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 2024: 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 2025: 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 March 1, 2024. 

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

• Professional Responsibility and Leadership (PRL) is a 1.5-credit course that is required for all students, but the timing of the course will depend on students’ graduation date:

  • • • May 2024 graduates: take PRL in Spring 2024

      • January 2025 graduates: take PRL in Fall 2024

• All students will walk at graduation in May 2024. Only those graduating in May 2024 will receive their diplomas at the ceremony; those graduating in January 2025 will receive their diploma in January 2025.

  • • • The diploma conferral date for May 2024 graduates is May 19, 2024.

      • The diploma conferral date for January 2025 graduates is late January/early February. 

• January 2025 graduates will be charged the updated tuition rate in Fall 2024 for Academic Year 2024-2025 (typically 3% increase) for the remaining 1.5 credits, as well as health insurance in Fall 2024.

Important: This survey does not need to be your final decision. We understand that your graduation plan may change in the next few months depending on your job search and other factors. This survey is designed to collect preliminary information for our planning purposes, but we are not asking you to make a final decision yet. We will follow up again in January to collect your final decision; the deadline to finalize your graduation date is March 1, 2024. 

Please complete this form to share your preliminary desired graduation timeline by Tuesday, October 31. 

Important: 

1. ALL students must fill out this form to confirm your graduation timeline by Friday, March 1st.

2. You will ALSO need to follow the instructions to apply for May graduation in Albert or update your graduation term in Albert if you choose to graduate in January 2025. (Keep an eye out for an email from the Registrar’s Office during the week of February 5th regarding instructions)