The School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology

1.    Can classes outside of SPP count as electives for the MSPP?
2.    How can I fix a grade that is not correctly reported?
3.    Can I register for GRA or GTA credits if I have a paid assistantship?
4.    How many pass/fail classes can I take for the MSPP?
5.    How many 4000 level courses can be counted towards an MSPP degree?
6.    How do I subscribe to the school's mailing list?

1.    Can classes outside of SPP count as electives for the MSPP?

Yes. You can take electives outside of Public Policy. All elective courses that you take in or outside SPP should be consistent with your study plan and area(s) of concentration. At least one of the electives that you take as part of your concentration must be in SPP, but other electives can be taken outside.[8/23/99]

2.    How can I fix a grade that is not correctly reported?

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for processing all grade changes. In order for a student to receive a grade change, a "Grade Correction" form must be completed and signed by the faculty member who taught the course. The form must then be signed by the head of the academic department. The form is then submitted to the Registrar’s Office for processing. If an academic department has made an error in completing the form, it will be returned to the department by the Registrar’s Office for correction and re-submission. Grade changes are processed once a week during the term with the exception of the week during which final grades are assigned. Academic standing is reviewed after each grade change and any necessary changes are made. Students who receive a grade of "I" (Incomplete) should consult the Georgia Tech Catalog for rules regarding the length of time allowed to make up the Incomplete. A grade of "NR" (Not Reported by the faculty member) is to be removed as soon as the faculty member can submit final grades and is only assigned in the case of an extreme emergency. Only the final grade earned in a course for a given term is shown on an official transcript; no intermediate changes are displayed. Grade changes made in the computer system are immediately reflected on the Georgia Tech Web Student Access System. [From mail by Office of Registrar 8/25/99]

3.   Can I register for GRA or GTA credits if I have a paid assistantship?

The School will allow graduate students undertaking research assistantships to register for up to three GRA credit units (PUBP 8998 - Research Assistantship) on an audit basis. These credits will not count towards degree program core or elective credit requirements. GRA credits can help doctoral students maintain status at an advanced stage of their research studies. In special cases GRA credits may be helpful to masters students. For example, GRA credits can help a student maintain "full-time" status (12 credits), if for some important reason they are only taking 9 units of actual courses. Such exceptional cases need to be approved by academic advisors.

In any event, if a student does opt for GRA credit, it will not count as an elective. If a student wishes to undertake independent research that can count, we have existing mechanisms, e.g. special problems courses under faculty supervision. Students wishing to undertake a special problems course need to work with their faculty advisor or research supervisor to establish an appropriate special problems course. The Graduate Coordinator will then assign a course number.

The guidelines above for GRA credit registration generally apply also to graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) credits (PUBP 8997).

4.   How many pass/fail classes can I take for the MSPP?

"A master's degree program of study may include up to three semester credit hours on a pass/fail basis." (Georgia Tech Scholastic Regulations, GT Catalogue). [8/23/99]

5.    How many 4000 level courses can be counted towards an MSPP degree?

Subject to the approval of your faculty adviser, you can count up to two courses (6 semester hours) at the 4000 level towards the elective requirement of your MSPP degree. A course may not be counted toward more than one degree. [1/4/00]

6.    How do I subscribe to the school's mailing list?

Method 1
Send an email to the list server using one of the following links to request to be added to the undergraduate, graduate, PhD, or alumni mailing list.

Respond to the authorization email that the list server sends you to verify that you want to be added to the mailing list.

Method 2
Go to Georgia Tech's list management site. Log on using your prism id and password. From the lists menu, select "Departmental Lists," then choose the list you want to add. Select the subscribe option to subscribe to the list.

Unsubscribe - please go to Georgia Tech's list management site to unsubscribe.

Change your address - the only way is to unsubscribe your old address and then subscribe a new address.

Help and further information - see Georgia Tech's list management site.

Usage notice: These mailing lists are for use in communicating information related to the School of Public Policy, its students, faculty, and alumni. Communications should be consistent with Georgia Tech's Computer and Network Usage Policies. The School reserves right to purge student email lists at the start of each academic year, meaning that students should re-subscribe at the start of the Fall semester.