Masters Program Requirements

The faculty advisor will guide you to develop a program of study (POS) as soon as possible after being admitted. Typically, an approved POS will be on file in the Patton College Office of Graduate Student Affairs by the end of the second semester of study. For students in one-year master's programs, the POS should be completed by the end of the first semester. The Patton College Office of Student Affairs distributes copies of the original document to (1) the student, (2) the faculty advisor, and (3) the original to the Patton College Office of Student Affairs.

The official, approved POS establishes the contractual agreement regarding required graduate courses for the master’s degree. It can only be changed by intentional action. A form entitled "Request for Change in Approved Master’s Program of Study" is used for this purpose and is available from the Patton College Office of Student Affairs. When the Change of Program of Study form is approved by the faculty advisor and the Chair of the Department, copies will be distributed the same as the POS.

The total number of hours to be taken in a master’s program varies by program and according to many factors. Every student must complete at least 30 semester hours of coursework relevant to the program beyond the bachelor’s degree. 

Most master’s students are required to purchase a Livetext by Watermark account to complete course requirements. Refer to your department and program policies for more information about POS requirements.

For a master’s degree program of 30 hours, a maximum of 8 semester hours are transferable. For master’s degrees longer than 30 hours, no more than 25% of the total graduate credit hours required to complete the degree are transferable.

To be eligible for transfer, courses must be

1. Designed as graduate credit at the institution where taken,
2. Letter graded B or better,
3. Cannot have been used to satisfy the requirements for completion of another degree,
4. Earned within the past five years,
5. Applicable toward a graduate degree at the institution where taken.

Courses equivalent to those at Ohio University cannot be transferred for credit and be taken for credit at Ohio University. Credit is not accepted for workshop hours.

Any request for transfer of credit must be recommended by your advisor and Department Chair before final review and acceptance by the Dean’s office, who forwards the approval to the Graduate College. No letter grades will appear on your OHIO transcript for transferred courses, nor will they be calculated in your GPA. Only courses counting toward an OHIO degree are eligible to appear on the Ohio University transcript as transfer credit. 

If a student intends to count a transfer course in their program of study, they should designate this arrangement by flagging the course on the POS with the letter "T."  Students must submit an approved Request for Graduate Transfer of Credit form to the Graduate College, 102 Grosvenor Hall. Before the transfer can be processed, the Graduate College must receive an official transcript from the institution at which the course was completed. Courses that are transferred to the DARS are listed as having a grade of "T" rather than a letter grade.

Conferral of a graduate degree requires at least a B (3.00) grade point average plus the required courses for the degree program being pursued. All students in master’s programs must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00. Students whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be put on probation and must raise their GPA above 3.00 by the end of the following term. If a student’s GPA improves substantially after one term but remains below 3.00, they will remain on probation and may continue in the program only with the recommendation of the advisor and department chair. The Patton College reserves the right to dismiss/suspend a student with the option to reapply in the future. University regulations prohibit awarding financial assistance to students on probation or who are conditionally admitted to a graduate program.

No grade below a C (2.00) can be used to satisfy any degree or course requirement. If a grade below C (2.00) is earned in a required course for the program, the course will need to be retaken and a grade of C (2.00) or better earned. Alternatively, and subject to approval by the academic advisor, a master’s student can revise their program of study to include a different course that is substituted for the course carrying a grade below C. If you repeat a course or substitute it with an approved course, the previously earned grade that was below a C is not removed from your transcript. The grade remains on the transcript and is used in the calculation of your GPA. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for complete information.

You can only complete a course more than once for credit if the course is designated as repeatable. Repeatable courses are designed to be taken multiple times (e.g., thesis, practicum, reading, and special topics credits). You may not take a course a second or subsequent time if a prior attempt has met degree requirements.

When a student is unable to complete a course (other than a course associated with a culminating program experience) during the semester of enrollment, they may receive a grade of I with permission from the instructor. The student must complete the work within the first two weeks of their next semester of enrollment or two years from the end of the term in which the grade of “I” was given, whichever comes first, or the “I” converts automatically to an “F.” The instructor may, at their discretion, submit a change of grade request to the Office of the University Registrar. When the student applies for graduation, any Incompletes on the record will be calculated as “F” grades to determine eligibility for graduation and will be converted to “F” upon graduation. In extenuating circumstances, a student may receive a grade of PR with permission of the course instructor and an agreed-upon timeline for completing the course. If a student does not adhere to the timeline, the course instructor may change the grade to an F.

If the faculty member who assigned the I or PR is no longer with Ohio University, students should contact the Coordinator of the Program or the Chair of the Department for guidance about completing a course and requesting a change of grade.

Refer to departmental policies and the Graduate Catalog for additional information about grades and grading.

Master’s students have six (6) years from the date of admission to complete the degree requirements. Students who do not complete their requirements within the time limit may continue graduate study at OHIO only if exceptional circumstances are associated with the delay in progress. The Dean of the Patton College of Education may grant a one-term, one-­time extension. The application for such an extension may be found on the forms page. 

Students who have not completed the degree requirements within the required time limit may apply for readmission to the program. Applications and guidelines for extension and readmission are available in the Patton College Office of Student Affairs.

The total number of hours required for the masters varies by program. OHIO Master’s programs require at least 30 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Some master’s programs in the Patton College require hours beyond the minimum. Check your department and program guidelines for specific information about the number of credit hours required for your program.

Students may not have more than 8 credits with a CR grade exclusive of practicum, internship, research, and thesis hours applied to their minimal credit requirements. Submit the Independent Study and Advanced Research form to the Patton College Office of Student Affairs whenever independent study or research hours are used to substitute for courses required by the program.

The Patton College does not currently have residency requirements for master’s degrees.

Practicum and clinical experience requirements vary by program. Refer to department and program policies for information and guidelines specific to your program.

Capstone Experience

All students in a master's degree program must complete a culminating capstone experience. The type of capstone required varies by program and may include a thesis and non-thesis options (e.g., Master’s Research Project, Comprehensive Exam, Professional Portfolio, Leadership Project). Consult with your advisor and carefully consider your career goals in deciding between a thesis or non-thesis option. Guidelines for completing non-thesis options vary by department. Refer to department and program guidelines for information about non-thesis capstone options available for your program.

A student who plans to complete a Master's Thesis must prepare a thesis under the guidance of their thesis director and a master's thesis committee. Students are expected to enroll in thesis credit hours for all terms in which Ohio University faculty guidance and participation are sought. 

Faculty members who chair and sit on committees have an obligation to:

• Become familiar with the student’s topic
• Participate in setting a timeline for student work
• Review student work throughout the time of the student’s thesis process
• Provide feedback to the student promptly.

Thesis committee membership is determined by the student in consultation with proposed members of the committee, who must agree to serve. The first step is to identify a chair of the thesis committee, who serves as the thesis director. The thesis committee chair should help the master’s student select appropriate members. The thesis chair’s role is to coordinate the committee’s work and to mentor the master’s students in their chosen thesis topic from a perspective of expertise. The thesis chair must be a faculty member from the student's major program area or have a special appointment by the program area and department in which the student resides. 

At least two members of the committee members must meet the requirements for Graduate Faculty status in their respective departments, as verified by the Chair of the Department. At least two members of the thesis committee must be full-time faculty members in the student’s department. 

The Dean's Representative must be a tenured Ohio University faculty member from outside the student’s department who holds full graduate faculty status in their home departments. It is recommended that a Dean’s Representative have previous experience as a thesis or dissertation committee member. Appointment of the Dean’s Representative is subject to approval by the Dean of the Patton College (or his/her designee, who is typically the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies).  All members of the thesis committee are subject to approval by the Department Chair. Upon the approval of the Thesis Committee Information form, the thesis chair automatically becomes the student's advisor.

The Dean’s representative’s role is to ensure an appropriate and rigorous standard for the thesis evaluation. The Dean’s representative is expected to function as a contributing member of the thesis committee like the other members. The Dean’s representative is also responsible for objectively monitoring the process and rigor of the thesis development and defense. The general guideline for selecting the Dean's representative is to identify a member of the faculty from outside the student’s department whose research expertise fits with the thesis topic and who is willing to be a contributing member of the committee. The student must identify an individual who is a tenured full member of the graduate faculty in their respective department, currently affiliated with Ohio University, and is not a member of the department in which the student seeks to obtain the degree. 

Thesis Proposal

The period of time after approval of the program of study, and while the student is taking coursework, provides an opportunity to begin consideration of the thesis topic and the preparation of a thesis proposal. Before master’s students begin their thesis research, they must prepare a thesis proposal following guidelines established by each department and/or graduate program area. The student's official thesis committee reviews and approves the proposal during a specially scheduled meeting in which the student defends the proposal.

The purpose of the thesis proposal is to hold a formal evaluation of the student’s plan for thesis completion. Typically, committee members will expect that students (a) clearly articulate the purpose of their research, present hypotheses and/or research questions, (b) fully delineate their planned research design, and (c) present a comprehensive review of the literature supporting their rationale for embarking on the proposed research. 

In the Patton College, the latest available edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) guides the citation and writing style. Students and their faculty committee members should make use of APA resources and pay attention to preparing the thesis proposal and final document in proper APA style.

The student should work closely with the committee chair and consult members of the committee as the proposal is developed. The committee chair has the authority to approve the scheduling of a formal proposal defense. With the committee chair’s approval, the student is responsible for determining a date on which all members are available and scheduling the defense. (See “Proposal Defense Room Reservation Request” if you wish to use the Patton College Dissertation Room). As a best practice, students should ensure that committee members have the proposal document for review at least two weeks before the scheduled defense meeting. If the research involves human subjects, the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training must be completed before the proposal defense process.

After the proposal defense, a report titled “Proposal for Thesis Report” is completed by the committee chair, with approvals or signatures of all committee members and the student, then submitted to the Patton College Office of Graduate Student Records by the committee chair. This report must be submitted immediately after the proposal defense. If the results of the proposal defense warrant conditions or a resolution plan, these must be described in the evaluation report. Conditions represent the criteria that committee members expect master’s students to meet when they revise the thesis proposal. A plan for resolution consists of additional requirements (e.g., coursework, workshops, seminars, readings, etc.) that a student must take to prepare for thesis research and the development of a new or revised thesis proposal. Requirements on the resolution plan must be completed before the thesis research begins. 

There are four possible outcomes for the thesis proposal evaluation, as delineated in the report:

1. Satisfactory; Proceed with Thesis; 
2. Satisfactory; with Conditions (Proceed with a thesis after Thesis Chair approves changes);
3. Satisfactory; with Conditions (Proceed with thesis after Thesis Committee approves changes); or
4. Unsatisfactory; with potential plan for Resolution; Timeline for setting a new Thesis Proposal Defense is dependent on the nature of the resolution plan.

Upon successful completion of the proposal defense, if the research involves human subjects, Ohio University Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of the research (with the student as the primary investigator) must be secured. IRB approval must occur before any participant recruitment or data collection. The IRB is responsible for reviewing and approving all research involving human subjects by students and faculty at Ohio University. For information about the IRB process, review Smart IRB webpage.

The student is responsible for providing the Office of Student Affairs with a copy of the IRB approval upon receipt. The final thesis defense cannot be scheduled without an approved IRB on file (Approval of Proposal for Thesis)

At the beginning of the thesis writing process, all students should become familiar with the Ohio University Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation (TAD) website. Additionally, students must ensure that they use the current Patton College template, found on the Thesis and Dissertation (TAD) website, to create and continue to write the thesis. Students who write over several years must ensure that the current template has been implemented at the time of final defense and submission.

The TAD process has key required checkpoints with which all students need to become familiar. These include initial and post-defense document format reviews as well as specific deadlines for the oral defense and final document submission. Current requirements are presented on the TAD website, referenced above.

In the Patton College, the Office of Graduate Student Records maintains a “Procedures Checklist of Completing Thesis/Dissertation Requirements” for the degree. This checklist is published on the Patton College Current Students Forms website page.

Final Thesis Defense

The student must notify the PCOE Office of Student Affairs, Graduate Records two weeks before the oral defense to supply information about the confirmed date, time, and location of the defense, as well as the current thesis title and committee membership. The PCOE Office of Student Affairs, Graduate Records, gives public notification of the defense. 

Official notice of the defense will be sent to the student and thesis committee, along with the required forms for the thesis chair and the Dean's representative. In addition, Student Affairs will notify the student of the requirements and guidelines for completing the graduation process.  At least two weeks before the oral exam, the student must give final draft copies of the thesis to all members of the thesis committee along with the TII similarity report.

In the Patton College, the student presentation component of the final defense is open to PCOE faculty and the public for observation. PCOE faculty can remain for the examination portion of the defense. However, guests/observers must be asked to leave before the examination component unless all committee members agree to their presence before the defense. 

After the oral examination, the Thesis Committee deliberates privately to evaluate the thesis and, when appropriate, determine the necessary conditions or plans for resolution. If the results of the thesis defense warrant conditions or a resolution plan, these must be delineated in detail (in writing) in the Thesis Defense Report. Conditions represent the criteria that committee members expect master’s students to meet when they revise the thesis. A resolution plan can consist of additional requirements (e.g., coursework, workshops, seminars, readings, etc.) that a student must take to revise the thesis. Conditions and plans for resolution can also include changes to the dissertation document resulting from the review of the TII similarity report.

There are five possible outcomes for the thesis defense evaluation, as delineated in the report:

1. Satisfactory; 
2. Satisfactory; with Conditions (Changes to be approved by the Thesis Chair);
3. Satisfactory; with Conditions (Changes to be approved by the Thesis Committee); 
4. Unsatisfactory; with a potential plan for Resolution (Timeline for setting a new Thesis Defense is dependent on the nature of the resolution plan); or
5. Unsatisfactory; No Conditions for Remediation Offered (Final decision).

After completing their deliberation, committee members vote to approve the thesis. The result of the vote is reported on the Thesis Defense Report along with the outcome of the evaluation. Once decisions are reached, the committee immediately notifies the student. The Final Defense Report is completed by the committee chair, with the signatures of all committee members and the student, and at least two dissertation committee members' agreement with the statement “I have reviewed the TII similarity report, and the final dissertation document is ready for submission to TAD.” Then, the Final Defense Report is submitted to the Patton College Office of Graduate Student Records by the committee chair. Students can appeal the result of the Thesis Defense only in the case of an Unsatisfactory; No Conditions for Remediation Offered. Check departmental guidelines for more information about the process and timeline for appeals.

It should be noted that the Dean's Representative can “veto” the outcome of the final thesis report based on the appropriateness and rigor of the process, not content and methods. In that case, the Dean’s representative withholds their signature and justifies their “veto” recommendation in their report to the PCOE Office of Graduate Student Records. A “veto” recommendation initiates a meeting among the Thesis Chair, Dean, and Dean’s representative.

Filing the Dissertation through TAD

Please refer to Theses and Dissertation Services (TAD), Graduate College, for deadlines, checklists, guidelines, formatting assistance, filing procedures, and forms. A dissertation template for The Patton College of Education can be found on that website.

Students in a master’s program with licensure or certification (e.g., administrative, school counselor, initial teaching) are eligible to apply for the license or certificate once they successfully complete all program requirements and courses listed on their POS. Requirements for licensure and certification vary by program and may include fee-based licensure assessments administered by third-party vendors. Refer to program requirements and guidelines for licensure or certification information for your program. 

Additional information about licensure and how to apply is available from the Patton College Licensure Office.