Expanding Your Curricular Options
Special Registration Procedures for SMS Graduate Students
Did you know? SMS students have expanded curricular options through enrollment in graduate courses at William & Mary and Old Dominion University. This allows you to take advantage of a wider variety of course offerings to fulfill program requirements.
SMS Policy, as of October 2022: Students are allowed to use non-SMS graduate level coursework taken internally through W&M or through cross-registration agreements with VIMS/SMS to fulfill up to 6 credits for the Master's degrees (M.A., M.S.) and up to 9 credits for the Ph.D. degree.
Also good to know: If you've already taken one of more core courses that are equivalent to School of Marine Science core courses you may be able to use those courses to fulfill degree or credit requirements for your SMS degree program.
Enrolling in Courses at William & Mary and Recent Course ExamplesStudents may enroll in a graduate course at William & Mary, outside of the Marine Science subject area, with the assistance of the SMS Graduate Registrar. Prior to registration, electronic approval must be received from the SMS faculty advisor(s), the W&M course instructor, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The SMS Graduate Registrar will move the W&M course(s) over to the graduate marine science level transcript and update DegreeWorks audit after registration. Note: Coursework that is not being used to meet Marine Science degree program requirements and overload coursework are not covered by an assistantship award unless you have the permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Related Forms & Resources:
Recent Course Examples:
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Enrolling in Courses at Old Dominion University and Recent Course ExamplesThe current cross-registration policy permits a limited number of graduate students who are enrolled in the School of Marine Science at William & Mary, with their advisors’ and dean’s approval, to take elective courses in the College of Sciences and/or the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University and vice versa. Core curriculum requirements for the particular degree program must be taken at the home institution with no substitutions from the partner institution permitted. The tuition and fees are determined and retained by the graduate student’s home institution. Cross-Registration Process for SMS Graduate Students: Students submit the cross-registration agreement with supporting documentation to the SMS Graduate Registrar. Approval from the ODU course instructor and SMS faculty advisor(s) is required. Once the course level is determined and final approval to enroll is granted by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the SMS Graduate Registrar will create a “dummy” special topics course (MSCI 548 or MSCI 698) on the SMS course schedule for enrollment and transcript purposes. The tuition for the course is billed through VIMS. Upon approval, the SMS Registrar will send the cross-registration form to the ODU Cross-Registration Office so that students can be registered for the course at the host institution. At the end of the term, the ODU Cross-Registration Office sends the SMS Registrar the final grade(s) to be entered into Banner by the SMS Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Note: Students need to be aware of course start and end dates at ODU and adhere to the ODU and VIMS|W&M add/drop/withdraw deadlines in case any registration changes need to be made. Related Forms & Resources:
Recent Course Examples:
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Requesting Additional Transfer Credit & Course ExemptionsFrom the SMS Graduate Catalog: A student admitted to a degree program may apply up to 15 hours of graduate credit for graduate-level courses equivalent to the SMS core courses earned at another accredited institution. With the exception of MSCI 503, students may either petition for -- 1) an exemption from, or 2) receive transfer credit for -- any of the SMS core courses. Interested students should submit the required form(s) with supporting documentation to the SMS Graduate Registrar in mid-August, mid- December, or mid-May for inclusion at the next Academic Status and Degrees Committee meeting. The committee meets at the beginning of each semester to review requests. Students may petition for up to six additional credit hours of graduate work not already applied toward another degree, but the total transfer credit cannot exceed 15 hours. Note: With instructor permission, prior undergraduate level coursework may be used to gain an exemption from taking a core course, but SMS does not allow the transfer of undergraduate course credits to fulfill graduate credit requirements. Related Forms & Resources: |
Still have questions?
Contact the SMS Graduate Registrar: Jennifer Hay, registrar@vims.edu, 804-684-7106
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