Overview of Master’s Degree Requirements
Each student is responsible for proper completion of his or her academic program, for familiarity with the University of North Carolina Catalog, for maintaining the grade point average required, and for meeting all other degree requirements. The academic advisor will counsel, but the final responsibility for a successful college career rests with the student. Graduate students are to be enrolled in at least one graduate course the semester they graduate.
To receive a master’s degree from The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, students must successfully complete the prescribed program of study with a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale, successfully pass the written comprehensive examinations (or an equivalent requirement, if applicable), submit an application for graduation (available online), and be approved by the appropriate program director. It is the responsibility of the student to file an application for graduation with the UNCP Graduate School by the deadlines below:
| Summer Graduation |
Fall Graduation |
Spring Graduation |
| March 1 |
March 1 |
October 1 |
The graduation application fee is $90.00. A late graduation application fee of $25.00 applies after the deadlines stated above.
Programs of Study
The program of study prescribed for each graduate degree program is detailed in the section on Graduate Degrees and Programs in this catalog. Based on their undergraduate records or professional experience, additional course work may be specified for individuals at the time of their admission. When such course work is required, it becomes part of a student’s prescribed program of study and must be completed for the degree to be awarded. When such courses are undergraduate prerequisites, the grade earned is recorded on the student’s undergraduate transcript.
Advisement
Each student admitted to full or provisional standing in the program is assigned a graduate faculty member from the academic department as an advisor. Initially, graduate students are expected to meet with their advisors to plan their programs of study. Thereafter, they are expected to periodically meet with their advisors for further guidance. Advisement sessions are scheduled each semester in conjunction with pre-registration. The registration process is completed on BraveWeb and requires a PIN, which must be obtained from the assigned advisor.
Level of Course Work
All course work applied toward the master’s degree must be earned in courses designated for graduate students (numbered 5000 and above). No undergraduate level (4000‑level or lower at UNCP) coursework may be applied to the master’s degree.
Students enrolled in The Graduate School at UNCP may choose to study abroad or off-campus. Graduate students may participate in short-term (2-6 weeks) or long-term (semester) options that fit their academic program. They will need prior written approval from the Dean of The Graduate School (to assure the transfer of course credit back to UNCP and/or course substitution credit for their program) and should work with the Study Abroad Coordinator. Off-campus study options available for students earning a master’s degree in science have included study in Bermuda, France, or Costa Rica, for example. For additional information on graduate options for study abroad, please contact your program director and the Office of International Programs at 910-775-4095.
Time Limits
All course work applied toward the master’s degree must have been completed within five years (six years for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Professional School Counseling, and Social Work programs) of formal admission to the program. The time requirement is based upon the calendar. For example, if a student enrolls for a fall semester graduate course, then this student is one year into his/her time limit at the start of the next fall semester.
Written Comprehensive Examinations
Candidates for some master’s degrees must pass written comprehensive examinations. The comprehensive examinations are administered by the programs that require them. The programs set the policies for the comprehensive exams, including the schedule, the registration process, the examination format, and retake procedures, if applicable. Information concerning comprehensive examinations is available from the program directors for the individual graduate degrees.
Research Requirement
Research projects are an integral part of graduate programs. If research for the project involves human subjects, the appropriate Institutional Review Board approval is required prior to collecting any data from or interacting with human subjects. Important information is available at the Institutional Review Board’s website (www.uncp.edu/irb/).
Thesis
Some graduate programs require a thesis to be completed as part of the program of study, and in some cases a thesis is optional. Students completing a thesis are assigned a thesis advisor. The thesis project must be approved by the thesis advisor and a thesis committee. Approval by the Institutional Review Board is required if research for the thesis involves human subjects.
The candidate and the thesis advisor are to follow the graduate thesis guidelines provided online and submit the four forms and final thesis according to the directions therein. Following a successful defense and when all final corrections to the thesis are made, it is the responsibility of the student to provide the Dean of The Graduate School with a single copy of the work on ordinary bond paper for Graduate School approval at least two weeks before the end of the semester in which the student expects to complete degree requirements. The final approval of a thesis rests with the Dean of The Graduate School.
Upon approval of this draft, a final copy should be submitted to The Graduate School meeting the specified qualifications. Additionally, the candidate must submit the thesis electronically in pdf format and complete forms to have the thesis added to the University’s digital archives or Institutional Repository. Forms and directions regarding thesis submission are located on The Graduate School website.
Licensure by the N.C. State Board of Education
Students completing programs leading to graduate (M level) licensure by the North Carolina State Board of Education must submit a licensure application available from the NCDPI Online Licensure System. UNCP does not grant licensure; therefore, graduating from a program does not guarantee licensure.
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