Master’s Degree Enroute to Doctoral Degree

Graduate programs have the option of making their master’s degrees available to students pursuing doctoral degrees in the same field without applying for admission to the master’s programs provided the student continues to make satisfactory progress towards the doctoral degree.

A student admitted to a doctoral program may be awarded a master’s degree in the same field as the doctoral program provided that all of the following conditions are satisfied:

• The student does not already have a master’s degree in the same field.
• A Plan of Study for the doctoral program is approved by the student’s advisor, department chair, and the Graduate School.
• The student makes normal academic progress toward the fulfillment of the doctoral degree requirements, consistent with the doctoral Plan of Study.
• A Plan of Study for the master’s degree is submitted in the semester when the student expects to pass the doctoral preliminary exam and is approved by the student’s advisor, the department chair, and the Graduate School. Only courses that are creditable towards the doctoral degree may be included in the master’s Plan of Study.
• The student’s advisor and department chair approves the awarding of the master’s degree and the student submits an application to receive the master’s degree.
• All Graduate School, academic School/College, and Department/Program requirements for the master’s degree are satisfied.
• Unless previously approved by the Graduate School, the master’s degree will be awarded after admission to candidacy.
• The maximum time limit for completion of the doctoral degree remains unchanged.

International doctoral students who are admitted to a PhD program and receive approval from the Graduate School to earn a master’s degree enroute to the PhD must fulfill all requirements for the PhD in order to receive the master’s degree. International students who decide to abandon the PhD program in favor of a master’s degree program with the intention of applying for practical training in the field of the master’s curriculum must apply for and be admitted to the new curriculum at the master’s level at least one semester in advance of the intended change. International students must document the level change in writing from the Graduate School with the appropriate forms in order to be eligible for practical training in that field. Students in F-1 status who transfer to a new curriculum at the master’s level must have a new Form I-20 issued prior to the transfer and should also understand that the PhD I-20 will remain as an “incompleted” program in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The international doctoral graduate student must communicate his/her intentions to the Graduate Coordinator as well as to the Office of International Affairs and receive approval at least one full semester in advance of the change. Failure to do so could result in a violation of non-immigrant status and subsequent ineligibility for any type of employment.