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Minimum Degree Requirements

The following are university-wide requirements for a master’s degree:

  1. Subsequent Master’s Degrees and Unique Credit Hours: No more than six hours earned in one master’s degree may count towards a second master’s degree and each master’s degree must have a minimum of 30 unique hours. Please refer to “Multiple Degrees”.
  2. Minimum Hours of Coursework and Continuous Enrollment: A minimum of 30 hours of coursework, or with the thesis option a minimum of 24 hours of coursework plus six hours for the thesis is required for a master’s degree. Once a student registers for the thesis, he/she must continue to enroll each succeeding semester (except summer sessions) until the thesis is completed. Credit is counted only once per thesis course level unless additional hours are required by the degree program. For more information, see the sections of the catalog that pertain to the specific degree programs.
  3. Seven-Year Time Limit: All requirements must be completed within one seven-year period. Work more than seven years old will not meet graduation requirements and can be reinstated only by special permission of the Dean for the Graduate College.
  4. 5000-Level Courses: A maximum of 18 hours in 5000-level courses may be taken for graduate credit toward a master’s degree and/ or as required by program accreditation standards
  5. Minimum GPA: A student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in master’s coursework.
  6. Residency: One-third of the credits towards a graduate degree must be earned through instruction offered by UTRGV. Transfer students may be required to complete additional hours above those on their degree plan to meet this requirement.
     

The following are university-wide requirements for a doctoral degree:

  1. 10-year limit: All requirements must be completed within one ten-year period. Work more than ten years old will not meet graduation requirements and can be reinstated only by special permission of the Dean for the Graduate College. Under special circumstances, an extension for an additional year may be granted by the student’s Doctoral Dissertation Committee (DDC) with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate College. If the student surpasses the 10-year limit, his or her DDC will determine if the student will be permitted to continue in the program and what additional coursework or activities will be required to complete the degree.
  2. Minimum GPA: A student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 in doctoral coursework.
  3. Residency: One-third of the credits towards a graduate degree must be earned through instruction offered by UTRGV. Transfer students may be required to complete additional hours above those on their degree plan to meet this requirement.