2015-2016 Graduate Catalog

Effective Fall 2015

Graduate School Information

The Graduate School
Adams Hall
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2864

Phone numbers:
815-753-0395 (Graduate School)
800-892-3050 (toll-free number for Illinois callers only)
815-753-1000 (general university number)

E-mail address: gradsch@niu.edu

World Wide Web site: www.niu.edu/grad

World Wide Web information on the Graduate School is linked to much additional information on departments and their programs and includes an online version of this catalog. The online catalog can be found at http://catalog.niu.edu. Beginning with the 2006-07 academic year, the online catalog is the definitive version of program descriptions and of academic policies and procedures.

World Wide Web sites for academic colleges, departments, and schools are accessible through NIU’s home page at www.niu.edu as well as via the Graduate School Web site. E-mail addresses are found at many of the departmental sites.

Further information on specific graduate programs can also be requested from the persons indicated in the “Directory for Correspondence” in this catalog.

Student Responsibility

It is the responsibility of students to know and observe all regulations and procedures relating to the program they are pursuing, as well as those of the university and Graduate School. In no case will a regulation be waived or an exception granted because students plead ignorance of, or contend that they were not informed of, the regulations or procedures. Questions on regulations and their interpretation pertaining to studies at the graduate level should be addressed to the office of the dean of the Graduate School.

Students planning to graduate should familiarize themselves with the dates relating to application for graduation and other pertinent deadlines. (See Graduate School Calendar.) It is necessary to apply for graduation by the specified deadline in order to graduate in a particular term, whether or not the student plans to attend the commencement ceremonies.

Students must satisfy the degree requirements of the catalog in force during the term for which they have been admitted to and begin course work in a degree program; or they may, with the consent of their advisers, meet graduation requirements by complying with the provisions of a later catalog. Students readmitted to a degree program must meet degree requirements of the catalog in force at the time of the later admission (or of a subsequent catalog, as provided above). Aside from degree requirements, all students are subject to the regulations and policies stated in the catalog currently in force. Exceptions to regulations contained in the Graduate Catalog require the written approval of the office of the dean of the Graduate School, unless otherwise stated in the catalog.

Graduate students and students-at-large should notify the Graduate School immediately of any change in address so that receipt of mail will not be delayed.

Notices

The university reserves the right to make changes in admission requirements, fees, degree requirements, and other specifications set forth in this catalog. Such changes take precedence over catalog statements. While reasonable effort is made to publicize such changes, the student should remain in close touch with departmental advisers and appropriate offices, because responsibility for complying with all applicable requirements ultimately rests with the student.

Although the university attempts to accommodate the course requests of students, course offerings may be limited by financial, space, and staffing considerations or may otherwise be unavailable. Nothing in this catalog may be construed to promise or guarantee registration in any course or course of study (whether required or elective) nor may anything be construed to promise or guarantee the completion of an academic program within a specified length of time.

Admission to the Graduate School is not complete until application materials have been fully processed and the applicant has been notified by the Graduate School in writing of admission.

As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education’s FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records - including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information - may be accessed without your consent.  First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program.  The evaluation may relate to any program that is well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution.  Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when the University objects to or do not request such research.  Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities.  In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.

Other statements of a legal nature are printed in the “Notices” and “General Regulations” sections of this catalog.