Registration and Enrollment

Men and women who hold a Bachelor's degree may apply to enroll in graduate courses for which they are qualified even though they do not intend to matriculate for the Master's degree at Trinity College. All applicants must provide official transcripts of their previous academic records and a completed one-page, non-matriculated application form before or at the time of application for registration.

Enrollment for graduate courses is completed only through the Office of Graduate Studies. The registration deadline is one week prior to the beginning of the semester. Students may register by mail or in person. Graduate registration forms may be mailed to:

The Office of Graduate Studies
Trinity College
300 Summit Street
Hartford, CT 06106-3100

All classes are limited in size, so early registration is encouraged. Courses that do not meet minimum enrollment numbers may be canceled at the discretion of the professor.

All applicants must submit full tuition payment and the registration fee with the registration form. An application to enroll is not complete until all required materials, including vouchers issued by employers, have been received and all fees have been paid. A confirmation of enrollment will be mailed to each student.

Students who are employed on a full-time basis, whether or not they are candidates for the Master's degree, usually do not register for more than one course in their first term. In subsequent semesters, a limit of two courses is suggested. These guidelines are established to ensure that students do not undertake more work than they can accomplish successfully. Each course requires extensive advanced-level reading and research, and most courses include the preparation of a culminating paper or report.

Auditors

Persons who do not wish to receive credit for specific courses may, with permission of the instructor and the approval of the Office of Graduate Studies, register as auditors. They will receive neither credit nor a grade. Although they need not always fulfill the prerequisites of the course, and are not required to take examinations, the auditors should meet the instructor's attendance requirements. The fees for auditing are explained below.

Theses and Comprehensive Examinations

A student who is ready to write the Master's thesis should obtain a copy of the "Instructions Regarding the Preparation and Submission of Master's Theses at Trinity College" from the Graduate Studies Office, and must also consult the department chairperson to learn of the particular procedures required by the department. After obtaining approval of the thesis outline, the student should register for course 954, Thesis Part I, and pay for the first credit of the two-credit thesis. A student who is completing the thesis enrolls in course 955, Thesis Part II, and pays for the second credit in the final semester of the two-credit project.

Although the College expects that graduate students will complete the thesis in two consecutive semesters, it also recognizes that students are sometimes unable to do so. During any interim semester that follows the initial thesis registration and precedes the final registration, such students must enroll in Thesis-In-Progress, course number ADMN 955, and pay the $25 registration fee until the thesis is completed. Commencing with the fourth semester following the initial thesis registration, a Thesis-In-Progress fee will be assessed. Currently the Thesis-In-Progress fee is $250.

If the major department requires the candidate to take a comprehensive examination in lieu of a thesis, the candidate must make the necessary arrangements at the beginning of the Spring semester. The examination will be scheduled in April at the convenience of the department. If the student fails the examination, a second and final examination may be requested for administration not earlier than six months, nor later than one year, after the initial examination. A grade is awarded for the comprehensive examination, but no credit is earned.

Library Workshops for Thesis and Project Writers

At specified intervals throughout the academic year, the staff of the Trinity College Library will offer workshops tailored to the research needs of the Master's candidate. The workshops, which are strongly recommended by all graduate departments for students completing the requirements of the Master's degree, and required by some, are organized in the following manner:

• Master's candidates enrolling in Part I of the Thesis, as well as those graduate students registering for research projects and independent studies should attend the Library's Introductory Workshop on scholarly research skills and discipline-specific resources (tentatively scheduled for Reading Week in the Fall Term).
• Students embarking on thesis writing for the first time are also expected to attend the Library's session on Thesis Proposal Preparation, co-sponsored with graduate faculty advisers (tentatively scheduled for the first week in October and repeated in the Spring Term).
• Master's candidates who have had experience writing independent research papers, and who have made some progress with their thesis composition, are required to attend the Library's Research Clinic, a session dedicated to the solving of typical research problems (tentatively scheduled during Reading Week in the Spring Term).

Transfer Credit

Requests for transfer credit for course work to be taken after acceptance into the Master's program must be submitted on the Transfer Credit Application form to the Office of Graduate Studies, and accompanied by a complete course description. Such requests should be approved by the Graduate Adviser prior to enrollment in the class. At the conclusion of the course, the student should request that an official transcript of the grade be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies. No grades below "B-" (80) will be accepted in transfer to the Master's degree. A maximum of two course credits may be transferred to the Master's program.

Summer Term at Trinity

Each year, the College offers a range of graduate courses during the Summer Term. The Summer Term, which is comprised of two six-week sessions, is conducted with the same rigor as an academic semester at Trinity College. Due to the compressed schedule and the varying demands of the courses, students are usually permitted to enroll in no more than two summer courses. For information about the graduate programs of Summer Term, contact the Office of Graduate Studies.

Undergraduates Registration

In the Fall and Spring semesters, Trinity undergraduates who are entering their junior or senior year and who have maintained outstanding academic records may be permitted to enroll in graduate-level courses for undergraduate credit (except those courses numbered at the 900 level). Undergraduates admitted to these courses are expected to complete the same requirements as those that apply to graduate students. Eligible students must have the prior written approval of their adviser, the instructor of the course, and the Office of Graduate Studies. Undergraduates Permisssion Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar and must be returned to that office by the deadline for all other registration materials. Undergraduate tuition will be charged.