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Graduate Academic Progress Policy

Policy 

  1. Academic Standing

  1. A graduate student is classified as a full time student if his/her study load is between 9 and 12 CH in a regular semester (or equivalent on term basis)2, and as part-time student if less. 

  2. A graduating student in good standing is allowed to raise his/her study load by 3 CH. 

  3. A conditionally-admitted student may have a lower load. (See S6.2the Graduate Admissions Policy)

  4. A graduate student must maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 3.0 to be deemed in "Good" academic standing. If a student's CGPA falls below 3.0, they will be placed on academic probation, with an academic warning noted on their transcript.

  5. A student will be placed on academic probation if he/she fails to obtain by the end of any term, a CGPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, and will accordingly receive a first academic warning that will show on the student’s transcript and in the student’s portal.

  6. The maximum study load for a student on academic probation will be reduced to 6 CH.. The student can register for an additional 3 CH-course, in which he/she has secured a failing/weak grade, with the approval of the Program Director, provided that:

  • His/her CGPA was at a minimum of 2.70.

  • He/she completes the allowed courses within the maximum allowed period for graduation.

  1. The academic probation will be removed when the student’s CGPA reaches at least 3.0. 

  2. This process is repeated anytime the student’s CGPA drops below 3.0. 

  3. Courses taken as Pre-MBA/M.Sc./LLM will not be counted towards the CGPA of the degree but will be reflected in the student’s transcript (i.e. grade as Pass or No Pass) and credit hours do not apply towards degree programs.

  4. A regularly-admitted student with a CGPA below 3.0 for three consecutive terms will be dismissed from the program.

  5. A conditionally-admitted student who has a CGPA less than 3.0 after completing 6 graduate credit hours will be dismissed from the program. 

  6. A dismissal ruling may be discretionarily postponed by the UD President upon the recommendations of the Program Director. 

  1. Normal Study Load

  1. The normal study load for a Master’s student in good standing is between 9 and 12 CH in a regular semester (or equivalent on a term basis)1 and from 3 to 6 CH in a summer session. A student on probation must not take more than 3 CH in the MBA and 6 CH in the LLM and M.Sc. programs. 

  2. A conditionally-admitted student may have a lower load. (See S6.2 Graduate Admissions Policy)

  3. A graduating student in good standing is allowed to raise his/her study load by 3 CH. 

  1. Study Plan – Sequence of Courses

  1. A student must complete all the Pre-MBA/M.Sc./LLM courses with a minimum passing course grade of 80%, before he/she can register for regular graduate courses. 

  2. A student must register for the MBA Work-Based Project (WBP)/M.Sc. thesis after the completion of at least 75% of his/her program course work. In LLM, the student must complete all course requirements before registering for the thesis. For the LLM program, students are eligible to register for the thesis if he/she has only one course remaining and has fulfilled all other requirements prior to registration.

  3. If a student is working on his/her MBA-WBP/LLM/M.Sc. if the thesis exceeds two (2) terms/semester, he/she will receive an “F” grade and must re-register for the WBP/thesis and pay the fees if the program duration is not exceeded. Exceptions for a one-time period extension may be considered for urgent/valid cases, but need the approval of the VPAA based on the recommendations of the Dean.

  4. A student is not permitted to have a Registration-Hold during the period working on his/her MBA-WBP/LLM/M.Sc. thesis, but may withdraw from the WBP/thesis.

  1. Attendance and Absenteeism Warnings

Attendance and participation in all classes and lab sessions are mandatory and essential to the process of education at UD. The University believes that class attendance ensures students’ involvement with their instructors and fellow peers, which is a vital component of the students’ academic preparation. For this reason, students are expected to attend classes regularly. Absences hinder progress for the individual as well as for the class, and affects students’ learning outcomes and grades.

UD regulations for attendance and absenteeism warnings imposed on all courses are as follows:

  1. All graduate programs (MBA, LLM, and M.Sc.) are divided into two consecutive sessions, with a break occurring midway through the day's lecture.

  2. Students’ attendance usually takes place at the beginning of the class and after students return from the break. The attendance should be recorded on the student portal. If the student portal is not working, faculty members must take attendance manually.

  3. Students have access to information related to his/her course attendance through the students’ portal.

  4. A student is sent a warning through his/her UD email and students’ portal when his/her absences reach 10% of class time for a given course.

  5. Once a student’s absence reaches 25% of class time in any course, he/she will be deprived from attending the final exam. A grade of AW will be recorded for the course. If a student’s absence is for a valid UD-reason, the student is considered to be “Withdrawn” from the course(s). A deprived student may not attend any further exams; however, he/she still has the right to attend classes.

  6. Late Arrival: A student who arrives within 10 minutes from the start of the lecture in either session will be marked as having “Late Attendance”, and the system will automatically register one absence for each three “late attendances”. A student who arrives more than 10 minutes beyond the start of the lecture in either session will be marked as absent.

  7. An accepted valid excuse (see section 4.1)  does not nullify the absence but will cancel any penalties normally imposed for absence in an assignment or group work. 

  8. Warnings are issued to the student irrespective of the validity of his/her absence excuse.

  9. Absence is recorded from the first class session following course registration/adding date. 

  10. The student portal will remain open for one week, from lecture to lecture, to allow for amendments to student attendance records. For clarification, if a lecture takes place on a Monday at 10 am, the system will close on the following Monday at midnight (in essence, remaining open for a total of 8 days). After this 8-day period, no further attendance amendments will be accepted under any circumstances.

  11. Exceptions for valid excused absences can be made to the attendance policy by the President

  1. Valid UD Excuses for Class Absences 

All excuses must be substantiated by evidence. UD-valid excuses include: 

  1. Representing the UAE government on an official mission (e.g. competition/conference/exhibition),                      

               emergency in the Armed Forces or Police that necessitates the absence.

  1. National Service 

  2. Leave to fulfill UD assignments

  3. Death of a close family member

  • Bereavement not to exceed five (5) days for 1st-degree (Husband/Wife) relatives

  • Bereavement not to exceed three (3) days for 2nd-degree (Child/Parents/Siblings/grandparents etc.) relatives starting from the date of death.

  1. Certified hospital admission

  2. Accidents 

  1. Repeating Courses

A student who re-registers to repeat a course must attend all classes as a regular student and complete the required class work/homework/assignments/projects to earn the final grade for the course.

  1. Failing Grade

  • A student who fails in a required course may repeat it only once. Failing twice in the same course shall lead to the dismissal from the program. 

  1. Passing Grade

  • A student wishing to repeat a passed course in order to raise his/her grade/GPA, may not register for that course more than twice. 

  • The higher grade will be counted towards the CGPA, but the lower grade will also remain in his transcript.

  • A student can repeat a maximum of two (2) courses during the course of the program.

  • Both grades will appear in the transcript but only the higher grade will be counted towards the CGPA. 

 

  1. Drop & Add  

  1. The Drop & Add period is normally for one week after the start of classes, during a regular semester/term,, and for two days only during short semesters. 

  2. During this period, a student may drop or add a course or more. 

  3. A student who wishes to drop and add courses should normally consult his/her academic advisor and complete the Drop & Add form. Students on probation cannot make any changes to their study plan without the approval of their advisors. For more information, refer to the section titled “Study Load” in this policy.

  4. There will be no financial penalties for Drop and Add activities in regular terms/semesters. However, dropping a course in a short semester is liable to a financial penalty even if done in the first two days from the start of the semester. (See S6.10 Student Finance Policy)

  1. Withdrawal from Courses 

  1. A student is permitted to withdraw from one or more courses at a later stage during the semester/term after submitting the appropriate Course Withdrawal form. (this is an automated form)

  2. Withdrawal from courses must occur no later than  60-65% of the term/semester.  

  3. The student must get the approval of his/her academic advisor before applying for withdrawal from the course. The advisor should specify the reason(s) for the student’s withdrawal.

  4. A grade of “W” will be recorded on the student’s transcript for the withdrawn course(s). 

  5. A student is not entitled to receive a refund for any such withdrawals.  

  6. A student is not permitted to withdraw from courses beyond the period stipulated in the academic calendar, and the student must complete the course as scheduled. 

  7. The VPAA shall consider cases of extenuating nature, in which case, the student shall withdraw from the whole semester not from a single course.

  1. Registration Hold

  1. A student may be permitted to put a hold on his/her registration upon submitting an online request through the student portal to the Registrar. 

  2. The request will be accepted on condition that the student has been a regular student at UD for at least one term/semester.

  3. The deadline for requesting a hold on registration is normally two weeks prior to the start of the semester/term and two weeks after. 

  4. During the entire period of study, the “Registration Hold” status must not exceed four separate terms/semesters total. This includes the semesters/terms from which the student has withdrawn without failure.

  5. The accepted hold periods will not be counted as part of the duration of study. 

  6. The list of all students who have requested “Registration Hold” will be forwarded to the Deans by the Registration Department every semester/term.

  1. Discontinuation 

  1. A student who does not register for a particular semester/term and fails to make a request for Registration Hold is considered “Discontinued” in the Registry’s records.  IT is recorded on the student's Transcript

  2. A Discontinued student is liable to financial penalties if he/she applies for re-admission (Or re-registration).

  3. If the student’s “Discontinued” status exceeds two consecutive semesters/terms then the student’s registration status will be considered “Canceled.” 

  4. The discontinued periods will be counted as part of the student’s duration of study.

  5. “Canceled” students must apply for re-admission if the interruption of study period does not exceed 3 years. (See  S 6.2 Graduate Admissions Policy for full conditions).

  1. Withdrawal from Term/Semester 

  1. A student may request to withdraw from the term/semester as long as it happens before sitting the final exams.e. 

  2. If the request is approved by the Dean, the student must withdraw from all registered courses. A “W” grade will be reported for these courses. 

  3. The withdrawn semester/term will be considered as Registration Hold. 

  4. The refund terms stated in S6.10 Student Finance Policy shall apply.

  1. Withdrawal from the University 

  1. A student may request to withdraw from the University or to cancel his/her enrollment as long as it happens before sitting the finals. 

  2. The student must first withdraw from all registered and incomplete courses during that semester/term. A “W” grade will be reported for these courses. 

  3. The students apply for university withdrawal via the student portal page.

  4. Withdrawn students will also be required to complete the Discontinuing Students Exit Survey which forms a basis for continuous improvement at UD. 

  5. The refund terms stated in  S 6.10 Student Finance Policy shall apply. 

  6. A withdrawn student may be readmitted to UD. See S 6.2 Graduate Admissions Policy for full conditions. 

  1. Dismissal from the Program 

A student may be dismissed from the program in the following cases: 

  1. Exceeded the number of permissible academic warnings/probations. 

  2. Exceeded the maximum allowable duration of study listed in this policy.

  3. Failed a course two (2) times.

Exceptions may only be granted by the President upon the recommendation of the VPAA. 

  1. Dean’s Honor List 

To be eligible for the Dean’s list, a student must have completed a minimum of 09 credit hours with a CGPA of at least 3.70. The categories for the Dean’s List honors are based on the following scale:

  • Highest Honors:       CGPA 3.90 through 4.0 (Excellent)

  • Great Honors:           CGPA 3.70 through 3.89 (Very Good)

  1. To be eligible for the Dean’s list, a student must fulfill the following requirements: 

  • The student’s file should not reflect any “Disciplinary Warning”.

  • A student who has committed/ sentenced for a criminal act (conviction, caution, warning, reprimand or bind over) will not be eligible for the Honor Award.   

  1. A Dean's List notation will appear on the student's academic record.

  1. Duration of Study 

  1. MBA Programs: 

The maximum period of study for the MBA programs are as follows: 

  1. MBA General Degree: A full-time student normally takes 12 months to complete the program. A part-time student normally takes 15-18 months to complete the program at the rate of 1-2 courses per term for up to 8 terms. The maximum period allowed for graduation is 8 terms excluding the period of “Registration Hold” and the period to complete pre-MBA courses (if any).

  2. MBA Specialization Degree: A full-time student normally takes 18 months to complete the program at the rate of two (2) courses per term. A part-time student takes around 18-24 months to complete the program at the rate of one to two (1-2) courses per term. The maximum period allowed for graduation is 12 terms excluding the period of “Registration Hold” and the period to complete pre-MBA courses (if any).

  3. The maximum period allowed to complete the Pre-MBA is two terms. If the pre-MBA is not completed the student will be dropped from the program.  

  4. For a student transferring to UD or changing his/her major/degree, the number of terms achieved will be one term for every six (6) credit hours for courses counted towards the academic plan. 

  5. The period of "Registration Hold" is not included in the aforementioned periods, but the discontinued and withdrawn periods are included.

  6. The student may be dismissed from the program if the duration of study period is exceeded. The President can extend the period on a case by case basis based on the recommendations of the VPAA,  Program Director and the Registrar.

  1. LLM/M.Sc. Programs  

  1. The LLM program normally takes between 12-15 months for completion in which a total of 10 courses and a thesis must be completed.

  2. The maximum period of study may not exceed 12 terms (excluding the registration hold).

  3. A student pursuing a dual major shall have a maximum of 16 terms to complete the program. 

  4. The maximum period of study may not exceed six (6) semesters (excluding the registration hold).

  5. For a student transferring to UD or changing their major/degree, the number of terms/semesters achieved will be one term/semester for every nine (9) credit hours for courses counted towards the academic plan. 

  6. The period of "Registration Hold" is not included in the aforementioned periods, but the discontinued and withdrawn periods are included.

  7. The student may be dismissed from the program if the duration of study period is exceeded. The President can extend the period on a case by case basis based on the recommendation of the VPAA, Program Director and the Registrar.

  1. Declaration/Change of the Major of Study 

  1. A student pursuing a General MBA can shift to a specialized MBA program before graduation. 

  2. A change in the program of study must happen at least 2 weeks from the start of the Term/semester. If the change is done during the semester/term, the change will apply from the following semester.

  1. Double Major 

  1. An MBA student is allowed to pursue a second double major for any two of the offered majors within the same degree program. 

  2. The student must submit the relevant form (available from the Registration Department) at the beginning of his/her second year of studies at UD.

  3. The student has to take 6 additional major courses (18 credit hours) related to the second major. This also includes a second internship. 

  4. The student must maintain a CGPA of 3 in these additional courses. 

Upon completion of studies, the student shall receive one diploma with both majors mentioned.