3 - Master's Degree Programs

The Master of Science (MS) degree is awarded in recognition of the successful completion of substantial post-baccalaureate study in a chosen field.

The master's degree requires the equivalent of no less than two semesters of satisfactory graduate work and such additional work as may be prescribed for the degree by the major department. The requirement for a thesis is determined by the department offering the degree. The thesis program consists of at least 30 credit hours, with no more than six semester hours for Research for Master's Thesis (course 5980) included in the 30 hours. The non-thesis program consists of at least 32 hours and a comprehensive examination. Students should consult specific departmental requirements found elsewhere in this bulletin. Credit hours previously presented and counted for one master's degree may not be applied toward satisfying the requirements of a second master's degree, with the exception of approved dual-degree programs.

When permitted by program policy, students who do not hold the master's degree in the doctoral field, have passed the General Examination for the doctoral degree, and do not plan to continue the doctoral program, may be awarded the appropriate master's degree provided they make formal application for the master's degree upon passing the General Examination, meet all program requirements, and secure the recommendation of the major department and approval of the Graduate Dean.

The generic dual degree program will permit students to select from already existing master's degree programs to officially pursue, when appropriate, two master's degrees simultaneously. This program allows students to tailor electives and areas of emphasis to meet their educational goals through the Health Sciences Center and the Norman campus. Students must be admitted to both programs before 12 credit hours of program work are completed in either program. All requirements for the degrees, including research tools, foreign languages, comprehensive examination, thesis, and deficiencies, must be met for both programs. Up to 20% of the total graduate credits required for both degrees may be double counted. The student must graduate with both degrees the same semester.

The accelerated dual degree program establishes a framework of rules by which academic units may offer students the option of earning combined bachelor's and graduate degrees in an accelerated manner. The program allows students with 30 hours of advanced standing credit to earn both the bachelor's and the master's degrees within three to four years of matriculation. Interested applicants should contact the academic programs of interest to design a degree plan.

Because departmental majors do not always provide for the needs of students desiring unusual training or combinations of courses, consideration will be given to proposals for special programs of study leading to the master's degree. The guidelines given below must be followed in implementing this degree program:

1. The student must be admitted in full standing to a graduate program authorized by the State Regents to award a master's degree.
2. The student must submit to the Graduate Dean a written request for approval of a special program prior to the completion of the first 12 graduate hours of enrollment. The request must include: (a) a two-page rationale for the program; (b) a proposed degree designation; (c) proposed courses; and (d) a proposed thesis topic, if the thesis option is chosen. This request must be signed by three graduate faculty members who agree to serve as the student's Advisory Committee. The request will be referred to the Graduate Council.
3. If the proposal is approved by the Graduate Council, the statement submitted under (2) above will constitute the student's program of study. Request for changes must be submitted to the Graduate Dean.
4. The student's Advisory Committee will designate one of its members to be the major professor who will supervise the student in the program and chair the committee. The major field usually will be  the program of the major professor and must be an area in which the University is authorized to award the master's degree.
5. The degree designation and the transcript will reflect the student's major field.
6. The Advisory Committee will be responsible for administering the comprehensive examination or approving the thesis, if the thesis option is chosen.

The acceptance of transfer credit from another institution for a master's degree at OUHSC is determined in accordance with the following criteria:

1. A maximum of 25% of the minimum number of credit hours required for the master's degree may be transferred from other institutions. Eight transfer hours may be accepted in a 30-hour program.
2. An exception to the 25% limit on transfer credit is made for courses taken from an accredited institution through electronic media approved in advance by the department and Graduate College. Residence credit is granted for graduate level coursework taken via electronic media when taught by a member of the University of Oklahoma graduate faculty. A student working toward a graduate degree may be permitted to apply credit earned from other accredited institutions via electronic media in an amount not to exceed 50% of his/her total degree program. In no instance can the total number of credit hours transferred including electronic media, exceed 50% of the degree program.
3. The coursework transferred must represent valid graduate credit earned in graduate level courses from an accredited college or university. Credit earned by advanced standing will not apply toward a graduate degree.
4. The credit must carry a grade of A, B, or S.
5. The credit must be applicable to the degree program.
6. The transfer credit must not be more than six years old at the time of admission to the degree program. In special cases, credit more than six years old may be transferred if recommended and validated by the program and approved by the Graduate Dean. The departmental procedures to validate the student's current knowledge and competency must have the approval of the Graduate Dean.
7. Credit from a professional degree program such as the MD, DDS or DVM may be applied toward a graduate degree as transfer credit, provided that such courses carry a grade of A, B, or S and have been approved for graduate credit by the academic institution of origin.
8. Graduate coursework completed at OU Norman and OU Tulsa is considered residence credit. Upon approval of the department and the Graduate Dean, these hours may be used without limitation as credit toward a master's degree.
9. Credit hours previously presented and counted for one master's degree or certificate may not be applied toward satisfying the requirements of a second master's degree or certificate with the exception of approved dual degree programs.
10. All transfer coursework must be approved by the department and the Graduate Dean. 
11. Transfer credit is considered neutral in computing the University of Oklahoma grade point average for the purpose of determining academic status, probation, and graduation.

A student registered in a master's degree program typically will complete work within six calendar years after the student's first graduate enrollment at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. Programs with shorter time limits have so indicated in the section of this bulletin that refers specifically to their program.

When additional time is necessary and appropriate, the student and advisor will petition the student's program for an extension. The extension may be denied, in which case the student will be dismissed, or it may be granted with qualification. The program must inform the student, advisor, and Graduate Dean of its decision in writing. If the extension exceeds one year, approval by the Graduate Dean is required. Extensions needing approval by the Graduate Dean will require that the department or program unit certify that the student's knowledge will be current and appropriate to the degree at the time the degree is awarded.

Graduate credit taken at the University of Oklahoma or at another accredited university that is to be applied toward a master's degree may not be more than six years old at the time of admission or readmission to the Graduate College. No more than one-quarter of the credit hours (transfer credit and residence credit) applied toward a master's degree can be more than six years old at the time of graduation. To compensate for an expired course, the student should complete a more advanced course on the same topic as the expiring course. The new course must be worth equal or greater hours to the expiring course. If the expiring course carries a letter grade, the new course should also carry a letter grade.  

A student's registration in a master's degree program is terminated upon receiving the degree. To continue studies in the Graduate College, re-application in another graduate degree program or as a special student must be made and approved.

Students are required to file an Outline of Graduate Work within the first year of graduate study. This form serves as the student's guideline for courses needed to complete degree requirements. Once filed, any changes in the Outline of Graduate Work must be explained and documented in writing and consistent with the Admissions to Candidacy form.

Students who are doing satisfactory graduate work may normally be admitted to candidacy for a degree as soon as they have enrolled in sufficient hours for the degree. The MS Request for Candidacy form available from the Graduate College should be filed with the Graduate College at the beginning of the semester in which the student expects to graduate. (Consult the academic calendar for the specific deadline.) Also, at the time the Admission to Candidacy is filed with the Graduate College students should obtain instructions governing the completion of coursework, graduation and thesis preparation, if applicable.

A master's thesis is the product of the candidate's research endeavor. It should be original in the field and must be original for the student. A student writing a thesis should choose a topic and a thesis committee consistent with procedures established by the sponsoring program. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that approval, if appropriate, has been granted from all regulatory offices, i.e., Institutional Review Board for use of human subjects, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee for use of animals, etc.

The committee must consist of a major professor and at least two other OUHSC or OU Norman graduate faculty members as approved by the Graduate Dean. 

If a Proposed Committee Member is a student in an OUHSC graduate program, the following conditions must be met:

• The Proposed Committee Member must disclose to the Graduate College that they are a current student.
• The Proposed Committee Member must have a terminal degree relevant to the thesis.
• The Proposed Committee Member must be sufficiently qualified to serve on the committee without considering coursework, research experience, etc. for the degree that is in progress.
• It is strongly preferred that the Proposed Committee Member have a faculty appointment at OUHC, but others may be considered with sufficient justification.
• The thesis student’s graduate program must provide a justification for why the Proposed Committee Member should serve on the committee.
• If enrolled in a PhD program, the Proposed Committee Member must be admitted to candidacy before serving on the thesis committee.
• Special approval from the Graduate Dean is required.
• If the Graduate Dean approves the Proposed Committee Member, a COI plan must be submitted to the Graduate College. The COI plan must address who else is on the proposed thesis committee, as well as the committee of the Proposed Committee Member who is a student.

Initial enrollment in 5980, Research for Master's Thesis, must be for at least two hours. Subsequently, each graduate student must maintain continuous enrollment during each semester in at least two hours of 5980 until the requirements for the degree are completed or candidacy for the degree is terminated. Enrollment in 5980 during the summer session is required if work is being done on the thesis.

The continuous enrollment requirement will be waived for a student who is not working on the thesis but enrolled in full-time coursework. However, if thesis work is being done, a student must enroll in 5980 regardless of the number of other hours of enrollment. Exceptions to the continuous enrollment requirement will be considered on an individual basis by petition to the Graduate Dean.

The faculty advisor will determine the number of 5980 credit hours for each enrollment on the basis of the amount of faculty and University services and resources required by the individual student, but each enrollment will be for two or more hours. A student working full time on the thesis and using University facilities should be enrolled as a full-time student during regular semesters and the summer session. See the Enrollment section in this bulletin for information on full-time enrollment requirements. Such enrollments must be completed during the regular registration period.

An enrollment of less than full time requires the signature of the student's major department chairperson as well as the faculty advisor.

A graduate student who does not comply or has not complied with the enrollment provisions above must enroll during the semester in which graduation is expected in the exact number of hours of 5980 that would have been completed under continuous enrollment. In addition, a late enrollment fee must be paid for each of those semesters. The Graduate College and the Office of Recruitment and Admissions shall determine the number of hours of 5980 in which the student must enroll during the final semester of the degree program.

The master’s candidate is responsible for preparing a complete draft of the thesis in compliance with the Graduate College Guidelines for Preparation of the Masters Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation, as well as guidelines within their graduate program. The Reading Copy must be in an acceptable format and must include all figures, tables, numbered pages, and a complete bibliography.

With the approval of the major professor, the student distributes the Reading Copy to each committee member. The student must submit the Report of Reading Copy Submission to inform the Graduate College that the Reading Copy was sent to the committee. The committee reviews the Reading Copy in detail and requests revisions. The student is responsible for making major revisions and seeking the committee’s approval for major revisions before submitting the thesis to the Graduate College. When the following criteria are satisfied, the primary mentor and committee members sign the defense request to demonstrate their initial approval of the thesis reading copy:

1. The thesis is complete.
2. The thesis demonstrates the candidate’s ability to conduct original research and contribute to the discipline, at a level appropriate to the MS.
3. No further research is required.
4. Major revisions have been addressed; only minor revisions are required.

The student must provide enough time for committee members to review the Reading Copy in detail, request major revisions, and review major revisions if needed, before the thesis reading copy is submitted to the Graduate College. The student must submit the defense request and approved reading copy to the Graduate College at least 10 business days before the defense.

The thesis defense is the final examination for an MS with thesis. The defense may be oral, written, or a combination of oral and written. It may be restricted to the defense of the thesis and/or cover the coursework required for the degree.

Defense Request

At least 10 business days before the defense, the candidate must submit the following to the Graduate College:

1. Completed Defense Request Form. The master's candidate will receive this form via e-mail after they file the Report of Reading Copy Submission.
2. Approved Reading Copy. The Approved Reading Copy is a complete draft of the thesis with all major revisions complete. Additional minor revisions may be required after the defense.

Authority for the Defense

The defense must be authorized by the Graduate College. The Graduate College will review the submission and send the Authority for the Defense via e-mail to the student, mentor, and Graduate Program Director in advance of the defense. 

In Person Defense

For programs that require an oral defense of the thesis, the defense must be scheduled for a time when the student and the mentor/committee chair can be physically present at the same location for the defense. It is recommended that all committee members participate in person. The defense should be scheduled far enough in advance to accommodate regular scheduling challenges. However, if a committee member must participate remotely, an exception must be requested from the Graduate College no later than the time the defense request is submitted. If remote participation becomes necessary due to an extenuating circumstance, the Graduate College must be notified promptly. The integrity and significance of the oral examination process must not be compromised by the absence of a sound committee.

Results of the Defense

All members of the committee must sign the Authority for the Defense form and signify whether the examination was satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Either traditional or electronic signatures will be accepted on the Authority for the Defense form.  If traditional signatures are used, the original hard copy must be submitted to the Graduate College. 

The results of the thesis defense must be reported to the Graduate College within 72 hours. A unanimous report from the thesis committee is expected; however, dissenting votes may be cast.  If one member dissents, a minority report must be filed with the Graduate Dean. If the committee consists of three members, of whom two dissent, the performance is graded as unsatisfactory. If the committee consists of more than three members and two dissent, a minority report must be filed and the Graduate Dean will investigate. The Dean's decision will be final. If more than two members cast an unsatisfactory vote, the defense is to be graded unsatisfactory.

Only one attempt is granted in defending the thesis. If the defense is graded unsatisfactory, this decision is final and the defense cannot be repeated. Courses taken prior to failing the thesis defense can count for no more than 25% of the credit hours required for a master's degree at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. These courses must be applied to an academic program other than the one in which the student failed the defense. The student must gain admission to a different program and have the permission from that department and the Dean of the Graduate College to include any courses used for the previous graduate program.
 

The master's candidate is responsible for addressing the revisions requested by the mentor, committee, and Graduate College; securing the mentor's and committee's approval the final thesis; and submitting the final thesis and signatures of approval to the Graduate College through the ProQuest ETD Administrator.

Final Revisions

It is essential that all master's candidates make themselves responsible for the complete and accurate collation of their materials before turning them in to the Graduate College. The final thesis will be published as it is submitted, with no further proofreading.

In particular, if utilizing copyrighted material in the thesis, students must obtain permission from the copyright holder for such reproduction and provide proper citation. Without proper permission and citation, the author of the thesis is liable to prosecution once the thesis has been published. Additional details are available in the Graduate College Guidelines for Preparation of the Masters Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation and the defense request. 

Outcome of the Final Thesis

The thesis committee, including the chair/mentor, is responsible for reviewing the final thesis and determining whether it meets the standards for a master's thesis. All committee members must either sign the signature page indicating their approval of the thesis, or submit a written dissent to the Graduate College. The written dissent must be submitted to the Graduate College along with the final signed signature page. Signature may be electronic or in ink. If signatures are in ink, the original hard copy must be submitted to the Graduate College. If there are dissenting votes, dissents will be evaluated as described for the Thesis Defense.

Deadlines

The final copy of the thesis must be delivered to the Graduate College within 60 calendar days of the oral defense. To graduate in a particular semester, the student must meet the graduate deadlines for that semester, which may require submitting the final copy in less than 60 calendar days. Graduation deadlines are listed on the Graduate College website. For details about maximum time in the program and age of coursework, refer to Section 3.6 below.

If a thesis candidate does not submit the final copy within 60 days, the results of the defense will be set aside, whereupon the student must offer the Graduate College a new reading copy of the dissertation that carries preliminary approval of the major professor. When the committee has accepted this new reading copy, the student may schedule the defense of the thesis, according to the policies and procedures defined above.

Publication of the Final Thesis

Upon receiving the final copy and signatures, the Graduate College will ask the student’s major advisor to confirm that the correct final copy was submitted. The confirmed final copy is uploaded to the OUHSC University Library and published electronically through ProQuest. The final thesis will be published as it is submitted, with no further proofreading.

A comprehensive examination is required of all non-thesis degree candidates seeking a Master of Science degree. At the option of the department, the examination may be written, oral, or a combination of written and oral. Authority to take the Comprehensive Examination must be requested from the Graduate College. The chairperson of the committee must send a memorandum requesting Authority to administer the Comprehensive Examination at least 10 working days prior to the scheduled examination. The Request for the Master’s Comprehensive Examination form must list the examination committee consisting of at least three members of the Graduate Faculty and the requested time and location of the examination.

The examination may be individualized to the student's coursework/program of study or may be a standardized examination for all students in the program. The examination should be scheduled during the semester of the student's final enrollment in coursework. The Authority for the Comprehensive Examination form will be issued if the student has filed an Admission to Candidacy form, is in good academic standing and enrolled in at least two graduate credit hours during the semester the examination is to be taken. All degree requirements are expected to be completed the semester the Comprehensive Examination is administered. Degree completion more than one semester following the Comprehensive Examination may require a second Examination.

Within 72 hours after the examination is complete, the authority form must be returned to the Graduate College with the results and signatures of all committee members. If the comprehensive examination is failed, a report must be submitted to the Graduate College indicating whether the student may repeat the examination. This report must also outline the student's deficiencies. A student who fails a second time will no longer be eligible for a master's degree in the academic program in which the examination was failed.

Courses taken prior to failing the comprehensive examination for a second time can count for no more than 25% of the credit hours required for a master's degree at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences.

The date of Graduation for each term shall be the last day of final examination in the fall, the date of commencement in the spring, and the last day of classes in the summer. To entitle a student to graduate as of that date, all work required for the degree (this includes the depositing the thesis/dissertation in the library and payment of tuition and fees) must be completed prior to the first day of classes of the next semester or summer session. If the student has not completed all the requirements, the student will become a graduate the following semester. It is the student's responsibility to make sure all degree requirements have been met.

The following deadlines apply:

1. Current Semester Graduate:  All documents (including dissertation final copy) must be to the Graduate College office by 5 PM on the last working day prior to the beginning of the upcoming semester.
2. Upcoming Semester Graduate Without Enrollment:  All documents (including dissertation final copy) must be to the Graduate College office by 5 PM on the last working day to enroll for the upcoming semester.
3. Upcoming Semester With Required Enrollment:  Monday after the final day to add a class, the student must become a graduate of the upcoming semester and must enroll in 2 hours of 5980.