The Graduate College Handbook for Students, Faculty and Staff
Chapter V: Requirements for the Master's Degree
C. Time Limits
A master's degree candidate is expected to complete all degree requirements within five years of first registering in the Graduate College, unless the student is enrolled in a program with a different time limit, that has been approved by the Graduate College. Therefore, a master's degree candidate with course work that is more than five years old at the time of degree conferral must petition the Graduate College asking that the course work be accepted for the degree. The petition must include an explanation from the department regarding how the student's knowledge in the areas covered by the old course work meets current standards. This justification is needed for degree certification, and the petition should be filed during the term when the student is placed on the degree list.
