The minimum number of credits that must be earned for every master's degree is 30 semester hours.A maximum of 12 credits may be devoted to thesis or to thesis and research. At least 24 credits in any master's program, including thesis and research, must be at the 600 level.A maximum of 9 semester hours of credit from another institution may be transferred to UAF and applied toward a master's degree upon approval of the student's advisory committee and the Dean of the College of Natural Sciences.A student may apply for admission to candidacy for a specific master's degree if he/she is in good standing and has: (1) satisfactorily completed at least 8 credits of graduate study at UAF, (2) received approval for the provisional thesis title if a thesis is required, and (3) received approval of the finalized Graduate Study Plan.A thesis is required and an oral defense of the thesis must be taken in conjunction with a comprehensive/final examination. The examining committee consists of the candidate's advisory committee.All work toward the fulfillment of the requirements of master's degree must be completed within seven years. All courses listed in the student's program must be satisfactorily completed.

PH.D. DEGREE:

The degree of doctor of philosophy is granted for proven ability and scholarly attainment. There are no fixed credit requirements for this degree at the University of Alaska.The student chooses a major line of study and, with the advice of his/her advisory committee, such lines of study in related fields necessary for achievement of a thorough and scholarly knowledge of his/her subject. The committee and the student will prepare the student's graduate study plan for the degree which (including applicable and acceptable work transferred from other institutions) shall represent approximately three full years of study beyond the bachelor's degree.The University requires completion of a foreign language/research tool requirement set by the candidate's advisory committee. The research tool may include competency in such areas as computer languages, statistics, mathematics, etc., at the discretion of the committee, but should in all instances be supportive of the student's degree program. The selection and administration of suitable proficiency tests will be under the direction of the graduate committee.Admission to graduate study does not imply admission to candidacy for a degree. The student should seek admission to candidacy approximately one year before completing the requirements for the doctorate. A student may be accepted as a candidate by his/her advisory committee after (1) completing the full-time equivalent of two academic years of graduate study, (2) completing at least one semester in residence at UAF, (3) finalizing the graduate study plan, (4) passing the foreign/research tool requirement, (5) obtaining approval by the advisory committee of the title and synopsis of the thesis, and (6) passing a written comprehensive examination administered by the department and an oral examination administered by the student's advisory committee. The written examination covers subjects in basic physics and mathematics, while the oral examination covers subjects more closely related to the candidate's thesis topic.The thesis, which is expected to represent the equivalent of at least one full academic year's work at the University of Alaska, must be a substantial contribution to knowledge.After submitting the thesis, the candidate must pass an oral examination supporting the thesis. The examining committee will consist of the student's advisory committee supplemented by additional examiners, including one from outside the candidate's college or school representing the Office of the Chancellor.All work toward the fulfillment of a doctor's degree must be completed within ten years.

THESIS: A thesis may be written in absentia

This page last updated on 07/07/06

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