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DOCUMENT TYPE:
Policy
PURPOSE:
To describe the eligibility of faculty and academic staff to earn graduate degrees and certificates.
APPLIES TO:
All graduate students and faculty on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses.
CAMPUS:
Lawrence, Edwards
POLICY STATEMENT:
Members of the University faculty who have tenure, are eligible for tenure, or hold any rank above that of lecturer (e.g. teaching professor, professor of practice) must first be approved by the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs before they may be admitted to a graduate degree-granting program at KU. The faculty member's employing department must make a recommendation to Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs before the faculty member begins the graduate degree or certificate program.
Approval may be granted in cases where the faculty member and their employing department demonstrate satisfactorily that circumstances and conditions assure freedom from conflict of interest and undue influence.
EXCLUSIONS OR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
Faculty members may not be approved to pursue advanced degrees within their employing department.
CONTACT:
Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs
graduate@ku.edu
785-864-8040
RESPONSIBLE UNIT:
Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs
APPROVED BY:
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
APPROVED ON:
2009-07-02
EFFECTIVE ON:
2009-07-02
REVIEW CYCLE:
Annual (As Needed)
CHANGE HISTORY:
03/06/2026: Technical edits to clarify current process.
01/05/2026: Technical edits. Graduate Studies name change to Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs.
10/20/2025: Updated formatting.
04/01/2025: Migration to TeamDynamix from Drupal.
07/27/2023: Changed Approved by to Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor.
06/21/2016: Added SVPAA in Approved By field.
06/21/2016: Technical edits for clarity, annual review, and gender neutralization initiative.
TITLE:
University Faculty and Advanced Degrees