Graduate
School
Plan A: Master's Degree With Thesis
Major and Related Field(s) or Minor-Students must complete an approved
program of coursework consisting of at least 14 semester credits in the
major field, at least 6 semester credits in one or more related fields
outside the major, and at least 10 thesis credits (8777).
Students who wish to complete a designated minor (certified on the transcript;
related fields option is not) must complete at least 6 semester credits
in a single field. A designated minor must be approved by the director
of graduate studies in the minor field.
In cases where the student takes coursework beyond the minimum requirements,
both the adviser and the Graduate School may demand comparable standards
of performance for all work taken.
Admission to the Graduate School requires the specification of a major
field. Any proposal for a subsequent change in major necessitates a formal
request to the Graduate School
Official Program for the Degree
After completing 10 credits and ordinarily not later than the second semester of registration (the second year for longer programs), students must file an official degree program with the Graduate School. This requirement may vary with the program. The program form is available in the UMD Graduate School office, 431 Darland Administration Building. Students list all coursework, completed and proposed, that will be offered to fulfill degree requirements, including transfer work. If a foreign language is required, it is specified. If the degree is being completed under Plan A, students should also include the proposed thesis title. The members of a student's final examining committee (who are the thesis reviewers for Plan A) are appointed by the Graduate School dean on recommendation of the faculty in the major field at the time the student's official degree program is approved. A degree program approved by the Graduate School must be on file before reviewers report, examination, or graduation forms can be released to the student.
Changes in the Program
Once approved, the program must be followed to meet graduation requirements. Alterations in the program, including committee changes, must be requested in advance by means of a Graduate School petition form.
Language Requirement
This varies from program to progam. Please consult individual programs from the UMD Graduate School Page for specific requirements.The Graduate School monitors the fulfillment of the language requirement when a major field specifies one. Information about how the student must demonstrate proficiency and the conditions under which proficiency will be recorded on the official transcript is available from the UMD Graduate School office.
Master's Thesis
The thesis title is submitted for approval as part of the information
provided on the student's official degree program form available from
the UMD Graduate School office. The thesis title must be approved by the
adviser. The thesis must be on a topic related to the major, be written
in acceptable English, demonstrate the student's ability to work independently,
and display the student's power of independent thought both in perceiving
problems and in making satisfactory progress toward their solution. Familiarity
with the bibliography of the special field and correct citation of authorities
are expected.
Three unbound copies of the thesis must be provided and a $10 fee paid.
Two copies are for the University library in Minneapolis, and one is for
the Duluth campus library. The student's adviser(s) must sign all three
unbound copies of the thesis to confirm that they are complete and satisfactory
in all respects and that all revisions required by the final examining
committee have been made.
To insure durabillity, permanency, and opacity, two copies must be on
white bond paper that is at least 20 pound weight, is 8 1/2 x 11 inches,
and has 75 or 100 percent cotton rag content (a watermark in the paper
will indicate the cotton content),. White acid-free paper is acceptable
with prior approval from the Graduate School (check for a watermark or
manufacturers label certifying the paper is acid free). If photographs
are included, all three copies must contain original photographs (i.e.,
no photocopies). Ample margins should be left for binding purposes. The
body of the thesis should be double spaced, but footnotes may be single
spaced. Photocopy methods of reproduction will be accepted (except photographs),
provided that 20-pound rag content bond is used and adequate contrast
and clarity is provided.
The thesis is examined by a committee of not less than three members,
appointed by the Graduate School dean upon recommendation of the adviser
and the director of graduate studies. The examining committee will include
at least two representatives of the major field and one representative
of the related or minor field. This committee must be unanimous in certifying
that the thesis is ready for defense, and a record of this action must
be filed in the UMD Graduate School office on the appropriate form before
the candidate may be admitted to the final written or oral examination.
The thesis may include materials that students have published while University
of Minnesota graduate students, provided the research was carried out
under the direction of the graduate faculty and approved by the adviser
for incorporation into the thesis. The adviser should notify the Graduate
School in writing of the intent to publish part of the thesis materials,
but Graduate School approval is not required.
If the thesis is accepted, the candidate should immediately begin to have
it prepared in its final form and should submit the Application for Degree
before the first working day of the month the candidate plans to graduate.
Application for Degree forms must be obtained from the UMD Graduate School
office, 431 Darland Administration Building. Three unbound copies of the
thesis, including the original, must be submitted to the UMD Graduate
School office by the last working day of the month of proposed graduation.
Final Examinations
Candidates for the master's degree, Plan A, must pass a final oral examination;
a final written examination may also be required at the discretion of
the graduate faculty in the major field. If both a written and an oral
examination are specified, the written examination must precede the oral
examination.
The final examination covers the major and minor or related fields and
may include other related work. This examination is coordinated by the
chair of the student's examining committee. A majority vote of the committee,
all members present and voting, is required for a pass. Results are reported
to the Graduate School on a Final Examination Report that is issued to
the student when the form certifying the thesis is ready for defense is
submitted. In case of failure, unanimous consent of the examining committee
is required to retake the examination, providing the reexamination is
conducted by the original committee.