Admission to Degree Candidacy
To be admitted to degree candidacy, the applicant must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.000 on a 4.000 scale for all graduate courses completed at Slippery Rock University, be unconditionally admitted to graduate studies, and meet all specific departmental program admission requirements.
After being unconditionally admitted to graduate studies and meeting departmental requirements, a student must file an Application for Degree Candidacy unless enrolled in physical therapy. The application must be filed after the completion of a minimum of six and a maximum of 12 graduate credits. The Application for Degree Candidacy may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Admissions or a graduate coordinator. It includes a program sequence planned by the student with the assistance of an advisor.
Students who have not been approved for degree candidacy and have earned 12 graduate credits (18 graduate credits for students in Counseling and Development) will not be permitted further registration until this requirement has been met. Grades earned by graduate students in undergraduate courses are not included in the grade point average calculation.
Comprehensive Examination
A comprehensive examination or evaluation may be required of candidates in accordance with policies determined by the student’s major department or school. The comprehensive examination or evaluation must be completed by the deadlines set by the department.
Research Requirements
Candidates for a graduate degree must demonstrate the scholar’s approach to the acquisition and analysis of information in a field of specialization. Advisors welcome imaginative research proposals.
Both thesis and non-thesis programs require research. Students should confer with an advisor or the program coordinator for detailed information concerning research requirements for specific degrees and majors. Students conducting research involving human subjects are required to follow the guidelines and obtain the required approvals of the SRU Institutional Review Board for the protection of human subjects.
Students pursuing a thesis program should contact their academic advisor concerning research after completing about one-half of the degree coursework. The advisor will assist the student with the necessary steps (such as preliminary selection of a topic and arranging for the appointment of a committee) to proceed. Graduate students receive considerable guidance in the preparation of a thesis.
Three bound copies of the thesis will become the property of Slippery Rock University. Additional copies may be required by the program’s department.
Students pursuing a non-thesis program are required to do research in conjunction with specific courses and may be required to complete an internship.
Second Master’s Degree Requirements
In order to qualify for a second master’s degree, regardless of where the first degree was earned, the graduate student must:
Successfully complete a minimum of 18 semester hours of credit at Slippery Rock University beyond the first master’s degree.
Apply no more than 12 semester hours of credit from the first degree toward requirements for the second degree.
Meet departmental requirements for the degree with respect to the required semester hours of credit and courses for a major in that department.
Complete all requirements for the degree, including all credits accepted from the program of the first degree, within the six-year statute of limitations.
Satisfy all incompletes prior to graduation.
Meet all other Universtiy requirements for graduation and be in good standing.
Semester Hours of Credit
A minimum quality point average of 3.000 and between 30 and 60 semester hours of approved graduate credit and other individual program requirements are required for a master’s degree. To assure a balanced and comprehensive program, additional hours may be required or desired by the student. Completion of the semester hour requirement does not in itself entitle one to receive a degree, and the university is not obligated to confer a degree upon completion of the required credit hours.
Additional degree program and university graduation requirements may apply. Requirements vary among programs; therefore, the student should check with graduate coordinators for specific degree or certificate requirements. Physical Therapy, for example, has requirements different from other programs as noted in the Graduate School of Physical Therapy Student Manual.
Application for Graduation
A student is responsible for submitting an official Application for Graduation and Inclusion in Commencement Program, and for fulfilling all requirements for the degree in accordance with the regulations of that program and the university.
Students who meet all graduation requirements in a given term but fail to apply for graduation or pay their graduation fee before the semester ends will be graduated at the end of the semester in which their application/payment is recorded in the Office of Academic Records and Summer School, not the term during which they completed their coursework.
Students must meet all graduation requirements by the official end of the semester in which they have applied to graduate. Failure to do so (e.g., incomplete grades in any course, “X” grades in required courses, no application) will result in extending the student’s graduation date to the end of the term the work or requirement is eventually completed.
The official Application for Graduation and Inclusion in Commencement Program form may be obtained from the student’s graduate coordinator, the office of Graduate Admissions, or on-line at www.sru.edu/graduate under Graduate Student Forms. The completed application should reach the Office of Academic Records and Summer School by October 1 for December graduation, March 1 for May graduation, and June 15 for summer graduation. The diploma fee must be prepaid in the Office of Student Accounts or accompany the application.
Application for Certification
Students who meet requirements for certification in school counseling, reading, secondary education, environmental education, special education or school supervision must file the proper application with the dean of education and pay the processing fee in order to acquire the professional certificate in the area of specialization. Contact the appropriate department for application due deadlines.