Frequently Asked Questions

This list of qustions has been compiled by talking with graduate faculty and staff about what they are asked the most often. If you have questions that have not been answered by the orientation site, please send them to Susie Schwieger, Director of Graduate Student Life, at susan.schwieger@uni.edu. We hope to constantly improve this orientation and make your transistion to graduate school as smooth, easy, and painless as possible.

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Applications / Basic Information
What is your mailing address?
Can I / How do I transfer credits from other institutions?
I sent on all my transcripts, but the department doesn't have them. What do I do?
If I have really old credits from other classes can I still use them towards this degree?

UNI Systems / Information
How do I set up my e-mail and MyUNIverse accounts?
What is a U-bill?
When are U-bills due?
Where can I find information on housing options, on- and off- campus?

Finances
Can I get financial support during the summer?
What funding is available for travel to conferences and how can I apply?
What funding is available for thesis expenses and how can I apply?

Assistantships
If I'm receiving an assistantship, when will my first check come?

Records / Program of Study / Student Requests
What is a student request for?
How do I submit a student request?
How do I make changes to my program of study?
Where do I find my records and/or my program of study?
How do I read my records and/or program of study?

Classes / Grades
How many credits is full-time?
How do I get an incomplete instead of an F?
Why did my incomplete turn into an F?

Research / Thesis / Dissertation / Research Paper
Should I do a thesis or a research paper?
What is the difference between a thesis and non-thesis degree?
What is a preview meeting? When should I do it? How do I do it?
What steps do I need to take to get my thesis accepted after my committee has signed off on it?
Do I need to do anything else to graduate after I've finished classes and my thesis/research project?

Applications / Basic Information

What is your mailing address? ("your" being a particular department, office, or the graduate college)

• The Graduate College
  110 Lang Hall
  Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0135
• For contact information on individual departments and programs, visit our program listing page at:
  www.grad.uni.edu/programs/programs.aspx

Can I / How do I transfer credits from other institutions?

• Graduate credit from other accredited institutions may be accepted to a maximum of one-third of the number of hours required by a particular UNI thesis or non-thesis master's degree program.
• You should discuss your plans to transfer credits with your program advisor during the first semester of your degree program. Transfer courses can not be used to satisfy the 200-level course requirement.

I sent on all my transcripts, but the department doesn't have them. What do I do?

• Often departments don't have transcripts from all students as they go to the Registrar's Office.
• First, check with the Registrar's Office to see if they have your transcripts. That may be sufficient.
• Second, find out if the department really needs their own copy of your transcripts. If they do need them for something, find out if they must be official transcripts or if a copy will do.

If I have really old credits from other classes can I still use them towards this degree?

• Credits must be less than 7 years old to be able to use them towards a degree.

UNI Systems / Information

How do I set up my e-mail and MyUNIverse accounts?

• Once you are accepted the accounts will be set up for you. After you are accepted, access them, pick your password, possibly change your UserID, and more following the instructions available in this printable PDF brochure. (The brochure will also help you with Program of Study questions and Student Requests, important things for later!)

What is a U-bill?

• A U-Bill is a University Bill. A statement of account for each student that itemizes all charges and/or credits a student has incurred since the last billing.

When are U-bills due?

• The last day a U-Bill may be paid without incurring any late charges. It is generally around the 5th of each month.
• More information is available at: www.vpaf.uni.edu/obo/student_accounts/billing_terms.shtml

Where can I find information on housing options, on- and off- campus?

• The UNI Department of Residence oversees on-campus housing options, which include University Apartments and many residence halls. For more information visit this website: www.uni.edu/dor/housing/apartments
• There are many options to live off campus in the Cedar Valley. Northern Iowa Student Government Website has a Housing List which includes housing for rent, sub leasers needed, and a housing needed section. For more information visit: www.uni.edu/studentorgs/nisg/housing_list.php

Finances

Can I get financial support during the summer?

• Summer financial aid is awarded based on the completed academic year’s FAFSA results. More information can be found at: www.uni.edu/finaid

What funding is available for travel to conferences and how can I apply?

• The Graduate College has the UNI Intercollegiate Academics Travel Fund. To qualify, you must be presenting at the conference you are attending. More information can be found here: www.uni.edu/vpaa/iaf/TravelFundGuidelines.shtml
• Some departments have funding available for conference attendance and/or presentation as well. Contact your faculty advisor to find out if there may be funding available for you.

What funding is available for thesis expenses and how can I apply?

• The Graduate College does not offer funding for thesis expenses. Please check with your program coordinator for information about individual programs.

Assistantships

If I'm receiving an assistantship, when will my first check come?

• Payday for graduate assistants is the last University working day of the calendar month. Provided you get all of your paperwork in on time you will be paid on the last working day in August. If all of your paperwork is not in you will be paid for August and September on the last working day of September.

Records / Program of Study / Student Requests

What is a student request for?

• Approvals of program electives, course substitutions and changes, late registration, and many other adjustments are made using Student Requests.
• For more information go to the Navigating MyUNIverse for Graduate Students printable PDF brochure.

How do I submit a student request?
or
How do I make changes to my program of study?

• First of all, talk to your faculty advisor to determine what you need to submit or change.
• Secondly, follow the steps in this printable PDF brochure about Navigating MyUNIverse.

Where do I find my records and/or my program of study?
and
How do I read them?

• Your records and program of study are available through the MyUNIverse student portal.
• Login and look under Student Records for the information you are looking for.
• You will need to be able to view a PDF to see your program of study.
• Classes in your program of study will all be listed. If you completed a course, when and the number of credits received will be listed next to the class.
• If a class is not on your program of study and you will be using it towards your graduate degree, you must submit a student request to add it to your program of study.

Classes / Grades

How many credits is full-time?

• 9 credit hours is full-time for graduate students.

How do I get an incomplete instead of an F?
or
Why did my incomplete turn into an F?

• For graduate students, if no grade is reported, grades automatically turn into Fs This occurs on January 1 for Spring/ Summer semesters and on June 1 for Fall semesters.

Research / Thesis / Dissertation / Research Paper

Should I do a thesis or a research paper?

• If your program gives you the option, talk to your faculty advisor, department head, and/or other faculty members in your department about the positives and negatives of both options.

What is the difference between a thesis and non-thesis degree?

• The differences between a thesis and non-thesis degree, when there is an option, can vary by program. Talk with your program coordinator or faculty advisor to see what the difference is between a thesis and a non-thesis degree in your particular program and decide which is best for you.

What is a preview meeting? When should I do it? How do I do it?

• A preview is the reviewing of the thesis or dissertation for style and format by the Graduate College Reviewer. The preview copy should be a "final draft" which is formatted following the departmental style manual and the specifications outlined in the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual.
• This preview must be scheduled and completed no later than eight weeks before the last day of the semester in which you intends to graduate.
• You must contact and make an appointment with the Graduate College Reviewer during the published "window of time" for previews. The schedule is published on the Graduate College website every semester.
• The schedule is also included with the letter sent from the Graduate College office to you after the department submits the individual names. The semester you expect to graduate, you are encouraged to check with the department to assure your name has been submitted to the Graduate College as a possible candidate for completion of their program that particular semester.

What steps do I need to take to get my thesis accepted after my committee has signed off on it?

• If you have already had your thesis preview, you can print the final copies of your thesis and submit them to the Graduate College.
• Consult with the handouts you received at the preview meeting as well as the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual for guidelines on printing and a list of the other materials required to complete your submission.

Do I need to do anything else to graduate after I've finished classes and my thesis/research project?

• If you have submitted your thesis/research project and completed all of your classes, you should submit an Application for Graduation to the Registrar's Office. The Registrar's Office will then notify you if anything else remains to be done before you receive your degree.