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General Degree Requirements

Number of Credits Required for a Graduate Degree

A minimum of 30 credits is required for completion of a graduate degree at MSUM. In either Plan A or Plan B at least one-half of the credits (exclusive of thesis or Plan B project requirements) must be earned at the 600 level.

Specific program requirements are given in the "Graduate Programs" section of this Bulletin. Once admitted to a graduate program, the student will, in consultation with a program advisor, develop a preliminary plan of study which will meet the specific standards of the program, as well as the general requirements for all Master's and Specialist degrees.

Residence and Transfer of Credit

Residence requirement. At least one-half of the semester credits constituting the minimum requirements for the master's or specialist degree or graduate certificate must be completed through registration at Minnesota State University Moorhead in offerings by its faculty.
Courses taken before admission to graduate program. Nine semester credits for a master's or specialist degree or one-half (up to eight) of the credits required of a graduate certificate program may be taken at MSUM in a Graduate Special status before admission (full standing or provisional) to a graduate program. At least 21 semester credits for a master's or specialist degree program or one-half of the semester credits required for a graduate certificate, must be taken after program admission.
Transfer from other Minnesota State Universities. Courses from another Minnesota State University may be transferred to a graduate master's degree program or a graduate certificate program based on the following: Up to 1/2 of the minimum course credits (not including project, thesis, internship, or practica credits) required for a master's or specialist degree may be transferred to an MSU Moorhead degree program with the approval of the graduate coordinator of the program involved.

Up to 1/2 of the minimum credits required for a graduate certificate may be transferred to an MSU Moorhead Certificate program upon the approval of the Graduate Certificate program coordinator.
If more than one graduate institution was attended previously to admission to MSU Moorhead, the student, along with the advisor, will determine which credits will be transferable but no more than 1/2 of the minimum course credits will be allowed.
An official transcript from each graduate institution from which the student wishes to transfer credits must be given to the records Office; the advisor will notify the records office which transfer credits are approved by the program and they will be added to the MSU Moorhead transcript. This will apply to credits transferred upon initial admission to MSU Moorhead as well as any credits taken after admission. But in no case may the total transfer credits be more than 1/2 of the minimum degree or certificate requirements.
The Records Office monitors degree requirements and will certify that all graduate degree requirements are met before commencement.

Transfer from Tri-College University. Courses approved for registration through the Tri-College University are transferred upon approval of individual programs. A 600 course from NDSU cannot be transferred to an MSU Moorhead degree program because NDSU transcripts state that these courses are not graduate level.
Transfer from other accredited institutions. If a student transfers to an MSU Moorhead master's or specialist degree or graduate certificate program after attending an accredited graduate institution (other than a Minnesota State College and University campus), a maximum of nine (9) semester credits may be accepted in transfer from other accredited institutions. This must be approved by the program coordinator.
Other requirements. A grade of A or B is required in any courses to be included in a master's or specialist degree program or graduate certificate program and not taken at this university. No "P" or "S" grades may be transferred. Individual programs may approve credits with grades of A or B (not pass/fail) in workshops or in special in-service courses. No more than 1/6 of the required master's degree or graduate certificate credits may be counted from workshop or special in-service courses. Some continuing education courses from MSU Moorhead may be counted towards the master's or specialist degree or graduate certificate requirements. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the program coordinator and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Any course transferred from other institutions (within, or outside of, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System) must meet the seven year time limit (or five years for Counseling and Student Affairs) for completion of the degree.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Transfer Credit Policy.

Transfer of doctoral level courses into the student's program of study can include course work that substitutes for required courses or meets the requirements of elective course work. All course work to be considered for transfer into the DNP program must be at the doctoral level from regionally accredited academic institutions and must be completed after the student is admitted into the Minnesota Consortium DNP program.
Students must submit a formal request for transfer of credits to the Program Management Committee (PMC) after approval from the student's academic advisor. The request must be submitted prior to enrollment in the course and include a course description and syllabus. Final approval of courses to be transferred into the student's plan of study will be made by the PMC. A maximum of four (4) credits can be transferred into the student's plan of study.

Students must submit a formal request for transfer of credits to the Program Management Committee (PMC) after approval from the student's academic advisor. The request must be submitted prior to enrollment in the course and include a course description and syllabus. Final approval of courses to be transferred into the student's plan of study will be made by the PMC. A maximum of four (4) credits can be transferred into the student's plan of study.

GPA Requirement for Continuation in Good Standing in Graduate Programs

Master's and Specialist Students

Students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale to be continued in a graduate program. A student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on probationary status for the next semester for which the student enrolls. An official letter will be sent by the Dean of Graduate Studies to notify such students that they are on probation. The record will be reviewed by the student's Graduate Program Coordinator and by the Dean of Graduate Studies and a remediation plan will be developed. During the probationary semester, a minimum of 3.0 GPA must be achieved as well as the satisfactory completion of the remediation plan. A student's failure to satisfactorily complete the remediation plan and achieve a 3.0 in the semester following the probationary semester will result in suspension from the graduate school. Satisfactory academic progress is monitored by the financial aid and the records Office. The Graduate Studies Office will be notified at the end of each academic semester, of those students who do not meet continuation standards and who have been placed on probation. The Graduate Studies Office will be in contact with the program coordinator to initiate the proceedings for the remediation plan.

A student may appeal any of the decisions if the outcome(s) affect the student's academic or financial aid status. Graduate students follow procedures for Programmatic Appeal as outlined on p. 21.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Students

A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required to progress and graduate from the DNP program.

A grade of B is the minimum passing grade for each course. If a student does not receive a minimum grade of a B in any DNP course, the student will not be allowed to progress to the next courses in the plan of study until the failed course is repeated and completed with a passing grade. Students are allowed to repeat a failed course only once during the academic program.

A grade of incomplete may be granted at the discretion of the lead instructor for the course. Students must submit a request for a grade of incomplete prior to the end of the respective course. The student may not progress into subsequent courses until a satisfactory grade is submitted by the lead instructor for the uncompleted course. Remember that an "I" grade changes to an F at the end of the next semester.

If a student is required to repeat a course for academic reasons, a formal request to repeat the failed course and to continue the program with a new cohort of students must be submitted to the PMC. A request to continue the DNP program with a new cohort must also be submitted to the PMC by students who receive a grade of incomplete in any course and who are not able to complete course requirements prior to the following semester.

Comprehensive and Oral Examinations and Research

In all graduate programs, a final integrating experience which assesses the body of knowledge that has been acquired through the course work and research is required. No degree is granted simply as the record of the accumulation of appropriate courses with adequate grades. The form of the final requirement differs among degree programs, but always includes an oral discourse. In it, the examining committee discusses the thesis or project research, the creative endeavor, or the integrating paper, and assesses the student's mastery of the several components of the degree course work.

Comprehensive Examination

Candidates in most MS and the Specialist in School Psychology must demonstrate competence in the major field in a comprehensive examination. The exam is normally taken at the completion of the course work and prior to undertaking the research component of the degree program. The major department or program will determine the nature of the examination which must be satisfactorily completed and reported to the Graduate Studies Office on Form 3 before the oral examination on the research component can be scheduled. A student who fails the comprehensive examination may appeal through the appropriate department to repeat it during a subsequent term. A second failure will result in termination of the degree program enrollment.

Oral Examinations

Master of Science: For either Plan A or Plan B the thesis or project must be defended in a final oral examination.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing: Students completing the MFA will present a final oral discourse to their thesis committee on their thesis and critical introduction, as well as give a public reading based upon their creative thesis.

Master of Liberal Arts: Students completing the MLA will present the written results of their research or creative work under MLA 610 rubric, an integrating paper, as the basis for a final oral discourse.

Specialist in School Psychology: Oral exam based on the final portfolio.

Research Components

Thesis Research (Plan A): Master of Science Degrees

A part of the program of every Master of Science or Master of Arts degree candidate under Plan A is the demonstration of ability to do individual, independent work of a creative or investigative kind in an area related to the major field through the preparation of a thesis. The thesis will be supported by the work represented in 4 hours of registration in Thesis 699, but not more than 4 hours of 699 may be counted in satisfying the minimum requirements for an advanced degree under Plan A. Credit hour registration in a given term may vary with the nature of the study, according to the department or area, and on the previous agreement between the student and the advisor for expected research effort and adequate supervision.

Project (Plan B): Master of Science, Specialist Degrees

Students enrolled in a Master of Science degree program under Plan B complete a 2-credit project which will integrate the studies included in the individual's program. The project must be approved by the major advisor and department. There are three exceptions to this requirement. Exceptions are listed below.

1. The Curriculum and Instruction degree requires a Plan B Field Research Project (4 credits).

2. The School Psychology Specialist degree also requires a Plan B project (the Specialist Portfolio).

3. The Education Specialist in Educational Administration requires a Plan B project (4 credits).

Research Involving Human Subjects

If research is to involve human subjects, the research plan or project will be reviewed by an approved university procedure to assure the protection and rights of those subjects and the procedure established for obtaining informed consent. Research of this type may not be initiated until it has been approved by an examining committee and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Forms are available online. Allow at least four (4) weeks for IRB approval.