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Degree Policies

Requirements for Thesis or Dissertation

The following steps for completing a thesis or dissertation are the responsibility of each degree candidate:

  1. Secure the approval of the chair of the supervising committee. Upon recommendation of the graduate program and the academic college, the Graduate College approves the committee.
  2. The student is expected to work closely with the chair in selecting the topic and in completing other details of their study.
  3. The format of the thesis or dissertation must follow University regulations. Formatting guidelines and deadlines are available on the Graduate College website.
  4. The student must submit a preliminary draft through ProQuest by the posted deadline. The first draft should demonstrate the student’s understanding of the preparation guidelines and the University’s required formatting. It is understood that the text is still a work in progress. This step is intended to ensure that the thesis or dissertation meets the necessary standards for content, expression, format, spelling, and accuracy.
  5. Thesis and dissertation defense announcement must be submitted to the Graduate College at least seven days prior to the defense date.
  6. After a successful defense, the student will submit the final copy of the thesis or dissertation to the Graduate College through ProQuest by the posted deadline. Failure to submit a final copy after a successful defense can delay completing the program. The final thesis or dissertation must conform with the Thesis Formatting Guide, Creative Writing Formatting Guide, or Dissertation Formatting Guide, as appropriate.
  7. The Certification of Completion Form must be submitted after final approval from the members of the thesis or dissertation committee by the final deadline established by the Graduate College in the graduating semester.
  8. The final copy must be uploaded to ProQuest for both publishing and purchasing bound copies. The student may opt to have ProQuest file the copyright on their behalf; the student is responsible for all ProQuest fees.
  9. Copies of thesis or dissertation are available to the public through the UTRGV Library.

Supervising Committee

All members of the supervising committee must be members of the graduate faculty. The composition of the supervising committee is subject to approval of the Dean of the Graduate College.

The supervising committee must formally meet at least once per academic year to assess the student’s progress and submit a written report to the Dean of the Graduate College. The report should detail any issues that may delay the student’s research beyond the anticipated completion date. A copy of the report must also be provided to the student.

The student may request a meeting with the supervising committee by submitting a written request to the committee chair and including the graduate program coordinator in the correspondence.

The proposed list of members of the supervising committee must be presented for approval to the director/coordinator/chair of the program, Dean of the academic college, and Dean of the Graduate College. Once approved, changes to the list require that the student make a request to change the supervising committee. Changes to the supervising committee are initiated by the student in consultation with the current chair, the proposed new chair (if applicable), and the program coordinator.

Supervising Committee Membership

Only members of the graduate faculty may serve as members of a supervising committee. Membership of the graduate faculty are defined in the UTRGV Handbook of Operating Procedures. Their qualifications and the rules governing their appointment are subject to the recommendation of the graduate program, academic college, and the approval of the Dean of the Graduate College, unless otherwise specified in the UTRGV Handbook of Operating Procedures.

The minimum qualifications for the supervising committee require that the majority of its members possess a terminal degree in their area of expertise and hold faculty appointments at UTRGV. Supervising committee members are expected to maintain current credentials by engaging in active research or professional practice, as evidenced by peer-reviewed journal publications, practitioner-based publications, consultancy, or other relevant activities defined by the home academic college, department, and/or program.

The chair of the committee must hold a full-time faculty appointment at UTRGV. All other members of the graduate faculty may serve as co-chair or member of the supervising committee.

All supervising committee members for research doctoral programs must hold faculty roles with research expectations. An exception may be granted through a petition to the Dean of the academic college and the Dean of the Graduate College.

The committee consists of one chair and at least two additional members for a thesis, or at least three additional members for a dissertation committee.

For interdisciplinary committees, the chair may be from an affiliated program, and up to half of the committee may consist of graduate faculty from outside the student’s program. An exception may be granted through a petition to the Dean of the academic college and the Dean of the Graduate College. All affiliated faculty, including external members, must have expertise in the student’s thesis or dissertation topic.

Milestone Agreement

For each student enrolled in a doctoral program, the academic advisor or graduate program coordinator, in consultation with the student, will prepare and submit a completed and updated "Milestones Agreement Form" annually to the Dean of Graduate College. This form will outline the academic milestones and timeline required to complete the doctoral degree, as well as track the student's progress in meeting each requirement.

Qualifying/Comprehensive Examination

The purpose of the qualifying/comprehensive examination is to assess the student’s mastery of their field of study. The academic program is responsible for preparing, administering, and grading the comprehensive exam according to its policies, procedures, and discipline-specific requirements.

All students pursuing a research doctoral degree must pass a qualifying/comprehensive examination.

Admission to Doctoral Candidacy

A student pursuing a research doctoral degree must be admitted to candidacy. Admission to doctoral candidacy requires the following:

  1. be in Good Academic Standing;
  2. passed the Qualifying/Comprehensive Examination; 
  3. have an approved Supervising Committee; and
  4. satisfied any other program or school candidacy requirements.

Candidacy must be achieved before a student is eligible to enroll in dissertation courses.

Doctoral Dissertation

A dissertation is required of all students pursuing a research doctoral degree. The dissertation must be an original contribution to scholarship, based on independent investigation in the major area. The dissertation manuscript must demonstrate an independent research competence on the part of the candidate that substantially adds to knowledge in the candidate’s field with respect either to its intellectual substance or professional practice. The dissertation should meet a standard suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals, scholarly books, monographs, or equivalent practitioner outlets.

See also requirements for thesis or dissertation. 

Final Defense/Oral Examination

The presentation and defense of the thesis/dissertation will serve as the Final Defense / Final Oral Examination. The Graduate College website provides detailed information to assist students in navigating the defense process. The initial phase of the defense/examination will be open to the university community. In cases where the presentation exposes privileged information, an exemption may be granted. Following the presentation, the candidate’s research will be examined by the members of the supervising committee in a private session. Depending on the graduate program or academic college policy, other faculty members may also attend this portion of the examination. Recording of the deliberation portion of the defense/examination is not permitted. The primarily focus is on the candidate’s research contribution. Aspects of the general field related to the candidate’s research may also be discussed.

Students must be physically present at the defense/examination, unless they are enrolled in an online program that requires a thesis or dissertation. The defense/examination should take place on campus (for in-person defenses) and during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST).

All members of the supervisory committee must attend the defense/examination. In extenuating circumstances that prevent a committee member from attending, a qualified alternate must be appointed to attend in their place. The alternate must be graduate faculty in the program’s academic unit. The substitution request must be submitted and approved by the Dean of the academic college and the Dean of the Graduate College before the defense.

Defense/Examination Outcomes

Following the final defense/oral examination the supervising committee will vote on the result of the defense/examination. The committee will reach an agreement in one of three possible results:

  1. (Passed) passed the final dissertation defense and manuscript accepted;
  2. (Passed with revisions) passed the final dissertation defense and manuscript accepted pending specified revisions; or
  3. (Failed) additional revision of the manuscript and a second dissertation defense required.

If a recommendation for a second dissertation defense is made, it must be completed between six months and one year after the first defense.

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. Minimum GPA: A student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in master’s coursework.
  5. 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.