The supervisory committee should be formed not later than the term immediately after the major adviser is identified for the student, and members should be identified before the plan of study is formulated so all committee members have a chance to contribute to the Plan of Study.
The supervisory committee will have at least four members. The members consist of
NOTE: Other qualified individuals may participate as committee
members following approval by the Graduate Dean upon a
recommendation accompanied by rationale and curriculum vitae by the
appropriate program administrator and academic dean.
The supervisory committee agreed upon by the major adviser and
student, and approved by the program administrator and the academic
dean shall be recommended to the Dean of the Graduate School for
final approval.
The plan of study shall be appropriate to meet the interests and
needs of the student in his or her chosen field as determined by
the supervisory committee and approved by the program administrator
and the Dean of the Graduate School. The plan of study should be
submitted to the Graduate School for approval not later than the
term immediately after the supervisory committee is formed and must
be filed in the Graduate School prior to scheduling the final
examination. Revisions may be made later as advisable and
necessary, but must be approved by the student, all supervisory
committee members, the administrator of the student's program, and
the graduate dean. The graduate dean will officially notify the
student, supervisory committee and program administrator of all
changes.
The plan of study shall include the specific courses the student is
expected to complete and any other special requirements of the
particular master's degree that the student is seeking. The total
credits will be determined by each program but must not be less
than 30 graduate credits.
For the Thesis Option, of the required minimum 30 graduate credits,
at least 16 credits must be approved for graduate credit numbered
from 601-689, 691, 700-789, and 791 while the research credits
(798) must be not fewer than 6 nor more than 10 credits. Once these
minimum requirements have been met, any other graduate courses can
be used to satisfy the remaining plan of study requirements.
For the Comprehensive Study Option, of the required minimum 30
graduate credits, at least 21 credits must be completed using
courses approved for graduate credit numbered from 601-689, 691,
700-789, and 791 while the research credits (797) must be not fewer
than 2 nor more than 4 credits.
The various programs determine which approved graduate courses may
be used. For specific requirements, the student should consult the
specific programs.
All graduate credits used to meet the requirements of a master's
degree must be approved by the supervisory committee, the program
administrator, the academic dean, and the Dean of the Graduate
School. A candidate for the master's degree must petition in order
to transfer up to a maximum of 9 semester hours of graduate credit
from another institution to satisfy course requirements on the plan
of study.
Courses listed in the Graduate Bulletin of the Tri-College
University Educational Leadership Program are not considered
transfer credits and can be included on programs of study without
petition. All other Minnesota State University Moorhead graduate
credits are subject to the minimums of transfer credits and to the
policies given in the text.
Transfer credits
Graduate credit for any course work which is more than seven (7)
calendar years old at the time of the final examination cannot be
used to satisfy degree requirements. The final examination must be
retaken if the final five (5) copies of the approved disquisition
are not delivered to the Graduate School within one (1) year of the
date of the final examination or if any other degree requirements
have not been completed within one (1) year of the date of the
final examination.
If a period of time two years or greater lapses before the final
copies are submitted, the student must reapply to the Graduate
School and must register for a minimum of two (2) credits. Degree
date is based on the date when final copies are
submitted to the Graduate School.
Each graduate program will determine whether it will require a language and, if so, the language or languages applicable to the candidate's field of study and the level of reading proficiency required. Low-level proficiency will measure the candidate's comprehension of material in the major field in the foreign language with unlimited use of linguistic reference sources (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, etc.); high-level proficiency will measure a similar reading comprehension with limited use of such reference sources.
All examinations will be administered under the supervision of the Department of Modern Languages, which will certify the proficiency in the specified foreign language by signing the program of study in the appropriate place. International students whose native language is not English may satisfy the language requirement in their native language, providing their graduate program approves. In these cases, the basis for proficiency will be the candidate's use of English, rather than the foreign language.
The candidate shall pass a final examination (either oral or
written as specified for the degree) before being awarded the
master's degree. The supervisory committee shall serve as the
examining committee of which the major adviser shall serve as
chair. Substitutions must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate
School.
The final examination shall cover the course work taken by the
candidate and also the disquisition, seminar papers, or oral
examination paper and knowledge fundamental thereto. The candidate
shall prepare for each member of the committee a written statement
describing the plan of study, i.e., a list of courses, instructors,
credits, grades, and dates taken. Permission to schedule the
examination must be requested of the Graduate School by the
student's major adviser using the Request to Schedule
form. The request to schedule must be sent to the Graduate
School at least two (2) weeks prior to the examination.
Care should be taken by the student to schedule the examination
with all committee members. The notification by the Graduate School
will confirm this scheduled examination.
The disquisition in a near final form must be given to the
committee members no fewer than seven (7) days prior to the
examination. If this seven (7)-day stipulation cannot be met, the
student must either secure the concurrence of all committee members
or reschedule the examination. At the conclusion of the
examination, the examining committee shall record, in writing,
approval or disapproval. The Report of Final
Exam must be filed with the Graduate School within seven (7)
days of the exam.
A negative vote by more than one member of the student's committee
will signify failure of the final examination. The student may
repeat the examination only upon permission from a majority of the
supervisory committee. The committee will specify a period of time,
not less than one (1) month, that must elapse before the
examination can be repeated. Exceptions to this time limit will be
considered by the graduate dean upon presentation of written
justification from the chair of the committee in consultation with
the committee.
Should the examination be failed twice, the student will not be
given a third examination except by recommendation of the examining
committee, program administrator, and special approval of the Dean
of the Graduate School following consultation with the Graduate
Council.
Continuous enrollment is required until all degree requirements
are completed, including submitting final copies of a thesis,
paper, or dissertation.
To participate in commencement, the student must have passed the
final examination seven days prior to the commencement
ceremony.
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
The Master of Architecture degree is a non-disquisition, professional degree program structure to serve qualified students who hold a 4-year pre-professional degree in architectural studies. Priority is given to students currently enrolled in North Dakota State University's 4-year Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design program. Additional students can be admitted subject to available space. For admission information, contact the Department of Architecture and Landscapes Architecture at (701) 231-8614.
Master of Arts Requirements (M.A.)
The Master of Arts degree is offered in two options: The Thesis Option or the Comprehensive Study Option. Candidates for the Master of Arts degree will meet the above general requirements and those specific requirements in the humanities or social and behavioral sciences. These normally include 2 years of a foreign language. This requirement can be satisfied with undergraduate courses and/or a proficiency examination. The Department of Modern Languages will certify proficiency in the specified foreign language by signing the program of study in the appropriate place.
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
The Master of Business Administration degree is a non-disquisition, professional degree program structured to serve qualified students with any undergraduate degree. The program has two general parts: a foundation course requirement involving up to 30 semester credits and an MBA (common body of knowledge) graduate course requirement of 30 semester credit hours. Depending upon the student's prior course work, all or part of the foundation requirement may be waived. For more details, see the section on Business Administration in this bulletin.
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
The Master of Education degree is a non-disquisition, practitioner-oriented degree for teachers and school counselors. Candidates for this degree will meet these general requirements as well as specific requirements established by the School of Education.
Master of Managerial Logistics (M.M.L.)
The Master of Managerial Logistics is a 36 graduate credit
professional degree program targeted specifically at career
military officers, Department of Defense civilians, and other
logistic professionals.
Master of Science Requirements (M.S.)
North Dakota State University offers master's degrees in three broad categories. Plan A master's includes completion of a thesis including an oral defense. Plan B master's includes an individual creative component other than a thesis and includes an oral defense. Plan C master's includes coursework accompanied by a well-defined culminating experience.
A program need not offer all three types of masters. The types of masters which a program chooses to offer should be justified based on relevant criteria such as pedagogy or principles appropriate to the field. Programs wishing to grant a Master of Science degree or a Master of Arts degree typically need to satisfy the requirements of either the Plan A or the Plan B options. The Plan C option is primarily intended for professional degree programs. In addition, the three plans differ in the composition of the student's supervisory committee and required submissions to the Graduate School upon degree completion.
The Plan A option requires the completion of a thesis. The thesis would typically include a problem statement, a review of existing literature relevant to that problem, and the creation and presentation of new knowledge in providing a solution to the problem. Each student would assemble a supervisory committee as described in the graduate bulletin section titled General Requirements for a Master's Degree. Each candidate is required to pass a final oral examination in which the supervisory committee serves as the examining committee. Following a successful defense, the candidate will submit copies of their thesis to the Graduate School as described in the graduate bulletin.
The Plan B option generally requires a student to develop a thorough understanding of existing knowledge and the ability to apply that existing knowledge to a problem of interest. Under this option, the student would generate an individual creative component which reflects a solution to the problem. Note that under this option, the new knowledge being created is limited, and this is the primary difference between the Plan A and Plan B options. The new knowledge created under the Plan B option need not meet the standard set forth under the Plan A option. The precise nature of the individual creative component is defined by the program with approval by the graduate school. Examples of possible creative components include a comprehensive paper, a portfolio, or an integrated field experience. As under the Plan A option, each candidate would assemble a supervisory committee and pass a final oral examination. Following a successful defense, the candidate will compose an executive summary or assemble other appropriate documentation as defined by the program to be submitted to the graduate school. This submission to the Graduate School is to be approved by the student's supervisory committee.
The Plan C option is designed for degree programs in which a well-defined culminating experience is more important than is an individual creative component. This option will most frequently be available in professional degree programs. If a Plan C option is available the program must provide to the Graduate School a rationale for the use of the culminating experience and a plan for implementation. Under this option, each program will define a culminating experience such as a capstone course, a written examination, or some other approach to measure the candidate's understanding of the relevant material in the area. The student's supervisory committee would generally consist of faculty solely from within that discipline. The supervisory committee may specify that a certain level of performance (i.e., a minimum GPA) be obtained in specified courses or in the program itself. Upon completion of the appropriate coursework and culminating experience, the candidate will be considered to have completed their masters and their name will be forwarded by the program to the Graduate School. Plan C programs do not require the candidate to submit any other documentation to the Graduate School.
Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Administration
In addition to offering several Master of Education (M.Ed.) programs preparing candidates for administration credentials in North Dakota, the Educational Leadership program is an integral part of the Tri-College University (a consortium of North Dakota State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, and Concordia College) which prepares students for Master of Science (M.S.) and Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degrees in Educational Administration. Programs meet certification requirements in the various areas appropriate to elementary and secondary administration. Information can be secured from the Tri-College University Office or the NDSU Graduate School.
On occasion, a student may be allowed to work at satisfying the requirements of two graduate degrees concurrently. In completing all program and Graduate School requirements for two degrees, a maximum of nine (9) graduate credits of course work can be applied to both programs of study as approved by all members of both supervisory committees, the two program administrators, the academic dean(s), and the Dean of the Graduate School. The disquisitions must differ substantially and must result from substantial work completed independently in each discipline. There are two final examinations. The appropriate time limitation applies to all course work.
Under special circumstances, a student may pursue one master's degree with two major areas. Such a program must have the concurrent recommendation of the administrators of the two programs. The plan of study shall clearly delineate the course work required for each major area. A minimum of 40 credit hours is required, including at least 14 graduate course credits in each of the two major areas. No more than 10 of the required 40 credits shall be research credits under the Thesis Option while no more than 3 of the required 40 credits shall be paper credits under the Comprehensive Study Option. The student is required to conduct interdisciplinary scholarly work culminating in a disquisition acceptable in both major areas.
Under the guidance of the major adviser, each candidate shall prepare a thesis approved by the administrator of the major program and acceptable to the oral examination committee and to the Dean of the Graduate School. Of the 30 graduate credits required, a minimum of 16 credits must be in courses approved for graduate credit numbered 601-689, 691, 700-789, and 791 (referred to as didactic courses); thesis credits must not be fewer than 6 nor more than 10 credits. The thesis bearing the approval of the major adviser shall be in the hands of the examining committee at least seven (7) days before the final oral examination. The candidate shall consult the major adviser regarding the form in which the thesis is to be presented. General instructions on the thesis format are included in the North Dakota State University Graduate School's Guidelines for the Preparation of Dissertations, Theses, and Papers. The thesis is the basis for opening the oral examination.
This option is offered in certain fields where the candidate may
benefit more from a broader range of knowledge than from the
preparation of a thesis. Of the 30 graduate credits required, a
minimum of 21 credits must be in courses approved for graduate
credit numbered 601-689, 691, 700-789, and 791 (referred to as
didactic courses). The research credits(797) must not be fewer than
2 nor more than 4.
The creative component(paper, portfolio, etc.) bearing the approval
of the major adviser shall be in the hands of the examining
committee at least 7 days before the final oral examination. The
creative component must demonstrate ability to do scholarly study
appropriate to the major field and present evidence of appropriate
written expression. The creative component is the basis for opening
the oral examination. General instructions on the format for papers
are included in the North Dakota State University Graduate School's
Guidelines
for the Preparation of Dissertations, Theses, and Papers.
Disquisitions which involve research using human or animals as
subjects or biohazard materials will not be approved by the
Graduate School if such research has not been previously approved
by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care
and Use Committee (IACUC), or Institutional Biosafety Committee
(IBC) as appropriate. Every effort should be made by advisers to
see that students are aware of these University requirements.
NOTE: If a proposed graduate research project involves human,
animal, or biohazard subjects, it must be submitted for review and
approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional
Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and/or the Institutional
Biosafety Committee (IBC). This process should be initiated by the
student after his or her supervisory committee has approved the
final research design because IRB, IBC, and/or IACUC approval must
be obtained before the research project commences
and cannot be granted retroactively. Please include a copy of the
appropriate approval letters when the dissertation is submitted for
editing.
After the final examination, the student incorporates into the
thesis or paper corrections suggested at the oral examination. The
student, major adviser, and program administrator then sign the
Checklist for
Dissertations, Theses, and Papers; and one copy of the thesis
or paper, printed on regular paper, is presented to the Graduate
School for approval. This copy must be accompanied by a receipt
from the Customer Account Services for the completion package.
After approval, 5 final copies of the thesis or paper, on the
required paper are to be presented, unbound, to the Graduate
School. Two bound copies of the thesis or paper go to the
university library. The remaining 3 bound copies are for the
student, the student's adviser, and the student's program.
The student will have 1 year from the date of the final examination
to deliver the 5 final copies to the Graduate School and complete
all other degree requirements. Should the disquisition not be
deposited as specified or any other degree requirements not be
completed, the student must retake the final examination. If a
period of time two years or greater lapses before the final copies
are submitted, the student must reapply to the Graduate School and
must register for a minimum of 2 credits. Degree date is based on
the date when final copies are submitted to the
Graduate School.