Summary of Procedures for Master's Degrees

The following outline summarizes the Portland State University procedural requirements for master's degrees. Additional requirements may be imposed by specific programs. Additional information can be found in the Graduate Studies section of the Portland State University Bulletin 2009-10 pages 59-73. See the Graduate Candidates' Deadlines available in the Office of Graduate Studies.

Steps marked with *** are required for every master's degree.

1. Apply for admission about six months prior to the beginning of the term for which admission is requested. Check with the specific department about the deadlines. Note that you must apply to both the university and department separately.
2. Prior to registration, become familiar with general regulations and procedures for the master's degree as described in the Bulletin.
3. Prior to first term registration, meet with faculty adviser assigned by program director and plan a preliminary program of study.
4. If graduate courses taken while an undergraduate at PSU and not used in the bachelor's degree are to be considered for use in the graduate program, the Reservation of Graduate Credit form (GO-10) must be filed in the Office of Graduate Studies no later than the term following admission to a graduate degree program; we encourage students to file this form before graduation with the baccalaureate degree. (Valid only for courses completed at PSU, limited to 12 credits maximum.) Reserved credits are also subject to all pre-admission limits and requirements.
5. If pre-admission credit (courses taken at any regionally accredited institution before the term of formal admission to the PSU graduate degree program) OR transfer credit (courses taken at any time from another regionally accredited institution) is to be included in the master's program of study, the Proposed for Master's Pre-admission and/or Transfer Credit form (GO-21) must be filed in the Office of Graduate Studies for approval. It is strongly suggested that this form be submitted early in the student's program; it must be approved before the GO-12 can be approved.
6. If admitted with University Conditional and/or Department Conditional status, meet all conditions. Department must submit a Request for Change of Status form (GO-7) to remove Department Conditional status. University Conditional status will typically be removed after completion of the first 9 letter-graded graduate credits after admission with a 3.00 GPA or higher. University and Department Conditional status are converted to Regular status independent of each other, and usually not at the same time. Students must be in Regular Status to graduate.
7. For an MA or MAT degree, meet the second language requirement. This requirement must be met before the GO-12 (Graduate Degree Program form) or GO-16M (Appointment of Final Oral Examination Committee form) can be approved and before any final exam may be taken. (For more detailed information, see "Options for Meeting the Graduate Foreign Language Requirement for MA and MAT students" on page 70 in the Bulletin.)
8. *** Submit a Graduate Degree Program form (GO-12), planned with and approved by the faculty adviser and signed by the department chair or department graduate committee chair, to the Office of Graduate Studies no later than the first week of the term of graduation. Deadlines are available here.
9. ***Submit the Application for Awarding of Master's or Doctoral Degree form to the Office of Graduate Studies no later than the first week of the term of graduation. Deadlines are available here.
10. A minimum enrollment of one graduate credit is required during the term in which oral or written exams are taken. A thesis student must be registered for at least one credit in every term in which the student is working on any phase of thesis, including data development or collection, writing, revision, defense, and finalization through acceptance by the Office of Graduate Studies.
11. If thesis is to be submitted:
    1. Adviser submits the Appointment of Final Oral Examination Committee form (GO-16M) approximately two weeks before the end of the term preceding the term of the defense; see the OGS website at http://www.gsr.pdx.edu for specific dates. The chair of the thesis committee must be regular, full-time PSU instructional faculty, tenured or tenure-track, assistant professor or higher in rank; the other committee members may included adjunct and fixed-term faculty. Two of the committee members (the chair and one other member) must be from the student’s department; the third member may be from the student’s department or may be PSU faculty from another department or OHSU faculty. If it is necessary to go off campus for one additional committee member with specific expertise not available among PSU faculty, a CV for that proposed member must be presented with the GO-16M form; that member must be in addition to the required three PSU faculty members. All committee members must have master’s degrees. No defense shall be valid without a thesis committee approved by OGS.
    2. The thesis defense must take place at least five weeks prior to the end of the term of anticipated graduation and all members must receive a complete copy of the thesis at least two weeks prior to the defense date. For summer term graduation, deadlines apply to the regular eight-week Summer Session dates.
    3. Student must check with the faculty adviser and thesis committee chair to assure completion of requirements prior to final defense.
    4. The final thesis must be submitted to OGS no later than three weeks prior to the close of the term of application for graduation. For details about thesis formatting, submission, and specific deadlines, see the GOS website at www.gsr.pdx.edu. Required formatting revisions must be made before graduation.
12. In the case of a non-thesis final oral examinations, the committee shall consist of at least two members of the student's department, including the student's adviser. At the discretion of the department, a faculty member from another department may be added; that member would be selected by the adviser, the department chair, or the departmental graduate committee chair, according to department policy. For MAT and MST students, one member of the committee is required to be added from the Graduate School of Education or a faculty member with pedagogical expertise in the student's discipline. The oral examination must be scheduled no less than two weeks before the end of the term.
13. If there are any changes in a GO-12 form, a Change in Graduate Degree Program form (GO-13) must be filed.
14. Schedule and pass final master's examinations, if required, at least two weeks before date of graduation.
15. An Incomplete or In-Progress grade in any course, excluding thesis (see #17 below), which is on the approved program (GO-12) must be removed before graduation.
16. All M (Missing) grades in PSU graduate courses that could potentially be letter graded must be removed before graduation, even if the courses are not listed on the student's approved GO-12.
17. *** Adviser is responsible for the completion of the Recommendation for the Degree (GO-17M), which is due in the Office of Graduate Studies after end-of-term grades are posted. In-Progress grades for required thesis credits are changed on the GO-17M form, eliminating the need for the Supplemental Grade Report for these courses. Outstanding grades for all other required courses must be submitted by the instructor directly to the Office of Admissions, Registration, and Records.
18. The Dean of Graduate Studies certifies that all requirements for the degree have been met and recommends the awarding of the degree.
19. The degree is awarded in the Student Information System by the Registrar's Office, which causes a diploma to be produced. Diplomas are available in the Office of Degree Requirements (104 Neuberger Hall) approximately one full term after the degree is awarded. (Please note that commencement is not the same as graduation.)

For specific deadlines for each term, see the Graduate Candidates' Deadlines available on the web and in departmental offices and in the Office of Graduate Studies, Unitus Building, 6th floor.

For the limitations on converting 503 Thesis and 501 Research credits, click here.