Registration Requirements

Continuous Enrollment

All students are required to enroll every semester (fall and spring) from the time of matriculation until degree conferral except for cases with an approved Leave of Absence on the student’s record. Students not registered every fall and spring term are considered to have withdrawn and their Graduate School records are deactivated. Those who wish to resume graduate work must request readmission to the Graduate School to reactivate their status. 

All graduate students must register before the first day of the term to avoid a late registration fee. Be aware that a typical assistantship or tuition fellowship only pays for 14 credits, and these are for degree program courses. Students will be billed for credits over 14 and for courses not related to their field of study (e.g., martial arts and dance).

Full-time student

Graduate students must register for 6-14 credits to be considered full-time. Advanced master’s and advanced doctoral candidates (i.e. students who have completed all their program coursework and required thesis credits, but still are working full-time on the research or writing of their thesis, papers, or dissertation) may be eligible for “Full-time with one credit registration” courses that enable them to be certified as “full-time” students when registered for one credit. Students are required to complete application form for the advanced status every semester they plan to register for the full-time equivalent benefit. Deadline for form submission: August 15th for the following fall term and December 15th for the following spring term. Once the form has been approved by the Graduate Student Services and Progress Office (GSSP), students are responsible for registering for CONS 8333 (MS) or CONS 8444 (PhD). See details in the "Academic status" tab at: https://onestop.umn.edu/forms.

Applying graduate credits across University graduate programs

  1. Graduate course credits earned while enrolled in other University graduate program may be applied to MS or PhD to meet the elective course requirements.
  2. Earned Master’s thesis credits (8777) and Doctorate thesis credits (8888) in one University graduate program cannot be applied toward the thesis credit requirement for another University graduate program.
  3. A maximum of 12 graduate course credits from other University registration categories, such as non-degree seeking or non-admitted students, may be considered for transfer once the student is admitted and enrolled in a graduate program.
  4. CS program accepts certain University 4000-level course credits as graduate courses. University allow a maximum of nine 4000-level course credits to be used to satisfy the doctoral or master’s course credit requirement.

Transferring credits from another institution

Limited number of graduate level (post baccalaureate) credits are allowed to transferred to MS or PhD degree in Conservation Sciences from another institution. Details are listed below under each degree.

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Master's Degree

Master’s degree students are required by the Graduate School to complete at least 60 percent of the coursework for their official degree programs (excluding thesis credits) as registered University of Minnesota Graduate School students. With approval of the adviser, DGS in the major, and Graduate School, transfer coursework may make up the remaining 40 percent (maximum) of the degree coursework. Work to be transferred must be graduate level (post baccalaureate) and have been taught by faculty authorized to teach graduate courses. It is the student’s responsibility to provide appropriate course documentation supporting proposed transfer credits to the program. Courses taken before the awarding of a baccalaureate degree cannot be transferred. 

Doctoral Degree

Doctoral students must take a minimum of 12 course credits at the University. Transferred credits can include a maximum of 12 graduate course credits taken as non-degree seeking or non-admitted status. Transfer of thesis credits is not allowed.