A graduate student must maintain a 3.0 GPA in all courses being applied toward his or her master’s or doctoral degree to be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress. A student who does not maintain a 3.0 GPA will be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress for a maximum of only two semesters. Nevertheless, in unusual circumstances a graduate department may still consider a student’s progress satisfactory if it can be demonstrated that the student could attain a 3.0 GPA by the end of four years for a master’s degree or by the end of seven years for a doctoral degree (the maximum times to degree allowed by the University). These standards were designed to meet federal academic requirements for students receiving financial assistance through federally sponsored programs.