Following is a guide to the steps required to earn a master’s degree. A detailed description of the steps required for each of the individual graduate programs is included within that program’s section of this catalog.

Steps to Completing the Master’s Degree

1. Applicant is admitted to a graduate program.
2. Student submits an Official Declaration of Master’s Degree (Form GR-1) to the Office of Graduate Studies no later than the end of the semester in which the first six graduate credits are completed.
3. Depending on the individual program requirements, the student develops a thesis or project proposal. The proposal is reviewed and approved by the thesis/project committee or adviser. Once approved, a Thesis/Project Proposal (Form GR-2) is submitted to the Graduate Studies office. Students are then eligible to register for their thesis/project graduate course.
4. Student schedules a thesis defense or professional project presentation via submission of the Request for Thesis Defense/Project Presentation (Form GR-3)  to the Graduate Studies office.
5. The scheduled thesis defense meeting or professional project presentation takes place. Formal approval of the defense is documented on the Approval of Thesis Defense or Project Presentation (Form GR-4) and is kept with the academic record.
6. If the thesis or professional project is successfully completed and approved, the student applies for conferral of the degree and commencement ceremony attendance through the Student Information System (SIS).
7. Degree is awarded and graduate receives diploma.

Transfer of Graduate Credits

A maximum of 15 credits of graduate coursework completed at other institutions can be applied toward a UW-Green Bay master’s degree. Individual programs may accept fewer credits. Transfer courses can be approved by graduate faculty as direct equivalencies to UW-Green Bay graduate courses. If granted as graduate elective credit to meet a program requirement, a course substitution is made.  All outcomes, once approved, should be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar to be transacted on the academic record.

Professional Project or Thesis

(Numbered XXX-796/XXX-799)
As part of their degree, all students complete either a thesis working with their major professor and committee, or a professional project supervised by an adviser. The thesis or project provides an opportunity for graduate students to focus and apply their course work and make a public contribution to knowledge. Successful completion of a thesis or professional project is intended to be a demonstration of a student’s ability to define, investigate and solve problems. The procedures for developing a proposal and completing the thesis or professional project requirement vary by program. Students should consult the program-specific sections of this catalog or a program’s website for additional information.

Thesis Deadline

For graduation in the fall and spring semesters, a student’s defense must be held before the last day of final exams in a given semester. The student then has 20 calendar days after the last day of final exams to submit their final thesis/project document to the Office of Graduate Studies and 42 calendar days after the last day of final exams for all other graduation requirements to be completed and verified.