Commencement

The master's degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate study for degrees requiring a thesis and a minimum of 32 to 33 hours of graduate study for degrees not requiring a thesis. At least fifteen semester hours must be earned in 800-900 level courses open only to graduate students.

Each candidate for a graduate degree must petition for graduation on the Graduate System in GUS at the beginning of the semester in which the degree will be conferred. If the application is not filed at that time, the student will not be on the list of degree candidates to be approved by the Graduate Council. Therefore his/her graduation date may be delayed until the following term.

Graduate degrees are dated and awarded at the end of fall, spring, and summer terms. Commencement is held in May for students receiving degrees at the end of the spring semester and summer term. A December commencement is held for students graduating at the end of the fall semester.

Preparing for the Commencement Ceremony