Applying for a Degree or Degree Candidacy

Criteria for degree candidacy

Students who have completed all degree requirements in both their major and their school, and who have observed the rules and regulations of the University, including the Honor Code, may graduate only after applying for and being approved to receive their degree sought. A transcript of the applicant's previous academic record, attesting the content of his or her baccalaureate degree, must also be on file in the Graduate Enrolled Students Office. Graduate degrees, however, are not conferred merely upon the basis of the number of courses passed, or the length of time spent in resident or non-resident work, but primarily upon the basis of the quality and scope of the candidate's knowledge and the ability in the chosen field of study. The applicant's graduate record should be better than a minimal passing average to be accepted as a candidate, and the department responsible for the student's graduate program must qualify him or her for candidacy.

Download, complete and submit a degree application

Students seeking a Masters degree--MA, MS, MFA--should download, complete and submit the Master degree application form (.pdf, 205KB). Additionally, Master's students must also fill out a Ph.D. Continuation form (.pdf, 85KB) declaring their intention to either seek or not seek a Ph.D. degree at the Graduate School proceeding conferral of their Master's degree.

Students seeking a Doctor of Philosophy degree should download, complete and submit the Ph.D. degree application form (.pdf, 211KB).

These forms should be submitted to the Graduate Enrolled Student Office by the appropriate deadline. The degree applications must be approved by the candidate's advisory professor and the chair of the department before being submitted

Degree application revocation and renewal

Candidates who do not receive a degree in the semester for which their application has been approved must renew their application in proper form at the beginning of the semester in which candidacy for the degree is desired. Candidates who find that they will not be able to receive their degree in the semester for which their application was approved must remove their name from the degree list by a specified date in the semester.