List of Graduate Degrees offered at Lehigh
Academic Standards and Grades
Minimum Academic Standards
Course grades and their weightings are as follows:
A (4.0), A- (3.7), B+ (3.3), B (3.0), B- (2.7), C+ (2.3), C (2.0), C- (1.7), D+ (1.3), D (1.0), D- (0.7), F (0).
No grade below “C-” may be counted toward a graduate degree. No regularly admitted student who receives more than four final course marks below a B- in courses numbered 200 or higher is allowed to continue registration as a graduate student. Individual degree programs may have higher standards. Pass-fail registration for graduate students is not permitted and grades are not reported for dissertation registration. For degree specific grade requirements please see sections 4.3 and 4.4.
Dropping or Withdrawing from a Course
A student dropping a course within the first ten days of the semester (three days for summer sessions) will have no record of the course on the transcript.
A student who withdraws from a course with the approval of his/her advisor and section instructor after the tenth day of instruction and before the end of the eleventh week of instruction will have a grade of “W” assigned to the course.
An Add/Drop form signed by the student’s advisor must be submitted to Registration & Academic Services before the deadlines noted above to be official. No course may be dropped after the eleventh week of classes during a term as noted on the University Calendar.
University Withdrawl
A student withdrawing from the University (dropping all courses during a given term) must submit the Add/Drop form signed by the advisor to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies & Research Office. A withdrawal from a course within the first ten days of classes is not recorded on the student’s record. Withdrawalafter registration day and during the first eleven weeks of instruction will be noted on the academic transcript by assigning a grade of “W” to all courses. A withdrawal after the eleventh week of instruction and before the end of classes will result in the coursework receiving the appropriate letter grade. The date of the withdrawal will be noted on the academic transcript for a withdrawal at any time during the term.
Incompletes
An incomplete grade (N) is used to indicate that one or more course requirements have not been completed. It is the obligation of the student to explain to the satisfaction of the instructor that there are extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness or emergency), that justify the use of the N grade. If the instructor feels the N grade is justified, he or she assigns a grade of N supplemented by a parenthetical letter grade (e.g., N(B)). In such cases, the instructor calculates the parenthetical grade by assigning an F (or zero score) for any incomplete work unless he or she has informed the class in writing at the beginning of the course of a substitute method for determining the default grade. Parenthetical grades are not required for thesis or research courses.
Graduate students have a calendar year to remove course incomplete grades unless an earlier deadline is specified by the instructor. Graduate student incomplete course grades that are not removed remain as N or N (grade) on the student record for one year. After one year, the N grade will be converted to an F and the N (grade) will be converted to the parenthetical letter grade. Incomplete grades may be extended an additional year with approval of the course instructor and the graduate coordinator. After two years, outstanding incomplete grades will be converted to an F or the parenthetical mark. After two years, students may appeal to the Committee on Standing of Graduate Students (SOGS) with a timeline and plan for completion. Thesis or research project N grades may remain beyond one year until the work is completed.
Absent from the Final Exam
The X grade is used to indicate absence from the final examination when all other course requirements have been met. The grade in parentheses is determined by including in the grade calculation an F (or zero score) for the missing final exam. The X grade may be removed by a make-up examination if the absence was for good cause (e.g., illness or other emergency). To be eligible for a make-up examination, a graduate student must file a petition and the petition must be approved by the Graduate and Research Committee. The instructor schedules and administers the make-up exam.
Repeating a Course
If a graduate student repeats a course, each time that course is taken it is included in the academic record, as is the final grade assigned, and both appear on the official student academic transcript. All final course grades assigned are included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative grade point average. Course credits from a repeated course, however, count only once towards satisfying graduation credit requirements.
Degree Registration Requirement
A student must be registered in the semester in which the degree is conferred. If a student is not registered for a course, he/she must register for maintenance of candidacy. Candidates for September degrees do not need to be enrolled the summer preceding the degree if they were enrolled both fall and spring of the previous academic year.
Masters Degree Requirements
Lehigh offers vibrant and multidisciplinary graduate programs that reflect our long legacy of excellence in engineering research and scholarship. Students benefit from a wealth of expertise and facilities that are known for discovery and innovation in key facets of industry and society.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements
The degree of doctor of philosophy is conferred on candidates who have demonstrated general proficiency and high attainment in a special field of knowledge and capacity to carry on independent investigation in that field as evidenced by the presentation of an acceptable dissertation embodying the results of original research.
Cross-disciplinary Graduate Study and Research
In addition to offering graduate degrees in academic departments, Lehigh University offers interdisciplinary graduate degrees in the fields of Analytical Finance, Business Administration and Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering, Photonics, Polymer Science and Engineering and Technical Entrepreneurship.