Master’s Degree

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Advisory and Examining Committee

Upon admission to graduate standing, students are assigned a temporary Advisor by the graduate program. Until an Advisor is assigned, the Graduate Program Director functions as the Advisor. By the end of the second semester, the student must select a permanent advisor and submit a Declaration of Advisor form to the Graduate School. For MFA students, the Declaration of Advisor form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of the third semester. In some programs, students must designate an Advisor and Co-Advisor (see your Graduate Program Director for more information). The permanent advisor chairs the student’s advisory/examining committee and works with the student to appoint the remaining members of the student’s advisory/examining committee, which along with the Graduate Program Director, supervises the student’s course of study and examinations.

Committee Composition

Thesis advisory/examining committees consist of a least three (3) members of the Graduate Faculty. All committees must include at minimum these three (3) members:

1. Committee Chair,
2. one (1) faculty members employed at UNR or DRI with graduate faculty status in the student’s Master’s program,
3. one (1) Graduate School Representative who is a member of the faculty who has no appointment or whose appointment is less than 25% FTE in the same department (or other major unit where a department structure does not exist) as the committee chair and who does not have graduate faculty status in the student’s graduate program. In case of interdisciplinary graduate programs, the Graduate School Representative must not have a significant appointment (25% FTE or higher) in the same department (or other appropriate major unit) as the committee chair, but may have graduate faculty status in the program. The Graduate Program Director of an interdisciplinary graduate program cannot serve as the Graduate School Representative on advisory/examining committees within the same interdisciplinary graduate program.
4. Optional Additional Members may include faculty from any UNR department with graduate faculty status or another institution provided they are approved to serve on advisory/examining committees.

The Committee Chair may be a different faculty member than the student’s primary advisor, as determined by the program or department (school, college). The committee chair must hold graduate faculty status in the student’s Master’s program. The Graduate School Representative must be a faculty member at UNR and a member of the graduate faculty. In no instance may the Graduate School Representative be an immediate family member, domestic partner, spouse or romantic partner to the chair or any other member of the advisory examining committee. The existence of any such relationships between other members of the examining committee, including the chair, must be disclosed to the student and to the committee chair when the composition of the committee is being determined. If such a relationship among other members of the examining committee is not disclosed when the committees is formed, the student and the committee chair may decide to replace one of the committee members who is part of the relationship. The student’s advisory/examining committee is subject to approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.

A faculty member from another institution from a relevant discipline or profession may be appointed as members of the Graduate Faculty if this faculty member will serve on advisory/examining committees on a recurring basis. Established processes for graduate faculty appointments must be followed, see Graduate Faculty Policy, Section III.

A faculty member from another institution may serve as a member of a specific student’s advisory/examining committee on a non-recurring basis provided the faculty member has a record of distinction. Members of the student’s advisory/examining committee will decide if the prospective member is an appropriate addition to the committee. The Dean of the Graduate School must approve them as a committee member who will have voting rights as part of the committee. This person can serve as committee member, but is not eligible to serve as Graduate School Representative. The person is eligible to serve as co-chair of the committee if the other co-chair is a member of the graduate faculty who is employed at UNR or DRI.

Non-thesis/project-based committees consist of at least two (2) faculty members. This is typically the advisor and Graduate Program Director unless otherwise specified by the program.

Course-based only committees consist of the Graduate Program Director.

The Role of the Advisory/Examining Committee Members

The role of the graduate committee is to provide guidance and mentoring to the graduate student with respect to their graduate education. This includes guidance on selection of courses, i.e. the program of study, guidance on the knowledge requirements for their discipline, and guidance with respect to the development of their research expertise, i.e. their thesis or culminating paper or project, and professional standards. By providing guidance and mentoring, the graduate committee sets forth appropriate academic standards and rigor.

All committee members should be afforded the opportunity to provide guidance as defined above under the role of the graduate committee (program of study, applicable examinations, professional paper, thesis/dissertations). The degree of guidance on these matters from the Graduate School Representative may vary depending on how closely the Graduate School Representative is allied to the student’s area of specialization.

The Role of Graduate School Representative Committee Members

The Graduate School Representative shall contribute their expertise and counsel to the advisory-examining committee like any other committee member. The Graduate School Representative also protects the interest of the student, the advisory committee, and the Graduate School. The Graduate School Representative assures compliance with Graduate School regulations and procedures, and reports any deviations from prescribed standards to the Graduate School. The Graduate School Representative should act as an “unbiased person” to whom the Graduate Dean may turn for judgment and counsel. The Graduate School Representative must participate in all examinations, written or oral.

The Graduate Dean reserves the right to veto the appointment as a Graduate School Representative if in the preceding three (3) years the faculty member has not complied with Graduate School regulations and procedures, or has failed to report any non-compliance while serving as a Graduate School Representative.

Following the final examination and/or oral defense, the Graduate School Representative should either:

1. Sign the form without comment, or
2. Sign the form and note that a letter to the Graduate School Dean will follow (with copies to the Committee).

The Graduate School Representative may wish to comment on:

1. The appropriateness of the committee;
2. The adequacy of the study, paper or project;
3. The appropriateness of examination questions and procedures;
4. The quality of the student’s performance.

Whereas it is important for the Graduate School Representative to alert the Graduate School about possible reservations about the thesis, professional paper or project report, these issues should be brought to the attention of the Graduate School as soon as possible, ideally prior to the final examination and/or oral defense.

Program of Study

Graduate degrees require an approved Program of Study, which describes the student’s specific plan of courses, research, and related activities, to the extent that they are associated with enrollment in specific courses. The graduate student’s advisor/committee chair, the Graduate Program Director, and the advisory/examining committee determine the program of study for each degree candidate. This includes the culminating experience or capstone requirement (e.g., thesis, comprehensive exam) and the acceptable courses for completion of the degree. The Graduate Dean has final approval of the program of study. Only graduate courses are applicable toward the graduate degree. Graduate courses are those numbered 600-799. The Program of Study form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of the student’s third semester in the Master’s program. In case of students who are pursuing a Master’s degree as part of an accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program or students completing dual Master’s degrees, the Program of Study form must be submitted in the semester preceding the semester in which the student plans to complete their degree program.

Changes

Subsequent changes may be made at any time via the online Change in Program of Study Form or Change of Advisory Committee Form, but only with the approval of the major advisor, Graduate Program Director, and the Graduate Dean.

It is the responsibility of the student and the advisory/examining committee to ensure that the graduate courses in the proposed program of study are consistent with the requirements of the Graduate School and the program.

Additional Courses

The student’s advisory/examining committee may require the student to take additional courses if, in its opinion, additional training is needed to achieve the expected level of proficiency. Students should consult individual programs to determine the specific requirements for completing the Master’s degree through either a thesis or non-thesis program.

Program of Study Course Limitations

A maximum of twelve (12) graduate semester units completed prior to admission to a graduate program may be applied to a Master’s degree program of study. These units are subject to the approval of the advisory committee, the Graduate Program Director, and the Graduate Dean. Units completed during the semester in which the student is approved for admission are exempt from the twelve (12) unit graduate special limitations. All graduate units completed from a relevant University of Nevada, Reno graduate certificate may be applied to a Master’s degree program of study.

S/U Grades: A maximum of six (6) graduate course work satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) units may apply towards a Master’s degree, excluding the S/U units allowed for the comprehensive examination, professional paper or thesis units. For graduate courses, a grade of “S” indicates achievement equivalent to a “B” or above. The grade of “U” represents performance equivalent to a “B-” or below.

Thesis units: While students may enroll in more, a maximum of six to ten (6-10) thesis units may be applied to a Master’s degree. A student may re-enroll in thesis units to satisfy the minimum enrollment policy. A grade of S/U will be assigned for each thesis enrollment indicating satisfactory academic progress.

Extension Courses: Graduate units earned through extension courses are not accepted for transfer unit.

Professional Courses: Generally, course work from a professional degree (i.e. Medicine, Law) is not considered graduate level and is not accepted for graduate units.

Degree Description and Requirements

Thesis Programs

In a thesis program, a minimum of twenty (20) units of acceptable graduate courses in addition to six to ten (6-10) thesis units are required for a total of approximately thirty (30) units. Minor exceptions to the thirty (30) unit requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will require justification based on best practices. At least eighteen (18) of those units must be earned in on-campus courses at the university. Any transfer units from another institution must be requested via the online Credit Transfer Evaluation Form and approved by the student’s advisory committee, the Graduate Program Director, and the Dean of the Graduate School. At least nine (9) units (excluding six (6) thesis units) in the program must be at the 700-level.

Non-Thesis Programs

The program of study requires the satisfactory completion of at least thirty (30) units of acceptable graduate courses. Non-thesis programs may include a culminating experience such as a professional paper, professional project or equivalent which could include, when required by the program, a comprehensive examination. Minor exceptions to the thirty (30) unit requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will require justification based on best practices. Non-thesis program that are course-based, and which do not include a culminating experience must require at least thirty (30) units of acceptable graduate courses, and are not eligible for exceptions. At least eighteen (18) units must be earned in courses offered by the University of Nevada, Reno. At least twelve (12) of the thirty (30) units earned must be at the 700-level.

Professional Paper Grading

Professional papers (XXX-796), as a culminating event of a graduate program akin to a thesis or dissertation, is not graded until the student completes the graduate program and a satisfactory grade is recorded on the Notice of Completion Form. If a student registers for professional paper units and does not complete the paper by the end of that semester, an “I” is recorded on the transcript. The student is not required to enroll in additional professional paper units once he/she has enrolled in the requisite number of units for the degree. When the student completes the paper and a notice of completion is filed, Admissions and Records will replace the “I” with an “S” grade. Students may not receive more units of XXX-796 than are required for the degree.

Time Limitation

All work toward a Master’s degree (transfer units, units completed at UNR prior to admission (i.e. grad special units), course work units, thesis units, if applicable, and all examinations) must be completed within six (6) calendar years immediately preceding the granting of the degree. The Graduate School will entertain an extension, normally not to exceed one (1) year or one-third of the course units required for the degree. Requests for extensions must come from the major advisor with the concurrence of the Graduate Program Director, and be based on an academic or humanitarian rationale for the delay in degree completion.

Program Options for Master’s Degrees

Major Programs: A minor is not required. In a thesis program, at least 18 of the 24 units must be in the major field of study. In a non-thesis program, at least 24 of the 30 units must be in the major field of study. Units may be selected in any department with the approval of the advisory committee.

Specialization and Emphases: Degree programs may include subdivisions such that students within the same degree programs take different curricula.

Specializations are subdivisions of degree programs that include 9 credits or more credits that is different from coursework in other subdivisions within the same degree program. The specialization name will appear on transcripts.

Emphases are subdivisions of degree programs that include fewer than 9 credits that are different from coursework in other subdivisions within the same degree program. The emphasis name will not appear on transcripts.

Major-Minor Programs: In a thesis program, at least 12 of the 24 graduate units must be in a major field of study, with at least six (6) units in a minor field. The minor may be in a different program, or it may be in a second division of the major program. The major program has the responsibility of approving the candidate’s minor program. Any units not required for the major or minor may be selected in any department with the approval of the advisory committee. Generally, such units are chosen to support the candidate’s thesis. In a non-thesis program, at least 15 of the 30 graduate units must be in a major field of study, with at least eight (8) units in a minor field.

Second Master’s Degree: Students may pursue up to two Master’s degree programs simultaneously. To simultaneously pursue two Master’s degrees, the student must be formally admitted to graduate standing in both programs. Two (2) separate advisory committees with different chairs are required with no more than one (1) graduate faculty member belonging to both committees. A maximum of twelve (12) graduate units earned in one Master’s program may be applied toward a second Master’s degree.

Thesis Regulations

Each student must have an outline of the thesis approved by the advisory/examining committee. Following this approval, the student is expected to complete the thesis in a manner satisfactory to the committee. Upon completion, all theses must be made publicly available through the University Libraries (ScholarWolf) or ProQuest to further the university’s mission of research and scholarship. Submitted theses must comply with all accessibility requirements of the University.

Registration for Thesis

A Master’s degree candidate who is in a thesis program must complete a minimum of six (6) units of thesis. The Graduate School requires that a student must enroll in a minimum of three (3) thesis units each semester to remain in good standing while completing thesis work (minimum enrollment requirement).

All thesis enrollments will be graded on an S/U basis. Satisfactory or unsatisfactory progress will be recorded on the transcripts for each thesis enrollment. Enrollments in thesis units are not counted in grade-point average computations. A maximum of six (6) thesis units can be applied toward degree completion. Students may exceed six (6) units of thesis enrollment to satisfy minimum enrollment requirements. Upon graduation, the transcripts will be validated for the requisite number of thesis units required to show a minimum of six (6) earned units of thesis enrollment.

Dates for Submission of Thesis

The final date for submission of the thesis is available on the Graduate School website. Program approval is required for all extensions and must be submitted to the Graduate School by the established deadlines. Contact the Graduate School for details.

Format and Copies for Archival

Electronic Thesis/Dissertation formatting and submission Guidelines are available online. Submitted theses must comply with the accessibility requirements of the University.

Publication and Abstract

Master’s students are required to publish the abstracts of their theses through ScholarWolf and ProQuest. ProQuest does not have a word limit on the abstract. ProQuest does publish print indices that include citations and abstracts of all dissertations and theses published by ProQuest/UMI. These print indices require word limits of 150 words for Master’s theses (only text will be included in the abstract). You may wish to limit the length of your abstract if this concerns you. The abstract as submitted will NOT be altered in your published manuscript. Please also refer to the Graduate School website for important information about filing your thesis.

Comprehensive Examinations

Comprehensive examinations are designed to ensure that the student has attained a reasonable proficiency level in the chosen field of study. At the Master’s degree level, examinations, when required by the program, are administered by the program after most of the course work is completed. In consultation with the major advisor, the student registers for a comprehensive examination course on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. All committee members of the advisory/examining committee may review the examination, which must be completed satisfactorily before the student files for degree candidacy. If a student receives a “U”, in order to receive units for the comprehensive exam, at the discretion of their advisory committee, the student must re-enroll for the comprehensive exam in a subsequent semester. The advisory committee has the option of assigning a grade of “I” (Incomplete) which allows the student to complete the requirement by the end of the subsequent semester (excluding summer). Receiving a “U” after the second/subsequent semester (excluding summer) is grounds for dismissal.

Final Oral Examination

Programs may require Master’s degree candidates to pass an oral examination. Students should consult with their individual programs for details. Programs have specific regulations that apply when a student’s performance is not satisfactory on the final oral examination. An advisory/examining committee may allow the student to retake the examination, it may recommend that the student be placed on probation, or it may recommend that the student be dismissed from the program, consistent with the applicable academic standing and dismissal policy. These recommendations are made to the Graduate Dean.

Programs may require a final oral examination as part of the defense of a thesis, professional paper or written project report or as part of their comprehensive exam. At the end of the exam the student is excused and the committee members deliberate on whether the student has demonstrated sufficient command of the subject material to pass the examination. If the advisory/examining committee consists of three (3) or fewer members of the Graduate faculty, all members must vote in the affirmative for the student to pass. If the advisory/examining committee includes additional faculty members, a student will pass the oral examination with three (3) or more affirmative votes, if a majority of the committee votes in the affirmative. Both the committee chair and the Graduate School representative must vote in the affirmative for the student to pass. The student will be informed immediately of the outcome. In case of the defense of a thesis, professional paper or written project report, written feedback will be provided to the student within one week specifying any changes that must be made to the document before it can be formally approved, and the date by which those changes must be completed. The same procedure applies in case of a comprehensive examination where the program allows students to make revisions before a comprehensive examination document can be formally approved by the advisory/examining committee. The committee chair will be responsible for informing the student whether the revisions are accepted or rejected.

Graduation

The Application for Graduation must be purchased and completed through MyNEVADA. This application is non-refundable and non-transferrable. Students should review all contact and personal information at this time. The program of study form should be on file with the Graduate School prior to applying for graduation. Graduation application deadlines are:

• March 1 for May Graduation,
• June 1 for August Graduation,
• October 1 for December Graduation

Catalog Year

A student enrolled at a NSHE institution may elect to graduate under:

• the catalog of the year of initial admission/enrollment in a graduate-level program,* or
• the catalog of the year of graduation.

Under exceptional circumstances a student’s advisor may petition the University to award an alternative catalog year.

Whichever catalog is used, it cannot be more than 6 years old for a Master’s program at the time of graduation.

*Students in good standing who leave their program may later return to it with their former catalog year if that catalog is less than 6 years old for a Master’s program.

NSHE institutions do not guarantee the awarding of a degree based upon the unchanged requirements of a particular catalog. Periodic revisions of degree requirements are made because of advances in knowledge, changes in occupational qualifications or the expectations of accrediting authorities. If such revisions have occurred, the college may require a reasonable adherence to the degree requirements of a recent or current catalog.

Degrees, diplomas or certificates may not be granted unless all university requirements are fulfilled. A degree, diploma or certificate that is awarded in error, or upon fraudulent claims, will be revoked immediately and the student’s record will be corrected accordingly.

Consult the Graduate School website for Important Dates to submit additional required graduation materials to the Graduate School, including the Notice of Completion. Failure to submit degree completion materials by the deadline will result in removal from graduation processing. If removed from December graduation processing or if an applicant does not complete all degree requirements by the specified deadline for the semester for which they applied, a new graduation application must be purchased according to the established deadlines. The graduation applications are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

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