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Degree Requirements

For a thesis program:

  • Minimum 30 semester hourscompleted
    • 18 hours (at least) in formal lecture or lecture/laboratory courses.
    • 12 hours completing research leading to a written thesis.
  • Graduate seminar every semester. See details below.
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a scale of 0 to 4.0) must be maintained.

The student will defend a thesis in oral examination at the end of their studies. The student's course of study and progress toward a degree are monitored and supervised by the thesis advisor and committee.

For a non-thesis program:

  • Minimum 30 semester hours formal course work completed.
  • A short project(5 hours) in the laboratory or library.
  • Graduate seminar every semester. See details below.
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a scale of 0 to 4.0) must be maintained.

The student will defend a thesis in oral examination at the end of their studies. The student's course of study and progress toward a degree are monitored and supervised by the thesis advisor and committee.

Non-thesis program students are not usually eligible for assistantships.

Graduate seminar

Every graduate student must register for the graduate seminar for each semester they are in residence. The student presents a seminar to the department each year.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

  • Minimum 55 semester hours formal course work completed beyond the B.S.
    • Minimum of 24 hours of formal lecture/laboratory courses.
    • Minumum of 27 hours of doctoral dissertation research.
    • Graduate seminar every semester (at least 4 credits). See details below.
    • Minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 0 to 4.0 scale) must be maintained.

The doctoral student must also successfully pass written qualifying examinations, and original research proposal/doctoral candidacy examinations. The doctoral student is required to successfully defend the dissertation research proposal and pass the dissertation defense.

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