Steps to Graduation and Commencement | UMD College of Education

Master's and MEd Steps to Graduation

*Master’s Program Plan
Immediately following admission a Master's Program Plan is developed with the advisor. The completed form, signed by the student and the program advisor is forwarded to the College of Education. A final copy of the MAPF is required in the semester of graduate. Master's Approved Program Form.

*Satisfactory Progress
Graduate students admitted to the Graduate School, College of Education, must make satisfactory progress in meeting programmatic requirements, must demonstrate the ability to succeed in his or her course of studies or research, and must attain performance minima. The College of Education has set the minimum satisfactory progress requirements. Please note that your program requirements and deadlines may exceed those established by the Graduate School and/or College of Education. The satisfactory progress requirements for master’s students are available in the Progress to Degree for the Master’s Degree: Expectations for Completion document. (PDF)

Foundational Competencies Policy/College of Education Technical Standards
All graduate students who are in an approved program leading to initial teacher certification, or advanced certification, in professional preparation programs are expected to demonstrate that they are prepared to work with children and youth in educational settings. This preparation results from the combination of successful completion of university coursework and field/internship experiences and the demonstration of important human characteristics and dispositions that all educators should possess.

*Registration
Continuous registration is required each semester (including the summer session if you are advising with your advisor, using University facilities, or graduating in August). If newly admitted, register in the semester of admission in order to validate your admission.Registration is required in the semester of graduation, including one of the summer sessions if graduating in August.

*Human Subjects Approval
At the University, all research that involves the use of human subjects requires review and approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to the initiation of the research. Researchers should review the IRB web page for regulations and application forms. CITI Training is required for all researchers as a condition of IRB approval. Please submit to Carol Scott via email (cscott18@umd.edu) the first page/coversheet of your IRB application.

*Research Course
EDMS 645, Quantitative Research Methods I, is a course required of all master’s College of Education students, or a College approved substitute course. Consult with your advisor regarding the EDMS 645 requirement. If you believe that you have taken an equivalent course previously, outside of the University of Maryland, consult with your advisor for support of a request for an equivalency review by the EDMS Program.

*Comprehensive Examination
Most master’s non-thesis programs in the College of Education require a comprehensive examination, or a comparable product at the discretion of the program. Programs determine the requirement of a master's non-thesis comprehensive examination, and also determine what constitutes a comprehensive examination. Comprehensive examinations are developed and administered by the student's program. Students should check with their advisor when to schedule the comprehensive examination.

*Transfer Credit
Request the transfer or inclusion of any course work that you may have taken from:

an outside institution (6 credit limit)
the Advanced Special Student Status (12 credit limit)
another department on campus (if you changed your admission from one department to another)

File the Transfer or Inclusion of Credit Toward a Master’s Degree Form. Criterion for the transfer of credits is listed on the second page.
Transfer credits older than 5-years of the degree program at the University of Maryland must be revalidated by the department. Revalidation is a process whereby your advisor attests that you have current course knowledge, by choosing the appropriate option on the form link above, and provides a letter of explanation. Coursework beyond 7-years of the degree program at the University of Maryland may not be used.

*Semester of Graduation
Please file the required forms. Please keep in mind that all forms must be signed by the advisor and program approved, prior to submission to Carol Scott.

Apply for graduation. No approval is required.
Master’s Approved Program Form (MAPF) - Refer to your unofficial transcript to complete the MAPF.

Master of Arts (non-thesis) program must reflect a minimum of 30 credit hours (departments may require more). Of the 30 credit hours, 18 credit hours must be ta the 600 level or above, including EDMS 645, a College approved substitute (or equivalency form on file).
The Master of Education program must reflect a minimum of 30 credit hours (departments may require more). Of the 30 credit hours, 15 credit hours must be at the 600 level or above, including EDMS 645, a College approved substitute (or equivalency form on file).
Courses numbered at the 300 level may not be listed or used toward the graduate program. Courses numbered at the 400 level must be approved for graduate credit and appear in the Graduate Catalog in order to be listed or used toward the graduate program.

*Seminar Paper or Thesis
Non-thesis degree option
If you seeking the Master of Arts non-thesis option degree, or the Master of Education degree, one seminar or research paper is required as determined by advisor. The seminar paper title page (only) must be filed in the College of Education, Graduate Studies Office by published deadline for the semester in which you intend to graduate. Check with the professor directing the seminar paper for their deadline on the draft. The title page of the seminar paper must be submitted in a specific format, which includes signature lines for the professor directing the seminar paper and the advisor

Thesis degree option
Request the appointment of the thesis defense committee by filing the Nomination of Thesis or Dissertation Committee Form. Be sure to include a copy of your Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval letter approving your human subjects’ research.
The Graduate School formally approves and appoints the committee to which the student defends the final thesis or dissertation. This form must be submitted by the deadline in the semester in which the student intends to graduate, or six weeks prior to the final oral defense, whichever is sooner to the College Graduate Studies Office. An oral defense may not be held without the formal approval of the committee by the Graduate School. Committee construction must meet the Graduate School criteria. All members of the Thesis Committee must be physically present in the examination room during the entire defense and during the committee's private deliberations following the examination. Participation by telephone is not permitted under any circumstances. While re-affirming this policy, the Graduate Council approved a policy to permit remote participation by video teleconferencing under the following circumstances:

Permission to conduct a remote-participation defense must be obtained by the thesis chair from the Graduate School in advance. In making this request, the chair must indicate in writing that he or she has read the rules for a remote defense listed below.
A competent video technician must be present at both the University site and the remote location for the entire duration of the defense in the event that technical difficulties arise.
Only one remote site may be used during the defense.
The candidate and the committee chair must both be present in the examination room. Neither may be at the remote site.
The department/program must pay for all of the costs of the video teleconferencing arrangements.

Announce your Oral Defense by contacting Val Foster via email (vfoster@umd.edu) to request a room reservation and submit the Oral Defense Flyer.

Note: Refer to the Graduate Catalog for Graduate School requirements applicable to all master’s degrees.

Based on the approval of the Nomination of the Thesis Committee, the following forms will be generated and provided to your advisor or Program Graduate Coordinator (Carol Scott, cscott18@umd.edu) for your defense meeting.

Report of Examining Committee Form - Signed by members of the committee and held by the Chairperson of Carol Scott until the revisions to the thesis are satisfactorily made. The Report Form is due on the same deadline as the thesis.
Interim Report Form - This form is due on the same deadline as the dissertation and must be submitted to Carol Scott (cscott18@umd.edu)
Electronic and Thesis Publication Form - Must be submitted to Carol Scott immediately following your defense, documenting the outcome of the defense meeting.Follow the Graduate School formatting standards of the on-line Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Style Guide.

*Additional Requirements

Satisfy any provisional admission condition.
Be sure there is an official transcript of all undergraduate degree course work taken elsewhere on record in the Graduate School, Graduate Student Services Office, Room 2123 Lee Building.
Be sure that you are admitted under the degree option that you intend to earn. If you need to change your degree objective please file the Degree Change Form.
Stay within the 5-year time-frame awarded to complete degree requirements. If you go beyond the 5-year time frame, be sure to request an extension the semester prior to your time-out date. If course work goes beyond the 5-year time-frame, a revalidation request must be included with the extension request.
Complete all course work and any requirements of the program to which you are admitted.

PhD and EdD Steps to Graduation

*Doctoral Program Plan
Immediately following admission a Doctoral Program Plan is developed with the advisor. The completed form, signed by the student and the program advisor is forwarded to the College of Education. A final copy of the MAPF is required prior to completion of 21 credits. Doctoral Approved Program Form.

*Satisfactory Progress
Graduate students admitted to the Graduate School, College of Education, must make satisfactory progress in meeting programmatic requirements, must demonstrate the ability to succeed in his or her course of studies or research, and must attain performance minima. The College of Education has set the minimum satisfactory progress requirements. Please note that your program requirements and deadlines may exceed those established by the Graduate School and/or College of Education. The satisfactory progress requirements for master’s students are available in the Progress to Degree for the Doctoral Degree: Expectations for Completion document.

*Registration
Continuous registration is required each semester (including the summer session if you are advising with your adviser, using University facilities, or graduating in August). If newly admitted, register in the semester of admission in order to validate your admission.Registration is required in the semester of graduation, including one of the summer sessions if graduating in August.

*Comprehensive Examination
A comprehensive examination is required of all doctoral students, after completion of the appropriate coursework. The doctoral comprehensive examination may not be taken until an approved program of study is on file with the College Graduate Studies Office. The individual departments in the College of Education determine what constitutes a comprehensive examination. Students should check with their advisor when to schedule the comprehensive examination.

*Admission to Candidacy
Applications for admission to candidacy are accepted after the satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examination. Candidacy applications receive final approval by the Graduate School on the 1st of each month, and are due by the 25th of the month prior. The time-limit for degree completion for doctoral students is a total of nine-years, with a maximum of five-years for admission to candidacy. The Graduate School requires doctoral students to be admitted to candidacy 6 months prior to graduation. Doctoral students admitted to candidacy will automatically be registered for full-time enrollment of 6-credits of 899 “Doctoral Dissertation Research”, by the University each fall and spring semester.

*Dissertation Proposal
The dissertation proposal meeting is held and attended by at least 3 faculty members, with the intent that the same faculty members will become part of the final defense committee. Students should discuss with their advisor who the proposal committee members should be. Committee members may change, with advisor approval, prior the request for the formal appointment of the defense committee. The purpose of the proposal is to grant approval of the topic for the dissertation study.
Please obtain the Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Approval form prior to your proposal meeting, and present it at the proposal.

* Nomination of Thesis or Dissertation Committee
Request the appointment of the dissertation defense committee by filing the Nomination of the Thesis or Dissertation Committee Form. The Dean's Representative Role Form is to be submitted along with the Nominaton Committe Form. Be sure to include a copy (just a coversheet) of your Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval letter approving your human subjects research.

The Graduate School formally approves and appoints the committee to which the student defends the final thesis or dissertation. This form must be submitted by the deadline in the semester in which the student intends to graduate, or six weeks prior to the final oral defense, whichever is sooner to the College Graduate Studies Office. An oral defense may not be held without the formal approval of the committee by the Graduate School. Committee construction must meet the Graduate School criteria. All members of the Thesis Committee must be physically present in the examination room during the entire defense and during the committee's private deliberations following the examination. Participation by telephone is not permitted under any circumstances. While re-affirming this policy, the Graduate Council approved a policy to permit remote participation by video teleconferencing under the following circumstances:

Permission to conduct a remote-participation defense must be obtained by the thesis chair from the Graduate School in advance. In making this request, the chair must indicate in writing that he or she has read the rules for a remote defense listed below.
A competent video technician must be present at both the University site and the remote location for the entire duration of the defense in the event that technical difficulties arise.
Only one remote site may be used during the defense.
The candidate and the committee chair must both be present in the examination room. Neither may be at the remote site.
The department/program must pay for all of the costs of the video teleconferencing arrangements.

The members of the Dissertation Examining Committee should receive the dissertation at least ten working days before the scheduled defense. Should the Dissertation Examining Committee deem it reasonable and appropriate, it may require submission of the dissertation more than ten working days in advance of the defense.

*Semester of Graduation
Please file the required forms by the published deadlines in the College of Education website. Please keep in mind that all forms must be signed by the advisor and program approved, prior to submission.

Apply for graduation. No approval is required.
Refer to the Graduate Catalog for Graduate School requirements applicable to all doctoral degrees.
File the Nomination of Thesis or Dissertation Committee form, if not already filed (see above).
Announce your Oral Defense by contacting Val Foster via email (vfoster@umd.edu) to request a room reservation and submit the Oral Defense Flyer.

Report of Examining Committee Form - Signed by members of the committee and held by the Chairperson or Carol Scott until the revisions to the dissertation are satisfactorily made. The Report of the Examining Committee form acts as documentation that all requirements for the degree have been met. If any other requirements are outstanding (i.e. internship completion, papers, coursework, etc.) the Chairperson should not release the Report of the Examining Committee form until all requirements are met for the degree.
Interim Report Form - This form is due on the same deadline as the dissertation and must be submitted to Carol Scott (cscott18@umd.edu)
Electronic and Thesis Publication Form - Must be submitted to Carol Scott immediately following your defense, documenting the outcome of the defense meeting.Follow the Graduate School formatting standards of the on-line Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Style Guide.
Report of the Examining Committee Form

* Surveys
The required Graduate School Doctoral Student Surveys are available on-line.

The College of Education will request graduates to file an Exit Survey. In the semester of graduation, graduates will receive, by e-mail, instructions and passwords in order to file the survey on-line. This survey information is used to determine how education programs can be improved. Your participation in the survey is important to the College as it enables us to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, this survey gives you the opportunity to assess your professional competence and to evaluate the University of Maryland's performance in preparing this important endeavor.

*International Students
If you are a graduating international student, and are on an F-1 Visa, you must comply with Sevis Regulations, monitored by the International Education Services Office on campus. As part of the regulations, you must file the F-1 Exit Plan Form before you complete your program requirements. This form will require your advisor's signature.

*Additional Requirements

Satisfy any provisional admission condition.
Be sure there is an official transcript of all prior degree course work taken elsewhere on record in the Graduate School, Graduate Student Services Office, Room 2123 Lee Building.
Be sure that you are admitted under the degree option that you intend to earn. If you need to change your degree objective please file the Degree Change Form.
Stay within the 9-year time-frame awarded to complete degree requirements. If you go beyond the 9-year time frame, be sure to request an extension the semester prior to your time-out date.
Complete all course work and any requirements of the program to which you are admitted.