Once admitted to the program, students must fulfill course requirements, discussed below, in order to obtain their master's degree. In addition, there is some paperwork to be done: after completing 12 semester hours of graduate work and at least one semester before graduation, students must file a program of study for their master's degree with the Office of Graduate Studies.
Students are required to announce their plan to graduate one semester prior to graduation. The department advisor must be notified one week prior to the end of the preceeding semester.
The student must consult with the graduate advisor at least once a semester, in order to verify that the student's program of study continues to meet all requirements; this is very important, as the approval of a program of study that just meets minimal requirements (as described below) is not automatic.
The department performs periodic reviews of the progress of all graduate students. Students whose progress is not satisfactory will be sent a letter explaining the problem and suggesting remedies. A student whose progress is not satisfactory over a period of time, may be dismissed from the program.
All work presented for the degree must fall within a seven-year period. This includes any transfer credits. The student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 and may not count more than 6 credit hours with a grade of C towards graduation. Moreover, any student who receives two grades of F will be placed on probation; a third F will result in suspension.