Graduate Student Petitions

The student should complete the Graduate Student Petition in consultation with the adviser to request any exceptions to Graduate College rules, regulations, and requirements. Common petition requests include transferring credit, changing departments, adding or dropping courses, registering for an overload, registering in absentia, continuing from a master’s degree to a doctorate degree, and time extensions.

Petitions require a minimum of two signatures (adviser and department head) but may require additional signatures. A petition approved at one level may be denied at another level. Upon receipt of the department head’s signature, the department will forward it to the Graduate College for final approval.

Exceptions to College of Education rules may be petitioned by the same process. However, the department will forward the petition to the Student Academic Affairs Office for final approval by the Associate Dean. The petition will not go forward to the Graduate College.

Changing Graduate College Departments

A graduate student may petition to transfer into a department in the College of Education from another graduate department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or transfer from the College of Education to another graduate department. The Graduate Student Petition must be accompanied by departmental recommendations, transcripts, and computed grade-point averages and then sent to the appropriate department.

Changing Time Limits and Progression Beyond Time Limits

A student who has reached or exceeded the “Time to Degree” limits will be encumbered by the Graduate College and will not be allowed to register. However, a student may submit a Graduate Student Petition requesting an extension of the final authorized term. The petition should explain delays; attest to current active degree progress; and, request permission for continued registration to a reasonable but definite graduation date (May, August, October, or December).