Graduate Student Handbook & Policy Library

Academic integrity is a fundamental university value. Through the honest completion of academic work, students sustain the integrity of the university while facilitating the university's imperative for the transmission of knowledge and culture based upon the generation of new and innovative ideas.

Students are held to a high level of accountability and are expected to uphold our standards of honesty in order to sustain a fair learning environment. Academic dishonesty comes in many forms, including but not limited to:

• Aiding in academic dishonesty. Taking action that allows another student to engage in an act of academic dishonesty, including completing an examination or assignment for another student, failing to protect academic work by leaving it unattended, or collaborating without instructorⁱ permission.
• Cheating. Use of unauthorized resources, including sources not permitted by the course instructor, or tools such as calculators, smart watches, phones, or other students' work.
• Falsifying academic materials. Altering, fabricating, forging, or submitting: any course-related materials, including laboratory reports, notes, or any forms of data; an instructor's name or initials; an examination or assignment for re-evaluation; an assessment (in whole or in part) prepared by any person or technology (e.g., artificial intelligence) other than the student responsible. 
• Misrepresenting documents. Altering, fabricating, forging, or submitting any non-course-related materials, including any university or official document, instrument of identification, or medical record.
• Plagiarizing. Representing the ideas or work (e.g., written text, computer code, artwork) of another as one's own or improperly referencing original authors.
• Purchasing academic assignments. Buying assignments intended for submission in fulfillment of any course or academic program requirement.
• Selling academic assignments. Offering for sale and/or receiving compensation for any academic assignment intended to fulfill any course or academic program requirement.
• Submitting previously submitted work. Also called self-plagiarism, re-submitting academic material (in whole or in part) that has been previously submitted by the same student without prior and expressed consent of the instructor.

• Instructors must notify students within 10 academic daysⁱⁱ of discovery of the suspected dishonesty.
• Students must meet with instructors within 10 academic days of notification or the instructor will make a decision in their absence.
• Instructors must notify students and the Office of Academic Integrity of the charge and sanction within 10 academic days of the consultative resolution meeting.

Instructors have the responsibility to charge and sanction students who are in violation of these standards through the Consultative Resolution procedure. All cases must be filed, regardless of severity, with the Office of Academic Integrity. While a case is pending, students are not allowed to withdraw or resign from the course. Instructors have the authority to execute one or more of the sanctions below. If the violation is not the student's first offense, the chosen sanction may be revised by the Office of Academic Integrity.

• Warning. Written notice to the student that they have violated a university academic integrity standard.
• Revision of work. Requirement that the student replace or revise the work in which dishonesty occurred.
• Reduction in assignment grade. Student's grade is decreased with respect to the particular assignment.
• Reduction in course grade. Student's final grade in the course is decreased.
• Failure in the course. A grade of "F" is applied.
• Remediation. Requirement that the student complete an educational remediation assignment through the Office of Academic Integrity. If the student passes the remediation assignment, the instructor may alter the original sanction.
• Other. Faculty may determine another appropriate assignment or penalty (e.g., an additional assignment, inability to drop lowest grade), except for any OAI or university sanction described below.

Recommendations for more serious sanctions may be made to the Office of Academic Integrity for review. Possible sanctions requiring Office of Academic Integrity approval include:

• Failure in course, remediation required, temporary notation of academic dishonesty. A grade of "F" for the course is recorded on the student's transcript with notation of academic dishonesty. Upon successful completion of UB's remediation assignment, the notation is removed. Failure to successfully complete the OAI assignment will result in the notation remaining permanently on the student's transcript.
• Failure in the course with permanent notation of academic dishonesty. A grade of "F" for the course is recorded on the student's transcript with a permanent notation that the grade of "F" was assigned for reason of academic dishonesty.
• Dismissal from the degree program. The academic integrity violation results in ineligibility for continuation in the student's degree program.
• Dismissal from the degree program with notation of academic dishonesty. The academic integrity violation results in ineligibility for continuation in the student's degree program, with a notation on the student's transcript that the dismissal is for reason of academic dishonesty.
• Dismissal from the department. The academic integrity violation results in ineligibility for continuation in any degree program within the department.
• Dismissal from the department with notation of academic dishonesty. The academic integrity violation results in ineligibility to continue in any degree program within the department, with a notation on the student's transcript that the dismissal is for reason of academic dishonesty.

Possible sanctions requiring both Office of Academic Integrity and Office of the President (or designee) approval include:

• Suspension from the university. The student is suspended for a defined time period with stated conditions and a permanent notation on the transcript that suspension is due to reason of academic dishonesty.
• Expulsion from the university. The student is expelled with permanent notation on the transcript that expulsion is due to reason of academic dishonesty.

Infractions not associated with a course in which the student is enrolled will be assigned appropriate penalties and may be additionally referred to Student Conduct for judicial procedures.

Students have the right to appeal the instructor's findings to the Office of Academic Integrity. While a case is pending, students are not allowed to withdraw or resign from the course.

Upon request and with the student's permission, academic integrity violations and sanctions may be reported by the OAI to an authorized body (e.g., a graduate school application or employment application).

Academic Integrity Procedures

The OAI shall assemble a pool of faculty and students willing to participate on Adjudication Committees for academic integrity cases. It is the responsibility of each decanal unit to name student and faculty members to this pool. Typically, the duration of service in the academic integrity pool is two years. The OAI is responsible for ensuring that the pool reflects the diversity of the campus community and for training all members of the adjudication pool.

From this pool, the OAI will form an Adjudication Committee for each hearing of no fewer than two faculty members, two graduate students, and one member of the OAI. Members from the academic integrity pool will be selected so that no one member will be involved in a disproportionate number of academic integrity cases. Prior to a hearing, committee members verify that there is no conflict of interest with either principal party. If a conflict exists, a committee member shall disqualify themself and a replacement will be named.

The principals and members of the Adjudication Committee have an obligation to maintain the confidentiality of hearing proceedings and of all supporting materials and testimony presented. If a breach of confidentiality occurs, OAI may replace a committee member and/or levy additional charges as appropriate.

The above list of sample academic integrity infractions and sanctions is not exhaustive. It is meant to offer some general information about common infractions and possible associated sanctions.

Repeat offenses are assigned a greater penalty than a first offense and typically range from failure in course to failure with transcript notation. These penalties are applied at the discretion of the Office of Academic Integrity.

ⁱFor the purposes of this policy, the term "instructor" is defined as the instructor of record, a staff member, or their appropriate designee.

ⁱⁱAcademic days are defined as weekdays, when classes are in session, not including the summer or winter sessions as defined by the University Academic Calendar. Days in the final exam period and Reading Days are not considered academic days. With the agreement of all principals and the OAI, proceedings may continue during non-academic days.

See course syllabus for attendance policy.

For feedback, grievances or complaints for matters within the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS), students may use the Feedback/Grievance Form. To submit anonymously, do not enter your name or person number.

The School follows the Graduate Academic Grievance policy. 

UB does not have a policy that limits or favors current UB students, transfer or out-of-state applicants. All applicants are considered equally. UB SPPS is committed to a nondiscriminatory admission policy and philosophy. In accordance with federal and state laws, no person, in whatever relationship with the University at Buffalo, shall be subject to discrimination on the basis of age, religion or creed, color, disability, national origin, race, ethnicity, sex, marital or veteran status.

For financial aid purposes, a graduate student must:

• Maintain a 2.75 overall graduate grade-point-average (GPA), and
• complete 67 percent of all credits attempted per term.

in order to be considered making satisfactory academic progress for purposes of continued federal aid eligibility. Any student whose graduate GPA falls below a 2.75, or who completes less than 67 percent of all attempted credits per term, will be considered making unsatisfactory academic progress.

For more information about UB's graduate SAP criteria for federal aid eligibility please refer to the Office of Financial Aid website.

The Graduate School defines good academic standing as making acceptable progress toward a graduate degree or advanced certificate. All graduate students must remain in good academic standing throughout their studies. The chair/Director of Graduate Studies/program director will regularly review academic records to monitor student standing.

Students not in good academic standing will be placed on academic probation for the next fall or spring term. They will receive an email outlining the issue and reasons for the academic probation and the conditions under which the probation will be lifted. The letter will be placed in the student’s file and the thesis/dissertation advisor will be copied.

Minimum Academic Requirements:

• Term GPA of 3.0 or better.
• No U or F grades earned.
• Completion of at least 67% of attempted credits each term.

Note: An "S" grade is equivalent to a term GPA of 3.0 (B) or better.

MS in PPP, MS in CTT, PhD students, and Micro-credentials:

• Must maintain a B– or better in all required courses (B or higher if whole letter grades are offered).
• If a B– is not achieved, the course must be retaken to achieve a B– or better.
• The Graduate Education Committee may require repetition of other courses with grades lower than B–.

Students resigning from courses after the add/drop deadline without approval from the Director of Graduate Studies/program director may be placed on probation.

Typically, students who have a grade point average of less than 3.0 will be required to raise their grade point average to 3.0 or better as the condition for lifting probation.  

Students who have obtained grades less than B– (B or higher if whole letter grades are offered) in more than 1 course, a grade point average of less than 3.0 and have been previously on academic probation may receive letters of probation that require a more extensive set of conditions for lifting of probation terms.

Students in advanced standing who are not making satisfactory progress toward the degree program may also be placed on academic probation.

Students who are not in good academic standing or who are put on academic probation, are not eligible to participate in university activities, including athletics.

Students who are not in good academic standing or who are not making satisfactory progress towards their degree will be placed on academic probation.

For students in PharmD/MS and the PharmD/PhD collaborative degree programs, courses taken toward the PharmD degree will not be included in the calculation of the graduate grade point average.

All PhD and PharmD/PhD students are required to submit an Annual Progress report. The deadline for submitting the report is February 15. The reports must be submitted online to the staff member responsible for Graduate Studies in the Departmental Office.

There are two parts to the Annual Report. The first part of the Annual Report is to be filled by the student. The student must schedule a meeting with their Research Advisor after completing their portion of the Annual Report. The Research Advisor may add in comments and discuss the Annual Report and both the student and the Research Advisor must approve via the online document.

The following represent grounds for removal of a student from the school’s graduate programs:

• Failure to meet the academic requirements of the Department (including probation terms) and/or those of the Graduate School
• Continual unsafe and detrimental conduct, in spite of repeated warnings  
• The student has persisted in unsafe practices, willful insubordination or in refusing to carry out assigned duties without an acceptable reason.
• The student has made harmful threats to others in the Department or School.
• The student has persisted in using abusive language or behavior with others in the Department or School.
• The student has failed to make satisfactory progress in the program. See Academic Standing.
  
• The student has committed serious infractions of accepted practices related to research ethics, laboratory procedures, data-use, human subjects or vertebrate animals use that has compromised the integrity of research.
• The student has committed serious infractions of University regulations, including academic dishonesty.
• The student has extended unauthorized absences. 

Additional for Micro-Credentials:

• Any student receiving a failing grade “F” in any course may be subject to dismissal from the micro-credential.
• Any student who fails to maintain university graduate student status for two (2) consecutive years may be subject to dismissal from the micro-credential.
• Any student who fails to complete the final project for the micro-credential within the defined timeframe may be subject to dismissal from the micro-credential.

Removal of a student from a graduate program must be approved by a majority vote of the Graduate Education Committee.

The student is allowed to address a meeting of the Graduate Education Committee discussing their removal, with the optional presence of an advocate.

Right to Appeal

The appeal process shall follow the Academic Grievance Policy procedures as defined by the Graduate School (see Academic Grievance). Students are entitled to petition the Department faculty (through the Director of Graduate Studies or Chair of the Department) for review of any matter.

During such appeals, the student may speak on their own behalf, may submit a written statement, or may ask another person such as a faculty member or another graduate student in the Department to act as their advocate. Such an advocate should not be acting as a legal representative in these proceedings.

Subsequent written appeals may be made first to the Dean of the School and then if necessary to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Graduate students not meeting the written terms of their academic probation may be academically dismissed from the program by the director of graduate studies, chair of the department or graduate program director. Such dismissals shall be done in a timely fashion but no later than three weeks after the completion of the term. The Graduate School will be notified in writing of all such academic dismissals.

Service Indicator

Graduate students who are dismissed for academic reasons from a graduate program will have a "GRD" (Graduate School) service indicator placed on their academic record to prevent future registration.

Students who receive grades below the following thresholds must retake the course and complete it successfully.

For those enrolled in...

• MS in Pharmacometrics and Personalized Pharmacotherapy
• MS in Clinical and Translational Therapeutics
• PharmD/PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Micro-Credentials

All courses must be passed with a grade of at least B- (B or higher if whole letter grades are offered). Failure to meet this standard will result in those courses not being credited toward the minimum credit hour requirement.

For those enrolled in...

• BS/MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences
  
• PharmD/MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Required courses must be passed with a grade of at least B- (B or higher if whole letter grades are offered) and elective courses must be at least a D.

See also: Academic Standing, Academic Progression and Academic Probation

A student wishing to audit a course must officially register for the course and submit a written request to the instructor by the fourth week of class. 

All students are responsible for checking their grades at the end of each term. Should a student discover a "missing grade" they should consult immediately with the instructor or the staff in the associated department. At the end of the following term an F grade will be recorded on the student’s record.

What is FERPA?

FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to protect student information. Students' education records are protected under FERPA. It mandates that students are allowed to inspect their education records and limit others from reviewing that information without their permission. See FERPA.

Request for Release/Non-Release

Students must submit the FERPA Information Disclosure Consent form to authorize or revoke authorization to release academic and financial information to others. Students must complete the form in the presence of a university employee who must validate the student’s identity or be notarized if the student is unable to come to campus. The form can then be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, Student Accounts, or Financial Aid, or advising office and will be recorded in HUB. A positive service indicator in HUB will appear to communicate this release. 

Changes to previously recorded grades must be submitted within 12 months following the end of the term during which the student was registered for the class. After one year, grades are considered final.

Changes are made by faculty using the electronic grade change tool and must include a justification. The request must be approved by the instructor, the department chair and then submitted to the Graduate School for formal review.

Faculty are to maintain copies of student exams, reports and other assignments submitted to the course instructor but not returned to the student that are determinants of a student’s course grade for six months following the term in which the course is offered. Faculty are to maintain records of all graded assignments and other student assessments that are determinants of a student’s course grade for 12 months following the end of the term in which the course is offered.

Faculty must submit grades for all courses by the due date scheduled for each term, which shall be no less than seven days (including weekends and holidays) after the last day of the term's final examination sessions or the last day of classes of a term not having separately scheduled final examination sessions.

Courses offered in a non-standard term, e.g., a non-standard summer session, may have a shorter time for grade submission.

Grades may be obtained by students and advisors through the HUB Student Center available through the "MyUB" portal the day after they are submitted. They are also available in Navigate.

Faculty can review the Registar's Critical Dates.

Instructors are required to indicate the bases for determining course grades in each course syllabus. Students will be graded A-F, based on the work they did for the semester.

The Graduate School's weighted grades are as follows:

Assignment of an incomplete grade is at the discretion of the instructor. Faculty may assign an incomplete grade, with a default grade if not completed (e.g., I/F = incomplete, fail if not completed). A default grade is the letter grade the student will receive if no additional coursework is completed and/or a grade change form is not filed by the instructor.  

Any course graded with incomplete that will count toward a graduate degree must be changed to a permanent grade before that degree is conferred. Faculty can update the grade using the Grade Change Tool.

When assigning an incomplete grade, the instructor may set an earlier deadline for completion of the outstanding course requirements. If an earlier date for completion is set, the instructor shall inform the student thereof in writing.

If an extension to the incomplete timeframe is sought, the above chart indicates the due date for the corresponding Petition for Incomplete Extension Download pdf form to be filed with the Graduate School.

International Student Services (ISS) is the authority for current policy. See Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). Students will register for 1 credit of PHC 615/616 (Research).

Please note that if you are enrolled in the PharmD/MS program, you must satisfy the degree requirements for the MS before or concurrently with the PharmD if you wish to be eligible for STEM OPT. Students have to complete all degree requirements, including the project/thesis, in order to keep the program listed on the Post-Completion OPT I-20.

At the graduate level, there are two types of courses: repeatable and not repeatable. Repeatable courses are informal offerings, not repeatable courses are formal didactic offerings. Repeatable courses include dissertation, research, thesis, project, or portfolio guidance, as well as special topics, independent study,
and directed readings courses.

Students granted permission to repeat a repeatable course may do so only once. See Academic Standing, Academic Progression, and Academic Probation. Failure to pass the course on the second attempt will lead to dismissal from the program.

If a graduate student repeats a course that is repeatable, only the highest grade earned in the course will be counted toward the degree and used to calculate the grade point average associated with the graduate degree program requirements. However, the student's official graduate transcript will record all courses attempted (including repeated courses). All resulting grades earned are calculated in the cumulative GPA reflected on the students' final official transcript.

Students should not resign from courses after the Add/Drop deadline without discussing the underlying reasons with the Director of Graduate Studies. Resignations can affect the visa status of foreign students.

Students who resign from courses after the Add/Drop deadline without prior approval the Director of Graduate Studies may be placed on probation.

View syllabus guidelines on the Graduate Course Syllabus Guidelines page.

View PharmD syllabus guidelines on the Academic and Curricular Information page.  

Under extraordinary circumstances, students may petition for total academic withdrawal from a given term. Academic withdrawal is for the entirety of a student's registration in that term (i.e., these cases are considered on an all or nothing basis). 

Academic withdrawal from the term will be indicated on the transcript by the symbol W (withdrawal) next to each registered class. For the purposes of determining good academic standing/satisfactory academic progress, courses given W grades are considered to be attempted credit hours but are not considered to be successfully completed.

Approval of an Academic Withdrawal is a violation of status and may result in SEVIS termination. Before applying for an Academic Withdrawal you must consult with an ISS advisor to discuss how this could impact your immigration status. 

The official university calendar is issued by the Office of the Registrar. Graduate students may obtain a class schedule from the Registrar's website.

Students should carefully review syllabi for course dates.

Continuous registration is required in each fall and spring term until students complete the program. Be sure to register for at least one credit hour (PHC 615/616) under your graduate program each semester (PharmD/MS: please be sure to register under graduate and not pharmacy). For international students, summer enrollment is also required if a student is using the summer semester as their last semester.

Exemptions: 

If continuous registration is not possible, the student must secure an approved leave of absence. Students may not be on a leave of absence during the semester in which a degree is to be conferred. 

In rare instances, a student may petition for a waiver of the continuous registration requirement for the semester immediately prior to degree conferral. The Graduate School will consider if the student has an incomplete from a previous semester, if the student is an approved candidate for degree conferral, will not be using any university services or faculty time and has submitted all required conferral materials to the Graduate School prior to the first day of the semester. 

Full-time registration for fall and spring is satisfied by ≥ 12 credit hours per semester if you are not supported by an assistantship, and ≥ 9 credit hours/semester if you are supported by an assistantship.

Due to the abbreviated nature of the winter and summer sessions, ≥ 3 credit hours are required for winter session and ≥ 6 credit hours within a single summer session, is full-time.

Students who enroll part-time but require full-time status for loan purposes, immigration status, scholarships or other reasons must formally request full-time certification.

• As a doctoral student approaches the all-but-dissertation (ABD) status (e.g., is working on, or has completed a comprehensive exam or qualifying paper), their academic program calls for less than 9 credits of registration per term. Since the dissertation stage is typically a full-time endeavor, ABD students are often eligible for "certified full-time status" and may file for that status with the Graduate School as needed, and at the appropriate time in the student's academic program. Approved certification of full-time status allows the student to be considered a full-time student while enrolled in less than 9 credit hours.
• As a master's student approaches the culminating experience portion of their program (usually after about one year), their curricular requirements may call for less than 9 credits of registration per term. A master's student at the end of their program engaged in full-time academic work on the culminating experience (e.g., project, thesis or comprehensive exam) is eligible for "certified full-time status" and may file for that status with the Office of the Registrar as needed, and at the appropriate time in the student's academic program. Approved certification of full-time status allows the student to be considered a full-time student while enrolled in less than 9 credit hours.
• For international students in their final semester, the Reduced Course Load may be filed with International Student Services instead of the full-time certification. This form should only be used once. Only three credits of online course work per semester can count towards the full course of study requirement. See Maintaining Visa.

The department requires students to be full-time until they are done with their required coursework. Students must continue to register full time until the course requirements are met.

• MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences students must complete the following before they are permitted to register only for PHC 615/616 research credits (i.e., advance to candidacy):
  • Minimum 10 departmental didactic credit hours excluding research, laboratory courses, seminars and tutorials.
  • Minimum 5 credit hours from other departmental courses, laboratory courses and department electives.
• PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences students must remain full-time until:
  • The dissertation has been submitted to the Dissertation Committee 
  • The student has completed their Departmental Preliminary Examination.

If you are called for jury duty, we can provide a letter asking the municipality for a postponement. Some municipalities accept such letters, others do not. You are not guaranteed a postponement. Also, you may be called again before you graduate (even though we state your graduation date in the letter). Please keep in mind that most courts will allow only one postponement. It is your responsibility to contact the court and explain your situation and ask their advice on requesting a postponement.  

If you get a jury duty summons, do the following IMMEDIATELY...

• Email a photo/copy of your summons along with your juror number to pharm-advise@buffalo.edu.
• We will provide you with a letter.
• You will mail the letter, accompanied by your completed summons or questionnaire.

Students who will not be enrolling at the university should file a Leave of Absence form in order to secure their status. It eliminates the reapplication processes and paperwork when you return, and maintains access to your UB email during your time away.

Requirements

• Students seeking a leave of absence must submit the form by the last day of classes of the term in which the leave is to begin.
• A leave of absence may be granted for a maximum of one year, but may be extended for up to one additional year if circumstances warrant. The Director of Graduate Studies may require documentation in support of the reason for the Leave of Absence.
  
• Students returning early from a Leave of Absence must contact the Office of Student Success and Engagement.
• Students approved for a Leave of Absence remain liable for any outstanding tuition and fee charges on their student account.
• Any existing “incomplete” grades are held to the regular default time limit for completion.

International Students

• F-1 and J-1 international students must obtain approval from International Student Services (ISS) before their leave of absence request will be processed. Contact International Student Services, 210 Talbert Hall, North Campus, 716-645-2258, prior to applying for a leave of absence.
• Review Requesting a Leave of Absence on the ISS website.
• Submit the LOA form to ISS by logging in to UB Global. Do this BEFORE dropping courses during the semester. Be sure to select "F-1 Student Services" then "Graduate Student Leave of Absence." ISS will then update the SEVIS record and forward the LOA form to Registrar with the ISS advisor signature.
  
• If your Leave of Absence is approved, contact ISS (iss@buffalo.edu) 4-5 months before you plan to return to the U.S to determine eligibility for a SEVIS re-activation or if an initial I-20 is required. You will be asked to submit documents required for returning to UB. Please read Returning from a Leave of Absence for more information.

Failure to register for classes or secure a leave of absence by the last day of classes of the semester in which the leave is to begin, will result in the student losing their access to register for classes in a future semester. 

Students will be registered for required first-semester courses and will receive advisement for additional course selection by the Director of Graduate Studies or Associate Dean.

Students may not attend classes until registration is complete.

Students will not be able to register if there is a service indicator on their account (view holds). International students will submit their U.S Visa Stamp via the New International Student Check-In to resolve the international student hold. 

After identifying the courses they plan to register for, the student may register via MyUB (see UB's Web Registration Tutorial) or email pharm-advise@buffalo.edu for assistance.

In subsequent semesters prior to registering, students should meet with their Research Advisors to obtain guidance on the courses they wish to take. The Director of Graduate Studies or Associate Dean can also be contacted for input.

Students may add or drop courses at any time during their enrollment appointment until the end of the 7th day that classes are in session, including Saturdays. Courses dropped during this period will not appear on your transcript, and you are not financially responsible for these courses. Students should not resign from courses after the add/drop deadline without discussing the underlying reasons with the Director of Graduate Studies or Associate Dean. Per SUNY policy, when you register, you assume responsibility for paying all tuition and fees associated with your enrollment/registration. See Financial Liability Deadlines. Resignations can affect the visa status of foreign students.

Students must be registered for at least one credit in the term immediately prior to degree conferral as indicated below:

• Fall term registration is required if a student intends to finish degree requirements in time for the Feb. 1 degree conferral.
• Spring term registration is required if a student intends to finish degree requirements in time for the June 1 or Aug. 31 degree conferral.

Remote courses are reserved for students enrolled in the online degree programs.

Online courses are not meant to be a substitute for on-campus students, even though they are equivalent.

Students who are not enrolled in an online program who wish to take a remote course must seek approval from the course coordinator (or head instructor) and obtain a letter of support from their faculty mentor. Force registration is required - email pharm-advise@buffalo.edu.

For International Students, effective Fall 2023 and beyond: only three credits of online course work per semester can count towards the full course of study requirement.

All new incoming PhD, PharmD/PhD, MS and PharmD/MS students are required to take PHC 588 Faculty Research Seminar, an orientation class offered in the Fall semester. Faculty are invited to present their research interests in 30-minute talks in this class.

Requirement

Students should take the primary responsibility to ensure that this policy is complied with. A student who has not met this seminar requirement will not be permitted to schedule an oral defense of their PhD thesis.

Waivers

Students who have previously taken the cross-listed PHC 488 within 3 years of enrollment in the MS or PhD programs are exempt. They are, however, strongly encouraged to attend the lectures provided by new faculty on a non-credit basis.

Participation

Students are expected to attend and participate actively in regularly scheduled department seminars, through questions to the speaker and through public discussions of scientific issues. All students are expected to ask questions of seminar speakers to develop their scientific communication skills. PhD and PharmD/PhD students should set themselves a target of asking three or more questions in every semester after advancing to candidacy. BS/MS, PharmD/MS and MS students should set themselves a target of asking one or more questions in every semester after advancing to candidacy.

BS/MS, PharmD/MS and MS students must present a departmental seminar prior to completion of their program.

Every PhD and PharmD/PhD student is expected to give at least three departmental seminars (each of approximately 45 minutes in duration) before graduation. The third seminar will be given immediately preceding the oral defense of thesis, and will represent a part of the oral defense of thesis. This third seminar can be scheduled at a time other than that reserved for departmental seminars.

In some cases, talks presented at local or national meetings can be substituted for one of the two seminars prior to the oral defense.

For official transcripts, request from the Registrar's Office. See Transcripts.

For unofficial transcripts, see the HUB Student Center via the MyUB portal.

Transcripts cannot be issued for any student whose financial obligations to the university have not been met.

Students choosing to withdraw from the program should consult with their faculty advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

During the fall and spring semesters, from the 7th day of classes until the end of the 11th week of classes, you may visit your HUB Student Center to resign from one or more of your classes. The result of this action is that an “R” remains on your transcript as a neutral indicator of the action. There may be a 50% – 100% tuition penalty for resigning a course, depending on when you resign the course. See Financial Liability Deadlines here: https://www.buffalo.edu/studentaccounts/billing/financial-liability-deadlines.html

Checklist

Use this checklist as a guide as you prepare to exit the program.

1. Consult with your faculty advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.
   
2. Drop or resign your classes using your HUB Student Center (via MyUB) before the published deadlines. If dropping after the deadlines, you will receive a grade.
3. Consider filing an Academic Term Withdrawal if you've experienced extenuating circumstances.
4. Please complete the not returning to UB form. The Office of the Registrar will update your record once this form is submitted.
5. If you are receiving financial aid, it is essential to contact the Office of Financial Aid at 716-645-8232 or UBFA@buffalo.edu. Financial aid eligibility may be impacted and possibly lead to a reduction or cancellation of aid, as federal and state aid programs often require at least half-time enrollment.
   
6. If you are an international student, contact the Office of International Student Services at 716-645-2258.
   
7. If you are residing on campus, students with an active housing agreement must submit a housing cancellation request.
8. Resolve all service indicator/holds applied to your account, which will prevent the university from releasing your records and transcripts.
9. Consider filing a leave of absence in case you change your mind.
10. To reactivate your undergrad career, please complete Withdrawal from a Combined Degree Program (PDF) Download pdf. This form is also used for students who would like to convert graduate credit to undergraduate credit (approval granted by undergraduate major).
11. If you reassess your plans in the future and wish to return to SPPS, please email us regarding the re-admission process. 
    

All new PhD students are required to arrange and meet with at least 4 departmental faculty and discuss their research interests.

Students are free to make arrangements for rotations with individual faculty, if desired. The conditions of the rotations will be determined by the individual professor. 

After successful completion of the departmental Preliminary Examination, all PhD and PharmD/PhD students must submit and orally defend a written Research proposal outlining their proposed dissertation research.

Students should register for PHC 511 Research Proposal in the Spring semester following completion of the Preliminary Examination. If the preliminary examination is written in January, they should use time in Spring semester following the completion of the Preliminary Examination to develop their research ideas and to write the proposal. If the preliminary examination is written in June, they should use time in the Fall semester following the completion of the Preliminary Examination to develop their research ideas and to write the proposal.

The deadline for submission of the Research Proposal  to the Dissertation Committee write-up is June/January 15. The deadline for the oral defense of the Research Proposal is August/March 1st.

Written approval from the Director of Graduate Studies is required if the dates have to be altered because of scheduling conflicts for the committee members.

Failure to meet the submission and defense deadlines will result in a grade of “F” for the proposal.

The research proposal should be written in the format of a National Institutes of Health R01 grant. The most current formatting guidelines should be used. The page limits, line spacing, font size, headings of the different sections should be similar to those currently recommended for National Institutes of Health R01 grants. The instructions and forms can be obtained from the National Institutes of Health site. At this time the link is http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html

The proposal should be submitted to the student’s PhD Dissertation Committee members along with copies of the three most pertinent articles cited in the proposal. The student will defend the proposal orally before the Dissertation Committee. Normally, the defense will consist of a 10-15 minute presentation by the student followed by questions by the Dissertation Committee members.

The advisor’s role in the preparation of the written document is limited to an examination of the Specific Aims proposed by the student. Students should not have access to any written grant proposal of the advisor relevant to the subject matter. The evaluation of the proposed Specific Aims should assess feasibility of the proposed aims, which should occur prior to the actual writing by the student. The advisor should not edit, review or make suggestions for document revision prior to document distribution to all committee members. Additionally, the advisor should give the thesis committee an indication of any other contribution the advisor has made to the thesis proposal.

The Research Proposal will be graded  by letter grade by the Dissertation Committee, based on the content and scientific merit of the written proposal and the student’s ability to orally defend any criticisms and answer the questions posed concerning the proposal and related areas. Each member of the thesis committee is encouraged to prepare a written evaluation of the student’s document and oral defense and distribute it to the student. If the committee requires certain revisions or additions, a written notice shall be transmitted by the Chair of the Dissertation Committee to the student detailing the revisions/additions and the timeframe for submission.

A letter grade will be given by the Dissertation Committee, with the passing grade set at B-, although certain revisions/additions may be required, as specified earlier.

A student who fails the proposal (i.e., with a grade of C+ or below) is required to re-submit the entire proposal within 60 days, and to schedule an oral defense within 30 days thereafter. The Director of Graduate Studies/designate, in consultation with the student, will appoint two additional Department faculty members to serve on the committee. These two additional committee members shall not participate in questioning the student in the defense, but shall participate in the grading process. The grade for this examination must be either a “Pass” or a “Fail” (i.e., no conditional passes). Failure in this second proposal defense automatically terminates the student in the PhD program, and removal of assistantship.

All new incoming PhD, PharmD/PhD, MS and PharmD/MS students are required to take PHC 588 Faculty Research Seminar, an orientation class offered in the Fall semester. Faculty are invited to present their research interests in 30-minute talks in this class.

Requirement

Students should take the primary responsibility to ensure that this policy is complied with. A student who has not met this seminar requirement will not be permitted to schedule an oral defense of their PhD thesis.

Waivers

Students who have previously taken the cross-listed PHC 488 within 3 years of enrollment in the MS or PhD programs are exempt. They are, however, strongly encouraged to attend the lectures provided by new faculty on a non-credit basis.

Participation

Students are expected to attend and participate actively in regularly scheduled department seminars, through questions to the speaker and through public discussions of scientific issues. All students are expected to ask questions of seminar speakers to develop their scientific communication skills. PhD and PharmD/PhD students should set themselves a target of asking three or more questions in every semester after advancing to candidacy. BS/MS, PharmD/MS and MS students should set themselves a target of asking one or more questions in every semester after advancing to candidacy.

BS/MS, PharmD/MS and MS students must present a departmental seminar prior to completion of their program.

Every PhD and PharmD/PhD student is expected to give at least three departmental seminars (each of approximately 45 minutes in duration) before graduation. The third seminar will be given immediately preceding the oral defense of thesis, and will represent a part of the oral defense of thesis. This third seminar can be scheduled at a time other than that reserved for departmental seminars.

In some cases, talks presented at local or national meetings can be substituted for one of the two seminars prior to the oral defense.

Students must keep their name and address updated through MyUB.

As soon as possible (i.e., within one week) following any change of name or address, a student must complete a Student Name Change form or an Address Change/Add Request form.

Student records are confidential and are released only to appropriate faculty and administrative offices. Release of such records to any other college, prospective employer or agency occurs only with the written permission of the student or upon subpoena.

In compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the State University of New York at Buffalo releases the following directory information upon request: student's name, current address, telephone number, email address, major field of study, dates of attendance and degrees received. The university will routinely release such information unless a student indicates on the Request for Directory & Information Release/Non-Release form that he or she wishes not to be listed in the student directory.

The law requires that students be given reasonable time to request that this information not be released. Students who have previously indicated that they do wish to have their directory information released should notify 1Capen (ground floor of Capen Hall,) if they wish to rescind that permission to release directory information. The law also affords students the right to inspect and review their educational records and to request a hearing to question the contents of those records.

Inquires or complaints may be filed with the Family Policy and Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue S.W., Washington, DC 20202-5920. Phone: 1-800-872-5327

Diplomas will be mailed directly from the Office of the Registrar to the graduate's diploma mailing address on file in that office. When no diploma mailing address is given, the diploma will be mailed to the graduate's permanent mailing address.

All admitted students will be deemed an out-of-state resident for tuition billing purposes until sufficient documentation is provided to verify New York State residency in advance of class registration.  

If you are a US citizen or permanent resident, you should apply for New York State Residency as soon as possible (usually after one year of residency). Failure to do so may require you to pay the difference between in-state vs. out-of-state tuition.  

To be eligible, students must have had a New York State domicile (i.e., a permanent and principal home in New York) for a 12-month period prior to registration. 

Factors relevant to the determination of domicile include:

• Federal and state income tax returns.
• Utility bills.
• Rent receipts or lease agreements.
• Status of motor vehicle or other personal property registration.
• Place of voter registration.
• Residence of parents or spouse.
• Military orders requiring transfer to New York State.
• Address listed on bank statements.
• Any other documents that tie a student to New York State.

International students on any J or F visa are not eligible for the NYS (in-state) tuition rate.