Petition to Waive a Graduate Academic Policy

Graduate students may file a petition requesting a waiver of an academic policy or requirement.


Petition Forms

Some of our policies have specific petition forms to:

To petition for a waiver of any other policies, the student should use the general petition to the Division of Graduate Studies form.

Note: Students who need to graduate in a later term than originally planned may petition for a waiver of the Division of Graduate Studies' final term registration requirement. Students in this situation should submit a General Petition Form explaining the extenuating circumstances that caused the delay. This option is not available to students with GE appointments. International students should check with International Student and Scholar Services prior to pursuing this option. 


Petition Requirements

On the petition the student must state the exception being requested and a detailed explanation for why the student is seeking the exception.

The petition must also have supporting statements from the student's adviser and head of the academic department.


Petition Review

Once the petition has been reviewed by the student's academic department, the petition is then submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies for review.

The Division of Graduate Studies reviews the exception being requested within the context of the educational purpose that the regulation in question was developed to serve.

Petitions are seldom granted if the only reason given is to save the student from inconvenience or expense.