Requirements and checklists for master's and education specialist programs

The Program of Study is a formal list of courses a student intends to complete to fulfill the requirements of the degree and should consist solely of courses directly related to the master's degree.

Full-time students must file their programs before the end of their second semester of graduate study, and part-time students must do so upon the completion of nine credit hours. The Program of Study should be prepared by the student in consultation with the major professor and supervisory committee. The Program of Study must be approved by all committee members and the head of the academic unit. It is then submitted to the Graduate School for approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Program of Study Guidelines

These guidelines should be followed when preparing a program of study:

1. A master's degree requires a minimum of 30 hours. Some programs require additional hours.
2. Course titles, curriculum codes, course numbers, credit hours, and semester taken should be listed on the program of study exactly as they appear on the transcript. Credits that were earned more than six years prior to the semester in which the program of study is approved cannot be accepted. Research hours should be listed as a total, not by semester.
3. Students completing a master's report are required to complete a maximum of two hours of report credit. Students completing a master's thesis are required to complete six to eight research hours. Note carefully the minimum and/or maximum number of research hours required by your degree.
   1. Master's report 2 hours
   2. Master's thesis 6-8 hours
4. No course in the student's major area may be at the 500 level. The use of 500-level supporting courses is restricted to 6 credit hours.
5. No more than 3 hours in problems or other individualized courses may be applied in a 30-hour program or no more than 6 hours in problems or other individualized courses in a program of more than 30 hours.
6. Courses designated as deficiencies at the time of admission cannot be used on a Program of Study. (Please refer to the admission letter sent to you by the Graduate School for deficiencies designated by the department.)
7. Of the 30 to 32 credit hours normally required for the master's Program of Study, at least 18 hours should be at the 700-level or above. This includes the research hours required by the thesis and report options.
8. Normally 10 hours of graduate course work from an accredited university may be included as transfer credit on a Program of Study, provided the course work was not part of another degree. The Graduate School may grant exceptions to this limit when justified by inter-institutional collaborations. Students must receive an A or B in courses to be transferred and the courses must not have been taken more than six years prior to the semester that the program is approved. If a transfer course is to be taken in the future, the semester should be noted on the program of study. Official transcripts showing courses and grades for transfer credit must be on file in the Graduate School before a Program of Study can be approved.
9. Students pursuing a second master's degree may apply up to six hours of credit from the first master's degree to the Program of Study of the second degree.
10. If any course work on the Program of Study is more than six years old at the time of the final examination, the examination will normally include a section covering material relevant to the outdated courses.
11. If changes need to be made to a Program of Study or the committee after approval by the Graduate School, a Program/Committee change form must be completed. Unless there are extensive changes, a new revised Program of Study does not have to be submitted.

Common Problems

When your Program of Study cannot be approved, either because it violates Graduate Council guidelines or because you have not satisfied certain prerequisites, both you and your committee are confronted by delays and extra work. In an effort to help you avoid such problems, here are some common reasons Programs of Study are returned:

1. A course listed may not have been taken for graduate credit, may not have an incomplete or grade below a C and cannot be more than six years old.
2. There are too many credit hours of problems or other individualized study courses listed. A 30-hour master's program may include no more than three such hours.
3. The Program of Study fails to meet the rule that 18 hours must be at the 700-level or higher for a master's degree.
4. The Program of Study includes deficiency courses.
5. Courses listed do not match those appearing on the student's transcript. Course titles, numbers, curriculum codes, and credit hours should appear exactly as they appear on the transcript.
6. The Program of Study does not have all required signatures of the student, supervisory committee, the department head, or group chairperson or not all committee members listed are members of Graduate Faculty.
7. The Graduate School has not received official transcripts for all transfer courses, or transcripts show that the courses in question do not qualify for transfer credit.
8. There is no indication on the Program of Study if research activities involve the use of human subjects, radioactive materials, live vertebrates, or bio-hazardous materials.

Master's thesis

A master's thesis presents the results of an original investigation of a problem or topic approved by the candidate's supervisory committee. Its purpose is to demonstrate the candidate's ability to conduct original research of a type appropriate to the academic discipline, to analyze the information obtained from the research, and to present the results in a form acceptable to the supervisory committee.

Master's report

A master's report is generally shorter than a thesis, and it may present the results of a more limited original investigation. Alternatively, it may review the state of a particular scholarly or scientific problem, or especially in the case of professional programs or applied disciplines it may describe a project appropriate to the discipline.

General information

Candidates who undertake a thesis or report should allow at least 10 working days for review by the major professor and the supervisory committee and for making any necessary revisions before proceeding to the final examination.

With unanimous approval of the supervisory committee, a student majoring in Modern Languages may write a thesis or report in a language other than English, provided that the language is clearly appropriate to the subject matter.

The candidate must provide a copy of the thesis or report to each member of the supervisory committee and all members of the committee must certify that they have received acceptable copies of the thesis or report before a final examination can be scheduled. A copy of the thesis or report must also be available at the examination.

Following a successful final examination, the candidate must provide an electronic copy of the thesis or report to the Graduate School. Theses and reports submitted to the Graduate School must be in final and acceptable form, incorporating any revisions required by the supervisory committee. The final electronic copy must also conform to the stylistic guidelines adopted by the academic unit and to the physical requirements established by the Graduate School.

Candidates pursuing a master's degree must successfully complete a culminating experience that verifies the student’s competence to synthesize information across the student’s program of study. The culminating experience will occur after the student has completed the program of study and other Graduate School requirements (or during the term in which the candidate intends to complete them).

The Supervisory Committee is responsible for administering the culminating experience and must include at least 3 graduate faculty members. The majority of the Supervisory Committee must vote in favor for the student to pass his/her defense (a tie vote is a failure).

• For students pursuing a thesis or report option, the culminating experience shall be a defense of the thesis or report.
• For students pursuing a coursework only degree, the experience may be an interpretation of scholarly work, a test of the student's understanding of the field or other culminating experiences. It is the responsibility of the academic unit to provide culminating experience guidelines for each coursework-only master’s degree that the department offers. Examples could include concerts, portfolios, final written or oral examinations, case studies, or whatever the program deems appropriate.

Candidates writing a thesis or report cannot schedule their final examination until the supervisory committee certifies that a satisfactory copy of the document has been presented. The candidate must file with the Graduate School an Approval for Final Examination Form signed by each member of the committee. By signing this form, the faculty member indicates only that the form of the thesis or report is acceptable for review and that a final examination may be scheduled. Signing does not imply that the content of the thesis or report is satisfactory. When the examination has been scheduled, the Graduate School will send a final examination ballot and an ETDR ballot to the major professor and notify all members of the committee regarding the time and place in writing. The major professor or co-major professors is responsible for obtaining signatures on the ballot from all committee members.

Final examinations should also be scheduled so as to give the supervisory committee at least two weeks to review the thesis.

• Preference is for final examinations to be given on the Manhattan campus. However, arrangements can be made for the master's student and the supervisory committee to conduct the defense via video conference.
• The student must work with their major professor or co-major professors and graduate program director to arrange a physical location for the on-campus faculty members. On-campus faculty members should participate in the same location.

Complete the following requirements within the timeframes listed.

Before completing 9 hours of coursework

• Review the following materials:
  • The Graduate Handbook
  • Departmental handbook (Copies of departmental handbooks or other documents outlining specific program requirements can be obtained from the graduate program director.)
• Complete prerequisite/deficiency requirements, if applicable. Students request the advisor to submit a letter to the Graduate School stating the prerequisite/deficiency requirements noted on the admission letter have been completed.
• Select a major professor.
• Select a supervisory committee. A minimum of three graduate faculty, including major professor serve as the supervisory committee. Check with the major professor or department head to determine if there are departmental or program requirements regarding composition of the supervisory committee. If a faculty member from another university is appointed, a vita is required. Approval from the Dean of the Graduate School must be obtained prior to submission of Program of Study.
• Prepare a program of study in consultation with the major professor. Coursework-only students will choose the following program option (subject to the approval of your department or program):
  • Non-thesis / non-report: A minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit in course work only, but including evidence of scholarly effort, such as term papers or production of creative work.
  • Note: Some master's degrees require more than 30 hours. Follow departmental guidelines on number of required hours and course work requirements.
• Submit the Program of Study to the Graduate School:
  • Schedule meeting with the supervisory committee to discuss the Program of Study and research, if applicable. Obtain supervisory committee members' signatures on the approved Program of Study. It is suggested to provide a copy of the proposed Program of Study to the supervisory committee prior to the meeting.
  • Submit the original of the approved Program of Study signed by all members of the supervisory committee, the major professor, the department head or graduate program director, and the student to the Graduate School.

After completing 9 hours of coursework

• If changes need to be made to the Program of Study, submit a Program/Committee Change form to the Graduate School.

Semester of intent to graduate

• Submit the "Approval to Schedule Final Examination" form signed by the major professor, department head or graduate program chairperson, and all committee members to the Graduate School at least 10 working days prior to the examination.
  • Note: You must be enrolled the semester you take your final examination and graduate.
• Complete the Graduation Application in KSIS.
• Submit the final examination ballot to the Graduate School after signatures of the supervisory committee have been obtained. Retain one copy for personal file and give the major professor one copy.
• Complete online registration IF participating in commencement.
• Complete online exit survey and K-State Alumni Association information.
• Clear all financial obligations with university for transcript and/or diploma release. Pay appropriate fees to the Cashier's Office in Anderson Hall.

Complete the following requirements within the timeframe listed.

Before completing 9 hours of coursework

• Review the following:
  • The Graduate Handbook
  • Departmental handbook (Copies of departmental handbooks or other documents outlining specific program requirements can be obtained from the graduate program director.)
• Obtain and review copies of departmental handbooks or other documents outlining specific program requirements from the graduate program director.
• Complete prerequisite/deficiency requirements, if applicable. Students request the advisor to submit a letter to the Graduate School stating the prerequisite/deficiency requirements noted on the admission letter have been completed.
• Select a major professor.
• Select a research topic in consultation with the major professor if completing the thesis or report option.
• Select a supervisory committee. A minimum of three graduate faculty, including major professor serve as the supervisory committee. Check with the major professor or department head to determine if there are departmental or program requirements regarding composition of the supervisory committee. If a faculty member from another university is appointed, a vita is required. Approval from the Dean of the Graduate School must be obtained prior to submission of Program of Study.
• Prepare a program of study in consultation with the major professor. The program of study form can be downloaded from this website. Choose one of the following program options (subject to the approval of your department or program):
  • Thesis: a minimum of 30 hours of graduate credit including a maximum of 6 to 8 hours of master's thesis research credit.
  • Report: a minimum of 30 hours of graduate credit including a maximum of 2 hours of master's report credit.
  • Note: Some master's degrees require more than 30 hours. Follow departmental guidelines on number of required hours and course work requirements.
• Identify compliance requirements regarding research for notation on Program of Study.
• Submit the Program of Study to the Graduate School:
  • Schedule meeting with the supervisory committee to discuss the Program of Study and research, if applicable. Obtain supervisory committee members' signatures on the approved Program of Study. It is suggested to provide a copy of the proposed Program of Study to the supervisory committee prior to the meeting.
  • Submit the original of the approved Program of Study signed by all members of the supervisory committee, the major professor, the department head or graduate program director, and the student to the Graduate School. The Program of Study should be submitted after completing nine hours of graduate credit and no later than the semester prior to graduation.

After completing 9 hours of coursework

• If changes need to be made to the Program of Study, submit a Program/Committee Change form to the Graduate School.
• Approval of Proposal for a thesis or report, if required by the program. Follow specific departmental guidelines for preparation and presentation of the proposal. Follow departmental timelines for submission of proposal to the supervisory committee.
• Obtain approval form from Institutional Review for Use of Human Subjects and/or Animals, or other compliance requirements, if applicable, prior to collecting data. Please Note: If using human subjects or animals you will need to complete the Training and Educational Modules for Researchers. This is mandatory for IRB approval. Please refer to the University Research Compliance Office for more information and to complete the training modules. This applies to all research projects.
• Collect and analyze data, if applicable.
• Write thesis or the report, if applicable, following departmental guidelines and formatting specified by the Graduate School.

Semester of intent to graduate

• Provide members of the supervisory committee a copy of the thesis or report a minimum of 10 working days prior to the scheduled defense.
• Submit the "Approval to Schedule Final Examination" form signed by the major professor, department head or graduate program chairperson, and all committee members to the Graduate School a minimum of 10 working days prior to the examination. Submit a copy of the abstract and abstract title page. The Graduate School will send notification via email if the degree requirements have been satisfied.
  • Note: You must be enrolled the semester you take your final examination and graduate. The number of hours needed for enrollment will depend upon your employment status with the University.
• Complete the Graduation Application in KSIS.
• Complete online commencement registration if participating in commencement.
• Submit the final examination ballot to the Graduate School after signatures of the supervisory committee have been obtained. Retain one copy for personal file and give the major professor one copy.
• Make revisions to the thesis or report based on feedback obtained from the committee. Work closely with the major professor in preparing the final copy of the electronic thesis or report.
• Submit electronic thesis or report. View electronic submission guidelines at Electronic Theses, Dissertations, and Reports.
• Complete online exit survey and K-State Alumni Association information.
• Clear all financial obligations with university for transcript and/or diploma release. Pay appropriate fees to the Cashier's Office in Anderson Hall.