Master's Degree Requirements
Requirements for a master's degree from UWF are listed below. The colleges and departments may have requirements which exceed these minimums. Please consult the individual departments and the individual program descriptions in this Catalog for details. Minimum requirements are the following:
- Students must be admitted and enroll at UWF for a minimum of one semester as degree-seeking in the degree program for which a degree is awarded;
- Completion of minimum 30 semester hours in an approved program;
- Completion of minimum 15 semester hours of coursework at the 6000 level or above;
- Completion of minimum 24 semester hours of credit at UWF. The department offering the program may require additional residency;
- Graduate GPA of a minimum of 3.0, refer to GPA Requirement for more information;
- Complete degree requirements within six years from the date the UWF degree is awarded, refer to the Time to Degree requirement for more information;
- A degree will not be awarded for a student on academic probation or suspension;
- Master's students must enroll as degree-seeking for a minimum of one semester at UWF within the last five years of the date the degree is to be awarded. Students who need to be readmitted will be required to meet the degree requirements of the current Catalog.
Requirements for Second UWF Master's Degree
Requirements listed below are applicable for students who already hold a master's degree from UWF or who are pursuing two masters' degrees simultaneously. Students who have earned a master's degree from another institution must meet the requirements listed under Master's Degree Requirements.
- Graduate students may be candidates for two master's degrees at UWF. Candidacy in two separate master's programs may be held in overlapping time periods. Candidates must meet the conditions of graduate status stipulated by both departments;
- Since a master's degree represents a level of attainment, some (or all) courses included in one graduate program may be used by another department to satisfy the formal requirements for a second graduate degree. A minimum of 18 semester hours must be taken for the second graduate degree which were not a part of the first degree;
- A degree will not be awarded for a student on academic probation or suspension;
- Master's students must be admitted and enroll at UWF for a minimum of one semester as degree-seeking in the degree program for which a degree is awarded;
- Master's students must enroll as degree-seeking for a minimum of one semester at UWF within the last five years of the date the degree is to be awarded. Students who need to be readmitted will be required to meet the degree requirements of the current Catalog.
A second master's degree may not be earned in the same program area.
Specialist Degree Requirements
To be eligible for an Ed.S. degree, students must meet the following requirements:
- Be admitted to the program;
- Submit an approved degree plan which includes at least 36 semester hours;
- At least nine semester hours of all course work in the Curriculum and Instruction Specialist program must be of 7000 level. The remainder will be at the 5000-6000 level except when specific waivers have been obtained;
- No more than 10 semester hours may be transferred from another institution that were earned within five years of the date of admission to the specialist program;
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the Specialist program;
- Complete degree requirements within seven years from the date of admission;
- Be recommended for graduation by the departmental chairperson;
- Specialist students must be admitted and enroll at UWF for a minimum of one semester as degree-seeking in the degree program for which a degree is awarded;
- A degree will not be awarded for a student on academic probation or suspension;
- Specialist students must enroll as degree-seeking for a minimum of one semester at UWF within the last five years of the date the degree is to be awarded. Students should contact their program of study advisor to determine the minimum hours and courses in which to enroll. Students who need to be readmitted will be required to meet the degree requirements of the current Catalog.
Requirements for Second UWF Specialist Degree
Requirements listed below are applicable for students who already hold a specialist degree from UWF or who are pursuing two specialist degrees simultaneously. Students who have earned a specialist degree from another institution must meet the requirements listed under Specialist Degree Requirements.
- Graduate students may be candidates for two specialist degrees at UWF;
- Candidacy in two separate specialist programs may be held in overlapping time periods;
- Candidates must meet the conditions of graduate status stipulated by both departments;
- The professional core, made up of 15 semester hours, included in one specialist program may be used to satisfy the professional core requirements for a second specialist degree. The minimum course requirements of the desired specialization must be completed for the second specialist degree, which were not a part of the first degree;
- A degree will not be awarded for a student on academic probation or suspension;
- Specialist students must be admitted and enroll at UWF for a minimum of one semester as degree-seeking in the degree program for which a degree is awarded;
- Specialist students must enroll as degree-seeking for a minimum of one semester at UWF within the last five years of the date the degree is to be awarded. Students who need to be readmitted will be required to meet the degree requirements of the current Catalog.
A second specialist degree may not be earned in the same program area.
Doctor of Education Degree Requirements
For detailed information, refer to the Policies and Procedures available on the Ed.D. Program web page. To be eligible for an Ed.D. degree, a student must meet the following requirements:
- Be admitted to the program by the Ed.D. Program Committee and dean;
- Complete an approved degree plan with a minimum number of hours as identified in the program of study. No more than 10 semester hours may be transferred from another institution that were earned within five years of the date of admission to the UWF Ed.D. Program;
- Complete the residency requirement: Students establish residency when they enroll in at least 24 semester hours in 2 consecutive academic years (includes summer sessions). The Ed.D. program director monitors and verifies student compliance with the provisions of this requirement;
- Students must successfully complete an APA seminar during their first or second semester in the program;
- Complete the Preliminary Examination during the specified time frame;
- Complete all requirements to advance to candidacy;
- Have maintained a minimum cumulative program GPA of 3.25 with no grades lower than a B- in course work counted toward the degree. Specialization areas may have additional requirements regarding acceptable letter grades for major courses that are counted in the degree program;
- Successfully complete and orally defend a dissertation;
- Be recommended for graduation by the doctoral committee, departmental chairperson, and the Ed.D. Program Office;
- Complete degree requirements within seven years after the date of admission;
- A degree will not be awarded for a student on academic probation or suspension;
- Doctoral students must enroll as degree-seeking for a minimum of one semester at UWF within the last five years of the date the degree is to be awarded. Students should contact their program of study advisor to determine the minimum hours and courses in which to enroll. Students who need to be readmitted will be required to meet the degree requirements of the current Catalog.
Dissertation Course Registration Requirements and Grading
Dissertations are to be prepared in accordance with the specifications given in the "Thesis and Dissertation Guide" prepared by and available in the Graduate School. All dissertations must be produced in electronic format (unless a hard copy is required by the individual department). Deadlines for submission to the Graduate School are posted online at uwf.edu/graduate.
Doctoral candidates are required to register for a minimum of 18 semester hours of dissertation course work. Candidates must register for a minimum of 3, but not more than 6, semester hours each semester (including summer terms) until they have registered for a cumulative total of 18 semester hours of doctoral dissertation course work. Thereafter, candidates are required to register for a minimum of 2 semester hours of dissertation course work each consecutive semester (including summer) until the student has completed 24 semester hours of dissertation work. A maximum of 24 semester hours of dissertation credit may be applied toward a doctoral degree for successful completion of a dissertation. Upon completion of 24 semester hours of dissertation credit, the student will be reevaluated by the doctoral committee chair and committee to determine if the student can complete the dissertation. If the doctoral committee determines that the student can complete the dissertation, the student will be required to register for 3 semester hours of dissertation coursework each semester until the doctoral committee approves the dissertation. Once the doctoral committee has approved the dissertation, the candidate must continue to register for 1 credit hour per semester until the dissertation is approved by the Graduate School and submitted to the library.
Candidates shall maintain active candidacy status in accordance with the above stated criteria. Those who fail to maintain active status during the dissertation process will have their status reviewed by the director of the Ed.D. program. Failure to register for the appropriate dissertation coursework for 3 consecutive semesters will result in the candidate having to reapply to the program, subject to the policies and procedures in effect at that time. Students who do not maintain continuous registration after the dissertation has been approved by the dissertation committee will be charged for 1 semester hour of dissertation credit per semester for each semester during the time they were not continuously registered.
Application for Graduation
Students fulfilling requirements for a UWF master's or specialist degree must submit an "Application for Graduation" to their major departments by the application deadline stated in the Academic Calendar. Doctoral students apply for graduation the semester prior to the dissertation defense and must apply through the graduate department in the Ed.D. Program Office. Graduation application forms are available on the Office of the Registrar website. Retroactive graduation to a prior semester will not be approved.
Commencement
Commencement ceremonies at UWF are held twice a year, fall and spring, for students graduating with a Baccalaureate, Master's, Specialist, or Doctorate degree. Doctoral students must be approved by the Graduate School prior to participating in the commencement ceremony.
Those master's students who plan to graduate in the summer should apply for summer graduation only. Prospective summer graduates have the option to participate in either the preceding spring or following fall ceremony. Doctoral students intending to graduate in the summer may not participate in the spring ceremony unless the dissertation has been fully approved and participation is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. "Applications for Graduation" should be turned in to the major department by the date stated in the Academic Calendar in this Catalog. Students will receive information about graduation through their student e-mail accounts. Commencement information is also available on the web at uwf.edu/commencement. UWF does not have a graduation honors program for master's, specialist, and doctoral students.
Degree Audit System
The Student Academic Support System (SASS) identifies and tracks all graduation requirements for each master's degree at the University. Students may check their individual progress toward degree completion by reviewing their SASS audit, which is available in MyUWF. The SASS audit is used for their final graduation check and a completed (bannered) audit is required before a master's degree is awarded.
Substitution of Graduation Requirements for Students with Disabilities
Refer to Substitution of Graduation Requirements for Students with Disabilities in the General Policies section of this Catalog.
