School of Graduate Studies

Graduate programs at Utah State University are supervised by the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and assisted by the Graduate Council. The council consists of the vice provost, a faculty representative from each of the eight colleges of the University, a representative from the Faculty Senate, the Dean of Libraries, and two graduate students. Policies and regulations for graduate education are established by the Graduate Council with the approval of the Faculty Senate.

Utah State University has awarded Master of Science degrees since 1914 and doctoral degrees since 1950. The School of Graduate Studies was formally organized in 1945. Most of the University’s departments have graduate degree programs, and in addition there are several interdepartmental graduate programs. Nationally and internationally known scholars and research units participate in and support graduate studies at Utah State University.

The School of Graduate Studies holds memberships in the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States and the Western Association of Graduate Schools.

Graduate Degrees and Majors

For a list of graduate programs offered at Utah State University, please review the Degree Finder.

A. Graduate Admission Requirements  

Admission to the Utah State University School of Graduate Studies requires: 

A bachelor’s degree (or, for some doctoral programs, a master’s degree) that is or will be completed before the student matriculates in the degree program. 
A 3.0 or higher grade-point average.  
Three letters of recommendation. 
Transcripts.  
English Language Proficiency for International Applicants.

Some degree programs have additional admission requirements such as entrance exams.

Applicants should refer to their intended department for any required tests, minimum required scores, or any accepted score alternatives (such as a portfolio).

It is expected that all applications submitted by the program’s deadline will be reviewed by the department.

1. Application Procedures

Applications are submitted online at application portal.

Applicants may refer to the Steps to Apply page on the School of Graduate Studies website.

(a) Application Requirements

The following items must be received by the School of Graduate Studies before a student’s application will be considered complete:

A Bachelor’s Degree  

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to a graduate program.

See Section 1. Application Procedures, (b) Bachelor’s Degree Requirement below.

A 3.0 or Higher Grade Point Average  

The School of Graduate Studies calculates GPAs as follows: 
- From the semesters that contain 60 credits of the most recently earned undergraduate degree taken directly from official transcripts. 
- The most recent 60 undergraduate credits of a degree in progress. In these situations, the Admissions Officers will use as many semesters as necessary to reach a minimum of 60 credits. 
- Calculations are done by semesters and may exceed 60 credits. 
- 30 graduate credits will be taken from an earned graduate degree or degree in progress.  
- All credits calculated must be for degree yielding coursework. Pre-requisites and extracurricular coursework will not be calculated towards the School of Graduate Studies GPA requirement. 
- NOTE: We do not use Post-Bacc credits to calculate a GPA.

Application Fee 

A completed online application accompanied by the nonrefundable application fee (required for both international and domestic students).

The School of Graduate Studies requires a $55 ($25 for graduate certificates) nonrefundable application fee that must be paid electronically via debit/credit card at the time of the application submission.

Any other payment method will not be accepted.

If an applicant is having difficulties making the online payment with their debit or credit card, they can contact USU’s IT Department.

Individuals who have accidentally applied to the graduate school instead of general undergraduate admissions can contact the graduate admissions officers for assistance with a refund.

Application fees will be waived for McNair Scholars and active USU Honors students.

Applicants who qualify for one of these application waivers should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator from their prospective department for further action.

Some departments offer financial hardship fee waivers for those who may require assistance.  
- Applicants should contact the department to which they are applying for more information. 
- Departments are given a pre-specified amount of fee waivers from the Graduate School to offer to students with emergency hardship.   
- Additional waivers may be purchased by the Department to distribute to students at their discretion.   
- The Departments will be billed annually by the School of Graduate Studies for additional waivers.   
- The Graduate School does not give out additional waivers beyond the pre-specified amount mentioned above.

Supplemental Application Materials   

After an applicant has paid the application fee and submitted the initial application, they can log back into the application portal and open their submitted application. 
- There will be a new tab for them to upload all required supplemental items.  
If an applicant has questions about supplemental items required for their application, they should contact the program they are applying to for more information. 
NOTE: It is the responsibility of each individual program to notify the Graduate Admissions Officers of any supplemental items required by the Department as part of the application process.

Transcripts 

For admission, the School of Graduate Studies requires an official transcript from each previously attended college and/or university (except Utah State University).

Some departments require official transcripts be uploaded during the application process that must be sent to USU from the issuing university, and do not accept unofficial transcripts at all.

Other departments accept unofficial (student copy, or degree in progress) transcripts for the application process that can be uploaded by the student to their application.

Applicants will need to contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for the program to which they are applying to inquire if they allow unofficial transcripts for the application review process.

If an applicant is accepted into a program and matriculates at USU, official copies sent directly from each issuing institution to the School of Graduate Studies will be required within the first semester of attendance.  
- Any student that does not provide official transcripts within the allotted timeframe will have a hold put on their student account, beginning their second semester, preventing future course registration until these documents are received by the School of Graduate Studies.
- This hold will be removed when the School of Graduate Studies receives the student’s official transcript with the degree verification.
Transcripts must be submitted for all coursework above the high-school level and all prior degrees. 
- If the applicant was awarded a degree from one institution and the transcript from that institution includes courses taken at a second college or university, and if the transcript includes the course title(s), credits, grade(s), and dates, then applicants do not have to submit a separate transcript from the second college or university. 
Applicants should have their undergraduate institutions submit their official transcripts at least 1 month prior to the application deadline. 
NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: If an applicant’s transcripts require translation, they will have to go through a certification company.
- Applicants cannot submit transcripts that they translated by themselves, or that were not translated by their school, or a certified translation company and have them considered official. 
Official transcripts from the applicant’s previous institution(s) can be sent to Utah State University School of Graduate Studies through mail or electronic clearing house.  
To ensure timely processing, applicants should specify “Utah State University School of Graduate Studies” when sending their transcripts.

Transcripts can be mailed to:

Utah State University

School of Graduate Studies 
0900 Old Main Hill 
Logan, UT 84322-0900

If by electronic clearinghouse, transcripts can be emailed to graduateadmissions@usu.edu 

Transcripts sent from a non-school email (e.g. gmail, yahoo, etc.) will not be accepted as official.

Official transcripts can also be presented by the applicant in-person in a sealed, unopened envelope from the previous institution(s). 
Official Transcripts will not be copied for or returned to the applicant. 
- NOTE: International Students who may only be able to obtain one copy of their official transcript may request that the originals be returned after they have been verified by the School of Graduate Studies. 
USU alumni do not need to provide USU transcripts; the School of Graduate Studies will pull them for the applicant.  
Once an official transcript is received, it can take the graduate school 10-14 business days to process the transcript on the application.

Transcripts sent electronically must still be processed, and therefore do not automatically appear on the applicant’s application.

Any exceptions to the official transcript policy will be based on a departmental review of the applicant’s circumstances and materials.

Admissions Tests

Applicants should refer to their intended program for any required tests, minimum required scores, or any accepted score alternatives (such as a portfolio).
- See Section A, 1. Application Procedures, (c) Admissions Tests below.

Three Letters of Recommendation  

Each letter should address the applicant’s potential for success in the proposed graduate degree program.

If the applicant has been enrolled in school during the last five years, at least two of the letters must come from individuals who are familiar with and can make an authoritative assessment of the applicant’s recent academic performance.

In order for the applicant to submit a request for letters of recommendation to be sent the applicant must provide their prospective recommenders’ names and email addresses.
- This step is completed once a prospective student has filled out the online application and paid the application fee.  
The School of Graduate Studies cannot fill out or edit a letter of recommendation request form.  
Students can edit the letter of recommendation requests at any time before it is submitted.
The School of Graduate Studies must receive letters of recommendation from the recommender directly and cannot accept copies submitted by the applicant.

English Language Proficiency for International Applicants  

International applicants are required to submit proof of proficiency in the English language. 
- See Section 1. Applying, (d) International Admissions, English Proficiency below.

(b) Bachelor’s Degree Requirement 

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to a graduate program.

Three-year bachelor’s degrees from accredited or similarly recognized institutions are accepted with the approval of the academic department or degree program and the School of Graduate Studies Admissions Officer.

NOTE: The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program is the only graduate program at Utah State University that does not require a verified bachelor’s degree.

(c) Admissions Tests 

Scores for tests such as the GRE or MAT are not required by the School of Graduate Studies but may be required by individual departments/programs. 
Applicants should refer to their intended program for any required tests, minimum required scores, or any accepted score alternatives (such as a portfolio).
Applicants should request their test report be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies by the testing agency. 
GRE: Send scores using the institution code 4857. 
To prevent delays in test score processing, applicants should ensure the personal information on their test scores (i.e., first name, last name, email address, and physical address) matches what’s listed on their USU application. 
Expired test scores will not be accepted.

(d) International Admissions 

English Proficiency 

Applicants who have completed two years of college in one of the countries listed on the School of Graduate Studies page, and the primary language of instruction is in English, are considered proficient in the English language and will not be required to provide additional evidence of English language proficiency.

Please review the English Language Proficiency section of the School of Graduate Studies Admissions Policies website https://gradschool.usu.edu/admissions/policies for a list of countries.

For applicants that did not attend a minimum of two years in one of the countries listed on the website, the English proficiency requirement can be fulfilled in a few ways. 

Applicants that attended schools in countries outside of the list that have English as the official Language of Instruction may request an official letter from their previous institution’s registrar’s office and have it sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies.  
- This requirement can also be fulfilled if English is clearly listed as the Language of Instruction on an official transcript. 
Applicants can take one of the approved English Proficiency exams listed below. Applicants should request the testing agency send official exam scores directly to Utah State University. 
TOEFL internet-based (iBT) exam score of 79 or paper-based exam score of 550.  
- The institution school code for Utah State University is 4857.*° 
IELTS score of 6.5 overall band score with a minimum of 5.0 on each subscale.*°**  
The Michigan English Test (MET) score of 55.

Cambridge English Exam results of B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency score of 176.

The School of Graduate Studies does not accept Duolingo English test scores as a measurement of English language proficiency.  

*Departments may require a higher score. 

°Scores more than 2 years old are not accepted. 

** All language scores must be official and sent to Utah State University from the testing center where the student took the exam.   

Bachelor’s Degrees

The School of Graduate Studies does not accept Higher National Diplomas (HNDs).

Transcripts  

Please see transcript policies above in Section A.1.

Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a notarized translation.   
- The USU School of Graduate Studies will need a copy sent to us from the applicant’s Institution, and if the Institution does not translate them, then you will need to have a copy sent to a certified translation company.  
If there is a certificate or if it is listed on the student’s transcript that the language of instruction is English and they attended for two or more years, we can waive the language requirement once the School of Graduate Studies has received and processed the transcripts and certificate mentioned above.
Companies such as WES and SPANTRAN are frequently used by International Applicants for notarized translations and certifications. 
- The translation company can then send the translated copy to the School of Graduate Studies.  
We will need both an official copy sent to us from the applicant’s Institution, as well as the certified translated copy sent to us from the translation company. 
For questions, please contact the Utah State University Graduate Admissions Office at graduateadmissions@usu.edu

I-20 Applications 

International students must also submit an I-20 application form and a financial guarantee.

Because of immigration regulations, international students cannot be admitted to provisional matriculation.

Please contact the Office of Global Engagement with further questions.

(e) Summer Semester Admission 

The summer semester consists of two 1-week pre-sessions for workshops and short special programs, an 8-week semester of regular coursework, and a post-session of 1 week for workshops and seminars.

Nonresident students pay only resident tuition for summer semester credits.

All summer semester students are eligible to register the following fall semester.

For information regarding deadlines and course availability, applicants should contact the department to which they plan to apply.

2. Application Deadlines and Processing

Application deadlines are department or program specific.

Applicants should be aware of all deadlines and plan accordingly.

The School of Graduate Studies tracks applications from submission to completion.

Applications are not typically processed and referred to departments or programs until they are complete and all required items (e.g. transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation) are received.

Once all supplemental items have been submitted, the School of Graduate Studies refers applications to the appropriate departments.

The time it takes to process and refer an application for department review is primarily dependent on the speed with which the School of Graduate Studies receives letters of recommendation, transcripts, and test scores.

This process may take six to eight weeks.

Once an application is reviewed by the department or program, the School of Graduate Studies is notified with the final recommendation.

Recommendations to accept or deny admission are then reviewed and approved by the School of Graduate Studies.

No notification of acceptance or rejection other than that from the School of Graduate Studies is official.

Applicants who have a question about why they were denied can reach out to the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) for more information.

Accepted applicants must decide whether to accept or reject the offer and inform the graduate admissions officers of their decision. 
- NOTE: Deadlines to accept the offer of admission may vary depending on the program. Applicants will need to contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for questions.

(a) Closing Inactive Applications 

Applications that have had no activity for 90 days (approximately three months) after the application due date are considered inactive and will be closed.

Once an application is closed, it cannot be reopened or considered for future application seasons.

If for any reason an application will not be complete within the three-month period, applicants should contact graduate admissions to ask for a deferment of their application.

(b) Using Old Application Materials   

The School of Graduate Studies requires all applicants to submit new application materials for each application submitted.

This includes transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores. 
- NOTE: Only official transcripts will be transferred if they are within two years of being submitted to the School of Graduate Studies.

(c) Application Edits

Edits to an application can be made before an application is sent to the department for review.

To make changes, applicants can send an email to graduateadmissions@usu.edu.

Once the application has been sent to the department, the School of Graduate Studies is no longer able to make changes to the application.

3. Deferment  

Deferments are available for students who 1) need to delay their admission to the university or for 2) those who need to extend their application period.  

Students who have accepted their offer of admission and have been admitted to the university have the option to defer their start date.

Applicants have 90 days to defer their application for admission.

Once the 90 day deadline has past, the application will no longer be deferrable, and the application will be closed out.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to defer their application in order to keep it open for another term.

General acceptance into a program may be deferred for up to 1 year.  
- Any amount of time beyond that is subject to approval by the Department, and the Vice Provost for the School of Graduate Studies.   
- NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Please be aware that deferment for more than one year may require you to obtain a new I-20.  
To obtain a start-date deferral, students must contact their graduate program coordinator.

If approved, the graduate program coordinator will contact the School of Graduate Studies to complete the process.

Students have until the end of the semester of their entry term to defer their start date.

If they don’t take classes or request a deferral before this date, they will have to reapply in the next application cycle for a USU graduate program.

Unfinished applications are closed 90 days after the end of the desired entry term.

Once an application has been closed, applicants are required to reapply.

Notifications of leave are also available for students who have already completed classes at USU but need to take a break from their graduate program.  

B. Financial Assistance

Applications for assistantships, fellowships, and other financial aid should be made through departmental offices.

Utah State University is party to a resolution of the Council of Graduate Schools that establishes April 15 as the deadline for acceptance of offers of financial assistance.

If a student accepts an offer before April 15 and then wishes to withdraw, a resignation of the appointment may be submitted in writing at any time prior to April 15.
- However, after April 15, a student is not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made.
Students who are awarded waivers, fellowships, and/or scholarships must be full-time students enrolled in approved graduate-level coursework and meet the requirements for the duration of the given semester.
Assistantship waivers are supposed to start running the first week of August and run twice a day until the third week of class.
- The In-State Portion of Grad Assistantships by the individual departments and are often not applied until the first week of the semester.

1. Graduate Tuition Waivers

Graduate students may be eligible to receive graduate tuition waivers for the resident and/or nonresident portion of tuition.

Most of these waivers are coordinated through the admitting college, department, and program.

Domestic students are required to obtain Utah residency before the start of their third semester in order to minimize the cost of nonresident tuition.
- Additional information regarding Utah residency requirements.

Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP)

Students who meet the School of Graduate Studies admission criteria.

Please visit Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education for more information.

Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP)

NOTE: The WRGP Waiver is added to the student’s account when the waiver is approved.
- It can take 5-7 business days from the time of submission date.
- The student’s account will still say Non-Resident, but they will be charged the resident tuition rate, which they can check by reviewing the most up-to-date Tuition and Fees Table.
- Students will be sent an email to the email address associated with their A# notifying them that the waiver has been approved.

Alumni Legacy Nonresident Waiver

The nonresident portion of tuition for the first two semesters will be waived for a student with at least one parent who earned an associate’s degree or higher from Utah State University and is enrolled as a first-time graduate student at Utah State University.

The student must remain in good standing to receive the waiver their second semester.

Time spent in Utah on the scholarship can be counted toward establishing Utah residency for tuition purposes as long as the student remains in good standing.

Students who receive the waiver are expected to obtain Utah residency after their second semester in a graduate program.
- Please visit Tuition and Financial Aid for more information.
Alumni Legacy Waiver
The Legacy Waiver is applied when it goes to SGS Business Manager’s queue, and they apply it, which is usually done within 5-7 business days from when the request is submitted in ServiceNow.

Nonresident Tuition Waiver for Excellence

This waiver is available to students in any graduate degree program.
- NOTE: Not allowed for students in programs that are strictly online and not on campus.
The non-resident portion of tuition will be waived for two semesters for any incoming graduate student who has an admission GPA above the college average and meets the definition of excellence outlined by each college.
- College averages for admission GPA will be computed each October, based on students who are enrolled for the fall semester; those averages will determine waiver eligibility the following academic year.
Colleges will nominate students for this award.
The Colleges must submit the request for the Excellence Waiver in ServiceNow.
Nonresident Tuition Waiver for Excellence

Research Nonresident Tuition Waivers

Students who are in an M.S. Plan A program or a Ph.D. program and hold a 0.5 FTE graduate assistantship (Teaching or Research) for the entire semester (from the first day of classes through the last day of finals) are eligible for the Research Waiver of non-resident tuition for that semester.

Eligibility for this waiver is verified using information supplied by the department to the School of Graduate Studies.

There is an expectation that students will gain residency after one year.
- Students who cannot gain residency (e.g. international students) may receive the waiver beyond one year if they continue to meet eligibility requirements.
Research Nonresident Tuition Waiver

2. Graduate Assistantships

Teaching assistant, research assistant, and graduate instructor assistantships are available in many departments.

Assistantships may be awarded up to but cannot exceed 20 hours per week (0.5FTE).
- In the interest of timely degree completion, graduate students are generally employed by the University for no more than 20 hours per week.
- Employment for more than 20 hours per week must be approved by the student’s advisor, degree-program department head, and by the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
  - A Petition to Work Greater than 20hrs form must be submitted each semester before the student will be approved to work greater than 20hrs a week.

During fall and spring semesters, graduate assistants must be full-time, matriculated students.
- Full-time status for students employed as graduate assistants is based on the full-time equivalent or FTE. A .125 to 0.374 FTE requires a student to enroll for at least 9 graduate-level credits; a 0.375 to 0.50 FTE requires a student to enroll for at least 6 graduate-level credits.
- See the Student Classifications in the SGS Catalog Section C.
Students on a 0.5 FTE graduate assistantship are considered university employees and are required to have health insurance.
- Utah State University offers subsidized health insurance to students on a 0.5 FTE through Student Health Services with departments covering a portion of the premium.
- Students who have comparable health insurance through another source may opt out of the University health insurance.
- Eligible students must enroll or request to waive out of the subsidized graduate insurance for both fall and spring semesters.
- For more information, please see the Student Health Services website or contact ship@usu.edu.
- For information about the USU Health Insurance Plan, please visit the following website.
Graduate assistants must maintain an institution grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher.
Once a Program of Study has been approved, the department head may request that the institution GPA be based only on courses listed on the Program of Study.

GPAs are checked by the School of Graduate Studies at the end of each semester.

If the student has not yet started the graduate program, the overall GPA for terms that include the last 60 semester, or 90 quarter, credits will be used to determine eligibility as a graduate assistant.

Graduate assistants may register for a maximum of 12 credits per semester, unless a petition to take additional credits is approved by the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.

(a) Teaching Assistantships/Graduate Instructors

Graduate students may be teaching assistants or graduate instructors. Teaching loads vary up to a maximum of 20 hours per week, and salaries vary with department and teaching load.

Each student awarded a teaching assistantship, or graduate instructorship is required to complete either the USU Assistantship training (USU 7920) or an approved equivalent.
- The workshops cover USU policy, FERPA, Sexual Harassment Prevention training, and help students gain the techniques and skills to be effective teachers in the University environment.
- If the student does not complete USU 7920 or approved equivalent, their assistantship award may be affected.
To be eligible for the Research Non-Resident Tuition waiver the student must be in either an MS, Plan A or PhD program.

The assistantship must be 0.5 FTE and begin the first day of classes and end the last day of finals.

Please visit the Graduate Assistantships page to learn more about the different types of assistantships.

(b) Research Assistantships

Research assistantships are typically funded on research grants and are awarded by faculty.

To be eligible for the Research Non-Resident Tuition waiver the student must be in either an MS, Plan A or PhD program.

The assistantship must be 0.5 FTE and begin the first day of classes and end the last day of finals.

Please visit the Graduate Assistantships page to learn more about research assistantships.

3. Fellowships and Scholarships

Fellowship and scholarship awardees must be matriculated, full-time students enrolled in approved graduate-level coursework.

Applications for fellowships and scholarships are submitted to and awarded by the individual departments.

4. Federal College Work-Study Assistance

Graduate students may apply for work-study support by completing the online FAFSA application.

For more information or assistance with the application, contact the Financial Aid Office.

5. Probationary Status, Eligibility for Assistantship

A student who is appointed as a university teaching or research assistant or fellowship and changed to probationary status, will be terminated from their position.

The department may submit a petition to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies appealing the student’s status and request to continue the assistantship or fellowship.

6. Other Financial Assistance

Students not employed in assistantships or fellowships may receive financial assistance by working for departments or other campus units.

Graduate students are generally not employed by the University for more than 20 hours per week.
- Employment beyond 20 hours per week must be approved by the student’s advisor, degree program department head, and the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
In addition, graduate students may apply for Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS), Emergency Loans, and Federal College Work-Study through the Financial Aid Office.
- More information can be found through the Financial Aid Office.
  - Some students may be eligible for GI Bill®* Benefits and should contact the Veterans Resource Office.

*GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Graduate Research & Creative Opportunities Grant (GRCO)

For Graduate Students interested in pursuing research.

To learn more about the GRCO Grant, please visit the School of Graduate Studies Other Funding Opportunities website.

Supplemental Language Tuition

Graduate students taking world language classes as part of their approved Program of Study.

To learn more about Supplemental Language Tuition, please visit the School of Graduate Studies Other Funding Opportunities website.

Employee Tuition Reduction Benefit

USU employees, their spouses, and their dependent children.
To learn more, please visit the USU Human Resources page.

C. Student Classifications

1. Matriculated Graduate Students

A matriculated graduate student has been accepted by a department, with the approval of the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies, into a graduate degree-seeking program and enrolled at the University.
- A student may be accepted on a conditional basis when:
  - (1) information, such as GRE scores, has yet to be received by the School of Graduate Studies, or (2) when a missing prerequisite or academic deficiency must be remedied.
  - The conditions and time limit for remedying these deficiencies must be specified to the student in writing at the time of admission.
  - If the conditions are not met as specified, the student’s participation in the degree program may be terminated.
A full-time matriculated graduate student must be one of the following:
- Registered for 9 or more graduate credits.
- Registered for 6 or more graduate credits if employed as a graduate assistant for 15 hours or more per week.
- Registered for 3 graduate credits* meeting one of the following:
  - All required coursework completed and only the research component of the degree remaining.
  - The semester of final thesis or dissertation defense.
  - The last semester of coursework required on the student’s Program of Study for non-thesis students.

*Students registered for 3 credits must have an approved Program of Study and the Full-Time at 3 Credit form.

A matriculated-probationary graduate student may be placed on Academic Warning or Probation due to inadequate progress in their degree program.
- Individual departments are responsible for determining and communicating the conditions to be met and the time limit for meeting them.
- These conditions must be specified to the student in writing at the time the student is placed on probation by the supervisory committee or program advisor and approved by the department head.
- If the conditions are not met as specified, the student’s participation in the degree program may be terminated.

2. International Students

An international student must be admitted to a degree program and hold a valid F-1 or J-1 visa before enrolling in classes at Utah State University.

A student on an F-1 or J-1 visa must maintain full-time student status throughout the degree program.

For more information, please contact the Office of Global Engagement.

3. Nonmatriculated Post-baccalaureate Students

A nonmatriculated post-baccalaureate student holds a bachelor’s degree, is enrolled in Utah State University coursework, but has not applied or been accepted to a graduate degree program.

If the student does not intend to pursue a graduate degree, the student should apply to the undergraduate Admissions Office as a nonmatriculated student.

A maximum of 12 semester credits earned as a nonmatriculated, post baccalaureate student may be used in a graduate degree program, but only if approved by the student’s supervisory committee.

D. General Regulations for Graduate Study

Each graduate student and graduate program coordinator or director are responsible for knowing and following the policies, regulations, procedures, and timelines of the School of Graduate Studies and of their department or program.

The policies and regulations stated in the catalog and in departmental handbooks may be changed between publication dates.

The School of Graduate Studies is responsible for communicating any new or updated policies or procedures to both graduate program coordinators and students.

Graduate program coordinators and directors are responsible for ensuring that up-to-date information regarding policies and procedures is communicated to their graduate students.

Students are responsible for understanding any new and updated information.

1. Sexual Assault Prevention Training

All Utah State University students are required to complete an online Sexual Assault Prevention program before or during their first semester.

Students who do not complete this training will not be able to register for the following semester. Contact the Office of Equity with any questions.
- NOTE: Students who hold assistantships of some kind must also complete the Sexual Assault Training for employees.

2. Grades, Credits, & Course Number Acceptability

(a) Course-Level Numbering and Acceptability

7000-7989 are doctorate-level courses.
- With supervisory committee and instructor approval they may be used in a master’s program.
6000-6989 are master’s-level courses.
- With supervisory committee approval they may be used in a doctoral program.
- A minimum of 18 credits may be used on an approved program of study.
5000-5990 are advanced, upper-division courses.
- A maximum of 12 credits may be used on an approved program of study.

For further information about course numbering, please see the Overview of Course Numbering.

(b) Auditing Classes

Admitted students who wish to audit a class must register as auditors.

Auditing is dependent on space, resource availability, and instructor approval.

Students who audit a course will not receive academic credit for the course and will be assigned an “AU” (audit) grade at the end of the semester.

Students will pay appropriate tuition and student body fees for all audit courses.

At no future time may students request or receive academic credit for the audited course.

Audit requests, approved by the instructor, must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office, and tuition and fees must be paid before class attendance is permitted.

Students are not permitted to register as auditors prior to the first day of classes for any given semester.

Audit courses are subject to the dates outlined in the university Academic & Registration Calendars.

Students who are registered for a class and would like to change to an audit registration may do so only up through the Adding Classes deadline, which also coincides with the Last Day to Drop without Notation on Transcript.

Students who drop after this period will receive a W (withdrawal) grade and may not register as an auditor.

(c) Semester Credit Limit

Students must have authorization from their department to enroll in more than 18 credits a semester and submit the Registration Options Form request for approval.

(d) Minimum Grades and Credit Acceptability

Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.

Some departments do not accept C grades.

(e) Incomplete (I) Grade Policy

I (Incomplete) Grade policy information can be referenced directly on the USU General Catalog.

(f) T (Temporary) - Grade Policy

T (Temporary) Grade policy information can be referenced directly on the USU General Catalog.

(g) P (Pass) - Grade Policy

P (Pass) will be accepted only for seminars, special problems, interdisciplinary workshops, thesis or dissertation research, and continuing graduate advisement.

(h) Correspondence Course Credits

Distance Education correspondence (independent home study) courses are not accepted for graduate degrees.

3. Split Form Policy

A Utah State University undergraduate student doing well in their studies and planning to pursue a graduate degree at Utah State University may file a Split Form to request that a maximum of 9 semester credits be reserved (split out) from the undergraduate degree for their graduate degree.

Students must also receive instructor’s permission to register for graduate courses.

For a Split Form approval, the student must meet all the following requirements:
- Applied for undergraduate graduation.
- Enrolled in at least one required undergraduate class.
- A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher the semester the form is submitted.
- Applied and paid applicable fees to the School of Graduate Studies.
In accordance with the School of Graduate Studies admission policy, a transitional student will not be matriculated in the School of Graduate Studies until their bachelor’s degree has been completed.
- Approval of a Split Form does not guarantee acceptance to the School of Graduate Studies.
By default, courses numbered 0010 through 4990 will be posted to an undergraduate transcript; and courses numbered 6000 through 7990 will be posted to a graduate transcript.
- Courses numbered 5000 through 5990 are generally posted to an undergraduate or graduate transcript based on the primary program level of the student.
- Therefore, undergraduate students who meet the qualifications to have some of their coursework ‘split out’ for a graduate degree will need to submit a form to the School of Graduate Studies stating which courses they desire to have ‘split out.’
- Students should contact their undergraduate advisor and/or their Graduate Program Coordinator for help with submitting the appropriate form.

Per university policy, a class may not be applied to both an undergraduate and a graduate program.

A Split Form cannot be processed after the bachelor’s degree has been completed and posted on the transcript.

4. Transfer and Nonmatriculated Credits

A student may transfer up to 12 graduate credits earned at another accredited institution, including credits with earned P grades.
- The credits must not have been used for another degree.
- Master and Doctoral students may transfer a maximum of 12 semester credits into a graduate program at Utah State University.
Transfer credits are subject to approval of the supervisory committee and the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
- Credits with P grades may be transferred only with committee approval.
- Credits more than eight years old may not be acceptable and will require revalidation.
- Transfer credits will be shown on official Utah State University transcripts upon completion of the degree.
These stipulations apply to transferred nonmatriculated credits: no more than 12 credits taken at Utah State University or another institution prior to matriculation at Utah State University may be used in a program of study.
- NOTE: This is not applicable to certificates.

5. Concurrent Graduate Degrees

Students may pursue concurrent master’s degrees or concurrent master’s and doctoral degrees with the approval of the cooperating departments and the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.

An application should first be submitted for the first-degree program.

If admission is granted, the student may then apply for a second-degree program by submitting a Concurrent Degrees request to the School of Graduate Studies.

To be considered as concurrent degrees, admission to the second-degree program must be finalized before the end of the second semester in the first-degree program.

(a) Concurrent Master’s Degree Programs

In special cases, a student may concurrently complete the requirements for two master’s degrees, in the same or in different departments, with fewer than the total credits required, provided that the following conditions are met:

The student must submit a Concurrent Degree request and be accepted into the second program or prior to completing 50% of the credits required for the first program.

For students doing two professional degrees or one professional degree and one research degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) there are no special rules for the construction of supervisory committees beyond what is normal in each program.

Students doing concurrent research degrees will have two supervisory committees, one for each program.

The major professor for one degree program must be the outside member on the other degree program.

Thus, if a student is doing an M.S. degree concurrently with a Ph.D. program, the major professor of the doctoral committee will be the outside committee member for the M.S. degree and the major professor for the M.S. degree will be the outside committee member for the Ph.D. committee.

The other committee members for the two supervisory committees need only follow SGS and program guidelines and faculty may serve on both supervisory committees.*

There can be a maximum of 9 concurrent credits shared between the two degrees. A student could thus complete the requirements for both degrees with up to 9 fewer semester credits than the usual minimum totals for two degrees. That is, there can be a 9-credit overlap in the programs of study for the two graduate degree programs.

Concurrent credits will not be applied towards both degrees, per university policy. Thus, the first degree will be awarded at the minimum credit requirement. The second degree will reflect the credit overlap and not include the shared coursework on the Program of Study. 

*The Supervisory Committee form and Program of Study must be in accordance with the School of Graduate Studies and program requirements.

(b) Concurrent Doctoral-Master’s Degree Programs

In special cases, a student may complete concurrently all requirements for a doctoral degree and a master’s degree with fewer than the total credits required by both programs, provided that the following conditions are met:

The student must submit a Concurrent Degree request and be accepted into the second program or prior to completing 50% of the credits required for the first program.

For students doing two professional degrees or one professional degree and one research degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) there are no special rules for the construction of supervisory committees beyond what is normal in each program.

Students doing concurrent research degrees will have two supervisory committees, one for each program.

The major professor for one degree program must be the outside member on the other degree program.

Thus, if a student is doing an M.S. degree concurrently with a Ph.D. program, the major professor of the doctoral committee will be the outside committee member for the M.S. degree and the major professor for the M.S. degree will be the outside committee member for the Ph.D. committee.

The other committee members for the two supervisory committees need only follow SGS and program guidelines and faculty may serve on both supervisory committees. *

*The Supervisory Committee form and Program of Study must be in accordance with the School of Graduate Studies and program requirements.

6. Program of Study

The Program of Study for a master’s degree, or for a doctoral degree if the student has a master’s degree, must include at least 18 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above.
- For a doctoral degree, if the student does not have a master’s degree, the Program of Study must include at least 30 credits at the level of 6000 or above.
Coursework below 5000 level may not be used towards a graduate degree.
- Undergraduate prerequisites for graduate programs may not be included on a Program of Study.
Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 5000.
No more than 12 workshop credits may be applied to a master’s degree.

Audited courses may not be used for a degree program or toward status as a full-time student.

(a) Deadline for Submitting a Program of Study

Master’s Degrees: A master’s student’s Program of Study must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for approval before the end of the second semester.

Doctoral Degrees: A doctoral student’s Program of Study must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for approval before the end of the third semester.

A program of study is created in DegreeWorks.

If a student needs assistance with making revisions to their program of study, they may contact their Graduate Program Coordinator, who will update the courses listed in DegreeWorks and submit a ServiceNow Program of Study request to the School of Gradaute Studies for processing.
- The student’s major professor and department head will receive the Program of Study revision and will follow the same approval procedure.

7. Continuous Graduate Registration

Continuous registration may be met with courses, seminars, independent study, research credit, or 6990 or 7990 (Continuing Graduate Advisement).

The continuous registration requirement goes into effect the semester a student matriculates in the School of Graduate Studies.

A graduate student who is not using university facilities or faculty time may meet the continuous registration requirement by paying the Continuous Registration Fee of $100 per each fall and spring semester.

Students should submit a continuous registration request each semester and contact the School of Graduate Studies the semester they intend to register for courses.

Graduate students using university facilities or faculty time must be registered for a minimum of 3 graduate credits every semester until completion of all degree requirements, except, in some cases, the semester of final thesis or dissertation approval.

Students employed as graduate assistants or graduate instructors during all semesters, excluding summer semester, must be registered as full-time matriculated students.

An off-campus student in a planned Regional Campuses and Distance Education program who is enrolled in a 1- or 2-credit course that is the only course offered locally that semester may be approved by the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for continuous registration upon written recommendation of the department head.

8. Grace Semester

Students must be registered for at least 3 credits the semester they defend a thesis, Plan B paper/project, dissertation, or take final oral examinations.

Doctoral and master’s students will be given until the last day of the next semester (spring, summer, or fall) following a successful defense to complete remaining degree requirements.

Students who wish to retain access to IT and library services during their grace semester must register for USU 7777.
- USU 7777 is for one semester, and one semester only.
- It is a legitimate 3 credit, graded course.
Students who wish to use university facilities in addition to IT and library services, can pay the fees associated with the 5-credit tuition amount at the Registrar’s Office.

If a student has not completed all degree requirements by the end of the grace semester, the student must pay a $100 Late Completion Fee for each subsequent semester.

International students, who would like to register for USU 7777, should meet with the Office of Global Engagement prior to registration to review visa requirements and time limits.

Because of SEVIS regulations, a student holding an F-1 or J-1 visa is not eligible to pay the $100 fee to complete the degree but must be registered as a full-time student through the semester of completion.

If working with faculty involves more than routine submission of the thesis or dissertation to the School of Graduate Studies, registration for 3 or more credits is required.

If all degree requirements are not complete within one year of a successful defense, then the major professor, with support of all members of the supervisory committee, must submit an appeal to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies, justifying why the student should not be required to defend the thesis, Plan B paper/project, or dissertation a second time.

9. Leave of Absence

A leave of absence, during which neither continuous registration nor a $100 payment is applicable, may be granted under the following conditions:
- Illness, required military service, and other extenuating circumstances acceptable to the department head and the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
- Lack of availability of courses.
- Participation in a planned program based primarily on summer semester courses.
For the second or third condition to apply, the student must have an approved Program of Study.
To request a leave of absence, a Leave of Absence request must be approved by the department head and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies.

A leave of absence may be the basis for extending the time limit to complete a degree, but not to extend the time limit for course validity.

A student needing to extend an approved Leave of Absence should contact their Graduate Program Coordinator.

Should the reason for leave change, a new submission and approvals are required.

10. Complete Withdrawal from the University

Matriculated and enrolled graduate students who wish to completely withdraw must inform the School of Graduate Studies Office by emailing gradforms@usu.edu; this email must include the student’s A#.

Withdrawals are processed according to the date the email is received.

Prior to requesting withdrawal, students are responsible for dropping courses in accordance with all university calendar deadlines and procedures.

A student who withdraws must be accepted for readmission before reenrolling.

Newly admitted students, who have not registered for courses and wish to withdraw, or students who have applied, will need to contact  graduateadmissions@usu.edu.

These students will be required to formally apply to the School of Graduate Studies and resubmit all supplement items for departmental review.

Once final examinations have begun for the semester, students may no longer request a complete withdrawal from the University.

Students will receive the grades and academic credit earned in the courses both of which will be included on their transcript.

11. Graduate Degree Time Limit Policy

A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program.

A doctorate degree must be completed within eight years of entering the degree program.
- Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.
Coursework more than eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.
- If permitted by the departmental or interdepartmental degree program policy, a supervisory committee may develop and submit a revalidation plan to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for approval.
- The plan and determination must be verified in writing and include the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and the student’s major professor or other person(s) responsible for the revalidation.
- Work experience cannot be substituted for out-of-date coursework or used for revalidation, except where that work experience can be documented to have involved the use of current knowledge and application of material currently covered in the coursework.
- Graduate credits from another institution exceeding the eight-year limit at the time of degree completion may be transferred to a Utah State University graduate degree only if the student’s supervisory committee provides a justification acceptable to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
  - The revalidation procedures described above apply.

12. Academic Nepotism

A faculty member is not to participate in admission or graduate assistant employment decisions, serve as major professor, or serve on the supervisory committee of a relative, including a person with whom the faculty member has or has had an amorous relationship.

Graduate students may enroll in classes taught by a relative only under special conditions.

For information, contact the department head or the School of Graduate Studies.

13. GPA Policy & Low-GPA Notification for Graduate Students

Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses.
- Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.
- Some departments do not accept C grades.
Some departments may require a higher GPA.

The School of Graduate Studies will notify GPCs, GPDs, and/or Department Heads of students whose cumulative or overall GPA is below 3.0 at the completion of fall and spring semesters. The department will then notify and coordinate with the students to ensure their future success.

If a student’s institution GPA remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, the student may be placed on probationary status and their graduate program may be terminated.

14. Matriculation of Faculty

Except under unusual circumstances, it is the policy of the university not to grant graduate degrees to its own faculty members, where the degree satisfies a prerequisite for appointment or advancement in rank.

Requests for exceptions must be individually considered and approved by the provost based on appropriate recommendations.

Please see Faculty Policies for more information.

15. Monitoring of Progress

The student’s department and the School of Graduate Studies monitor the progress of graduate students.

For continued participation in a graduate program, a student must complete all requirements in a timely manner.

In reviewing a student’s progress, several factors will be considered, including demonstrated ability to develop a thesis proposal, independence in the conduct of research, performance on comprehensive examinations, GPA, and special program requirements.

Satisfactory progress also involves maintaining the standards of professional ethics and integrity expected in the student’s discipline.

E. Research and Intellectual Property

1. Research Approval & Responsible Conduct

All University research involving human subjects, animal subjects, radiation materials, recombinant DNA, biohazardous materials, certain highly toxic chemicals, restricted foreign parties, or export-controlled items must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate University committee(s) before the research is started.
- Graduate students are, with the assistance of their advisors, responsible for obtaining the necessary approval for their research.
  - Verification of approval must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies before the student’s master’s Thesis/Project Approval Form or doctoral Application for Candidacy can be approved.
For further information regarding compliance and integrity, contact the Office of Research.

(a) Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

All doctoral (PhD, AUD, EdD), MS/A (thesis), MA, and MFA students are required to complete the Responsible Conduct of Research course offered on the CITI website.

RCR training is also required for any students who are supported by funding from some federal agencies (NSF, USDA-NIFA).

Graduate students who are supported by funding from the NIH are required to complete a face-to-face component through the Division of Research Integrity and Compliance.

For more information about the Responsible Conduct of Research Training, please check out the RCR website.

2. Academic Honesty and Research Misconduct

Maintaining the highest standards of academic honesty and research ethics is especially important at the graduate level, where students are expected to do original, scholarly work in preparation for future professional and academic roles.

Academic dishonesty is defined in The Code of Policies and Procedures for Students at Utah State University (revised September 2009) Article VI, Section 1 to include cheating, falsification of information, and plagiarism.

Students who violate any item of the above policy will be subject to the University disciplinary procedures as outlined in Article VI, Section 3 of the Student Code.

(a) Research Misconduct

Research is a vital part of graduate education; therefore, appropriate scientific and research conduct is not only expected, but required.

Allegations of research misconduct involving funded research are handled through the Office of Research.

If the research is not externally sponsored, allegations are handled following The Code of Policies and Procedures for Students at Utah State University.

Research misconduct may be determined either during or after a student’s program.
- Students found guilty of research misconduct may face penalties including
  - (1) correction and reanalysis of data
  - (2) and/or rewriting of the thesis or dissertation, with resubmission and a new defense required,
  - (3) and/or loss of financial assistance.
  - If the misconduct is found to have been knowingly or deliberately committed, the penalty may include dismissal from a program or revocation of an awarded degree.

(b) What is Research Misconduct?

Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.
- Fabrication means making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
- Falsification means manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.
- Plagiarism means the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, or results, or works without giving appropriate credit.
Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion.

(c) Reporting Suspected Research Misconduct

USU employees or students who learn of potential Research Misconduct are encouraged to submit a claim for appropriate review.

Claims can be submitted through:
- USU’s Research Integrity and Compliance Office
  - 435-797-0485
  - compliance@usu.edu
- USU’s Ethics & Compliance Hotline
- A Dean, Director, or Department Head, who has a duty to pass the claim to the Research Integrity & Compliance Office

(d) How are Research Misconduct Allegations Reviewed?

The Research Integrity & Compliance Office maintains Research Misconduct Procedures.
- These procedures meet federal standards, and are reviewed and approved by the Office of Research Integrity within Health & Human Services.
All allegations will undergo an assessment phase as soon as possible, and if sufficient credible evidence is present, will move to an inquiry and/or investigation phase.
NOTE: Because the definition of Research Misconduct is narrow, not all allegations may fall under Research Misconduct.
- Non-Research Misconduct improprieties will be referred to other offices on campus as appropriate (Human Resources, Provost, etc.).
For further information about research opportunities, and policies, please contact the Office of Research.

3. Appeals Procedure

Graduate students with grievances relating to academic matters may appeal to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies following the steps and procedures outlined in The Code of Policies and Procedures for Students at Utah State University.

F. Graduate Degree Requirements

1. Master’s Degree Plan Types & Requirements

(a) Plan A

The Plan A option for a master’s degree requires preparation and defense of a thesis.

Plan A students are required to complete a minimum 6 semester credits of thesis research (6970) with a maximum of 15 thesis credits applied towards a Program of Study.

The semesters during which a student registers for thesis credit should correspond as closely as possible to the semesters in which the thesis work is done and faculty supervision is provided.

The thesis is intended to be either a contribution to the field of knowledge based on the student’s own research or a treatment and presentation of known subject matter from a new point of view.

The student and major professor are encouraged to decide upon a problem or subject for the thesis study by the end of the student’s first semester of graduate study.

A  Master’s Thesis/Project Approval Form, signed by the entire committee, should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies after the committee approves the research proposal.
- This form is also used to document that the student has obtained any necessary regulatory approvals and completed any safety training and should therefore be submitted prior to the student conducting the majority of thesis research.
- NOTE: This form must be submitted during the student’s second semester, after the Supervisory Committee Approval Form, a successful thesis proposal defense, and all regulatory approvals are in place.
The Appointment for Exam Form must be approved by the School of Graduate Studies 10 business days before the scheduled thesis defense.

After the final defense, the student will need to submit their finalization paperwork and completed manuscript to the School of Graduate Studies for review.
- See the Format and Style Form
- See the Authorship and Copyright Form
- See the Title Page Form
Once approved, the manuscript will either be uploaded to DigitalCommons or physically submitted to the library if the student wishes to embargo their work.
Library personnel will notify the student and the School of Graduate Studies once the manuscript is accepted.

(b) Plan B

A Plan B option requires the production and defense of a paper or project, depending on the department and program.
- A minimum 2 credits of thesis research (6970) are required, but no more than 3 thesis research credits can be included on an approved Program of Study.
- Some degree programs require creative project credits in addition to or in place of research.
- The Plan B paper is typically a review of literature, with conclusions drawn after conceptualizing an area of inquiry, planning a systematic search, and analyzing or critiquing the acquired information.
  - The summary and conclusions developed should enhance a student’s knowledge of the discipline.
  - If a Plan B paper or project includes research beyond a review of literature, the student should submit a Master’s Thesis/Project Approval Form after the committee approves the research plan.
    - This form is also used to document that the student has obtained any necessary regulatory approvals and completed any safety training and should therefore be submitted prior to the student conducting the majority of thesis research.
    - NOTE: This form must be submitted during the student’s second semester, after the Supervisory Committee Approval Form, a successful thesis proposal defense, and all regulatory approvals are in place.
- Plan B papers and projects should follow the same format specifications as theses and dissertations and are expected to reflect equivalent scholarship standards though they may be less intensive and not demand the originality of a Plan A thesis.
- The Appointment for Exam Form must be approved by the School of Graduate Studies 10 business days before the scheduled thesis defense.
- Plan B papers and projects are defended but not formally reviewed by the School of Graduate Studies or signed by the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
  - Instead, Plan B papers or projects must be submitted directly to the Merrill-Cazier Library and uploaded to DigitalCommons.
    - See the Plan B Report/Creative Project Submission Form
  - Library personnel will notify the student and the School of Graduate Studies once the Plan B paper or project is accepted.

(c) Plan C or Professional Program

A Plan C option typically includes a culminating creative or integrative experience and is a non-thesis or Plan B program.

Plan C students may be required to enroll in a course or seminar on research methods, but thesis credits are not accepted on a Program of Study or applied towards a degree.

(d) Required Forms by Degree Type (Master’s Plan A, Plan B, & Plan C/Professional) & Deadlines

USU Graduate School forms are designed to track a student’s degree progress, facilitate approvals, aid exceptions, and more.

The student should always consult with their Graduate Program Coordinator on which forms are required for their degree.

When filling out forms, read the description and instructions first. Forms submitted incorrectly will be canceled.

Once the errors are fixed, the form can be resubmitted.

Please use the following link to view Academic Forms by Degree Type, and to read form descriptions and view deadlines for the forms.

(e) Credit Requirement

The minimum requirement for a master’s degree is 30 semester credits.

Programs or departments may have higher credit requirements for some master’s degrees

(f) Residency Requirement

The School of Graduate Studies will not have any academic residency requirements for graduate students, but departments and colleges may impose residency requirements in their programs as they see fit.

2. Master’s Degree – Graduate Faculty & Supervisory Committees (Master’s Plan A and Plan B Only)

(a) Graduate Faculty Membership Policy

Faculty must be members of the graduate faculty in good standing to serve in any of the following roles:

Major professor

Direct supervisor of a graduate research assistant or graduate teaching assistant

Chair or co-chair of a student supervisory committee

Chair of co-chair of a thesis or master’s project committee

Chair or co-chair of a dissertation committee

To be a member in good standing of the graduate faculty, the following criteria must be met:

The dean of the faculty member’s college must include the faculty member on the list of intended graduate faculty members. As a default standard, it is expected that any tenure-line faculty member with research designated as their area of excellence and teaching as an area of effectiveness will be included on this list from the beginning of their employment in this role with Utah State University.

The faculty member must have no substantiated complaints or grievances against them for violation of policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students. This includes complaints filed with the Office of Equity/Title IX, the Office of Human Resources, the School of Graduate Studies, or any college or department of Utah State University. Depending on the nature of a pending complaint or grievance, the School of Graduate Studies may deem a faculty member to not be in good standing prior to the completion of an investigation; this decision will be made in discussion with the dean of the appropriate college and/or provost. If (1) a pending complaint or grievance is resolved in favor of the faculty member and (2) the dean of the relevant college includes the faculty member on the list of intended graduate faculty members, the faculty member will immediately be placed in good standing.

The faculty member must not have received a sanction or reprimand for the violation of policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students within the previous 3 years. If a formal sanction changes this default time period, the terms of the sanction will supersede the 3-year duration.

If a faculty member loses eligibility to serve on the graduate faculty for any reason or duration related to the mistreatment of graduate students, they cannot be considered in good standing without a written plan to monitor and ensure appropriate and ethical treatment of students under their supervision that is approved by the dean of their college and is on file with the School of Graduate Studies. Violation of the terms of this plan will revoke the good standing of the faculty member.

If a faculty member or their dean disagrees with the School of Graduate Studies’ determination of good standing, the faculty member or dean may appeal to the Utah State University provost. The School of Graduate Studies and the disagreeing party will each have an opportunity to present relevant information and evidence to the provost, and the provost will render a final decision.

Definitions:

Pending complaints or grievances entail any credible allegation of a relevant policy violation, whether or not a formal grievance is filed. This includes complaints brought directly to the School of Graduate Studies by students related to improper conduct, which are considered of sufficient severity to prompt fact-finding efforts.

Substantiated complaints or grievances entail any finding by the School of Graduate Studies, the Office of Equity/Title IX, or a formal grievance process that policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students have been violated by a faculty member.

Sanctions and reprimands are formal consequences of policy violations attained through mechanisms established under USU Policy 403, including both formal grievances and consequences for policy violations imposed by department heads, deans, the provost, or the president of Utah State University.

(b) Submitting Graduate Faculty to the School of Graduate Studies

Departments will indicate who they want to have as Graduate Faculty.

The faculty names go to the Dean for approval, then over to the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies for approval.

This is done by submitting a spreadsheet of the faculty names directly to the Vice Provost, Graduate Registrar, Assistant Graduate Registrar, and Registrar Assistant.

For committee members from outside the university, the Department Head will need to send the potential committee member’s CV to the Vice Provost for approval.

Departments should do this at least once per year.

It is not a problem if Departments submit new graduate faculty throughout the year.

(c) Supervisory Committees

When a student is accepted to a master’s degree program, the department head appoints a temporary advisor.

During the first semester following matriculation, the student should meet with the temporary advisor to discuss the appointment of a supervisory committee.

A completed Supervisory Committee Approval form should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for final approval by the end of the student’s second semester.

A master’s degree supervisory committee must include at least three faculty members who hold a master’s degree or higher and are members of the Graduate Faculty.
- At least one member must represent the student’s area of specialization, and at least one must be from outside the specialization area.
Within School of Graduate Studies and departmental requirements, the supervisory committee does the following:
- (1) determines courses for the student’s Program of Study;
- (2) conducts any required departmental qualifying examinations;
- (3) supervises the student’s thesis research, Plan B paper or project;
- (4) and conducts the defense or final examination.
  - The defense or final examination must be scheduled through the School of Graduate Studies.
  - The major professor, who serves as the chairperson of the committee, usually directs the thesis, paper, or other degree project.
A faculty member should not serve on a supervisory committee if, for any reason, they will not be available for committee meetings.

All committee members must attend the defense at the date and time registered with the School of Graduate Studies.

While in-person defense is preferred and recommended, members of the committee may participate remotely with both audio and video interaction.
- Students should work with their committee members to arrange defense participation and details prior to submitting an Appointment for Examination.
Changes in the membership of a supervisory committee cannot be made during the six weeks prior to the defense without a written request from the department head and approval of the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
No committee member should agree to proceed with a defense until they have carefully read and approved the thesis or plan B paper.

Co-Advisors can be from any department, but cannot also serve as the committee member from outside the department.

Committee Members from Outside of the Department

While it is the expectation that all members of a thesis/dissertation committee would uphold these values, the specific role of the outside member of a thesis or dissertation committee is to ensure the success of the dissertation/thesis process for the student with regard to three primary goals:
- 1) a fair, ethical, and humane process for the student;
- 2) a rigorous academic, and intellectual experience that yields meaningful insights accessible to the disciplinary and broader communities; and
- 3) safeguarding against “group think” or tacit expectations that may not be intuitive or evident to the student.
All committee members, including members outside the department, must be approved by the Dean of the College, Department Head, and the Vice Provost of the School of Graduate Studies.

Committee Members from Outside the University

Committee Members from outside the university may serve as a member at large of the committee.

All committee members, including members outside the university, must be approved by the Dean of the College, Department Head, and the Vice Provost of the School of Graduate Studies.

Committee Members from outside the University may not fill the role of “Outside Committee Member.”

NOTE: Departments are responsible for setting up these committee members with an A#.
- The Department’s Business Services Team can submit a request for an A#.
- The committee member from outside the university can also be set up with IT Opt-In, which can also be obtained with the assistance of the department’s Business Services Team.

Emeritus/Emerita Faculty

Emeritus faculty may continue to serve as committee members or major professors on any committee they are on at the time they become emeritus.

They may serve as committee members on committees formed after they become emeritus, but not as major professor.

NOTE: The Department is responsible for ensuring that Emeritus/Emerita faculty retain an A# and IT access.

Faculty Who Leave Utah State University for Another Academic Institution or Job

Faculty who leave USU for another institution may continue to serve as committee members on graduate student committees upon the request of the department and with approval from the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.

On graduate student committees where the departing member is major professor, there must be a new major professor or a co-major professor who is a faculty member at USU.
- NOTE: Departments are responsible for ensuring that these committee members retain an A# and IT Access.
  - The Department’s Business Services can submit a request for an A# for the committee member if necessary.
  - The committee member can also be set up with IT Opt-In, which can also be obtained with the assistance of the department’s Business Services Team.

3. Post-Master’s Professional Degrees

Educational Specialist (EdS) programs, are designed for students who seek to improve their professional skills and knowledge beyond the master’s degree.

The minimum requirement for each of these degrees is 30 semester credits beyond the master’s degree and 60 credits beyond a bachelor’s degree.

4. Doctoral Degree Requirements

(a) Credit Requirement

Doctoral degrees generally require 30 to 60 academic credits beyond a master’s degree or 60 to 90 academic credits beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Students should check with individual departments for specific credit-hour requirements.

A minimum of 12 dissertation credits (7970) is required if the student has a master’s degree and a minimum of 18 dissertation credits (7970) is required if the student has a bachelor’s degree.

The semesters during which a student registers for dissertation credit should correspond as closely as possible to the semesters in which the dissertation work is done and faculty supervision is provided.

(b) Residency Requirement

The School of Graduate Studies will not have any academic residency requirements for graduate students, but departments and colleges may impose residency requirements in their programs as they see fit.

(c) Required Forms by Degree Type (Doctoral) & Deadlines

USU Graduate School forms are designed to track your degree progress, facilitate approvals, aid exceptions, and more.
- The Application for Candidacy (ACDD) Form – Due as soon as a doctoral student’s dissertation proposal is approved, all regulatory approvals are complete, and the student passes their comprehensive exams.
  - NOTE: The Application for Candidacy Form must be submitted at least three months prior to the student’s final defense.
The Appointment for Exam Form must be approved by the School of Graduate Studies at least 10 business days before the scheduled dissertation defense.

After the final defense, the student will need to submit their finalization paperwork and completed manuscript to the School of Graduate Studies for review.
- See the Format and Style Form
- See the Authorship and Copyright Form
- See the Title Page Form
The student should always consult with their Graduate Program Coordinator on which forms are required for their degree.
When filling out forms, read the description and instructions first. Forms submitted incorrectly will be canceled. Once the errors are fixed, the form can be resubmitted.
- Please use the following link to view Academic Forms by Degree Type, and to read form descriptions and view deadlines for the forms.

5. Doctoral Degree – Graduate Faculty & Supervisory Committees

(a) Graduate Faculty Membership Policy

Faculty must be members of the graduate faculty in good standing to serve in any of the following roles:

Major professor

Direct supervisor of a graduate research assistant or graduate teaching assistant

Chair or co-chair of a student supervisory committee

Chair of co-chair of a thesis or master’s project committee

Chair or co-chair of a dissertation committee

To be a member in good standing of the graduate faculty, the following criteria must be met:

The dean of the faculty member’s college must include the faculty member on the list of intended graduate faculty members. As a default standard, it is expected that any tenure-line faculty member with research designated as their area of excellence and teaching as an area of effectiveness will be included on this list from the beginning of their employment in this role with Utah State University.

The faculty member must have no substantiated complaints or grievances against them for violation of policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students. This includes complaints filed with the Office of Equity/Title IX, the Office of Human Resources, the School of Graduate Studies, or any college or department of Utah State University. Depending on the nature of a pending complaint or grievance, the School of Graduate Studies may deem a faculty member to not be in good standing prior to the completion of an investigation; this decision will be made in discussion with the dean of the appropriate college and/or provost. If (1) a pending complaint or grievance is resolved in favor of the faculty member and (2) the dean of the relevant college includes the faculty member on the list of intended graduate faculty members, the faculty member will immediately be placed in good standing.

The faculty member must not have received a sanction or reprimand for the violation of policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students within the previous 3 years. If a formal sanction changes this default time period, the terms of the sanction will supersede the 3-year duration.

If a faculty member loses eligibility to serve on the graduate faculty for any reason or duration related to the mistreatment of graduate students, they cannot be considered in good standing without a written plan to monitor and ensure appropriate and ethical treatment of students under their supervision that is approved by the dean of their college and is on file with the School of Graduate Studies. Violation of the terms of this plan will revoke the good standing of the faculty member.

Definitions:

Pending complaints or grievances entail any credible allegation of a relevant policy violation, whether or not a formal grievance is filed. This includes complaints brought directly to the School of Graduate Studies by students related to improper conduct, which are considered of sufficient severity to prompt fact-finding efforts.

Substantiated complaints or grievances entail any finding by the School of Graduate Studies, the Office of Equity/Title IX, or a formal grievance process that policies related to the appropriate or ethical treatment of students have been violated by a faculty member.

Sanctions and reprimands are formal consequences of policy violations attained through mechanisms established under USU Policy 403, including both formal grievances and consequences for policy violations imposed by department heads, deans, the provost, or the president of Utah State University.

(b) Submitting Graduate Faculty to the School of Graduate Studies

Departments will indicate who they want to have as Graduate Faculty.

The faculty names go to the Dean for approval, then over to the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies for approval.

This is done by submitting a spreadsheet of the faculty names directly to the Vice Provost, Graduate Registrar, Assistant Graduate Registrar, and Registrar Assistant.

For committee members from outside the university, the Department Head will need to send the potential committee member’s CV to the Vice Provost for approval.

Departments should do this at least once per year.

It is not a problem if Departments submit new graduate faculty throughout the year.

(c) Supervisory Committees

When a doctoral student is admitted, the department head appoints a temporary advisor to work with the student until a supervisory committee is formally established.

A completed Supervisory Committee Approval form should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for approval by the end of the student’s third semester.

Changes to a supervisory committee must be documented and approved by submitting a Supervisory Committee Revision form and cannot be made six weeks prior to the final defense.

A doctoral supervisory committee must include at least five faculty who hold doctoral degrees and are current members of Graduate Faculty.
- The committee must consist of three members from within the student’s department and at least one member who is outside either the department or interdepartmental degree-granting program in which the student is enrolled.
Within School of Graduate Studies and departmental requirements, the supervisory committee
- (1) determines courses for the student’s Program of Study;
- (2) oversees any qualifying examinations and comprehensive examination, unless another departmental or program procedure is in place*;
- (3) approves the dissertation proposal;
- (4) supervises the student’s research and preparation of the dissertation;
- (5) participates in or conducts departmental annual reviews*;
- (6) conducts the final oral examination.
  - The major professor is the chairperson of the committee and usually directs the student’s research.
  - Continuation in a doctoral program is contingent upon the availability of a major professor.
  - *Some departments or interdepartmental programs administer qualifying examinations. Each department or program has the responsibility of administering comprehensive examinations.
Supervisory committee members should hold a degree equivalent to or higher than the one the graduate student is seeking and have completed a dissertation or thesis requirement similar to that which the graduate student is completing.

A faculty member should not serve on a supervisory committee if, for any reason, they will not be available for committee meetings.

All committee members must attend the defense at the date and time registered with the School of Graduate Studies.

While in-person defense is preferred and recommended, members of the committee may participate remotely with both audio and video interaction.
- Students should work with their committee members to arrange defense participation and details prior to submitting an Appointment for Examination.
Changes in the membership of a supervisory committee cannot be made during the six weeks prior to the defense without a written request from the department head and approval of the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
No committee member should agree to proceed with a defense until they have carefully read and approved the dissertation.

After the final defense, the student should submit their finalization paperwork and finished manuscript to the School of Graduate Studies for review.

Once approved, the manuscript will either be uploaded to DigitalCommons, or physically submitted to the library if the student wishes to embargo their work. Library personnel will notify the student and the School of Graduate Studies once the manuscript is accepted.

Committee Members from Outside of the Department

While it is the expectation that all members of a thesis/dissertation committee would uphold these values, the specific role of the outside member of a thesis or dissertation committee is to ensure the success of the dissertation/thesis process for the student with regard to three primary goals:
- 1) a fair, ethical, and humane process for the student;
- 2) a rigorous academic, and intellectual experience that yields meaningful insights accessible to the disciplinary and broader communities; and
- 3) safeguarding against “group think” or tacit expectations that may not be intuitive or evident to the student.
All committee members, including members outside the department, must be approved by the Dean of the College, Department Head, and the Vice Provost of the School of Graduate Studies.

Committee Members from Outside the University

Committee Members from outside the university may serve as a member at large of the committee.

All committee members, including members outside the department, must be approved by the Dean of the College, Department Head, and the Vice Provost of the School of Graduate Studies.

Committee Members from outside the University may not fill the role of “Outside Committee Member.”

NOTE: Departments are responsible for setting up these committee members with an A#.
- The Department’s Business Services Team can submit a request for an A#.
- The committee member from outside the university can also be set up with IT Opt-In, which can also be obtained with the assistance of the department’s Business Services Team.

Emeritus/Emerita Faculty

Emeritus faculty may continue to serve as committee members or major professors on any committee they are on at the time they become emeritus.

They may serve as committee members on committees formed after they become emeritus, but not as major professor.

NOTE: The Department is responsible for ensuring that Emeritus/Emerita faculty retain an A# and IT access.

Faculty Who Leave Utah State University for Another Academic Institution or Job

Faculty who leave USU for another institution may continue to serve as committee members on graduate student committees upon the request of the department and with approval from the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.

On graduate student committees where the departing member is major professor, there must be a new major professor or a co-major professor who is a faculty member at USU.

NOTE: Departments are responsible for ensuring that these committee members retain an A# and IT Access.
- The Department’s Business Services can submit a request for an A# for the committee member if necessary.
- The committee member can also be set up with IT Opt-In, which can also be obtained with the assistance of the department’s Business Services Team.

6. Graduate Interdepartmental Degrees and Certificates

Utah State University offers a number of interdepartmental graduate degrees.

A full list of interdepartmental degrees and certificates is available through the School of Graduate Studies Degree Finder.

G. Degree Completion - Thesis, Plan B Paper & Dissertation

The deadline for completing degree requirements is the last day of the semester. When the defense is scheduled during a semester break, the student must enroll for at least 3 credits the following semester.

1. Thesis, Plan B Paper, & Dissertation Publication Requirements

Before beginning work on a thesis, dissertation, or plan B paper, graduate students should review the School of Graduate Studies Publication Guide and attend a Thesis and Dissertation Information Session, held in-person and via Zoom.
- Master’s Plan A and PhD students need to have a citation style guide/formatting guide/target journal for the overall paper or for each chapter. A citation style guide/manual is contingent on academic discipline. It dictates the information necessary for a citation and how the information is ordered, as well as punctuation and formatting.
Theses and dissertations may be prepared in either monograph or multiple-paper format.
- Monograph Format: This, the ‘traditional’ format, consists of a multi-chapter document that uses the same style throughout.
- Multiple-Paper Format: A thesis or dissertation using this format consists of at least two chapters, typically written as independent papers, preceded by an introductory chapter that sets the context for the research, and followed by a summary and conclusions chapter that integrates all the studies.
The content of a thesis or dissertation must be approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
- Drafts of sections should be submitted periodically to the major professor for critique.
- Committee members should be consulted, especially on sections that involve their special expertise.
Preparation of a Plan A thesis, Plan B project, or dissertation is the culminating learning experience for a graduate student.
- The quality of the manuscript or project, which should represent the student’s own best work, is the responsibility of the student.
- Monitoring the quality of the Plan A thesis, Plan B project, or dissertation and mentoring the student in writing are responsibilities of the major professor, with the assistance of the supervisory committee.
- Editing by anyone other than the major professor and the supervisory committee should be limited to mechanics, such as spelling and grammar.
Publications or manuscripts of which the student is a co-author may be included if the committee determines that the student made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work.
- Permission to include a publication or manuscript in a thesis or dissertation does not depend on the order of authorship.
- Any included publication or manuscript must be a logical component of the overarching theme or themes addressed by the entire thesis or dissertation, which, as a whole, must represent the student’s individual and original effort.
- The student is responsible for obtaining reprint permission from the copyright holder for any published works included as part of the thesis or dissertation.

2. Defense Requirements

Any final defense held without following the proper procedures as listed in this catalog may be invalid.

Students must be registered for 3 or more credits in the semester they defend their dissertation, M.S. Plan A thesis, or M.S. Plan B project.
- Domestic students may be registered for 1 credit during their defense semester; however, they will be dropped to part time status. Students must maintain full time status for financial aid.
- International students must be registered for 3 credits if they defend in Fall or Spring semesters but may register for 1 credit if they are defending in the summer session.
All defenses are public.

All committee members must attend the defense at the date and time registered with the School of Graduate Studies.

While in-person defense is preferred and recommended, members of the committee may participate remotely with both audio and video interaction.
- Students should work with their committee members to arrange defense participation and details prior to submitting an Appointment for Examination.
Students should review their official committee to make sure it is correct.
- Changes in the membership of a supervisory committee cannot be made during the six weeks prior to the defense without a written request from the department head and approval of the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
No committee member should agree to proceed with a defense until they have carefully read and approved the dissertation.
The final defense should be scheduled by the student after all courses and the thesis, Plan B paper, or dissertation are completed.

3. Before the Defense

Students should determine when they need to have their degree in hand.
- The student should work with their Major Professor, Committee, and GPC, to determine a timeline for their thesis/dissertation completion.
- Graduate student deadlines for final defense, graduation, and degree posting can be reviewed on the Graduate Studies Deadlines page.
  - In order to meet the deadlines, students should submit their documents no later than 3 weeks before the dates listed on the deadlines page.
Students should submit their thesis, plan B paper, or dissertation to each committee member at least 4 weeks prior to their defense date for review.
Students should meet with their GPC to review and do the following:
- Conduct a final review of their official forms to make sure they are correct.
- SCAF POS forms approved and accurate?
- Discuss any departmental requirements.
- Review their official degree and plan type and ensure they are correct in Banner.
- Discuss how the defense room is reserved.
- Reserve a room.
Students must submit their Appointment for Examination (AFE) at least 10 business days prior to their defense.
- When students fill out the AFE form, they will need to review their official committee to make sure that it is correct.
- Students should check on the progress of approvals for their AFE, follow up with GPC and/or committee members to make sure it is approved in a timely manner.
- If the Appointment for Examination is not fully approved before the date of defense, the defense is not official and will need to be rescheduled.
  - If necessary, an appeal can be made to the Senior Vice Provost for Graduate Studies.
- Once an Appointment for Examination has been approved by the committee and the School of Graduate Studies, any changes to the date, time, and/or location require the submission and approval of a new Appointment for Examination.

4. During the Defense

The oral examination of the thesis, Plan B paper, or dissertation is a defense of a final document.
- Only minor changes, usually editorial, should be required following the defense.
- If major changes are required, a defense of the revised document should be held. The student must be registered during the semester of a new defense.
During the examination, the student defends their thesis, Plan B paper, or dissertation and answers questions about the research or related topics.
- The results of the defense and any additional requirements are recorded on the Record of Examination form, which is submitted to the School of Graduate Studies by the student’s Graduate Program Coordinator.
All members of the supervisory committee must approve and sign the thesis, Plan B paper, or dissertation. In the event of lack of unanimity, the matter is taken to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
Any final examination held without following the proper procedures may be invalid.
- If all degree requirements are not complete within one year of a successful defense, then the major professor, with support of all members of the supervisory committee, must submit an appeal to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies, justifying why the student should not be required to defend the thesis, Plan B paper/project, or dissertation a second time.
- Students must register for at least 3 credits the semester of their second defense.

(a) Votes on Graduate Student Supervisory Committees

It is expected that all members of a supervisory committee will approve the Ph.D. dissertation or M.S. thesis or Plan B paper for the defense to be considered successful. However, for doctoral dissertations, a defense can be successful with a vote of 4 members in favor and 1 against or abstaining.
In all cases, the vote of each member of the committee during the defense constitutes their approval or disapproval of the thesis, Plan B paper, or dissertation.
- All members of the committee are required, as a condition of committee membership, to sign the forms associated with a successful defense, regardless of the member’s individual vote.
- Committee members’ signatures reflect concurrence that all policies and procedures of the thesis, Plan B paper, or dissertation process were followed, including a favorable vote of 3-0 for an M.S. thesis or Plan B paper defense, or 5-0 or 4-1 vote for a Ph.D. dissertation defense.
Any instances of a thesis or Plan B paper receiving only 2 votes in favor or a dissertation receiving 3 votes in favor that cannot be resolved by discussion of the committee shall be referred to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for resolution.

5. After the Defense

The student should be informed of the defense results at the conclusion of the defense.

The major professor or designated committee member should inform the GPC of the results of the defense as soon as possible.

The GPC will then submit the Record of Examination in ServiceNow, and the committee will verify the results of the defense.

Discuss the ownership of data and authorship rights with your committee. Review and submit the Format & Style form and Authorship & Copyright form, and title page.

6. Submission Process

Following the successful defense of a thesis or dissertation, the student is responsible for completing any necessary edits, proofreading, and having it read and approved by the department before it is submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for review.

Once the document has been approved by the School of Graduate Studies, a final copy, including a cover page that has been signed by all committee members, must be submitted online to the School of Graduate Studies for the Vice Provost’s signature.

After the defense, the following documents should be submitted in Service Now:
- (All forms can be found on the Service Now platform)
  - Dissertation/Thesis Format and Style/ETD form
  - Authorship and Copyright form
  - Embargo Request form (if desired)
  - Title Page
Students should also review final semester information for other deadlines and requirements.
Once a student’s thesis, dissertation, or plan B paper has been finalized by the School of Graduate Studies and has met the library requirements, the School of Graduate Studies will verify that all degree requirements have been met.

The School of Graduate Studies will contact you to let you know if anything on the Completion Checklist is incomplete.

Theses, Plan B Papers, and Dissertations must be submitted 3 weeks before the end of the fall semester.

Theses, Plan B Papers, and Dissertations must be submitted 3 weeks before the end of the spring semester.

Theses, Plan B Papers, and Dissertations must be submitted 3 weeks before the end of the summer semester.

(a) Embargo Policy

If desired, submit an embargo request.

An embargo means that the student’s work will be unavailable to read online for 5 years.

A thesis or dissertation must not contain material that cannot be disclosed publicly. However, it is occasionally in the University’s best interest to delay disclosure of the contents of a thesis or dissertation while patenting and/or commercial development possibilities are investigated or for a period of report review by a funding agency.
- In such cases, electronic publication of a thesis or dissertation through submission to the DigitalCommons and to ProQuest (UMI) may be delayed without delaying awarding the student’s degree.
Embargo of a thesis or dissertation must be approved by the student’s advisor, department head, and the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
In addition, a printed copy of the thesis or dissertation must still be submitted to the Merrill-Cazier Library in accordance with the School of Graduate Studies degree completion deadlines.

A copy of the publication delay policy and the procedure of requesting an embargo may be found on the Merrill-Cazier Library website.

If a student is unsure whether to embargo or not, please have them contact Digital Commons via email at digitalcommons@usu.edu.

7. Thesis & Dissertation Review

When the student is completely done editing their thesis/dissertation, they should have their GPC or departmental reviewer submit it for review to the School of Graduate Studies.

The student’s paper cannot be checked into the School of Graduate Studies queue for review until all the required forms are submitted and approved, their GPC has uploaded their completed thesis/dissertation to your review file, and their GPC has emailed the graduate school reviewer indicating that everything is in their file.

Emails generated through Service Now will be sent to the student/GPC indicating when the forms have been completed, when to upload the student’s paper, when the student has been added to the queue, and when the student’s paper has been processed by the library.
- All papers in the queue are processed in the order in which they are added.
- Students should allow at least three weeks for the initial review of their thesis or dissertation once it has been added to the queue (time to the initial review will vary based on the number of papers in the queue).
- If the student formatted chapters in accordance with a particular journal, please also submit to the School of Graduate Studies a sample(s) of target journal styles in PDF format.
Once their thesis or dissertation has passed the School of Graduate Studies review, it will be submitted to the library for publication.
- No further edits can be made at this point!
- Library personnel will notify the student and the School of Graduate Studies once the manuscript is accepted.

8. Plan B Papers & Projects

Plan B papers and projects are defended but not formally reviewed by the School of Graduate Studies or signed by the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.

Instead, once a student has successfully defended their plan B and their committee has approved the final version of their report/creative project, students will submit their papers or projects directly to the Merrill-Cazier Library and uploaded to DigitalCommons.

Library personnel will notify the student and the School of Graduate Studies once the plan B paper or project is accepted.

H. Final Steps Toward Graduation

1. Completion of Requirements

A graduate student must satisfy all degree requirements before a graduate degree will be awarded.

Students who are required to successfully defend a dissertation, thesis, or project will receive separate instructions twice—after initially passing the defense and after the manuscript is accepted by the library.

Incomplete and Temporary grades must be removed from the student’s record by the major professor using forms provided by the Registrar’s Office.

For all students, the School of Graduate Studies must receive an approved Program of Study from the Graduate Program Coordinator, department head, or interdepartmental program director.

Additionally, the student must fill out a Graduation Check, which must be reviewed by the Graduate Program Coordinator for accuracy prior to final submission to the School of Graduate Studies.
- NOTE: A Graduation Check is not the same as an application for graduation.
- Graduate students must fill out both forms.
It is required of all students, regardless of plan type, that they complete the required paperwork, and the graduation application for the correct semester that they will graduate.

REMINDER: Students can only fill out one application for graduation per program.

The graduation dates will be manually changed by the Graduate Registrar when they close out the student’s degree.

The Graduate Registrar will need a list from the Graduate Program Coordinators of all students that have the wrong semester listed, so that they can be adjusted.

Once all graduation requirements have been met, students can expect to have their degree awarded within about 6-8 weeks.

2. Deadlines

It is important to note that strict adherence to deadlines is necessary to permit the timely completion and graduation of students.

If deadlines are not met, students will not complete their degrees on time.

Please review the Deadlines for the School of Graduate Studies.

3. Utah State University’s Academic Year

Utah State University’s academic year consists of fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Students who graduate during summer semester will be included and may participate in the spring commencement of that academic year.

4. Reasons Students Will Be Denied for Graduation

Has unmet degree or credit requirements

No SCAF form (Master’s Plan A, Plan B, Doctorate)

No program of study (done in Degree Works)

No graduation check

No graduation application

No verified degree (Official transcripts from previous institution(s) must show degree earned, and conferral date)
- NOTE: Official transcripts should be received by SGS, no later than the student’s first semester, to avoid a hold on their account.
Is registered for classes/USU 7777 for the following semester
No Thesis/Dissertation Approvals

Unresolved Temporary (T) Grades (these must be changed by Faculty)

Unresolved Incomplete (I) Grades (these must be changed by Faculty)

GPA below a 3.0 on their program of study

No application for candidacy (Doctorate)

No appointment for exam form (Master’s Plan A, Plan B, and Doctorate)

Please review the SGS website for a complete list of required Academic Forms by Degree Type

5. Graduate Diplomas, Transcripts & Letters of Completion

Graduate Diplomas

Degrees are posted by the School of Graduate Studies and diplomas are prepared by the main Utah State University Registrar’s Office at the end of each semester once degrees are awarded.

For further questions, please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Page on the USU Registrar’s website.

Transcripts

The School of Graduate Studies does not issue official or unofficial copies of transcripts.

Students and alumni may request their transcript records through the main Utah State University Registrar’s Office.

Letters of Completion

Students who have fulfilled all degree requirements before the end of the semester may request a letter from the School of Graduate Studies verifying degree completion for employment purposes.
- Students may request a letter of completion by emailing the School of Graduate Studies Vice Provost and the Graduate Registrar.
- NOTE: Letters of completion will not be issued until a student’s thesis/dissertation has been reviewed by the SGS Thesis/Dissertation Reviewer.