Graduation Term Options

Students may elect one of two graduation term options to complete their degree: 

• Complete the MS degree over the course of 12 months and graduate in May 2025: This option may be favored by students who prefer to start their post-graduation careers as soon as possible. 

• Complete the MS degree over the course of 20 months and graduate in January 2026: This option may be favored by students who prefer to pace their education, giving them more time to, for example, conduct research, deepen relationships with faculty, participate in student engagement opportunities on campus, or acquire pre-graduation professional experience via Summer and Fall internships while still enrolled. 

The deadline to finalize your graduation date is February 15, 2025. 

• Regardless of timeline, the total credits needed for graduation are 36 credits.  

• All students are required to take the Professional Responsibility and Leadership (PRL) course, but the timing of the course will depend on students’ graduation date.

  • • PRL is a 1.5-credit in-person course that meets 1x/week for seven weeks.

    • The timing of the course will depend on students’ graduation date:

      • May 2025 graduates (Spring graduates): complete PRL in Spring 2025

      • January 2026 graduates (Fall graduates): complete PRL in Fall 2025 (and therefore complete one less course in Spring 2025)

• All students will walk at graduation in May 2025. Only those graduating in May 2025 will receive their diplomas at the ceremony; those graduating in January 2026 will receive their diploma in late January/early February 2026.

  • • The diploma conferral date for Spring graduates is May 2025.

    • The diploma conferral date for Fall graduates is late January/early February 2026. 

• Tuition information: In July 2025, January 2026 graduates (Fall graduates) will receive a bill for Fall 2025, which will be due in August 2025. The bill will include:

  • • The updated tuition rate for the 1.5-credit PRL course - note that the anticipated increase is 3% for Academic Year 2025-2026. (Note that you do not pay for PRL twice, so you will already have received a refund if billed/paid in Spring 2025)

    • Semester of health insurance for Fall 2025