Students continuing their graduate studies will gain access to Webreg on the first day of pre-registration to register for classes. Please work with your advisor if you have questions about what courses you should take.

A full-time graduate student is defined as one who is taking at least 9 credits per semester, depending on departmental requirements. A part-time student is one taking fewer than 9 credits per semester. All courses, including those taken not-for-credit, are counted in computing credits taken. Full-time Master’s Degree candidates are charged a flat tuition rate and permitted to take additional credits (up to the maximum credit limit) at no additional cost. If students are taking a credit load less than full-time, they will be charged tuition by the credit. 

Mason Gross graduate students may register for up to 20 credits in any given term.  School of Graduate Studies students may register for up to 16 credits in any given term.

After the add/drop period, the only registration changes that are routinely permissible are withdrawals from individual courses or withdrawal from all courses. Both procedures are allowed without academic penalty until the end of the eighth week, and either may be accomplished by a form that is available from the graduate registrar.

Students withdrawing from a course after the eighth week need the approval from the Mason Gross Dean’s Office. They also are required to provide a letter from the instructor indicating their academic status in the course, and they are subject to receiving a failing grade at the discretion of the instructor. A student who stops attending a course without notifying the registrar will receive a grade of F in that course.

No refunds of tuition are given for individual course withdrawals after the second week of classes.

At times, students may experience personal circumstances or hardships preventing them from completing a semester. When this happens, students should meet with an advisor to determine the best course of action. Students may be advised or elect to take a full withdrawal from all classes.

Students withdrawing from all courses with the intent to return to their program in the future will be initiating a leave of absence.

Students withdrawing from all courses who do not intend on returning to complete their degree are withdrawing from the university.

A student who withdraws from all courses, may receive a partial refund according to the rules described on the Student Accounting website.

Withdrawal is not permitted during the last two weeks of classes.

More information on withdrawing from all courses can be found on the Scarlet Hub website.

Graduate students enrolled in MGSA degree programs who have completed all credit-bearing curricular requirements may register for matriculation continued in order to maintain continuous enrollment as well as retain access to university facilities. Students who register for matriculation continued are permitted to progress on non-credit degree requirements (e.g. exams, recitals, etc.).  

Students are permitted to register for matriculation continued only after they have satisfied all credit-bearing curricular requirements. In Music, DMA Students who have not completed the Lecture-Recital requirement may register for matriculation continued only if their Lecture-Recital paper has been fully approved by their advisor before the start of the semester in question.  

No more than two semesters of matriculation continued are permitted for each student.  If these two semesters are exhausted, students must take a formal leave of absence or register for at least one credit. There will be no exceptions to this policy. 

While matriculation continued is 0-credit and carries no tuition costs, students who register for matriculation continued must pay registration fees as established by the university and the school. Students are responsible for checking their health insurance eligibility while registered as matriculated continued. Information on that process can be found here.  

If a student has completed their coursework and intends to progress on degree requirements, but has already exhausted their two semesters of matriculation continued, they must register for one credit of Independent Study to maintain good standing in their program.  

Students on F-1 visas may not register for matriculation continued. If there is a medical concern or other issue, students on F-1 visas must speak with their graduate advisor/director and Rutgers Global. Students on temporary visas who interrupt their studies must in most cases leave the United States during such periods; students in this position are strongly advised to consult with Rutgers Global at the earliest opportunity. 

MGSA Graduation Review and Graduation Dates

The Office for Advising & Student Success reviews students for graduation based upon the declared graduation date, which is determined upon admission to Rutgers. Undergraduate students who wish to change their graduation date must meet with their assigned MGSA Student Success Counselor and submit a formal request through MyMajor. Graduate students must meet with their assigned departmental advisor to be reviewed for graduation and follow the policy of their department.

All students must apply to graduate through the Online Diploma Application System. Failure to do so in a timely manner will result in not being tracked for the appropriate graduation cycle and possibly being blocked from registering for future coursework.

There are three graduation cycles:

January following the fall and winter terms
May following the spring term
August following the summer term

You are expected to graduate once your degree requirements are complete. MGSA will review and forward the names of students whose requirements are complete by the declared graduation date to the Registrar’s office, which will post the degree to the transcript. If you need to stay beyond your declared graduation date, you must submit a request to change your date at MyMajor PRIOR TO the end of the semester

Diploma Information

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that their graduation date is correct. The Diploma Application will say ‘PENDING’ under Dean Review until we complete our entire graduation review process for May, August, and January graduates. Those updates will happen in mid-June, mid-September, and early February. Students are responsible for confirming diploma information by checking the Online Diploma Application System within 30 days of the end of the anticipated graduation term. Failure to do so may result in the granting of a degree in a later application cycle.

Diplomas are not distributed at the MGSA Convocation Ceremony. Diplomas will be mailed to the address listed on your diploma application approximately 6–8 weeks after graduation. Contact the Registrar for more questions about the distribution of diplomas.