Student Affairs FAQs

When can I make an appointment to meet with Susan Rivera, Director of Student Affairs?

Students can make appointments between 8am-11:30am and 1-4:00pm Mondays-Fridays by emailing susan.rivera@du.edu.

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If I spread out Independent Study Credits over multiple quarters, what happens? Do I receive an "Incomplete" on my transcript?

Yes. Students must register for and complete their coursework during the quarter in which they are registered.  If they do not, they receive an "I" (Incomplete).  Students pursuing a 90 hour MA program are allowed a maximum of 15 hours total in incompletes. The same applies for PhD students.  Students completing a 72 hour degree program (MIs or RPCVs) are allowed a maximum of 5 hours of independent study.

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What is the difference between an "SRP" and a thesis? How do credits apply?

A Master's thesis is optional in our programs, but a student may apply for 0-10 credits for INTS 4995--MA thesis in the program. This thesis is approximately 70-75 pages and students must plan for this approximately 6 months in advance. It requires a minimum of a 3 person committee (2 tenuredKorbel faculty members and 1 tenured outside chair from another department here at DU). Students must also plan on an oral defense approximately 3 weeks prior to the end of the last day of class of the quarter they are graduating.

An SRP can be for 1-5 credits and students prepare a 30-35 page paper on a topic of their choice. This must be supervised by a tenured Korbel faculty member. The course number is INTS 4991 – the same as independent study. More specifics can be found in our handbook at https://portfolio.du.edu/issta

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What kind of courses qualify for course waivers?

Very few. One must submit a course description and syllabus for the course(s) one wishes to consider having waived to the Director of Student Affairs. These must be graduate level courses with a grade of "B" or better and the program director for your degree must approve the waiver. No credit hours are awarded for waived coursework. Any request for waivers must be made during the first quarter of study at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

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How do I transfer previous graduate credits into my degree at JKSIS?

PhD students will submit an official transcript from the school where they received their MA degree during their first quarter here at DU. A maximum of 45 quarter hours (30 semester hours) are transferrable into the Josef Korbel School of International Studies PhD program. MA students can only request to transfer graduate credits if these were not graduate hours used for a previous MA degree. The coursework for all transfer courses (for PhDs and MAs) must have been completed in the past 5 years with a grad of "B" or better. The forms to request transfer of credit are available at http://portfolio.du.edu/issta and all requests must be made during the student's first quarter here at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

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Can I take a five credit course for three credits instead?

No. Students may only register for INTS courses for the hours that are listed.

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Can I sit in on a class one quarter and pay for it the next?

No. Students must enroll in courses and pay the tuition for them in that given quarter. Our courses are reserved for our tuition-paying students only. Due to high demand for our courses, students cannot "sit in" on classes for which they have not registered.

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How do I select a faculty advisor?

Students are randomly assigned faculty advisors when they begin in fall each year. We try to make a match based on the program to which you applied. However, students can select/request a professor here to serve as their faculty advisor once they begin the program, based on their interests. Only tenured faculty or permanent adjunct faculty may serve as advisors.

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What if I want to change my degree?

If students wish to change their degree from the one for which they were initially admitted, they must do so no later than their second full quarter at Josef Korbel School of International Studies. This is done officially with a change of major/degree form which can be found at:https://portfolio.du.edu/issta

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Once I fill out my Program Statement, can I change the classes I originally intended on taking?

Yes, but you will then need to submit a new Program Statement at that time.

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Where can I find a calendar of "important dates and deadlines" (last day to withdraw from classes, when grades are posted, when classes begin, etc.)?

The academic calendar for the year is posted at the Registrar’s website: http://www.du.edu/registrar and also at our portfolio site: https://portfolio.du.edu/issta

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What if I need to leave school for a quarter or longer?

Once a student is not enrolled for courses in a given quarter, he/she is considered inactive and loans will come due at that time. If a student needs to request a “medical stop out”, the student needs to contact gststu@du.edu for the proper form. Any time a student plans to not register in the program and has not completed all required coursework or graduated, that student needs to contact the office of Student Affairs here at Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

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What if I have completed all my coursework, but choose to postpone graduation?

If all course work requirements are completed, with the exception of completion of an MA thesis or PhD dissertation, students may apply for Continuous Enrollment. The form to apply for CE is at https://portfolio.du.edu/issta. Students must be within their time limit to complete their degree to be eligible for CE. If a student opts to complete coursework, is not completing a thesis, and wishes to postpone graduation at that time, loans will come due during the time they are not enrolled for course work at DU. One must be enrolled for 8 credit hours to be considered a full-time student, and for 4 hours to be considered a part-time student.

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Can I receive academic credit for language courses taken outside of DU?

No. Also, no academic credit can be given for language courses taken at DU toward the graduate degree at Josef Korbel. However, these courses could serve as solid preparation for the language proficiency exam which is required to graduate.

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How can I satisfy my required language proficiency to graduate?

If English was not your first language (international students), you have satisfied the requirement.

It can also be satisfied by:

1. Having completed an undergraduate major (not a minor) in a foreign language.
2. Pass a language proficiency test offered through The Center for World Languages and Cultures at DU. Their website is http://www.du.edu/cwlc
3. Completion of a DU language course at the 3000 level or higher with a grade of "B" or better (non-University College course); however, these hours will not count toward your required hours for your degree program at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.
4. Completion of a level 4 Berlitz course in Denver with signed/approved certificate of completion
5. Completion of a level B1 course at Bridge Language School with signed/approved certifican of completion.

For more information, see the Language Proficiency Information which can be found at https://portfolio.du.edu/issta. 

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Can I take the language proficiency exam in a language that is not offered at the University of Denver?

This option may be possible. Contact the Center for World Languages and Cultures at 303.871.4601 and they can assist you.

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Where can I access a listing of DU language classes?

Visit the University of Denver's Office of the Registrar's website, click on "Courses and Schedules," select "Schedule Archives," then "Arts and Humanities" (under the given quarter for which you are searching). Then scroll down to the language which interests you to see the classes available that quarter.  Please keep in mind the DU language courses do not count toward your Josef Korbel School degree.

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May I take University College courses?

No.  University College courses cannot be taken for credit toward your degree program.  University College courses have a separate tuition structure from DU, so students who opt to take those courses for knowledge/information purposes will get billed tuition from University College in addition to DU tuition.

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How and when do I apply to graduate?

Information is available on graduation deadlines and how to apply to graduate at: http://www.du.edu/registrar under “current students.”

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Do I need to attend orientation?

Yes; it is extremely important all incoming students attend their orientation sessions in order to gain an understanding of all degree requirements and expectations.

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How do I get on a waitlist for a closed class?

All waitlists are managed internally in the Student Affairs office (BMC 101). It is the student’s responsibility to put their name on the waitlist during the week of registration once the course has closed. They will be notified as soon as possible if a course is/is not available for registration.

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How do I add/drop classes?

Classes can be added/dropped during registration week online via webcentral. After that period, they must obtain a signed/approved add/drop slip from the Office of Student Affairs, (BMC 101). Students should also pay close attention to the last possible date to drop a class posted on the academic calendar.

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How does a "W" grade affect my transcript?

If a student officially drops a course after the first week of class, a “W” grade (meaning withdrawn) becomes permanent on a transcript. It is not necessarily negative, but we do not recommend a student taking more than 2-3 “W”s as a prospective employer may question why a student received so many in their program.

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How do I apply for a Research Assistant position at JKSIS?

The deadline to apply is by the end of the first week of classes in fall each academic year. A student submits their updated resume and cover letter outlining their areas of interest. Tenured faculty review these applications by the end of the second full week of classes. Most positions go to second year students, but depending on one’s background, sometimes first year students are selected. There is no tuition attached to RA positions, only a modest quarterly stipend of $12 per hr for a max of 10 hrs per week. Awards are for a maximum of 2 quarters yearly only.

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How do I register for independent study credits, MA theses or SRP credits?

For all of these credits, the Special Study Form is available in the Office of Student Affairs, Suite 101. Registration for these credits are allowed through the third week of the quarter.

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By which week of the quarter do I have to sign up for an Independent Study?

No later than the end of the third week of the quarter.

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How much does it cost to add or drop a class?

So long as you remain within the 12-18 credit hour range, there are no fees for adding or dropping classes during the first week of the quarter.  Beginning in week two, you will only receive a 75% refund for dropped classes; beginning in week three, you will only receive a 50% refund for dropped classes.  You will not receive a refund of any kind for classes dropped after week three.

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How do I form an official student group at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies?

You must submit a proposal to the Director of Student Affairs. This proposal must include a group description, statement of purpose, proposed activities and budget. If approved, the group will receive some funding through the Office of Student Affairs.

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How do I get approval to spend money on a student organization event?

The University has recently changed its policy on student organizations and their ability to spend money for events. For more information, visit the Student Affairs Coordinator, Colleen Ryan, in Suite 101E.

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How can I satisfy my required language proficiency to graduate?

If English was not your first language (international students), you have satisfied the requirement. It can also be satisfied by: (1) having completed an undergraduate major in a foreign language; (2) completion of a DU language course at the 3000 level or higher with a grade of “B” or better (non-University College course); however, these hrs will NOT count toward your required hours for your degree program with us; (3) completion of level 4 Berlitz course in Denver with signed/approved certificate of completion.

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Who do I contact with questions not answered in the FAQs?

You can contact the main Student Affairs email address, issta@du.edu, with any other questions you might have.

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