Final Exams for M.S. & M.E. Degrees

M.S. Plan A, M.S. Plan B, and all M.E. candidates are required to pass a final oral exam in order to earn their degree. (Note: There is no final oral exam for the M.S. Plan C option.) The final oral exam is administered by the student’s examining committee. Prior to the exam, the student must complete all of the course requirements and the thesis or project(s) requirements. The thesis or project(s) are then submitted to the examining committee for review. The student must allow at least two weeks for the readers to review the thesis or project(s). For Plan A M.S. students, committee members must sign a Reviewers Report Form certifying that the thesis is ready for defense before the final exam can be scheduled.

The oral exam begins with a 30-45 minute presentation by the student. Following the presentation, which is closed to the public, is a examination in which the candidate is questioned on the thesis, project work or presentation, and on material drawn from the candidate's course of study. The outcome of the exam (pass or fail) is decided by a vote of the committee members. If possible, final oral exams should be scheduled during the fall or spring semesters.

For students submitting a Plan A thesis, the final examination must contain an oral component.

-The final oral examination is a closed examination open only to the final oral examination committee and the student. Programs may also require a written final examination.

-Students must provide the reviewers with a copy of the Plan A thesis/ professional engineering design project at least 14 days before the scheduled date of the final examination.

-Every member of the final examination committee must certify on the master’s thesis reviewer’s report that the thesis/professional engineering design project is ready for defense before the final examination may take place.

Committee members must notify the candidate in writing of all required revisions to the thesis or final project as well as specify a time limit for the submission of the revised master’s thesis or project within 7 days of the final examination.

-If revisions are required as a condition of passing, the advisor(s) must certify that the revisions have been completed before the degree is awarded.

For students submitting a Plan B project, the final examination may be oral, written, or both. The final oral examination is a closed examination open only to the final oral examination committee and the student.

A majority vote of an examining committee is required to pass the master’s final examination.

If the student fails the final examination, the student may retake the examination only if all committee members, or all committee members save one, approve this option.

The second attempt to pass the master’s final examination must use the same committee members as the first examination unless an extraordinary or emergency situation necessitates a substitution.

If the committee does not approve a retake, or if the student fails the second attempt, the student will be terminated from the master’s program.

All students who complete a Plan A Thesis or Professional Engineering Design Project must file a digital copy of the thesis/project with the University in accordance with University standards.

Students may choose whether or not to request an embargo of publication of the thesis or design project for a limited period of time.

Plan C master’s degrees typically do not include standard final examination formats like those for Plan A and Plan B master’s degrees.

However, students must satisfy all of the course and other requirements specified by the program in order to complete the degree.

Students must have a 2.800 minimum GPA for courses included on the degree plan at the time of degree clearance.