All policies pertaining to graduate study at the University of Massachusetts Lowell are in the UMass Lowell Online Graduate Catalog. Some policies are specific to the School of Education and are posted below. Policies which pertain to a particular program can be found on the program page.

Taking Courses as a Non Matriculated Student

The School of Education allows prospective students to take a maximum of 6 credits as a non matriculated student prior to admission to a graduate degree program in the School of Education.

Transfer of Credit Policy

Beginning in Fall 2009, students may only transfer into their degree 6 credits of appropriate coursework taken prior to admission to the School of Education at another accredited institution (6 credits taken at UMass Lowell prior to admission are not considered transfer credits).

  • Transfer courses are subject to the approval of the Admissions and Standards Committee
  • Transfer courses may not have been used in a previous degree (including a CAGS).
  • Courses for transfer into Ed.D. programs must have been earned at a doctoral granting institution.
  • Only courses earned with a B or better are considered for transfer.
  • Courses must have been completed within five years of the date of the transfer petition.
  • Graduate credit earned in seminars and practica cannot be transferred into any degree.
  • Graduate credit earned in conjunction with teacher workshops/in-service professional development is not considered for inclusion in School of Education graduate programs.
  • Courses may not be transferred into graduate certificate programs.

Taking courses at other institutions while matriculated in a UMass Lowell degree program

A student may request to take a course at another institution while s/he is enrolled in a UMass Lowell program; however, this request may only be granted if no other suitable course is available through UMass Lowell and the student's progress would otherwise be unduly impeded. (This policy does not apply to matriculated students in the M.Ed. Science Education Online option who may transfer in approved courses from UMass Amherst).

Continued Matriculation Policy

Matriculated students must register each Fall and Spring semester until degree requirements are met. In addition, graduate students who plan to receive their degree in October must register for the previous Summer Session in order to maintain continuing matriculation status. Failure to maintain continuous matriculation will result in students being dropped from the graduate degree program.

If for any reason a student does not register for a course in the fall or spring, he or she must register for Continued Matriculation (Master's Candidates) or Continued Matriculation (Doctoral Candidates) in order to maintain a record of continuous matriculation. A fee is assessed for Continued Matriculation. We waive the Continuing Matriculation fee for the spring semester if a student was registered for a course or 'Continued Matriculation' for the previous Fall and Summer semesters. 'Continued Matriculation' may not be used for more than two consecutive semesters without the written permission of the director of the School of Education. Continued Matriculation bars the student from using university resources.

M.Ed. and Ed.S. degree students may register for a maximum of two semesters of Continued Matriculation. Ed.D. and Ph.D. degree students may register for a maximum of three semesters of Continued Matriculation.

For further information about transfer policies, please refer to the UMass Lowell Graduate Catalog.