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Graduation Degree Requirements, Step-By-Step

Master of Arts, M.A. (non-thesis option) or
Master of Education, M.Ed. (non-thesis only)

Immediately following admission, students should be aware of and/or complete the following.

• Satisfy any provisional admission condition.
• Be sure there is an official transcript of all undergraduate degree course work taken elsewhere on record in the Graduate School, Graduate Student Services Office, room 2123 Lee Building.
• Request the transfer or inclusion of any course work that you may have taken from:
  • an outside institution
  • the Advanced Special Student Status
  • another department on campus
    
  (if you changed your admission from one department to another)

  Transfer credit older than 5 years of the degree program at the University of Maryland must be revalidated by the department. Coursework beyond 7 years of the degree program at the University of Maryland may not be used.

• Be sure that you are admitted under the degree option that you intend to earn.
• Maintain a 3.0 g.p.a.
• Register every semester (including the summer session if you are advising with your adviser, using University facilities, or graduating in August). If newly admitted register in the semester of admission, in order to validate your admission.
• Take and pass the required research course, EDMS 645, for College of Education students.
  If a student has taken an equivalent course previously, the student may ask if the advisor would support a request for an equivalency review by the EDMS Department.
  Consult your advisor regarding the EDMS 645 requirement, if you are a student enrolled in an area that leads to initial teacher certification program.
• Stay within the 5 year time-frame awarded to complete degree requirements. If you go beyond the 5 year time frame, be sure to request an extension the semester prior to your time-out date. If course work goes beyond the 5 year time-frame, a revalidation request must be included with the extension request.
• Complete all course work and any requirements of the department to which you are admitted.
• Apply to take and pass the comprehensive examination.
  
• Individual departments in the College of Education determine the requirement of a
  master's non-thesis comprehensive examination. Departments also determine what constitutes a comprehensive examination. Comprehensive examinations are developed and administered by the student's department. Students should check directly with their department for applications, processes, and deadlines.
• Foundational Competencies Policy/College of Education Technical Standards
  All graduate students who are in an approved program leading to initial teacher certification, or advanced certification, in professional preparation programs are expected to demonstrate that they are prepared to work with children and youth in educational settings. This preparation results from the combination of successful completion of university coursework and field/internship experiences and the demonstration of important human characteristics and dispositions that all educators should possess.

  A number of forms must be submitted in partial fulfillment of graduation requirements.

  It is the student's responsibility to obtain and file the required forms by the published deadlines in "Important Dates". When considering deadlines for forms, please keep in mind that all forms must be advisor and departmentally approved, prior to being submitted to the Graduate Student Services Office in Education, so allow extra time to meet the deadlines. You may pick-up the required forms in room 1204 Benjamin Building, or you may obtain the forms on-line .

  The following forms must be filed and approved by your advisor, department, and the Graduate Student Services Office in Education by the deadlines listed in "Important Dates" in order to become a candidate for graduation:

• Application for Graduation
  No approval is needed on this form. Students should apply for graduation on-line by the published deadline.
• Master's Approved Program Form

  The Master of Arts (non-thesis) program must reflect a minimum of 30 credit hours (departments may require more). Of the 30 credit hours, 18 credit hours must be a the 600 level or above, including EDMS 645 (or equivalency form on file).

  The Master of Education program must reflect a minimum of 30 credit hours (departments may require more). Of the 30 credit hours, 15 credit hours must be at the 600 level or above, including EDMS 645 (or equivalency form on file).

  Courses numbered at the 300 level may not be listed or used toward the graduate program. Courses numbered at the 400 level must be approved for graduate credit and appear in the Graduate Catalog in order to be listed or used toward the graduate program. <

Additional Requirements for Graduation

• Seminar Paper
  File the required one seminar paper as determined by advisor by the published deadline for the semester in which you intend to graduate. Check with the professor directing the seminar paper for their deadline on the draft. The title page of the seminar paper must be submitted in a specific format, which includes signature lines for the professor directing the seminar paper and the advisor.
  
• Students must be registered in the semester of graduation, including one of the summer sessions if graduating in August.
• The College of Education will request graduates to file an exit survey. In the semester of graduation, graduates will receive, by e-mail, instructions and passwords in order to file the survey on-line. This survey information is used to determine how education programs can be improved. Your participation in the survey is important to the College as it enables us to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, this survey gives you the opportunity to assess your professional competence and to evaluate the University of Maryland's performance in preparing this important endeavor.
  
• If you are a graduating international student, and are on an F-1 Visa, you must comply with Sevis Regulations, monitored by the International Education Services Office on campus. As part of the regulations, you must file the F-1 Exit Plan Form before you complete your program requirements. This form will require your advisor's signature.

  Important Dates
  Required Forms
  E-mail questions or request a personal Graduation Audit

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