Graduate School
Bonham House
Phone: 513-529-3734
www.muohio.edu/graduateschool/
Master's Programs: General Requirements
Since each department or division may have special requirements for any program it offers, you must be aware of those requirements as well as the requirements of the Graduate School. Specific program requirements are listed in the Fields of Study chapter.
A minimum of 30 semester hours is required for all master's degrees, but several programs require more. Many departments offer both thesis-type and course-type master's programs, with the student's objectives and abilities determining which type of program they may pursue. Both types allow between six to 12 hours of research or research-and-thesis credit. Some departments or divisions may require candidates to perform research, teaching, or equivalent services as a part of their degree requirement.
Examinations
Note: To be eligible to take the final examination for a master's degree, a graduate student must have a 3.0 grade point average or better and may not have grades of incomplete.
A preliminary examination is optional, but a final degree examination is required in all graduate programs except for the Master of Accountancy and the Master of Business Administration. The final examination, written, oral, or both, must be given in the semester in which the candidate completes the work for the degree, and no later in the semester than 10 working days before graduation. In a thesis-type program, the thesis must be approved before the final examination is administered.
The typical examination committee for either a thesis or non-thesis program is comprised of at least three members of the Graduate Faculty; two represent the student's major department and the third member represents the minor department (if applicable), the major department, or the Graduate School. The director of the thesis for a thesis-type program must have Level A standing of the Graduate Faculty.
If the committee is larger than three, there can be no more than one dissenting vote to pass the examination.
Students who fail the first final examination may be given a second examination to be taken no earlier than the next semester or summer session. No third attempt is permitted.
Thesis
The department determines whether students will follow a thesis-type or course-type program. Thesis credit ranges between six to 12 hours for a 30-hour program. A department may increase the thesis hour credit to more than 12 in order to equal the number of hours the program exceeds 30.
Format and style used by leading professional journals or style sheets in each discipline or professional field or A Manual for Writers by Kate L. Turabian serves as a guide for the thesis.
As of August 2001, all students submitting a thesis must deposit it electronically. Before beginning to write, you chould obtain instructions for mechanics and procedures from the Graduate School. Your thesis must be electronically deposited at www.OhioLink.edu/etd/submit2 at least 10 working days before commencement. The only paper submitted to the Graduate School will be the original signature/title page on 25% cotton paper.
Residence Requirement
At least one-half of the minimum semester hours required for the master's degree must be earned on the Oxford campus. For the Master of Education and the Master of Business Administration degrees, residence credits may be earned on Middletown and/or Hamilton campus or at other off-campus centers approved for residence credit.
Transfer Credit
Up to one-third of the semester hours required for the degree may be transferred toward the master's degree. Courses cannot be older than five years at the time the master's degree is awarded. The procedure for transferring courses is discussed elsewhere in this Bulletin.
Course Level Requirement
A master's degree student must present at least 12 semester hours earned at 600-level or above. A student seeking the M.Ed., the M.A. in an education field, or the M.A.T. in an education field, however, must complete at least 15 semester hours at 600-level or above.
Time Limit
Work for a master's degree must be completed within five calendar years (e.g., students beginning master's programs in 2003 must complete their programs by December 2008). Partial credit may be given for graduate courses completed at Miami University that are between five and 10 years old, but such credit must be gained by way of petition to the appropriate divisional petitions committee.
Second Master's Degree
With the approval of the department, a student who has been admitted to a second master's degree program may apply a maximum of 10 semester credits from a first master's degree earned at an accredited graduate school toward the second master's degree, provided the work is not more than five years old at the time the second master's degree is awarded.
If a thesis was presented for the first degree, it may not be used for the second degree. The same degree title may be earned in two different areas of study.
Specialist in Education: General Specialist in Specialist in Education:
General Requirements
The Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) degree is designed for those with bachelor's degrees who want to prepare for a career in school psychology and for those who are certified school psychologists who wish to upgrade their training.
Information on the Ed.S. in school psychology is in the educational psychology section.
Doctoral Programs:
General Requirements
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is awarded in the departments of botany, chemistry and biochemistry, educational leadership, English, geology, history, microbiology, political science, psychology, and zoology. The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is awarded in the Department of Educational Leadership. Students entering these doctoral programs must fulfill the following requirements, as well as those established by the department(s) involved.
Students with a 3.0 grade point average for their baccalaureate degree may be admitted directly to a doctoral program if recommended by the department.
The degree Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Education will not be granted to a member of the Miami University faculty or staff who holds rank above instructor.
Effective July 1, 1970, a recipient of a Miami doctorate is ineligible for employment as a faculty member at Miami, unless that person has been employed elsewhere for at least three years and has gained significant achievement since receiving the Miami degree. Those who received a doctorate or were already enrolled in a doctoral program before this date are exempt from this regulation.
Ph.D. Requirements
A doctoral program normally requires three to five years post-baccalaureate work and generally includes three stages.
First stage ends when you receive a master's degree or earn the equivalent credit (30 semester hours) with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
Second stage includes fulfillment of departmental requirements and successful completion of your preliminary comprehensive examination.
Third stage comprises research and seminars, preparation of your dissertation, and your final examination.
Program Requirements
Each program has unique characteristics and may have standards higher than the minimum established by the Graduate Council. It is your responsibility to be informed of the standards and requirements by consulting with the graduate adviser or department chair.
Credit Hour Requirements
Admission to the third stage requires a minimum of 30 hours of post-master's credit. A minimum of 16 semester hours and a maximum of 60 hours may be given for the dissertation at the discretion of the department.
A minimum 3.0 grade point average is required for work on the doctorate.
A minimum of 60 semester hours beyond the master's degree (or its equivalent) is required. Forty-eight hours must be earned at Miami University.
Transfer Credit
Up to 12 hours of graduate credit may be transferred toward the doctoral degree. Courses may not be more than seven years old at the time the comprehensive examination is taken. The procedure to transfer courses is described elsewhere in this Bulletin.
Residence Requirement
A residence period of two consecutive semesters of full-time post-master's registration on the Oxford campus is required for a doctoral degree. Registration for 12 graduate hours during summer terms is considered a semester for residency purposes. (The residency requirement may be different for the Ed.D. See "Ed.D. Requirements" at the end of this section.)
Full-time study for the residence requirement is defined as follows:
- • Students with graduate appointments must meet registration requirements of their award for two consecutive semesters.
- • Students without graduate appointments must register for at least 12 graduate credit hours for each semester of the academic year.
Language Requirement
Each department determines its own foreign language requirements, if any.
The language requirement is fulfilled in one of three ways: passing an examination on material within the field (conducted by the appropriate language department at Miami); passing the national Graduate School Foreign Language Test; or successfully completing the sequence of intensive reading courses in French, German, Latin, or Spanish that are specifically oriented to graduate students.
Preliminary (Comprehensive) Examination
Note: To be eligible to take the preliminary (comprehensive) examination, a graduate student must have a 3.0 grade point average or better and may not have grades of incomplete.
To be admitted formally to candidacy for the doctorate degree, you must pass a preliminary examination that qualifies you for further work and research.
You must pass this examination within seven years after completing your first doctoral-level course. It is a two-part examination: written and oral. You must take the oral part within four weeks after taking the written part.
Your examination committee, approved by the Graduate School dean, is made up of at least five members of the Graduate Faculty with four members from your major department. The fifth member, from outside your department, also votes and participates in the oral part of your comprehensive examination. Four of the five members must approve for you to pass the examination. If your committee is larger than five, there can be no more than one dissenting vote for you to pass the examination.
If a student does not pass the examination, the committee may grant permission for a second examination under conditions stipulated by the committee. A second examination may be taken no earlier than the next semester or summer session.
Dissertation Prospectus
After passing the comprehensive examination and being admitted to candidacy, present the prospectus for your dissertation to the committee (in many cases the comprehensive examining committee) who will conduct your final examination later.
Dissertation
The Doctor of Philosophy is primarily a research degree. You must demonstrate your capacity for independent research by writing an original dissertation on a topic within your major field of study. The subject of your dissertation must be reported to the doctoral committee at the time of your preliminary examination.
A minimum of 16 hours is required for dissertation research, and a maximum of 60 hours may be applied toward the semester hour requirement for the degree.
Before beginning to write, you should obtain instructions for mechanics and procedures from the Graduate School. Generally, format and style used by leading professional journals in your field or A Manual for Writers by Kate L. Turabian serves as a guide. Check your writing format early with the Graduate School to avoid any delay. A final format check and approval by the Graduate School are required before your dissertation is accepted and electronically deposited.
As of August 2001, all students submitting a dissertation must deposit it electronically. Your dissertation must be electronically deposited at www.OhioLink.edu/etd/submit2 at least 10 working days before commencement. The only paper submitted to the Graduate School will be the original signature page on 25% cotton paper.
Doctoral dissertations are microfilmed by University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan. When you submit your dissertation and abstract, you sign an agreement to give University Microfilms the right to make and sell microcopies. (Microfilmed dissertations may be copyrighted.) Your abstract will be published in Dissertation Abstracts issued monthly by University Microfilms.
Final Examination
Note: To be eligible to take the final examination for the doctoral degree, a graduate student must have a 3.0 grade point average or better and may not have grades of incomplete.
A final examination to evaluate your dissertation work and competence in your field is conducted by an examining committee consisting of at least four members of the Graduate Faculty (your dissertation director, two readers, and a member from outside your department). Three of the four members must approve your dissertation and final examination for you to be awarded the degree. If your committee is larger than four, there can be no more than one dissenting vote on your examination. All members have responsibility for the conduct of the examination and must also certify the fairness of the examination. All Graduate Faculty are eligible to participate in the examination.
The final examination must be passed and the dissertation must be deposited in King Library no later than five calendar years after your admission to candidacy. The deadline to deposit the dissertation is at least 10 working days before the commencement when your degree is awarded. Any exception may involve further examinations or course requirements.
Note: Students entering graduate programs August 2001 or later must submit their thesis or dissertation electronically. More information is available from the Graduate School, 513-529-3734, or online at www.muohio.edu/graduateschool/.
Special Committee Doctoral Degree (Interdisciplinary Degree)
The Graduate School can authorize a special committee to supervise a doctoral program for a student whose needs cannot be met within an established program.
You must be accepted into a doctoral-degree-granting department, establish at least one semester of full-time graduate work, and then submit a proposal for a special committee degree. You may be admitted directly or enter the program later. At least 12 semester hours must be remaining in your program when your special committee degree proposal is submitted.
You should check with the Graduate School and faculty with whom you are interested in working. Special committee members can be from nondoctoral departments and must have Level A standing of the Graduate Faculty. Your course of study may vary from normal departmental requirements as long as it is approved within the established procedures of the department.
Your one-page proposal should include:
- 1.Names of two faculty members, in addition to your major professor(s), who will supervise your course of study.
- 2.Explanation of why your needs cannot be met within existing programs and why the special committee degree program is needed.
- 3.Proposed course of study.
- 4.Your committee's recommendation for an examination procedure that assures adequate in-depth coverage.
After your proposal is endorsed by your three committee members and department, it is submitted to the Graduate School.
Ed.D. Requirements
The Ed.D. is available only in the Department of Educational Leadership.
Although the general requirements listed for the Doctor of Philosophy apply to the Doctor of Education, the latter is specifically designed for students professionally oriented to a career in the field of education. Advanced research courses, therefore, may vary from those pursued in other fields, and the program may be considered more appropriate to those especially interested in public education.
Residency requirement for the Ed.D. may consist of three consecutive summer sessions of two terms each, with a normal registration for six credits per term on the Oxford campus, and continuous registration in each intervening fall and spring semester until the degree is earned. You must contact the chair of the Department of Educational Leadership to arrange for this plan of residency.
Certificate Programs:
General Requirements
The Graduate School offers certificate programs in ecology, gerontology, molecular biology, software development, women's studies, and zoology. These programs, described in the Fields of Study chapter, are available to students who have been admitted to the Graduate School and have met program prerequisites.
