The following regulations are governed by the University and are required of all graduate students. After forming a graduate committee, students must complete the Program of Study (GS Form 6) and submit it to the CSU Graduate School office. Students in the M.S. program normally do this prior to the end of the third semester in residence. Ph.D. students should complete this by the end of their second semester.

Students in the M.S. program should list only the courses needed to complete their M.S. degree (30 credits) on the Program of Study form. Students seeking to apply their M.S. degree coursework toward admission to the Ph.D. program should complete that particular section of the form only after obtaining approval from their graduate committee. Students with M.S. degrees may include up to 30 credits for transfer to the Ph.D. program. Under certain circumstances and with approval by the instructor, advisor, and Department Head, students may be allowed to retake a departmental course. If a student retakes a course, the second grade may be used on the form. Both grades are used to compute the cumulative GPA, but credits are valid only once.

The University does not grant graduate-level credit for completion of courses numbered at the 100 and 200 level. Graduate students may take such courses for general enlightenment or to satisfy a background requirement as specified in the Program of Study. Grades earned in such courses will not count in gradate program grade point average (GPA) calculations as described in the Quality of Work section of the University catalog. Students may also take 300 and 400 level courses as part of their degree program, but they will not replace any required classes in the Atmospheric Science program.

Following admission to the Ph.D. program, students are expected to reside on campus for at least two academic-year semesters (fall and spring) or two consecutive semesters (one of which may include a summer session) and earn at least nine credits each semester/session. The Department Head holds the responsibility of certifying completion of the on-campus requirement. However, students may petition the Department Head in writing to waive this requirement.

Students who want to attend a class but do not wish to earn credits may register as an auditor. Auditing a course requires prior approval of the advisor and instructor of the class. When computing course loads and assessing fees, the University counts audited courses the same as if taken for credit. Students may not take required courses in the Program of Study on a "Student-Option" or "Pass-Fail" basis. However, courses only offered on the aforementioned bases are acceptable. Students may also take background courses in the aforementioned manner. Courses taken by graduate students on a "Student-Option" or "Pass-Fail" basis are subject to the limitations imposed by the graduate committee and Department of Atmospheric Science with regard to acceptability for meeting degree requirements. Students must obtain approval for such classes prior to registration and/or enrollment. Students must choose to audit or class or take it on a "Student-Option" or "Pass-Fail" basis during the registration or add-drop period.

Please refer to the Department of Atmospheric Science Faculty-Student Responsibilities and the Department office before filling out the Program of Study (GS Form 6).