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.