All students admitted to a graduate program at SUNY New Paltz, unless they are on an officially approved Leave of Absence (see Leave of Absence/Withdrawal From College Form), are required to be continuously registered in the fall and spring semesters throughout their degree program from their first semester of enrollment through their graduating term.  Students who are continuously registered will have access to faculty advising and campus student services including but not limited to the university library and campus computing services, as well as any key cards or other access to labs and/or studios appropriate to the program of study. 

Continuous enrollment can be accomplished by enrolling in at least 1 credit hour of coursework during the term. (Note, however, that international students must be enrolled full-time to maintain their F-1 or J-1 immigration status).  Students who have completed their coursework and are working on their Comprehensive Exam or doing Thesis Work must enroll in Continued Registration (CR) courses as described below: 

Maintaining Continuous Enrollment for Special Cohorts of Students

Non-Completers of Comprehensive Exams 

Students register for the Comprehensive Exam by enrolling in Comprehensive Exam Preparation (xxx599). 

  • Comprehensive Exam Preparation (xxx599) is a zero-credit (no fee) course open to students in their final semester of course work, or the semester immediately following the completion of coursework. This course may only be taken once. Students may take Comprehensive Exam Preparation once only. (See Graduate Comprehensive Exam Workshop form) 
  • Students who have registered for Comprehensive Exam Preparation (xxx599) and have failed to complete the comprehensive exam at the end of the semester must register and pay for one credit of Continued Registration (xxx799) each subsequent semester until they pass the comprehensive exam. 
  • Students must pass the comprehensive exam within the time limit allowed for earning their degree. Requests for extensions of time must be made through petition to the Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate, Professional & Interdisciplinary Studies. 

Students with an Incomplete Thesis  

The “H” grade is assigned when the student is making good progress on the thesis but is not finished within the semester the credits were taken. 

  • Students with an “H” grade who are not taking any other classes must register and pay for one credit of Continued Registration (xxx799) for every fall and spring semester that follows until the thesis is completed.  (See Continued Registration Form) 
  • The continuous enrollment policy applies to fall and spring semesters only. If students are not registered for the summer and need access to Library resources for their Thesis, they need to reach out to the library for an extension. 
  • Students must complete their thesis within the time limit allowed for earning their degree. Requests for extensions of time must be made through a petition to the Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate, Professional & Interdisciplinary Studies. 

Consequences for Failure to Maintain Continuous Enrollment 

Matriculated graduate students with an H grade who are not enrolled in Continued Registration (xxx 799) or another approved course and are not on an approved leave:
  • After the 7th day of the semester, the student will be notified by campus email of the need to take appropriate action. Without enrollment or approved leave, on the 21st day of the semester, the student will be de-matriculated from the program. Readmission to the program requires meeting with the Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate, Professional & Interdisciplinary Studies and the program advisor, reapplying to the program, and paying the application fee.  Readmission is program-specific and not guaranteed. 
Matriculated graduate students who are not enrolled in any courses and are not on approved leave:
  • The first semester a matriculated graduate student is not enrolled and not on an approved leave of absence:  After the 7th day of the semester, the student will be notified via campus email of the need to be enrolled or on approved leave. They will be alerted that a second consecutive semester without enrollment or leave will result in de-matriculation (see paragraph 2b of this policy).  

  • The second semester a matriculated graduate student is not enrolled and not on an approved leave of absence: After the 7th day of the semester, the student will be notified by campus email of the need to take appropriate action.  Without enrollment or approved leave, on the 21st day of the semester, the student will be de-matriculated from the program. Readmission to the program requires meeting with the Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate, Professional & Interdisciplinary Studies and the program advisor, reapplying to the program, and paying the application fee.  Readmission is program-specific and not guaranteed.