Frequently Asked Questions by COI Graduates

Master’s students in the College of Information are served by our Office of Academic Advising.

Our office can provide general information and resources, review degree and program requirements, explain university procedures and policies, referrals to other UNT offices or services, provide general guidance and recommendations, and help craft and file your degree plan.

Go to https://ci.unt.edu/advising/talk-to-an-advisor.html to find your advisors.

Master’s students may also have a faculty advisor based on your program and specialty. This information is supplied when admitted. You can also contact our office by email if you are unsure.

Faculty advisors are great resources to discuss career and research opportunities and aspirations, course recommendations based on your interests, and advice on networking, professional organizations, and internships.

All COI master’s programs have a time limit of 5 years from your starting semester. Example: If you start your degree in Fall 2024, you will have until Fall 2029 to finish all degree requirements and graduate.

This time limit includes any transfer courses that were approved for your degree plan. The age of your oldest approved transfer courses decides your starting semester. Example: You are admitted for Fall 2024, but transfer a class from your previous university which was take in Fall 2023. Your 5 year time limit would begin Fall 2023, not Fall 2024. You would need to complete all requirements and graduate by Fall 2028.

A part-time graduate student generally is enrolled in 2 classes (6 credit hours) and a full-time graduate student is generally enrolled in 3 classes (9 credit hours).

Master’s degrees in COI are 36-credit hours (12 classes). Each program may have additional requirements outside of coursework, such as: internship, capstones, thesis, or other options. It is important to meet with your academic advisor to review degree requirements.

Degree requirements are subject to change in future catalog updates.

This answer will vary depending on your goals and other life commitments. This table is based upon recommendations by our advising team:

Most forms of financial aid require graduate students to be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credit hours. For the purposes of our programs, this would mean you need to take 2 classes (6 credit hours).

Students with previous graduate degrees might choose to take more classes than what we generally recommend since they have previous experience with graduate level coursework and the time demands of this workload.

No, it is not a requirement that you must take summer classes; however, most COI departments provide several summer options in a variety of terms (3-week, 5-week, 8-week, 10-week).

Summer courses are popular for students who wish to decrease the amount of time working towards their degree or provides a chance to take a course that you may have missed in a previous term.

Currently, the MA in Linguistics programs offers very limited summer course options. Please check with advising for what options that are available and fit within your degree requirements.

Yes. Students can take a semester break from their degree, if necessary.

Students who take longer than 2 consecutive semesters off will enter an inactive status. This requires students to reapply to UNT and repay the $75 application fee.

We advise that students be cognizant of your 5 year time limit and to contact the advising office (via appointment) for assistance or questions-related to degree completion or future course enrollment, as some registration periods may cover multiple terms.

This depends on the course and your overall GPA.

Certain courses within a program, such as a core class, may require at least a B to be made. Therefore, if a C is earned, the class will need to be retaken. If you are unsure which classes might require at least B or higher, please ask your advisor in your next advising session or send us an email.

If the course does not have a B or higher requirement, then a C can be accepted so long as your overall GPA is at least a 3.00 or higher.

Academic Probation occurs when a student’s overall GPA falls below the required 3.00. Anyone on Academic Probation must continue to earn at least a 3.00 GPA or higher in every semester after until their GPA is at or above 3.00 to get back into Good Academic Standing.

If a student on Academic Probation is unable to earn a 3.00 GPA or higher in their consecutive semester, they will be placed on Academic Suspension. Academic Suspension requires students to take one year off from their degree program. Students must reapply to their program in order to return and continue working on their degree.

Please note: Departments do not have an obligation to readmit suspended students.

No. The honors distinctions (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude) are used only for undergraduate students.

UNT uses Canvas as its learning management system. All online classes will be hosted through Canvas and can be accessed at unt.instructure.com.

Some face-to-face classes may also use Canvas for quizzes and exams, paper submissions, discussion boards, or other assignments as deemed necessary by the instructor.