First Semester

• Consult the graduate liaison of your academic unit for an advisor. Plan your program of study. Check the master’s degree requirements for your academic unit and review the Graduate College Bulletin for enrollment standards.

Preparing for the Comprehensive Exam

• With your graduate liaison or graduate advisor, discuss procedures for the exam and select the members of your comprehensive exam committee.

Semester Before Graduating

• Complete the Admission to Candidacy form.
  
  
  • Obtain the Admission to Candidacy form from either your department or from the Graduate College website.  Because most master’s degree programs have individualized Admission to Candidacy forms, be sure to locate the form specific to your degree since it will list all degree requirements.  If your master’s degree program does not have an individualized form, please complete the General Candidacy Form from the Graduate College website.
  • Obtain the signature from the graduate liaison of your department.
    
    
• File the Admission to Candidacy form in the Graduate College at least one semester prior to your final/graduating semester. See dates below.

• Obtain your non-thesis packet (Graduate Exit Survey & Application for Graduation) from the Graduate College.

Final Semester

• Enroll in at least two (2) hours of graduate credit in the semester in which you complete your comprehensive exam.
• Complete the Application for Graduation (1/4 page, blue carbon-copy form found in your academic unit/department or in the Graduate College).  Submit it to the Office of Records before the deadline.  See dates below.

• Arrange an examination date, time, and location with the members of your examination committee. As the date approaches, remind all examination committee members of the time and place. At the discretion of the committee, the student may repeat the examination once in the following semester or later. The comprehensive examination may not be taken a third time, nor may it be taken twice in the same semester.

• Approximately one week prior to the examination, confirm your exam appointment with your committee chair, graduate liaison, and department staff assistant in your academic unit to obtain the Authority Report Form for the Comprehensive Examination from the Graduate College. Your Graduate College academic counselor will process the request and upon satisfactory review, will send the authority form to your committee chair, graduate liaison, and department staff assistant via email.
  
  
• Complete your comprehensive exam. Within one week after the comprehensive or final examination, submit the signed Authority Report Form for the Comprehensive Examination to the Graduate Dean. It must be signed by all committee members.

Congratulations!