Current Students

Current students should see Canvas to determine who their academic advisor is and to make an advising appointment.

Students in SSP must comply with two sets of academic rules and procedures. One set is found in the SSP Student Handbook and will apply to you throughout your time in the program. The second set is found in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Bulletin. In addition, students are responsible for following policies and procedures communicated to them throughout their time in the program. This communication usually comes through email from both SSP and the Graduate School. Students should note that ignorance of academic policies is not considered a defense. Students with any questions on academic policies should contact their academic advisor, either the Director of Academic Affairs or the Assistant Director of Academic Affairs, to clarify the policy.

Current students have access to the SSP Student Handbook on the SSP Canvas page. Below are selected policies that SSP students most frequently reference.

Class Attendance

Because of the rigorous nature of the Security Studies Program, absences are not allowed except in extraordinary circumstances such as illness or family emergencies. The student should notify the professor as soon as possible before his or her absence for approval. Students who do not attend the first class meeting or who will be absent for two or more classes in a regular term semester may be withdrawn from the course. Individual professors may request that a student be withdrawn from the course due to absence, may reflect a student’s absence in the final course grade, or may require additional course assignments before assigning the final grade. Students who expect to miss more than two classes are required to notify their academic advisor immediately. Students with prior obligations that require three or more classes to be missed will be required to take a leave of absence for the semester during which the absences are expected. During the summer sessions, students are only permitted up to one absence due to the accelerated nature of the class. If a student misses more than one class meeting during the accelerated session, he or she will be withdrawn from the course.

Leave of Absence

Students requesting a leave of absence must submit a GSAS Student Petition for Change to Program Form to their academic advisor. Their academic advisor will review the form and then send it to the SSP Director of Graduate Studies for approval. Forms may be submitted via email.

There are several different types of leave that students may take during their time in SSP:

• Personal Leave of Absence
• Military Leave of Absence
• Medical Leave of Absence
• Parental Leave of Absence

Details of each type of leave can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.

International students requesting a leave of absence should consult with their academic advisor and their International Student Advisor at the Office of Global Services before submitting their paperwork. Students receiving financial aid should consult with the Office of Student Financial Services to understand how leaves of absences may affect their loans. All students should work with Office of Student Accounts to ensure any outstanding balance is settled before their leave goes into effect.

Academic Performance Standards

All SSP students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to be eligible to continue enrollment in SSP and to receive financial aid. To maintain eligibility, students must:

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00;
• Complete all degree requirements within three academic years of matriculation; and
• Enroll in a minimum of two three-credit SSP-sponsored courses per semester that fulfill SSP degree requirements.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is an essential value of any intellectual community. Students in the Security Studies Program are expected to be fully aware of the University’s policies and standards regarding academic integrity. Information relevant to SSP students can be found in Section VI of the Graduate Bulletin. Students should note that ignorance of academic policies is not considered a defense against substantiated charges of plagiarism or other academic dishonesty, including cheating and falsification of data. If a student is unclear about the standards and rules that apply to academic works, they must seek consultation with a professor, their academic advisor, or the Director of Graduate Studies of the program before submitting papers or participating in examinations. Students should also note that SSP does not permit students to submit paper(s) written for one course’s requirements to be used for another course’s requirements.

Please refer to the SSP Student Handbook for more information about Academic Integrity policies at SSP and Georgetown. The Graduate School and SSP reserve the right to use all legal means, including submitting student work to electronic search engines, such as Turnitin.com or SafeAssign, to investigate allegations that graduate students have engaged in academic misconduct. Academic misconduct in any form is a serious offense against the academic community in general and against Georgetown University, in particular. Students who are found to have violated standards of academic integrity will be subject to academic penalties. These penalties may include, but are not limited to, transcript notations, suspension or dismissal from the University, or revocation of degrees already conferred.

Language Study Scholarships

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences provides Language Scholarships for classes below the 350 level during the the fall and spring semesters. Courses beyond the introductory level may have prerequisites and students may need to contact the relevant language department in order to be able to register for these courses. Additional information can be found in the GSAS policies regarding language scholarships. Please note that BSFS/5 year M.A. students are NOT eligible for language scholarships until they have completed their BSFS degree and are no longer classified as undergraduate students. Additional questions regarding language scholarships should be directed to your academic advisor.

SSP Merit Scholarships Award

These awards are highly competitive. The total number of merit scholarships is based on the availability of funds, and therefore may differ each semester.  The merit award may provide a maximum tuition benefit of 50% to any student not already receiving a merit scholarship. SSP will award up to five merit scholarships each fall and spring semester to the students with the highest cumulative GPA who have completed a minimum of 18 credit hours. Students must take all of their courses (excluding language courses) for a letter grade in order to remain eligible for merit scholarships.

Fall term grades will be reviewed the second week of January, in order to be considered for the spring semester. Spring term grades will be reviewed each June, in order to be considered for the fall semester.  This timing allows for all grades to post and for funding balances to be calculated.

Students who already receive scholarship awards will be included in the review process and are allowed to receive up to an additional 50% tuition increase. (I.e., If a student receives a 50% award from SSP, it is possible they could receive a one-time tuition award of 100%. If a student is currently receiving a 25% merit award, they could receive a one-time tuition award up of 75%.) Merit awards cannot exceed 100% of the tuition due.

Internship Stipends and Summer Grants

SSP offers funding to current students to assist with domestic or international summer research, language immersion, and domestic or international internships. Students apply for Summer Grants in the semester prior to their summer plans, and for internship stipends at the start of each semester. Details about the application processed and deadlines are sent directly to students.