COMPLETING YOUR DEGREE
Filing a degree program
All Humphrey Institute students must file official plans of study for their degrees. The internal plan (Humphrey Institute Program Requirements Worksheet, a.k.a. PRW) should be filed at the beginning of the student's third semester if they are full-time students (normally the fall of their second year). In general, students should file the degree program and Program Requirements Worksheet the semester before they intend to graduate. Check with student services in Room 225 if you have questions about when to file your degree program.
The planned and completed courses appearing on the Program Requirements Worksheet and the degree program must fulfill all of the degree requirements of the Humphrey Institute as described in the relevant Humphrey Institute Bulletin.
Top
Program requirements worksheet
Purpose: This is an internal Humphrey Institute form used to assist students in fulfilling their degree requirements.
Where do I find it?:
Students should fill out the PRW in consultation with their advisers. Advisers should then sign the form, and students should make copies for themselves and the adviser. The original should be submitted to Student Services in Room 225 Humphrey Center. This should be completed by the beginning of the semester before the student intends to graduate (example: fall 2003, if the student wishes to graduate in spring 2004) along with the official Graduate School Degree Program form.
Student Services staff will let you know about the submission deadline.
Top
Degree program form
Purpose: A Graduate School form that, once filed, lets the Graduate School know which classes you will take to complete your degree. This document begins the graduation process at the University level.
Where do I find it?
Completed sample degree programs (in PDF) for the MPA, MPP, MS in STEP, and MURP are available at the Student and Faculty Handbook at forms.
The student's adviser and the director of graduate studies (DGS) must sign the Degree Program form. Each student receives a copy of his degree program from the Graduate School after it has been approved. The approval process takes approximately four to six weeks.
Student Services will place a hold on a student's fall or spring registration if she either does not file her program by the announced deadline or fails to tell Student Services staff when she intends to complete degree requirements. Student Services will remove the hold once the student provides either the signed and completed degree program or an alternate graduation target date. Remember that this, too, is a planning document. Changes to the degree program can be made by filing a petition.
Top
Changes to a degree program
The courses on an approved degree program can be changed with a Petition form, GS59. The procedure for submitting a petition to your degree program is similar to the initial filing procedure. (Note: If you take the course in a semester or year different from your initial plan, you do not have to amend the degree program.)
- Obtain a Graduate School Petition form GS 59 from Room 225, the Graduate School (316 Johnston), or download it from the Graduate School website.
- Complete the form in consultation with your adviser, listing courses to be removed from your program and the substitute courses to be added to the program. An example of how this petition would look is available in Room 225.
- Have your adviser sign the petition.
- Return the petition form to Student Services, 225 Humphrey Center, for review and endorsement by the director of graduate studies. If the DGS or Student Services finds any problems with your petition, you will be notified. Once the DGS signs it, it will be forwarded to the Graduate School. The Graduate School will send you a copy of your petition if it is approved, or will contact you if it is not.
Do not wait until you are ready to graduate to update your degree program via petition. The approval process, which usually takes 3-5 weeks, could delay your graduation.
Graduation paperwork
Filing a degree program is just the first step towards graduation. Students are encouraged to begin their graduation paperwork at the start of their final term at the Institute. Degrees are granted on the last working day of each month.
Top
Graduation packet and completing final requirements
The following items must be in place before graduation is possible:
- The Degree Program form must be approved and on file at the Graduate School. (The Degree Program form must be amended by petition if there have been any changes in it.)
- All courses listed on the degree program must have been completed with grades posted on transcript.
- Request a Graduation Packet from the Graduate School (316 Johnston Hall or online.
The packet contains four items, two of which the student must complete in order to officially graduate. They are:
- The Graduate School Application for Degree (OTR 180): This form must be completed and returned to Room 200 Fraser Hall (not the Graduate School) by the first working day of the intended month of graduation. It is preferable to complete the Application for Degree early in your last term, noting the expected month of graduation on the form.
- Each student should be certain that the diploma address will be valid 3-6 months after graduation.
- Provide a graduation date that is as accurate as possible. The Graduate School uses your graduation date as a guide to keep a student file 'active.' The files are organized by graduation month. When that month arrives, the Graduate School will create a balance letter based on your transcript and the information on your degree program.
- For Plan A or Plan B seekers, the final oral examination must have been concluded successfully, and the Examination Report form returned to Student Services in Room 225 before the last day of the intended month of graduation.
- The Examination Report form must be signed by all the student's examiners. If examiners are listed incorrectly on the form, the student may cross out the names and write in the corrections. The student must notify Student Services of these changes at least a week prior to the examination, so that they may notify the Graduate School of the committee change.
- For Coursework Only degrees (MPA, MPP, MURP) the Examination Report form must be submitted to Student Services in Room 225 to be signed by the director of graduate studies.
- The Plan B paper, Plan A thesis or the Professional Paper (for Coursework Only degrees) must be completed and the title page signed.
| Degree |
Who signs? |
| Professional Paper |
Examining Committee or reviewers |
| Plan B |
Paper adviser or academic adviser |
| Plan A |
Academic adviser |
Please note that there are special requirements for the Plan A thesis. For Professional Paper (Coursework Only) and Plan B papers, the title page must be signed by a Humphrey faculty member.
- MPP or MURP student must either waive or complete the internship requirement.
- Any outstanding Humphrey Institute printing fees must be paid in full.
- All key cards should have been returned to the Front Desk in Room 130.
- There are no graduation fees except for a $5.00 mailing fee for foreign diplomas. (See the Application for Degree form.)
Top
Graduation clearance letter and balance letter
Each student will be notified of any remaining requirements by the Graduate School after it has received the Application for Degree from 200 Fraser. About two weeks before the proposed graduation date, you will receive the Graduation Balance Letter or the Graduate School Clearance Letter. The clearance letter confirms clearance for graduation on the proposed date while the balance letter lists all requirements to be completed before the degree can be conferred.
If a student receives a Graduation Balance Letter indicating that he has requirements to fulfill before he can graduate, he will have up to two months to complete the outstanding items without notifying the Graduate School of a new projected graduation date. After that date, the student must notify the Graduate School once all requirements have been completed, including submission of grades, to be cleared for the degree. If the student fails to complete the remaining items by the following fall or spring semester, and does not register for any credits (including GRAD 0999), he will become an inactive student in the Graduate School. To graduate, the student will have to apply for readmission to the Humphrey Institute and register for GRAD 0999 to remain active until graduation. (See Degree Time Limits and Readmission).
Top
Commencement
Humphrey Institute
The Humphrey Institute holds a commencement ceremony each May to celebrate its graduating students. This ceremony is planned by the students themselves and is attended by faculty, staff and student families. All students graduating from the Humphrey Institute are strongly encouraged to attend.
Students planning to attend should complete a Humphrey Institute Commencement Approval form and ensure that they meet the following qualifications:
- Graduation date before September of ceremony year
- Registered for all courses on degree program
- Have fewer than four (4) credits incomplete before ceremony date
Top
Graduate School
Two Graduate School commencement ceremonies are held each year in May for January through June graduates and in December for July through December graduates.
Graduates are encouraged, but not required, to attend. All graduate students attending the ceremony will be individually recognized. For this reason, and to make sure their names appear in the program, graduates must submit the Commencement Attendance Approval Form (signed by the academic adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies indicating eligibility to attend) to Room 316, Johnston Hall by the due date specified in the Graduate School section of the Class Schedule. The Commencement Attendance Approval form is part of the Graduation Packet available at the Graduate School.
To gain the Institute's approval, students must have registered for all of the courses on their degree programs and have no more than four incomplete credits.
Students may find information about academic costume, rehearsal parking for the Graduate School Commencement ceremony at the Graduate School website. If a student decides not to attend after submitting the Commencement Attendance Approval form, the Graduate School should be notified of the change in plans at (612) 625-4019.
Top
|
