General Note

Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet all degree and program requirements. The advisor (and co-advisor, if applicable), advisory committee, and department/unit must also ensure that each student follows Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations, department/unit supplementary regulations, and meets all program requirements. The Faculty of Graduate Studies performs a final check of Faculty of Graduate Studies minimum requirements for each student just prior to graduation. Students are cautioned, therefore, to periodically check all regulations with respect to their degree requirements with their home department/unit first. Failure to meet all the requirements will render a student ineligible to graduate.

Departments/Units may make recommendations with respect to the regulations concerning minimum academic performance; however, enforcement of academic regulations rests with the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The following procedures apply to recommendations made by departments/units:

The department/unit is responsible for informing the Faculty of Graduate Studies when a student’s performance is unsatisfactory in research or coursework and the department/unit must outline any recommended remedial action(s).

The department/unit must notify the student of the deficiency and of its recommendation.

If the department/unit does not recommend remediation, or if the student fails to satisfy any required remedial action, the student may be Required to Withdraw from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Note:

When a graduate student is Required to Withdraw from a program of study, the notation on the academic record will be: “Required to Withdraw”.

A student who has been Required to Withdraw from a graduate program may be permitted to apply for admission to another graduate program only if the application for admission is approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Voluntary withdrawal from a program is only permitted if the student is in good academic standing. Good academic standing includes, but is not limited to, the regulations contained in sections Academic Performance and Performance Related to Coursework without exceeding the time permitted to complete a program.   

Recommendations of departments/units may supersede student requests for voluntary withdrawal.

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR)

The following Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR) represent the core academic requirements a graduate student must acquire in order to gain, and demonstrate acquisition of, essential knowledge and skills. Students must also meet additional requirements that may be specified for their program.

Students must meet requirements as outlined in both BFARs and Supplementary Regulation documents as approved by Senate.

Unless otherwise indicated, students may elect to complete any/all of the following requirements with or without appropriate and authorized assistive technology/aids. Students must consult Student Accessibility Services (SAS) regarding authorization for these procedures. Students may also refer to the University’s Accessibility Policy and Procedures.

BFAR Requirements

BFAR Statement	Taught	Assessed
Student must successfully complete a co-operative experience or practicum, if required by their program.	Master's GRAD 7030	GRAD 7030
Student must successfully complete a comprehensive exam, project, studio exhibition, or equivalent, as required by their program and determined by the assigned examining committee.	GRAD 7010 GRAD 7050 GRAD 7090 GRAD 7200	GRAD 7010 GRAD 7050 GRAD 7090 GRAD 7200 Examining/Adjudication Committee
Student must produce a recorded/published thesis commensurate with degree being sought.	Master's GRAD 7000 Doctoral GRAD 8000	GRAD 7000 GRAD 8000
Student must successfully defend their thesis (where required), as determined by the assigned examining committee, in real-time.	Master’s GRAD 7000 Doctoral GRAD 8000	GRAD 7000 GRAD 8000
Student in doctoral program must complete a candidacy exam (or equivalent) as required by their program and determined by the assigned examining committee.	GRAD 8010	GRAD 8010
Student must demonstrate knowledge of the University of Manitoba’s policy on academic integrity, plagiarism, and cheating.	GRAD 7500	GRAD 7500
Student must conduct research in a safe and ethical manner, referring to their respective ethics board and supervisor(s) to ensure respect is maintained for: human dignity and/or animal welfare; vulnerable persons; informed consent; justice and diversity; confidentiality and privacy; beneficence and non-maleficence in the work that they conduct.	GRAD 7300	GRAD 7300
Student must complete coursework as required by their program.

Individual unit BFARs available on the Graduate Studies website.

Academic Performance

Student progress shall be reported at least annually, (but not to exceed once every four (4) months), to the Faculty of Graduate Studies on the “Progress Report” form. Performance that remains “Satisfactory” throughout the year does not need to be reported to the Faculty of Graduate Studies more than annually, but should remain on file in the department/unit.

Students who fail to maintain satisfactory performance may be Required to Withdraw on the recommendation of the Graduate Chair and/or Department/Unit Head to the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies on the “Progress Report” form. Students who receive two (2) consecutive “in need of improvement” or one (1) “unsatisfactory” rating will usually be Required to Withdraw from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the notation on the student record will be “Required to Withdraw”.

Performance in Coursework

Students can consult Student Accessibility Services (SAS) if accommodations are required for coursework (see Accessibility Policy and Procedures).

A minimum degree grade point average (DGPA) of 3.0 with no grade below C+ must be maintained to continue in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Departments/Units may specify, in their supplementary regulations, standards that are higher than those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Students who fail to maintain the specified grades or DGPA will be Required to Withdraw unless a department/unit recommends remedial action (subject to approval by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies).

Requirements for Remedial Action Plans

A student may be permitted to remove deficiencies in grades by repeating the course or replacing it with an equivalent substitute course as determined by the student’s department/unit. The form “Recommendation to Deal with Failed Grades of Low Degree GPA” must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. In the event that a substitute course is used for remediation, the substituted course must be at the same or higher level as the failed course (e.g., at the graduate level for a failed graduate-level course). Each failed course may be repeated or replaced only once, to a maximum of six (6) credit hours of remediated coursework. If a course is repeated or replaced, the higher grade obtained will be used in the determination of the degree grade point average.

Students deficient in six (6) hours of credit or less with a grade of C, D, or F in a course or courses may be permitted, if the overall average is C or better, to take one (1) supplemental examination in each course (when permitted by the department/unit’s supplementary regulations), to repeat the courses, or to take equivalent substitute courses.

Students receiving a grade of “C” or less in six (6) or more credit hours of courses are usually Required to Withdraw, unless otherwise stated in the department/unit’s supplementary regulations. A student may also be permitted the opportunity to improve a low DGPA as determined by the Head/Graduate Chair of the student’s department/unit through the registration and completion of additional course(s).

If a course is repeated or a supplemental examination is completed, the highest grade obtained in that course will be used in the determination of the degree GPA.

Students are usually expected to complete remedial action by the end of the subsequent term. If the course to be remediated is not offered in the next subsequent term, it should be taken when next offered.

Graduate students are not permitted to repeat a previously passed course, unless the department/unit recommends that course(s) be re-taken if they have lapsed or expired (refer to Master's Degree General Regulations and Doctor of Philosophy General Regulations).

Note:

In exceptional circumstances, the department/unit may appeal to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for approval of remedial recommendation(s) falling outside those prescribed above.

Students in a Graduate Diploma or Micro-Diploma may be permitted to remediate up to a maximum of three (3) credit hours of failures. See Graduate Diploma and Micro-Diploma sections.

Supplemental exams are not permitted to students in the Master’s or Ph.D. program, unless otherwise stated in the department/unit’s supplementary regulations.

Mandatory Academic Integrity Course (GRAD 7500 or GRAD 7501)

All students, including those in a Pre-Master's program, are required to register for and complete GRAD 7500 Academic Integrity Tutorial (0 credit hours) within their first term of registration. Université de Saint-Boniface graduate students may choose to complete GRAD 7500 or the French-language equivalent, GRAD 7501.

Failure to complete this course will result in a registration hold and a grade of “F/NP” being assigned to the course which may lead to being “Required to Withdraw” from the graduate program.

Notes:

Students who have successfully completed GRAD 7500 in a previous program are not usually required to repeat the course upon entry to their new program so long as no more than one (1) term separates one program from another.

Students who have not completed GRAD 7500 or GRAD 7501 prior to embarking on a leave of absence must register in the course  upon their return to their program.

Visiting and Occasional students are not expected to complete GRAD 7500. For further information see GRAD 7500 FAQ.

Mandatory Research Integrity Online Course (GRAD 7300)

All students, including those in a Pre-Master's program, are recommended to register for and complete GRAD 7300 prior to applying to any ethics boards which are appropriate to their proposed research or within the first calendar year of their program, whichever comes first. Failure to complete this course will result in a registration hold and a grade of “F/NP” being assigned to the course which may lead to being “Required to Withdraw" from the graduate program.

Failure to complete this course will result in a registration hold and a grade of “F/NP” being assigned to the course which may lead to being “Required to Withdraw" from the graduate program.

Notes:

Students who have successfully completed GRAD 7300 in a previous program are not usually required to repeat the course upon entry to their new program so long as no more than one (1) term separates one program from another.

Students who have not completed GRAD 7300 prior to embarking on a leave of absence must register in the course upon their return to their program.

Visiting and Occasional students are not expected to complete GRAD 7300. For further information see GRAD 7300 FAQ.

Graduate Focus on Aging Concentration

The Graduate Focus on Aging Concentration is available to any interested Master’s or Doctoral student who is enrolled in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and whose graduate work focuses on aging. Graduate students who are not in a thesis/practicum-based program will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will require approval in advance by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

To be eligible, a “Student intention to receive the Graduate Focus on Aging Concentration” form must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Students must complete the requirements of the program to which they have been admitted and the requirements of the Graduate Focus on Aging Concentration.

The Graduate Focus on Aging Concentration requirements include:

1. Six (6) credit hours of graduate (7000-level or higher) courses that focus on aging and are approved by the student’s Advisory Committee;
2. A thesis/practicum on an aging-related topic;
3. Having at least one advisory committee member who is officially affiliated with the Centre on Aging as a Research Affiliate; and
4. Participating in the annual Spring Research Symposium of the Centre on Aging at least once during their program of study as a poster presenter.

Graduate students may be able to attain their 6 credit hours of courses within the existing course requirements of their graduate program. Students must attain a minimum grade of C+ (or higher, if stipulated in the department/unit supplementary regulations), for the required 6 credit hours of aging courses.

Graduate students who are not in a thesis/practicum-based program will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will require approval in advance by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Student progress in the Graduate Focus on Aging Concentration would usually be discussed with the student’s Advisory committee, and progress documented on the “Student Intention to receive the Graduate Focus on Aging Concentration” form which must accompany the Progress Report form submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The final Graduate Focus on Aging Concentration Completion form must be submitted no later than one week prior to the FGS deadline for graduands to submit theses/practica and other reports.

Graduate Focus in Disability Studies Concentration

The Graduate Focus in Disability Studies Concentration is available to any interested Master’s or Doctoral student who is enrolled in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. To be eligible, students must complete the requirements of the program to which they have been admitted and the requirements of the Graduate Focus in Disability Studies.

The concentration requires that students complete 6 or 9 credit hours of courses:

• DS 7020 History of Disability (3), and one of
• DS 7010 Disability Studies (6)
  or
• DS 7030 Evaluation and Application of Research Methods in Disability Studies (3)

Graduate students may be able to attain the 6 or 9 credit hours of courses within the existing course requirements of their graduate program depending on the program supplementary regulations. This should be discussed with the student’s Advisory committee. The Graduate Focus in Disability Studies Concentration Completion form must be submitted no later than one week prior to the FGS deadline for graduands to submit theses/practica and other reports.