Residency Conference Requirement
Master's Degree Students and the Residency Conference
Attendance at, and participation in, the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies' June Residency Conference is a degree requirement for all master’s degree candidates.
In order to meet the Residency Conference degree requirement, all master's degree students must:
- be in good academic standing at the time of attendance;
- attend and participate in the June Residency Conference immediately following or during enrollment in their final course;
- achieve financial clearance through the university bursar’s office by May 15 of the year in which they are scheduled to attend.
Students who fail to meet the criteria outlined above will be required to delay residency attendance, graduation participation, and degree conferral by a minimum of one year. Students with outstanding financial balances after May 15 will not be permitted to attend residency.
Unless impacted by highly unusual and extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, all students are expected to be present for the entire Residency Conference week, but are required, at a minimum, to attend and participate in the academic components for no less than three (3) days. Students who cannot be present for the minimum 3-day required attendance and participation are expected to meet the requirement at a Residency Conference the following year. Students who meet the minimum attendance requirement, but must leave the Residency Conference prior to graduation must obtain approval from the program director or designee.
Exemptions from the residency attendance and participation requirement must be approved in advance by the dean and may be considered only for highly unusual and extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control. In cases where an exemption is approved, an alternate academic assignment will be required prior to the conferral of the master's degree.
Graduation Requirements
The annual Residency Conference includes program-specific academic recognition ceremonies and a college-wide graduation ceremony.
In order to participate in the academic recognition and graduation ceremonies, all master's degree students must have:
- completed all required courses or be enrolled in the final course of the program;
- completed or be on track to complete all capstone papers, capstone projects, or comprehensive examinations, if required by the specific degree program;
- earned a grade point average of 3.0 and accumulated no more than six (6) credits worth of C grades;
- fulfilled the Residency Conference requirements as noted above.
Participation in the academic recognition and graduation ceremonies is optional, but strongly recommended.