Academic Regulations
The act of registration includes the payment of the first semester tuition and the completion of the simplified registration form provided by the School of Dentistry. First-year students who do not register on the opening day of school and who have failed to provide satisfactory reasons in advance for the delay, forfeit their right to admission. Vacancies which arise from such circumstances are filled from the list of alternate candidates at the discretion of the Committee on Admissions.
Registration must be completed by all upper level students within 10 days after the opening day of school. Under unusual circumstances, special arrangements may be made with permission of the dean. The Social Security numbers of students are used for all records and documents and must be provided at the time of registration. Foreign students will be issued a number for this purpose if they have not obtained a Social Security number prior to registration.
The responsibility for assigning grades rests exclusively with the course director, who must announce the general method of grading at the beginning of the course. Course grades are reported to the registrar of the school at the end of the course or when a final grade has been determined if prior to the scheduled completion time for the course. Incomplete or conditional grades can be changed only by the course director in accordance with university policy.
The following grading system is used at the School of Dentistry for students entering the Doctor of Dental Surgery program:
Grades Averaged
Letter Grade Quality Points
A 4.00
A- 3.66
B+ 3.33
B 3.00
B- 2.66
C+ 2.33
C 2.00
C- 1.66
D+ 1.33
D 1.00
D- 0.66
F 0.00
Grades not Averaged
IN Incomplete and not averaged when received.
R Course in progress and not averaged when received.
P Passed and not averaged for pass/fail course.
NP Failed and not averaged for pass/fail courses; Must be removed through remediation.
Grade-point averages are calculated by multiplying the number equivalent of the letter grade by the number of credit hours for the course. The semester grade-point average is computed by dividing the total number of grade points earned during a given semester by the sum of the credit hours for all courses in which the student received letter grades of A, A+, B+... or F taken during that same semester. The cumulative grade-point average is computed by dividing the total grade points earned by the sum of the credit hours for all courses included in the grade-point calculation. Grade points earned when an I or R grade is replaced by the appropriate course grade are credited to the semester in which the incomplete or course in progress grade was received, but action taken regarding student standing or promotion at the time of the incomplete is not affected.
The general guidelines used by the Committee on Student Standing and Promotion are that each student must attain a grade point average of at least 2.0 for didactic courses and for preclinical technic/clinical courses by the end of the first semester, and each semester thereafter. Students may not be promoted with one or more failing or incomplete grades unless they have entered a remedial program to remove those grades by a deadline set by the course director or committee. In the usual case, the remediation must be completed no later than the end of the next regular semester or summer clinic session, whichever is sooner. Students cannot be graduated with any failing or incomplete grades and must have a minimum overall cumulative 2.0 grade point average.
Each student's academic performance is reviewed by the Committee on Student Standing and Promotion as soon as possible after the conclusion of each semester and summer clinic session. Additional review may occur after each eight week period or when grade reports are submitted. The committee sets standards of academic performance for promotion and standing, probationary requirements and remedial actions, and recommends candidates for graduation. The committee, at its option, may place a student on academic review, academic probation, clinical review, clinical probation,require repeat of an academic period, or require a student to withdraw.
The committee will notify each student in writing of their status at least twice each academic year; following the end of each semester and more frequently if necessary. The committee takes reasonable care to accurately evaluate each student and inform them of their status by letter in a timely manner. If a letter cannot be hand delivered, it will be mailed to the student's official address. The committee reserves the right to reissue letters of standing or promotion at any time it deems necessary. It is the responsibility of the student to fulfill all academic, preclinical and clinical requirements, and abide by all official policies and protocols outlined in the student services and clinical policy manuals of the Dental School.
For each semester of enrollment, the student is expected to achieve a grade point average of at least 2.0 for didactic courses and 2.0 for preclinical technic and/or clinical courses.
Students who fail to meet these general guidelines may be placed on:
- Academic review: The student has failed to achieve an acceptable level of performance in a limited number of courses and/or has not achieved a grade point average of at least 2.0. Academic review serves to warn the student that some improvement is required and future promotion may be withheld in the absence of demonstrated improvement. Academic review may, but not necessarily, precede academic probation or dismissal.
- Academic probation: The student has failed to achieve an acceptable level of performance in a number of courses and/or has earned a grade point average deemed unacceptable by the committee. In being placed on academic probation, the student may continue in the program for the next semester, during which time the student must demonstrate an acceptable level of performance or be required to withdraw or repeat an academic period or year. In unusual circumstances, students may be continued on academic probation for one or more succeeding semesters. A student with two or more semesters of probation may become ineligible for federally sponsored financial aid.
- Clinical review: The student falls short of the minimum expectations for clinical performance, including demonstration of clinical skills and knowledge, patient management, conformity with infection control policies and procedures, attendance and clinical productivity. Clinical review serves to warn the student that some improvement is required and future promotion may be withheld in the absence of demonstrated improvement. Clinical review may, but not necessarily, precede clinical probation or dismissal.
- Clinical probation: The student has failed notably to achieve an acceptable level of clinical performance in one or more of the following areas: clinical skills, clinical knowledge and appropriate application of that knowledge, patient management, conformity with infection control policies and procedures, attendance and clinical productivity. In being placed on clinical probation the student may continue in the program for the next semester, during which time the student must demonstrate an acceptable level of clinical performance or be required to withdraw or repeat an academic period or year. In unusual circumstances, students may be continued on clinical probation for one succeeding semester.
A student may appeal an action of the Committee on Student Standing and Promotion. The appeal must be in writing, state the basis of the appeal, and be filed within 14 days of the issuance of the notification letter sent the student informing them of committee action. The written appeal should be directed to the chairperson of the committee. The student may request or be invited to appear before the committee at the hearing of the appeal. The committee will inform the student in writing of the results of the hearing of the appeal. The student is advised to consult with the chairperson, the Director of Student Services, or the Associate Dean for Curriculum and Graduate Studies for further information prior to filing the appeal so that the process can be fully explained and the students rights protected.
The school reserves the right to require a student to withdraw from the school for any reason it deems sufficient. Academic or clinical failure, moral delinquency, gross misconduct, or failure to meet the specific conditions of probation or review is sufficient reason for requiring withdrawal from the school.
The school year consists of 34 weeks of 5 days each, exclusive of vacations, and is divided into 2 semesters of 2 terms each. The final week of each semester is reserved for examinations. Classes are not scheduled during summer months. However, there are mandatory summer clinic sessions for all students at the end of the second and third years. A fee is charged for these summer sessions.
Students enrolled at the School of Dentistry are expected to pursue their course of study according to a systematic plan as determined by the faculty. It is the policy of the school that student attendance for clinic and clinic duty assignments is mandatory. Attendance requirements for lectures, laboratories and seminars are at the discretion of the course director. The course director is free to determine the extent to which absences affect the final grade. The student should realize that lack of regular attendance is extremely disruptive to academic progress and every attempt to attend all classes is strongly encouraged. The student should also be aware that the Committee on Student Standing and Promotion will consider faculty notation of poor attendance in its deliberations.
The student is expected to be present at all examinations or give advanced notice to the Office of Student Services when absence from an examination is anticipated. If a student fails to give advanced notice, the student must provide an excuse acceptable to the course director; acceptable excuses are documented student illness, serious illness or death in the family, or other extremely unusual circumstance. Failing to provide an acceptable excuse, the student will meet with the Director of Student Services and the course director to discuss the absence. Following such consultation, the student will be informed of the consequences. The course director may permit the student to be re-tested (with or without penalty), be assigned a grade of zero for the examination, or receive a failing grade for the course.
A student may request a Leave of Absence for personal reasons or reasons of health when anticipated or actual absence is in excess of three weeks. Such request must be submitted in writing to the Director of Student Services who will forward the request to the Committee on Student Standing and Promotion. Such request may be submitted on a form available from the Office of Student Services or by letter stating the reason for the request, the length of leave requested and the date of return. The committee will ordinarily grant such requests if the student is currently enrolled and has been in regular attendance prior to the time or circumstances that necessitated the request. The request may be submitted by a parent, spouse or authorized agent of the student if the student is unable to file the request. The maximum length of leave is one year. Students must resume registration at the expiration of the leave unless formally granted an extension. Re-entry into the dental program is determine by the Committee on Student Standing and Promotion and may not necessarily be at the same level attained at the time the leave was granted. The committee also reserves the right to place a student on Leave of Absence when it has determined that the circumstances warrant, even in the absence of a formal request.
Postdoctoral programs operate on a 12 month basis, from July 1st of one year to June 30th of the next. The year is divided into two (2) six month semesters (Fall, July 1 to December 31; Spring, January 1 to June 30). The act of registration includes submission of a course schedule approved by the department, the payment of semester tuition and the completion of the simplified registration form provided by the Office of Graduate Studies. Each semester, registration must be completed as scheduled by all graduate students and residents. Registration for each semester is handled through the Dental School Office of Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. Semester tuition is due at the time of registration. There is a five-day grace period for late registrations after which a late fee will be charged. Students enrolled in fall and spring semesters may arrange to pay bills for tuition and fees in two installments. At least half of the total bill must be paid at registration, the remainder must be paid by October 15 for fall semester and by March 15 for spring. Students who fail to register within 30 days after the published dates will be considered to have withdrawn from the program. In the School of Dentistry, graduate students who are not registered are not considered students of record by the university and subsequently lose the protections of the university in matters of liability encountered during patient care. In other words, graduate students who are not registered may not treat patients. They can no longer attend class or receive grades and will have to formally re-establish their matriculation. In any circumstance, all lost course and/or clinical time will be added to the end of the program's original completion date.
Under unusual circumstances, special arrangements may be made with permission of the department chairperson and the Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies. Social Security numbers are used for all records and documents and must be provided at the time of registration. Foreign students will be issued a number for this purpose if they have not obtained a Social Security number prior to registration. New students and new residents who do not register as specified and who have failed to provide satisfactory reasons for the delay in advance, forfeit their right to admission. Vacancies which arise from such circumstances are filled from a list of alternate candidates at the discretion of the department.
The responsibility for assigning grades rests exclusively with the course director, who must announce the general method of grading at the beginning of the course. Course grades are reported to the Office of Graduate Studies for recording by the registrar of the school at the end of the course or when a final grade has been determined if prior to the scheduled completion time for the course. Incomplete or conditional grades can be changed only by the course director (see grading polices of the university).
The following grading system is used at the School of Dentistry for graduate courses:
A - Excellent
B - Good
C - Fair
D - Poor
F - Failure
IN - Incomplete
S - Satisfactory (Thesis/Research courses)
AD - Successful Audit
NG - Unsuccessful Audit
P - Passing (Pass/Fail Course)
NP - Not Passing (Pass/Fail Course)
W - Withdrew class
WD - Withdrew all classes
Transfer of credit from another university is limited to six semester hours of graduate-level courses. Such transfer requires approval from the student's adviser, the departmental chairperson, and the Office of Graduate Studies. Courses must have been taken within five years prior to matriculation at Case Western Reserve University, and only those with grades of "B" or better are transferable. No credit for thesis may be transferred from another university.
Graduate credit is not awarded for 100 or 200 level courses or their equivalents.
Each M.S.D. student selects members of his or her advisory committee, subject to approval by the department chairperson. The advisory committee is to have a chairperson appointed by the department chairperson from the committee's membership. The advisory committee is to be comprised of at least three members of the university faculty, of whom at least two must belong to the department in which the student is enrolled. Additional committee membership is not restricted and may include persons outside the University who have qualifications acceptable to the department chairperson.
For master's degree programs, each student must carry out an original and meaningful research project acceptable to the department chairperson and the advisory committee. A written thesis, similarly acceptable, is to be prepared and must conform to the standard format determined by the Office of Graduate Studies of the School of Dentistry. The thesis must be submitted before the prescribed deadline. An oral examination (defense) of the thesis is required. This examination is administered by the student's advisory committee before a standard date set by the Office of Graduate of the School of Dentistry. Unanimous agreement of the committee is required to pass the thesis examination. A student must be registered for thesis credit or continuing graduate work during the semester in which the thesis examination is conducted. The thesis defense is ordinarily open to all members of the university faculty, student body, and guests.
Individual students enrolled in a graduate program, whether or not a master's degree is involved, may be required to take courses beyond the general requirements set forth by the department in order to complete the program. In such instances, the student must be notified in writing by the department chairperson, with a copy filed in the Office of Graduate Studies of the School of Dentistry.
For master's degree programs, each student is expected to maintain continuous registration and all requirements must be completed within five consecutive calendar years immediately following matriculation as a graduate student, including approved periods of leave of absence. A student who fails to complete the requirements within five years must be formally be readmitted with full standing in order to continue study, subject to terms of readmission, future time limits, and revised requirements for the award of the degree. Prior status in the graduate program is no guarantee of readmission and should not be assumed.
A student may request a leave of absence for personal reasons or reasons of health when anticipated or actual absence is in excess of three weeks. A written request for a leave of absence must include the reason for the request and the length of time requested. A leave of absence cannot exceed one calendar year. It must be submitted to the program director and to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the School of Dentistry. The program director will forward the request with his/her response to the Committee on Graduate Studies. In order to be eligible for such requests, the student must be currently enrolled and in regular attendance prior to the time or circumstances that necessitated the request. At the expiration of the leave, the student must resume registration unless formally granted an extension. A leave of absence does not extend the maximum time permitted for the completion of degree requirements. A student who fails to obtain an approved leave, or who fails to resume registration at the time expected, may be separated from the program. During the period of leave, it is expected that the student will not avail himself or herself of the teaching and research resources of the School of Dentistry or the University. At the end of an approved leave, re-entry into the program is reviewed by the program director in concert with the Committee on Graduate Studies, and may not be at the same level attained at the time the leave was granted. Programs with a high patient case component may require that the clinical portion of the program be repeated in its entirety. Finally, the committee also reserves the right to place a student on leave of absence where it has been determined that the circumstances warrant, even in the absence of a formal request.
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 is required for good standing in a graduate program for all courses taken for graduate credit (excluding those graded Satisfactory or Pass/No Pass).
The Committee on Graduate Studies reviews student performance and may recommend or require remedial actions as it deems appropriate. It may place a student on academic review or probation, set conditions for continuation in the student's course of study or program, and may require withdrawal for failure to meet the academic standards set by the department or school. A student who receives a grade deemed unsatisfactory in any course is placed on probation and must remove himself or herself from probation within one year in order to continue graduate study. Failure to do so will result in separation from the University. It is expected that removal from probation will ordinarily require repetition of the course with an acceptable grade or the successful completion of work deemed equivalent by the student's advisory committee and the departmental chairperson.
A student may be separated from the university for any one of the following reasons:
- Failure to correct probationary status within one year.
- Failure to achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.50 or above upon completion of 12 semester hours or 2 semesters of graduate study. Failure to achieve a grade point average of 2.75 or higher upon completion of 21 semester hours or 4 semesters of graduate study.
- Failure to complete all requirements for the master's degree within five consecutive calendar years from the term of matriculation, unless granted an extension of a maximum of one year upon recommendation of the adviser and chairperson and approved by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.
In calculating the grade point average, all courses for which quality points are given are counted, including courses which may be required to be repeated.
In addition, on the recommendation of the student's department, and with due process, the School of Dentistry may suspend or separate a student from the university for failure to maintain appropriate standards of conduct and integrity in discharging their responsibilities.
Academic failure, moral delinquency, gross misconduct, or failure to meet the specific conditions of probation or academic review is sufficient reason for requiring withdrawal from the school.
The minimum requirements for the master's degree in the School of Dentistry are 54 semester hours of course work, including six or more semester hours of thesis/equivalent registration, and the submission of an accepted thesis. Individual departments may require additional semester hours of specific course work and/or thesis. Not less than 48 semester hours may be at the 500 level or higher.
A candidate for a Master of Science in Dentistry degree must make application for the degree to the Office of Graduate Studies of the School of Dentistry no later than two months before the commencement at which the degree is expected.
Candidates must meet all deadlines for completion of degree requirements set forth in the calendar issued by the Office of Graduate Studies for the School of Dentistry. All thesis students must be registered during the semester in which the degree is awarded (also see "Delayed Graduation").
The awarding of the degree is dependent upon on the satisfactory completion of all requirements, and the recommendations of department chairperson, Committee on Graduate Studies, and Faculty of the School of Dentistry.
A graduation fee, currently $35, is charged for the awarding of the masters degree. Degrees will not be awarded to candidates with delinquent financial accounts that include, but are not limited to, tuition payments, fees, and library fines.
A candidate who has successfully defended their thesis but who fails to meet the deadline for thesis submission for graduation in one semester, will be permitted to receive their degree at the next scheduled graduation following, without further registration or payment of tuition if the completed thesis is submitted within thirty days of the date originally scheduled for graduation. If all requirements are not met within this grace period, the candidate must register for the subsequent semester.
The degree Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) is awarded to students successfully completing the four-year professional program offered by the school. Graduate work leading to the degree Master of Science in Dentistry (M.S.D.) is awarded to graduate students who successfully complete a program of advanced study.
Degrees are granted by the university on the recommendation of the faculty subject to the satisfactory completion of all curricular requirements and the discharge of all financial obligations to the university. The recommendation for a degree is discretionary with the faculty, and there is no contract stated or implied, between the university and the student that a degree will be conferred at any stated time, or at all.
To officially withdraw from the School of Dentistry, a written notice must be submitted to the dean for approval. Failure to attend class or merely giving notice to an instructor will not be regarded as an official notice of withdraw.
A student who withdraws after the start of a semester must pay a portion of the usual tuition. The student is charged at the rate of 10% per week, or portion thereof, that classes have been in session to the time of withdrawal. No portion of the tuition is refunded after the ninth week of class or if a student withdraws at any time during the first semester in a program of study. If the withdrawal occurs during the time that the student is enrolled in summer clinic, the student is charged at a rate of 12.5% per week of usual fee for summer clinic.
The university will refund any tuition paid for a semester by any student in good standing who is inducted, or called to active duty, by the Armed Forces of the United States prior to completing that semester, and who does not receive credit for the work completed during that semester.
All students are expected to dress appropriately. The dental student is obliged to follow the dress code developed by the Dental Student Council and approved by the faculty. Graduate students and residents are expected to dress in manner acceptable to their department.
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