2024-2025 Graduate Bulletin > Degree Candidacy and Requirements for Graduation > Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements

Students may elect to graduate under the curricular requirements and regulations in any Graduate Bulletin in effect between the date of the original admission and graduation on a graduate degree or certificate program.

Each candidate for a degree shall:

1. Receive Regular Admission into the program.
2. Fulfill requirements as prescribed on a degree.
3. Fulfill all other university regulations pertaining to the program,
4. Obtain a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.0 (B) or higher in graded graduate coursework at CMU and a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.0 (B) or higher in all coursework on the student’s degree program.
5. Not be permitted to use any courses in which the student earns below a grade of C in the fulfillment of any graduate program requirement.
6. Complete all requirements for the graduate certificate, master’s degree, or specialist’s degree within seven years after matriculation into the program. Complete all requirements for a doctoral degree within eight years prior to the award of the doctoral degree with a prior relevant graduate degree, and ten years if the student began doctoral study without prior relevant graduate degree. Courses completed outside the approved amount of time prior to graduation cannot be used to meet graduation requirements without an extension of time request. See the Extension of Time section for further information.
7. Submit application for graduation by date specified.

In addition, candidates for the following programs shall:

Graduate Certificate

1. Complete 9-21 hours of prescribed graduate work. A maximum of 33% semester hours from a previous or concurrent graduate degree or certificate may be applied toward a graduate certificate. Military coursework with a grade of outstanding or excellent is acceptable. If a student has not had adequate preparatory coursework for the curriculum chosen and has to take additional coursework to make up any deficiencies, these courses are not included in the 9-21 hour graduate coursework requirement.

Note: Graduate Certificates as described in this section are not related to earning a teaching certificate. See Standards Leading to Teacher Certification for information.

Master's Degree

1. Complete a minimum of 30 hours of graduate work. If a student has not had adequate preparatory coursework for the curriculum chosen, the student must take additional coursework to make up any deficiencies in the field of specialization, cognate areas, or both. These courses are not included in the 30 hour graduate coursework requirement
2. Earn at least fifteen of the hours presented for the degree in courses at or above the 600 level.
3. Submit evidence of scholarship and/or creative or artistic ability beyond the completion of coursework. Two plans, differing to some extent in various departments, are in general use. Subject to the approval of the major advisor, students may choose either plan.

   Plan A consists of coursework, a thesis (6-9 credits), and an oral defense of the thesis.

   Plan B consists of primarily coursework, requires no thesis, but must include significant evidence of scholarship, such as research, independent studies, internships, or practica and/or creative or artistic ability which the department of the field of specialization may wish to prescribe.

   A comprehensive examination over the field of specialization may be required under either the Plan A or Plan B. It is the responsibility of the student to consult with their advisor to determine which plan the student will be completing.

NOTE: Particular master's programs may have more specific or more stringent program requirements.

Specialist’s Degree

1. Received a Master’s Degree; if this is a prerequisite on the curriculum.
2. Been admitted to candidacy for the appropriate specialist’s degree.
3. Complete a minimum of 60 hours of graduate work. Thirty hours beyond the master’s degree if the master’s is required or was earned elsewhere.
4. Completed a thesis or field study as part of your master’s or your specialist’s degree.
5. Earn at least twenty of the last thirty hours of coursework at or above the 600 level.

Doctoral Degree

1. Received a Master’s or Specialist’s Degree; if this is a prerequisite on your curriculum.
2. Acquired the research skills of the discipline as required by the department.
3. Passed a comprehensive examination or clinical assessment evaluated by one or more of the graduate faculty.
4. Been admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., or D.H.A. degree program).
5. Complete a minimum of 60 hours of graduate work beyond the bachelor’s degree.
6. Maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. A student with three or more grades of C+ or C may not be awarded the doctoral degree. Coursework that is not part of the student’s doctoral program of study is excluded from this policy. Particular programs may have more stringent grade requirements.
7. Earn at least 15 hours at the 700 level or above (excluding dissertation, doctoral project, and internship credits) and 45 of the total hours at the 600 level or above.
8. Prepare a doctoral dissertation, or in the case of some applied programs, a doctoral project.

Dissertation: you may receive a minimum of twelve hours of credit and a maximum of thirty-six hours of credit as specified on the doctoral program under the guidelines of the specific department. The research for the dissertation will be conducted under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor and must be approved by a doctoral committee consisting of at least three graduate faculty members. The student must pass an oral defense of the completed dissertation. The committee members are the examining committee and determine whether the student passes the defense. The dissertation must be prepared according to the regulations prescribed in the Office of Graduate Studies most recent edition of the Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses, Doctoral Projects, and Dissertations.

Doctoral project: must be conducted under an advisor who meets the requirements for full graduate faculty status as defined by the Academic Senate’s Graduate Education Policy. All other policies and procedures for the doctoral project are to be determined by the academic program and will be presented in the section of the bulletin pertaining to the academic program.

Thesis, Doctoral Project, Dissertation, Journal Article, or Book

The satisfactory completion of a thesis is a requirement on some master's degree programs and optional on others. The satisfactory completion of a thesis at CMU is a requirement for some specialist's degrees. Satisfactory completion is determined by the student's committee, department, college, and the Office of Graduate Studies. A student may replace a thesis with a journal article in which the student is the lead author or a dissertation with a compilation of journal articles in which the student is the lead author of each article at the discretion of the student’s department.

Students should be aware that the university has specific policies that govern research involving human or animal subjects and recombinant DNA. Information on experimentation may be obtained from the Office of Research Compliance.

For stylistic guidelines, students are expected to follow the most recent Office of Graduate Studies' requirements, which are explained in the Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses, Doctoral Projects, Dissertations, Journal Articles, and Books. These guidelines are available online at www.grad.cmich.edu.

Selection of a College Committee

Theses/doctoral projects/dissertations/journal articles/books are evaluated by a committee. Students should consult their advisor in selecting a committee chairperson and at least two committee members. The advisor may or may not be the committee chairperson, depending upon the student's academic emphasis. One member of the committee may be from a discipline other than that of the student's area of concentration or from outside CMU, but may not be the chairperson. Post-doctoral scholars may be included on committees provided that their post-doctoral advisor is not also a member of the committee. All members of the committee must have graduate faculty status as defined by the Academic Senate’s Graduate Education Policy. Students can check their prospective committee members' status by contacting the Office of Graduate Studies.

The chairperson of the thesis/doctoral project/dissertation/journal article/book committee will have active direction of the work, but may wish to consult with other members of the committee about matters pertinent to its development. The committee as a whole, however, will determine the quality of the work. (Academic Senate 5/2/23)

Prospectus Approval

After a committee has been selected and a topic chosen, a Prospectus - Theses, Doctoral Projects, Dissertations, Journal Articles, and Books form must be completed by the student and approved at the department level as well as by the Director of Graduate Studies. Projects undertaken prior to final approval may be denied, the project deemed invalid, and the student will have to begin the thesis/doctoral project/dissertation/journal article/book process anew. The department may require a more detailed prospectus.

Credits and Grading

Each student who writes a thesis/doctoral project/dissertation/journal article/book must enroll for credit. A master’s or specialist’s student may not enroll for more than three thesis credits and projects must not be undertaken until the prospectus has been fully approved. A doctoral student may not enroll for more than 6 dissertation credits and projects must not be undertaken until the prospectus has been fully approved.

Letter grades are not used in the evaluation of the thesis/doctoral project/dissertation/journal article/book; therefore, the student's grade point average is not affected by credit earned for these. In all departments the thesis/doctoral project/dissertation /journal article/book is designated as credit (CR) if acceptable and no credit (NC) if not acceptable. Students will receive 6-9 semester hours of credit for an acceptable thesis/journal article/book. For a doctoral project/dissertation/journal article/book, a minimum of twelve and a maximum of thirty-six semester credit hours may be earned depending on the guidelines for the specific department.

Final Stages of Thesis, Doctoral Project, Dissertation, Journal Article, or Book Preparation

The final draft of the defended, committee-approved thesis/doctoral project/dissertation/journal article/book must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies for approval according to the deadlines set forth by the Office of Graduate Studies. These dates are listed below and also online within the Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses, Doctoral Projects, Dissertations, Journal Articles, and Books. Failure to meet this deadline or any departmentally stipulated deadline may result in the student’s graduation being delayed until the following semester. Students and Committee Chairs should consult the Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses, Doctoral Projects, Dissertations, Journal Articles, and Books for the current process and University expectations. See www.grad.cmich.edu for more information.

Thesis/Doctoral Project/Dissertation/Journal Article/Book Submission

All final, defended, committee-approved documents must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. EST. Students should consult the most recent version of the Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses, Doctoral Projects, Dissertations, Journal Articles, and Books on the College of Graduate Studies website for formatting assistance.

For updates, see https://www.cmich.edu/offices-departments/office-research-graduate-studies/graduate-studies/student-services/deadlines

Field Study

A field study requires the student to conduct a major project approved and directed by an advisor who meets the requirements for regular graduate faculty status as defined by the Academic Senate's Graduate Education Policy. Upon completion of the field study, the student must pass a publicly announced oral defense of the project.

Approved by the Academic Senate 2/16/21; 4/19/22.