Degree completion steps

Degree completion steps are the requirements you need to complete as part of your degree. Your graduate program may have additional requirements and specific timelines. If your degree program is not listed below, contact your program or visit the program website.

Degree requirements

• Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
• Master’s degrees
  • Plan A
  • Plan B, Music MM, Design MFA, and Theatre Arts MFA
  • Plan C
• Specialist Certificate in Educational Psychology
• Doctoral degrees
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  • Doctor of Education (EdD)
  • Doctor of Juridical Sciences (SJD)
  • Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
  • Doctor of Audiology (AuD)

These degree completion steps do not apply to the following programs: JD, MD, PharmD, DVM, DDS, LLM, and MBA (Twin Cities). Contact your program for information about your degree completion steps.

If you're in a professional master’s (e.g., MEd, MPH, MPS) or professional doctoral program (e.g., DNP, OTD), contact your program for information on requirements and deadlines.

Register every term to maintain active status

As a graduate student, you are required to maintain active status by registering every fall and spring term until you graduate. There may be a time when you need to register solely to meet your registration requirements and avoid inactive status. Special registration categories are options to help you remain active.

Max years to complete your degree

• If you're in a master's program, you have 5 calendar years to complete your degree according to the master's policy.
• If you're in a doctoral program, you have 8 calendar years to complete your degree according to the doctoral policy.
• If you were admitted before spring 2013, there are a different set of policies that apply to you. Please contact your graduate program or Graduate Student Services & Progress for more information.

Additional time

If you need additional time for your degree, please complete the form that applies to you:

• Request for Extension to the Maximum Time Limit: Doctoral Degree
• Request for Extension to the Maximum Time Limit: Master's Degree

Conferral of graduate degrees

The official conferral date for graduate degrees is the last business day of each month. Due to administrative processing time needed, transcripts showing the award of the degree (a "confer date") are available two to three weeks following the official date of conferral. Diplomas are issued by the Office of the Registrar and are delivered by mail four to six weeks following the official date of conferral, longer for international delivery.

For information about when you should apply to graduate based on your expected degree completion timeline, see the Month you intend to graduate page.