Before registering for each semester or session, the student consults the advisor concerning a program of courses.
Full-time enrollment for graduate students is defined as enrollment in 9 credit hours per semester in the fall and spring semesters and/or 4.5 hours in the summer session. Without special permission of the Dean of the Graduate School, the maximum number of credit hours in which a graduate student may enroll is 16 credit hours per semester in the fall and spring and/or nine in the summer.
View the enrollment guidelines on the International Center website.
Note: students enrolled in a dual master’s degree program should fill out the Plan of Study for the Dual Master’s Degree form (DM1).
The plan of study form must be filed with the Graduate School by the end of the student’s second semester of enrollment.
If the student changes the approved plan of study, then they must submit the Plan of Study Courses Substitution form to the director of graduate studies in the academic department.
A thesis committee is composed of three members of the MU faculty: a major advisor from the academic program; a second reader from the academic program; and a third member who can be an outside reader and is a member of the graduate faculty from a different MU graduate program, or from the student’s academic department/program.
For lists of graduate faculty in each degree program, refer to the appropriate department/program in the MU Catalog.
Faculty members may serve as advisor or committee chair when their primary appointment is in the graduate student’s home academic program. When the graduate student’s home academic program is the involved academic program for a jointly appointed faculty member, this person may serve as chair or advisor with the approval of the director of graduate studies from the student’s home academic program.
A faculty member can only serve as an internal member when their primary appointment is in the graduate student’s home academic program. When a graduate student’s academic program is not the home academic program for a jointly appointed faculty member, they may serve as either an internal or external member of the committee.
Adjunct faculty may serve as a committee chair or member only in academic programs in which they are appointed and approved for graduate or doctoral faculty membership as appropriate for the student’s degree.
Service on graduate committees outside the academic program in which they are appointed requires a recommendation by the director of graduate studies from the student’s home academic program and approval by the associate vice chancellor of graduate school.
Upon approval of the academic program’s director of graduate studies, the student may petition the Graduate School to allow a person who is not a member of the MU graduate faculty to serve as the third reader.
The petition should include a written justification for such a request and a copy of the person’s curriculum vitae. The Graduate School maintains copies of curriculum vitae previously received and approved, and if such a request is anticipated, the student should contact the Graduate School to see if the curriculum vitae of a particular person is already on file.
Chapter 320 of the Collected Rules and Regulations for the University of Missouri requires that all jointly appointed faculty members have a designated primary appointment and primary department as well as affiliation with one or more involved academic programs. These affiliations affect membership status of jointly appointed faculty on graduate student committees.
Upon approval of the academic program’s director of graduate studies, the student may petition the Graduate School to allow a person who is not a member of the MU graduate faculty to serve as the third reader.
The petition should include a written justification for such a request and a copy of the person’s curriculum vitae. The Graduate School maintains copies of curriculum vitae previously received and approved, and if such a request is anticipated, the student should contact the Graduate School to see if the curriculum vitae of a particular person is already on file.
The final examination may be a thesis defense or some other capstone experience. Refer to the student’s academic program for specific details about the nature of the final examination.
If the program includes a minor, the minor advisor will be a member of the final examination committee and will examine the candidate over course work taken in the minor.
Where a thesis is presented in partial fulfillment of graduation requirements, students must form a thesis committee (see step 3 above). After the successful defense of the thesis, the members of the student’s committee must sign the Report of the Master’s Examining Committee form (M3), which is then forwarded through the academic program’s director of graduate studies to the Graduate School.
Where no thesis is presented by the candidate, a three-member final examination committee is designated by the academic program’s director of graduate studies with the approval of the Graduate School. The Report of the Master’s Examining Committee form (M3) signed by the director of graduate studies, is forwarded to the Graduate School. All candidates for the MA or MS degrees must complete either a thesis or a substantial independent project that cannot be coauthored.
Time spent in the armed services will not count toward the eight-year limit. Consult Mizzou’s Active Duty Policy.
All transfer credits are considered general electives. They cannot be used toward the 8000-level requirement, but are considered as credit hours toward the completion of the degree.
The Graduate School must make the final review of the transfer request to determine if the credit meets the minimum guidelines. If so, the Graduate School will process the request so that the transferred courses appear on the student’s transcript.
A student who has completed one master’s degree at the University of Missouri or elsewhere may, upon recommendation of the advisor and approval by the academic program’s director of graduate studies and the Graduate School, present a maximum of nine hours of credit earned in the previous program toward a second master’s degree.
With program approval, up to 6 hours of credit for which professional credit was earned may be applied to the total minimum number of hours required for a masters degree.
After performing satisfactorily for a minimum of one semester, the student completes the Plan of Study for the Master’s Degree (M1) form (or the Plan of Study for the Dual Master’s Degree (DM1) form if the student is enrolled in a dual master’s degree program) with the advisor’s assistance. The form is forwarded through the program’s director of graduate studies to the Graduate School for approval.
The plan of study form must be filed with the Graduate School by the end of the student’s second semester of enrollment. Upon approval of the program by the Graduate School, the student is a candidate for the degree.
Changes to the plan of study should be submitted on the Plan of Study Course Substitution form.
When a thesis is required for a master’s degree, the student must submit a Request for Thesis Committee form (M2) for approval by the program’s director of graduate studies and the Graduate School by the end of the student’s second semester.
A thesis committee is composed of three members of the MU faculty: a major advisor from the academic program; a second reader from the academic program; and a third reader from either the academic program or member of the graduate faculty from a different MU graduate program.
Upon approval of the academic program’s director of graduate studies, the student may petition the Graduate School to allow a person who is not a member of the MU graduate faculty to serve as the third reader.
The petition should include a written justification for such a request and a copy of the person’s curriculum vitae. The Graduate School maintains copies of curricula vitae previously received and approved, and if such a request is anticipated, the student should contact the Graduate School to see if the curriculum vitae of a particular person is already on file.