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Degree Requirements

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to candidacy is a major step in fulfilling the requirements for a master's degree. Students' records will be reviewed to determine eligibility for advancement to candidacy. Students must:

1. Be fully admitted.
2. Complete the first 12-18 credits of coursework with a GPA of at least 3.25. Should the required GPA not be attained, advancement to candidacy will be denied.
3. Remove all marks of Incomplete (I).

Students must be advanced to candidacy before enrolling in the capstone course (PUAD 704).

Capstone Course (PUAD 704)

Students must successfully demonstrate graduate skills in their area of study by completing a written comprehensive examination and professional paper. To qualify for this 16-week capstone course (PUAD 704) students must have:

1. Completed at least 30 graduate credits of core coursework.
2. Advanced to candidacy.
3. Maintained a minimum GPA of 3.0.
4. Removed all marks of Incomplete (I).

The capstone course will be offered in both Spring and Fall terms. The 16-week course will be divided into two parts with the comprehensive exam in the first four weeks (part one) and professional paper written in the remaining twelve weeks (part two). If students fail to complete either portion of the capstone course, they are eligible to retake that portion. Students who fail for the second time to complete either portion of the capstone course may appeal in writing to the director, Graduate Programs for a final attempt. This appeal must be made within 30 days of notification of the second failure. Incompletes can only be given after satisfactory progress with 60 percent of course completion and will be rarely granted for the seminar paper portion of the capstone course. See chart for further details:

Graduation

Students must apply for graduation through the MyUMUC portal by the published deadlines. (See Diploma, Graduation, and Commencement section.)

Last updated: 8 July 2011