• ACADEMIC RULES & PROCEDURES
• ADVISING & STUDENT PROGRESS
• APPEALS
• COMPUTER LITERACY REQUIREMENTS
• DEGREE CONCENTRATIONS
• DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
  • Comps
  • Thesis
• CORE CURRICULUM CHANGE
• COURSE RECOMMENDATIONS
• EXEMPTION FROM COURSES
• FIELDWORK EXPERIENCE
• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
• GRADUATION
• PROBATION & GRADE MAINTENANCE
• TRANSFER OF CREDIT

Current Student - Frequently Asked Questions

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Where can I find a listing of graduate courses and their descriptions?

You can find a listing of graduate courses here:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Grad_Sch/Publications/Bulletin/library_information_science.html#ug

Is there a student handbook available for students?

Yes, the Graduate School has a Graduate Student and Faculty Handbook available: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Grad_Sch/Publications/HandBook/

The School of Information Studies also has a Student Handbook available in paper copy for students.

Where can I find information about policies and procedures?

Since the Graduate School establishes the policies and procedures for graduate students, you can locate current policies and procedures in the Graduate Student and Faculty Handbook.

How can I check on my progress toward the completion of my degree?

Contact one of the graduate advisors to set-up an appointment in person or by telephone to evaluate the status of your program.
Sharon Lake lake@sois.uwm.edu
Twyla McGhee twyla@uwm.edu

What do I need to do prior to graduation?

If you are planning on graduating within a semester or two, you should make an appointment with a graduate advisor to ensure you have successfully completed all of the degree requirements.  You also need to apply for graduation in the semester in which you plan to graduate.  There is a one-time $40.00 non-refundable graduation fee.  If you do not graduate when you anticipate, you will need to submit another application for graduation.  There is no additional fee required for the new application. 

Please note: You must be registered for a minimum of one credit during the semester in which you plan to take the Comprehensive Exam or graduate.

What types of career services are available to students?

There are several career services available to students.  Students can subscribe to the SOIS job listserv and/or contact the UWM Career Development Center.

What do I do if I did not register for a semester?

If you do not register for courses during either the fall or spring semester, you will need to contact Carol Boers at the Graduate School to reactivate your program.  If you do not register for both the spring and fall semesters you may have to reapply to the Graduate School.  You need to contact Carol as soon as you are sure you want to start taking classes again.  You will not receive a date/time registration appointment until Carol reactivates your program.  Carol’s contact information is:

Carol Boers
Telephone:  (414) 229-3211
Email:  cboers@uwm.edu

When and where can I find a listing of the schedule of classes being offered during a specific semester?

The Schedule of Classes/Timetable is available in print as well as electronic format.  It is important to always consult the electronic version of the schedule because updates are continually posted in the electronic version.
http://www.uwm.edu/schedule/

The schedule is historically posted
     Fall—April
     UWinterim—October
     Spring—November
     Summer—April   

What is PAWS?

PAWS (Panther Access to Web Services) is an online service provided to students for registration, updating records, locating semester grades, making tuition payments, and various other administrative functions.

How do I login to PAWS?

https://paws.uwm.edu/psp/sa89prod/?cmd=login
Login to PAWS using your ePanther login and password.

How do I register for classes?

Your date and time for registration appointments will be emailed to your PantherMail account and posted to PAWS approximately:
Fall – middle of April
UWinterim – middle of October
Spring – middle of November
Summer – first week of April. 

If this is your first semester, you will not receive an email but you will be able to find your date/time registration appointment in PAWS.

What do I do if I try to register for a course and the course is full?

If you wish to enroll in a course that is full, you should fill out the "Closed Section Interest Form" in PAWS.  This form generates an automatic email to the School of Information Studies informing us that you would like to register for this course. 

How do I drop a course?

You can drop a course electronically in PAWS until the published Drop Deadline in the current Schedule of Classes/Timetable.  If you drop a course after the published deadline, you will need to fill out a “Graduate School Request for Exception Form” to obtain approval to drop the course after the deadline.

What is the overload policy?

The maximum credit load a graduate student may take is 12 credits in fall and spring, and 6 credits during the summer semester.

What is the UWM policy regarding incomplete grades in courses?

“I” (incomplete) is assigned by the instructor in order for a student to complete coursework after the semesters end.  An Incomplete is appropriate only when the following conditions are present:

• You have done substantial and satisfactory work in the course prior to grading time and provide the instructor with evidence of potential success in completing the remaining work.
  
  
• Extraordinary circumstances, not related to class performance, such as illness or family emergency, have prevented you from finishing the course requirements on time.
  
  Once the coursework is completed, the instructor will change the “I” to a letter grade (including an F).  If you fail to meet the deadline for completion a “PI” (Permanent Incomplete) will be assigned. A “PI” cannot be changed to a letter grade.
  
  If the instructor does not change the “I” to a regular letter grade within one year from assigning the Incomplete grade, the “I” will lapse to a “PI”, whether or not you are enrolled. A “PI” is not computed into the grade point average.
  
  You can graduate with a “PI” on your record provided all degree requirements have been met. All Incompletes must be removed or changed to a letter grade or “PI” before you can graduate.

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