Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs

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Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs

The Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) on the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses will move fully online for the first four weeks of the term beginning Jan. 3, 2022. While the university is committed to in-person learning, this measure is a prudent response to expert projections on COVID-19 surges in Jan. 2022. By starting the term cautiously, we will hopefully be able to offer robust in-person learning for the remainder of the academic year. As always, we remain focused on the entire community’s health and safety.

Students can check the course schedule in the student portal or check with their program director if they have any questions about academic delivery for a particular course.

For the SGPP, there are no changes to the calendar for spring 2022 semester or its terms. A four-year public facing calendar is available.

All SGPP faculty, regardless of delivery modality, are dedicated to providing quality educational activities and opportunities. Saint Mary’s is committed to helping our adult learners fulfill their academic, career, and life goals. Program directors and faculty continue to be available to meet and advise students virtually and in person, and look forward to the continued academic success of our students.

Learn more about on-campus protocols

When we return to in-person and on-ground classes, classrooms will be set up to ensure physical distancing of 6 feet whenever possible. No eating will be permitted in classrooms. Students may drink in classrooms, but open beverage containers are not permitted. Faculty are encouraged to use seating charts so that close contacts can be easily identified in the event a student tests positive for COVID-19 in the class.

Students who travel to areas or attend events that are identified as "high risk" by the university may be required to quarantine for 14 days after such travel or attendance at an event.

Isolation Information

Students should report a positive COVID-19 test to their Program Director. They should then begin an isolation period of 10 days. For a student to be able to return to class, all of the following must be true:

  1. No fever for 24 hours without fever reducing medication,
  2. Ten days have elapsed since symptoms first appeared; and
  3. Other symptoms are improving.

The student should cooperate with university contact tracing by providing to the university contact tracer the names of any faculty, staff, or students who were close contacts.

Quarantine Information

Students who meet the criteria below should quarantine:

  1. Students waiting for a COVID-19 test. 
  2. Unvaccinated students who have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has exhibited COVID-19 symptoms.
  3. Students experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Students are generally not required to quarantine if:

  1. They have been in close contact with an individual who has tested negative for COVID-19.
  2. They have not been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. (i.e., “My spouse was with a friend who tested positive for COVID-19, but I was not.” or “My roommate is quarantined, but I am not.) 
  3. Have received a COVID-19 vaccination. However, fully vaccinated people who have come into close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be tested 5-7 days after exposure and wear a mask while indoors and outdoors for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.

For students who are close contacts, the quarantine period is generally fourteen days for those who have been in close contact with a positive individual (from the first day of contact with a symptomatic individual or the date of a positive COVID-19 test for contact with an asymptomatic individual).

Additional guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Health about quarantine:

  1. When to quarantine
  2. What to do if you are sick
  3. What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19
  4. If you are sick
  5. Tracing COVID-19

There are many COVID-19 testing options in the State of Minnesota. You can find testing locations here. The State of Minnesota also has a number of community testing sites. See here for more information.

In addition, the State of Minnesota and Vault Medical Services have teamed up to offer at-home COVID-19 saliva testing for everyone who lives in Minnesota, with or without symptoms, at no cost. You can order this test here, using your Minnesota mailing address.