Graduate Student Resources

Reinstatement and Readmission

A graduate student who is not registered and enrolled for a minimum of six (6) credits in a 12-month period (three consecutive semesters/one academic year) is automatically placed in "non-degree seeking" or inactive status. After reaching inactive status, students must be either reinstated or re-admitted to their graduate major to continue their studies. Both of these options are at the discretion of the student’s major and are not guaranteed. More information about each option can be found below.

Reinstatement

Students who have not exceeded their time limit for degree completion may apply for Reinstatement to their program using the Graduate Major Reinstatement Form. It is recommended that students contact their program advisors and/or program coordinator before applying to review their planned program of study and remaining program requirements. Applications for Reinstatement must be submitted at least one semester prior to the semester the student intends to return to classes, and must be within the original admission term time limits to degree completion.

Additional requirements for Reinstatement:

  • Students who were on academic probation during their last term of enrollment should review the Academic Probation Policy and meet with their advising team for guidance. Probation will resume on reinstatement.
  • Students who are reinstated may choose the original or any subsequent Graduate Catalog.
  • Students may be reinstated in any semester.
  • Students must enroll in the first semester after their reinstatement application has been approved; there is no specific minimum number of credit hours required as long as you are actively enrolled.
  • Students who were previously in Doctoral Candidacy will remain in that status with the submission of a Readmission to Doctoral Candidacy Form. See the general Readmission section below for instructions on how to re-apply to candidacy.

Along with the Graduate Major Reinstatement Form, students must also submit:

Students should meet with their Program Coordinator and advising team to review their reinstatement application and obtain their signatures of approval. Additionally, international students must contact the Office of International Services for approval before meeting with their program. The student's department will send the Reinstatement Form to the Graduate Support Office for review, who will then forward it to the Office of Graduate Studies for final approval. Once you are returned to active student status, you must enroll in at least one course in the first semester following reinstatement or you will need to completely re-apply to your program.

If students are nearing the end of their time limit for degree completion, they may be required to file a Time Limit Extension Request once their application for Reinstatement has been approved. Time Limit Extensions are valid for a maximum of two (2) years from the date of the request.

Re-application for Admission (Re-Admission)

Students who have exceeded their time limit for degree completion and/or course currency limits (ten years since their initial admission date) must re-apply for admission. This will require completion of all degree requirements as posted in the Graduate Catalog in effect at the semester of re-admission, including elements such as comprehensive exams, thesis or dissertation work, and internships. Students who have been Academically Dismissed from the University for academic dishonesty may not re-apply to any USF graduate program.

To be readmitted, the student's application and all supporting materials must be submitted by the major's posted application deadline as noted in the Graduate Catalog. These materials may include:

  • Graduate Application: in order to be considered for readmission, students must submit a new graduate application, application fee, and any required supporting materials by the application deadline for the major. Students must meet the Admission Requirements for their major listed in the current Graduate Catalog (not the Catalog year in which they were first admitted).
  • Test Scores: the College/Major may require the student to submit new test scores (e.g., GRE, TOEFL, GKT and other Florida Teacher Certification Exams) and official transcripts.
  • Prior Coursework taken at USF: coursework taken at USF prior to readmission may be accepted towards degree requirements at the discretion of the program or department. Refer to the Course Currency Policy for time limits on coursework applied toward the degree. Students may be required to take additional coursework to fulfill their program's current requirements.
  • Doctoral Candidacy: Students readmitted to a doctoral program who were previously admitted to doctoral candidacy will have to formally re-apply to Candidacy. Readmitted doctoral students must be enrolled one semester before the Candidacy status can be reactivated. With the assistance of their doctoral committee, the student must complete the Readmission to Doctoral Candidacy Form and submit the form (with all supporting materials) to the Office of Graduate Studies. Check the Qualifying Exam and Candidacy page for a full list of candidacy requirements and application procedures. Once Candidacy is re-established, the student must begin to register for dissertation hours, as specified in the Enrollment Policy.

Students who are readmitted to their program must meet the admission standards, degree requirements, and policies in the Graduate Catalog in effect at the time of readmission. A decision to readmit is only applicable to the semester for which it is effective. Students who do not enroll for that term will have to resubmit an application for any future semester. 

Students applying for readmission should review their transcript with their program advisors to determine if any of their previous coursework can be transferred into their new program. Only structured courses taken at USF may be considered for transfer; see the Course Transfer Requests page for all requirements. Courses taken more than 10 years prior to readmission or with significant changes made to their content may require documentation of Course Currency.

Please note that the readmission policy does not apply to inactive students wishing to enroll in a Major other than the original admitting Major. These students must submit an application for the new major of interest. Official transcripts of any work completed while not attending a USF System Institution may be required.