship and taking 8 credit hours or less per semester are considered part-time students. All graduate students are encouraged to enroll in and complete at least 9 credit hours per semester in order to achieve their expected time-to-degree.

International graduate students without assistantships are required to complete each semester with a minimum of 9 credit hours in order to maintain legal immigration status. International graduates with assistantships are required to complete each semester with 6 credit hours. Grades of W, WP, WF or courses taken for a grade option of "audit" do not count toward the "minimum" enrollment requirements for maintaining legal immigration status. The Office of International Programs and Studies (OIPS) must report any drops below these minimum requirements to immigration within 21 days of the drop (even if the drop occurs after the semester is complete). All international students must speak with OIPS before dropping below these required minimums FOR ANY REASON.

A student who is admitted and completes at least one semester in graduate status at the University of New Mexico will receive registration materials for three subsequent semesters (including summer session) whether they enroll or not. Graduate students will not be required to apply for readmission to resume their studies by registering for classes if they do so within these three semesters. If they are not enrolled by the published registration deadline of the third semester (including summer session), they must apply for readmission. Such “stop-out” periods are included in the time to degree.

NOTE: Students must be enrolled in a semester in order to use his/her Lobo Card.

A student who is unable to continue his/her graduate studies due to exceptional circumstances, must request, in advance, a Leave of Absence. The written request, together with a memo of support from the chairperson or designee of the graduate unit is forwarded to the Graduate Dean who will make the final decision. A Leave of Absence is determined on a semester-by-semester basis and is generally limited to a maximum of one calendar year. The time approved for a Leave of Absence is not counted in the time limit to complete the degree as long as the student is not enrolled in any course at the University of New Mexico.

A student seeking a master’s degree or a transcripted certificate should prepare and submit a Program of Studies indicating the courses that will be counted toward the degree or certificate. The Program of Studies should be approved by the student’s advisor and the program director prior to being submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies. This form is available online on the OGS website (http://www.unm.edu/grad/ forms/forms.html).

A student seeking an M.F.A., Ph.D. or Ed.D. should prepare and submit an Application for Candidacy form (a list of all courses counted toward the degree, including any transfer hours) during the semester in which the comprehensive examination is passed. This form is available online on the OGS forms website (http://www.unm.edu/grad/forms/forms.html).

Students must inform their graduate unit in writing of their intent to graduate. The graduate units must submit their proposed graduation list to OGS no later than 5:00 p.m. on the last day of the semester immediately preceding the semester of graduation.