Before the beginning of the term in which a degree is expected, students should meet with their advisors to make sure that all course requirements are being met. A student’s degree program coordinator is responsible for certifying that the student has met all of the academic requirements for graduation.

No student may receive a degree until all I and IP grades have been cleared and the student is in good standing with at least a 3.00 grade point average in the graduate level credits earned in the degree program and in the emphasis area.

Also, all financial obligations to the University must be cleared by the Accounting Office before students may be issued diplomas and final transcripts of their academic records.

Application for Graduation

Students should apply to graduate at least one full semester prior to their final term. It is important that the student’s entire academic record be reviewed prior to the final term of enrollment in order to identify any problems and resolve them in time to graduate. An application for graduation also serves as an application for a comprehensive examination, if that applies. Applications for Graduation can be found in the Student Center in WINS.

A graduation fee must be paid no later than one month before the date of graduation regardless of whether or not students attend the voluntary commencement ceremony. The fee is added to the student accounts. The fee is published in the current schedule of classes. If a student fails to graduate during the intended term, a new application form for graduation must be filed in the subsequent term, although the graduation fee does not have to be paid again. An exit survey is required of all students completing a degree program.

Minimum Degree Credit Requirements to Graduate

All graduate degree programs at UW-Whitewater require at least 30 graduate credits distributed according to the requirements of the individual programs. The minimum credit requirements and credit distribution for specific degree programs are stated in this catalog under program descriptions.

At least half of the graduate work in a degree program and at least half of the work in an emphasis within the program must be completed in courses numbered 700 or higher. In addition, a grade point average of at least 3.00 (B) overall in the graduate work taken toward the degree, as well as in all the graduate work taken in the student’s emphasis, is required for graduation.

Second Degree/Emphasis

Students may not receive a master's degree from a degree program in which they already hold a master's degree, although they may complete a second emphasis within a degree program.

Dual Degree

Students desiring to earn an additional graduate degree can request up to 12 credits of graduate coursework from a previously earned graduate degree to be applied toward additional graduate degree requirements. Individual programs may accept fewer credits. A maximum of 40% of the credit hours towards any certificate program may be accepted as transfer credits.

At the discretion of the individual degree programs, the following options are available to students completing a master's degree:

• Comprehensive examination option. A minimum of 30 credit hours of course work, including a comprehensive examination.
• Thesis option. A minimum of 30 credit hours of course work, including a thesis taken for 1 to 6 credits.
• Applied research project option. A minimum of 30 credit hours of course work, including completion of an applied research project course for 1 to 6 credits.
• Capstone experience.  A minimum of 30 credit hours of course work, including completion of a capstone experience documented through a portfolio or similar assessment tool.
• Course work option. A minimum of 36 credit hours of course work.

Degree programs may set additional requirements for any of these plans. Students should check with their degree program coordinator for the options available and for the requirements within each option.

When options exist, students should consult their advisor early in their studies to determine which capstone experience best meets their needs. A thesis may be advised for those who wish to seek depth in an academic area, while those who prefer a breadth of knowledge may select comprehensive examinations.

Comprehensive Exam

Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate course work and pass a comprehensive examination in the major or emphasis field under the comprehensive examination option. Examinations may be written and/or oral at the discretion of the degree program. Written examinations are intended to take approximately 6 hours to complete. Questions may cover any graduate work done in the major or emphasis, including credits transferred from other institutions.

Comprehensive examinations are administered once near the end of each term. In general, students may not take the examination until during or after the final term of their course work. Exceptions may be made for students who have a practicum or a semester of student teaching remaining. To be eligible to take the examination, students must have cleared all pending incomplete (I) and in progress (IP) grades and must be in good standing with at least a 3.00 grade point average in the graduate level credits earned in the degree program and in the emphasis area.

Comprehensive examinations are graded either “passed” or “failed.” Students who fail the examination may retake it after completing additional work, as designated by those administering the examination, in a subsequent term. Students may retake comprehensive examinations at most twice after an initial failure and after the required additional work has been completed following each failure. Specific programs may have more stringent rules.

Thesis

The thesis option requires a minimum of 30 credits of graduate course work including a thesis for which up to 6 credits may be earned and applied toward the completion of course and credit requirements in the degree program. Because a thesis is a culminating experience for a degree, only students electing the thesis option within a degree program may register for 799 Thesis Research. Students wishing to pursue significant research projects outside of the thesis requirement for a degree may register for 798 Individual Studies. Students electing to write a thesis in a degree program must formally enroll and pay fees for at least one credit of 799 Thesis Research. Enrollment and fee payment for 799 Thesis Research is done only once even though the thesis may require more than one term to complete. With the advisor's permission, in succeeding terms students may increase the number of thesis credits up to the maximum of 6 by submitting a revised thesis proposal form, then adding and paying for the additional credits.

Theses vary in type, style, length, and content. They range from research projects to art exhibits. A thesis, however, must involve enrollment in 799 Thesis Research, an oral examination on the thesis, and the filing of the thesis in the Andersen Library. A thesis, including an art show, must have abstracts and are expected to contain evidence of research on the part of the student and must be submitted in a form and quality specified by the School of Graduate Studies. These standards and guidelines are available from the School Graduate Studies. Unless a department informs the School of Graduate Studies in writing that it has adopted some other style manual, theses should be prepared according to the most current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. A PDF copy of the thesis and its abstract must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies by the end of the term in which the student plans to graduate.  Degrees are not conferred until these requirements have been met.

Students also must pass an oral examination over their thesis administered by an appointed thesis committee. The oral examination will be held in an open meeting, announced at least one week prior to the examination. A student’s committee will consist of a minimum of three persons, two of whom, including the committee chairperson, must have graduate faculty status. Committee members may be brought in from outside the faculty of the degree program. The majority of the thesis committee members must sign the signature page of the thesis, signifying acceptance by the committee of the thesis.

The thesis committee chair’s signature signifies successful completion of the oral examination.

In general, students may not take the oral examination until the term in which they expect to graduate. To be eligible to take the oral examination, students must have cleared all pending incomplete (I) and in progress (IP) grades except for thesis research, and must be in good standing with at least a 3.00 grade point average in the graduate level credits earned in the degree program and in the emphasis area.

All 799 Thesis Research courses are graded on a pass/fail (S/F) basis. A grade of pass (S) for 799 Thesis Research is not awarded until the oral examination is passed and the thesis is filed with the School of Graduate Studies.

A student who switches from a thesis option must have a revised program completion plan approved by the program coordinator. The School of Graduate Studies will then initiate a late drop or retroactive withdrawal, dropping any existing 799 Thesis Research credits which show a grade of in progress (IP). A withdraw (W) grade will be recorded.