A. Requirements for All Master’s Degree Students

1. Application materials and required fees received.
2. Application materials reviewed by graduate program.
3. Graduate program forwards recommendation regarding applicant’s admissibility to the Dean of the Graduate School.
4. The Dean of the Graduate School reviews the recommendation and the student is notified of the action taken on the request for admission.
5. Outstanding transcripts, if any, showing any or all post-secondary coursework attempted and degree(s) conferred since application should be submitted by student to the Graduate School, prior to matriculation.
6. Student arrives, reports to the graduate program, is assigned a graduate advisor and develops a roster of courses and credits with the advisor.
7. Student subject to continuous registration policy until graduation.
8. Student approves Patent Agreement via Student Self-Service in the MyPack portal.
9. Student develops a Plan of Graduate Work in consultation with and the approval of his/her graduate advisor and Director of Graduate Programs (DGP). The Plan of Work must be submitted via SIS to the Graduate School where graduate records staff will review it and advise the program of any changes that need to be made before the Request for a Permit to Schedule the Master’s Oral Examination or the Graduation application can be approved by the Graduate School.
10. Student passes language examination, if required.
11. Student passes written examination, if required.
12. Student must Apply to Graduate in MyPack Portal by the “apply to graduate deadline” in the term in which they plan to graduate.
13. A GPA of at least 3.000 for the degree requirements as well as on overall graduate course work at NC State is required for graduation.
14. All degree requirements must be completed within six calendar years, beginning with the date the student takes courses carrying graduate credit applicable to the degree program, unless a more restrictive time limit has been established by the program or academic college/school.

B. Option B Programs

The student must Apply to Graduate via MyPack Portal and the DGP set the Graduation Approval page to “Departmental Review Complete” no later than the “apply to graduate deadline” for the term in which the student anticipates graduation. The deadline appears in the Graduate School Calendar.

C. Master’s of Discipline or Non-thesis Programs (excluding Option B)

1. Graduate advisory committee of three or more Graduate Faculty members is appointed by the DGP.
2. When all requirements except completion of the course work in the final semester are satisfied, DGP submits to the Graduate School the Request for a Permit to Schedule the Master’s Oral Examination.
3. If Graduate School requirements are met, a Request for a Permit to Schedule the Master’s Oral Examination is approved by the Graduate School within 10 working days of receipt of the request and the permit, Admission to the Final Master’s Oral Examination, is issued.
4. Final examination is scheduled and conducted.
5. Final examination report, including date and result of the examination, submitted to the Graduate School by the DGP. The Graduate School should receive the report within five working days of the examination.
6. The deadline date for unconditionally passing the final examination in order for the student to graduate in a given semester or summer session appears in the Graduate School Calendar.

D. Thesis Programs

1. Graduate advisory committee of three or more Graduate Faculty members is appointed by the DGP.
2. A preliminary copy of the thesis is submitted to the chair of the student’s advisory committee.
3. When all requirements except completion of the course work in the final semester are satisfied and after the thesis is complete except for such revisions as may be necessary as a result of the exam, the DGP submits to the Graduate School the Request for a Permit to Schedule the Master’s Oral Examination.
4. If Graduate School requirements are met, the Request for a Permit to Schedule the Master’s Oral Examination is approved by the Graduate School within 10 working days of receipt of the request, and the permit, Admission to the Final Master’s Oral Examination, is issued.
5. At least two weeks prior to the final oral examination, the chair of the student’s advisory committee submits the thesis, if required, to the other members of the advisory committee for review.
6. Final examination is scheduled and conducted.
7. The Admission to the Final Master’s Oral Examination form is completed by the committee members, including date and result, and submitted to the Graduate School by the DGP. The Graduate School should receive the report within five working days of the examination.
8. Student submits the required PDF file into the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Submission System for the thesis review within 24 hours of passing the defense. The date the student properly submits the required PDF file into the ETD Submission System is the date of the thesis review.
9. The deadline for submitting the thesis to the Graduate School in order for the student to graduate in a given semester or summer session appears in the Graduate School Calendar.
10. The thesis is reviewed by the Graduate School to ensure that the format conforms to the specifications prescribed in the Thesis and Dissertation Guide.
11. The thesis must then be approved by the advisory committee members prior to publication by the library.