Policies and Procedures for Master’s Degrees

While these policies are overarching in the SGS, the specific program in each department is defined by the Departmental Curriculum Committee's guidelines. The Departmental Curriculum Committee is responsible for administering the department's academic programs.

Students must undertake graduate-level (at least 800-level) coursework and produce a capstone paper to complete the Master of Arts, Master of Public Health, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Education degrees. 

All MSc degree options require between 34 – 49 credits of graduate work (at least 800-level). Each student is required to prepare and defend a research proposal and a final thesis, and to publish or have one manuscript accepted for publication in an approved journal. The publication must be based solely on the research undertaken in pursuit of the master’s degree. Manuscripts must be developed to an acceptable standard and approved for submission by the Supervisory Committee. All named authors on the publication must have made a substantial contribution to the publication. The accepted or published manuscript may be included as a chapter in the thesis. Guidelines for writing the thesis and inclusion of the accepted/published manuscript are provided in Appendix A.   

All completed theses, upon the recommendation of the Chair of the Supervisory Committee, are submitted to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for submission to the external examiner. In addition, a final oral presentation and defense of the thesis must be successfully completed before the degree is awarded. 
 

Admissions

All requirements of the SGS and the curriculum committee of the specific department must be met for acceptance into the program.  Applications must be made through the SGS of SGU.  Admission to the master’s programs will be based on: 1) undergraduate grade point average (minimum 3.0 on a 4.0 scale), 2) personal statement of interest and experience in the area, 3) letters of recommendation from professionals, 4) proficiency in English, and 5) completion of prerequisite courses, if required. 
 

Advanced Standing and Transfer of Credits

Up to 12 transfer credits may be earned from a prior graduate degree program at an approved university. Recommendation for transfer of credits for advanced standing and for acceptance of non-SGU courses will be determined by the Departmental Curriculum Committee and presented to the SGS Dean for approval.
 

Course Requirements

Students must complete at least 34 credits of graduate-level coursework to fulfill the requirements for the MSc degree.  The distribution of the credits will be determined by the Departmental Curriculum Committee and approved by the Dean following review by the SGS Curriculum Committee. The MSc programs, which include research and thesis, would normally require a minimum of 24 credits of primarily 900-level courses (dedicated to research and thesis production). An example of the distribution of these credits is listed below. 

900-level Course Requirements in MSc Degrees

Substitutions Within the Program

Courses may be substituted at the discretion of the Departmental Curriculum Committee.
 

Teaching Requirements

At the discretion of the department Chair, and following the recommendation of the Departmental Curriculum Committee, students may be required to serve as teaching assistants or as instructors in departmental courses. Students who are required to teach will normally be remunerated for this service at the commensurate approved SGU rate.
 

Supervisory Committee

By the beginning of the second term in the MSc program, students are expected to have selected a mentor with whom they wish to work. For students in the research/thesis program, both student and mentor will determine the research project and, within two months of selecting a mentor, both will choose a thesis Supervisory Committee composed of faculty whose interests and expertise will complement the research project. The Supervisory Committee will oversee all aspects of the research, manage and oversee the development of the thesis, and review students’ progress in the program. The Supervisory Committee will be composed of at least three members, including at least two faculty members from the department and one faculty member from outside the department. 

Thesis Preparation 

The master's thesis will be prepared by the student under the direction of the Supervisory Committee.  Members of the Supervisory Committee will act as consultants during the research and must approve the thesis during its development and in its final form.  Students should allow at least four weeks for committee review and revision of drafts of the thesis.
 

Thesis Format and Submission

The thesis must be prepared and formatted according to the thesis guidelines of the SGS.  The Thesis Guide is shown in Appendix A.
 

External Examiner

Once the student’s Supervisory Committee is satisfied that the MSc candidate’s thesis meets the required standard, this information should be submitted on the official form to the SGS Dean’s office together with the name and address of the external examiner, as recommended to the Dean by the Supervisory Committee, and who has agreed to examine the thesis. The SGS Dean’s office will then send the thesis and the external examiner’s form to the external examiner. The external examiner’s comments should be taken into account by the Supervisory Committee, and the student must abide by the ruling of the external examiner and the Supervisory Committee. 

Final Thesis Examination

The thesis presentation and defense represent the culmination of the SGS experience. Following the final review by the Supervisory Committee and the completion of all required revisions to the satisfaction of the Committee, students will present the research in a publicly advertised seminar, at which all Supervisory Committee members must be present. Following the seminar, the Supervisory Committee will make a final evaluation of both the thesis and its presentation. 

Capstone Presentation

In the non-thesis master’s program, students and mentors must choose a topic related to the chosen program on which students will prepare a paper and deliver a seminar presentation at the end of their course of study. This presentation may be duly advertised within the University community for a live presentation or recorded and submitted for grading by the faculty. The Departmental Curriculum Committee will establish and approve the internal process for the departmental faculty to review and grade capstone papers. 
 

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Upon review of the Academic Promotion Review Committee (APRC), a student with failing grades or whose GPA falls below 3.0, or who may not be making adequate progress toward completing the program within the maximum timeline will be placed on Monitored Academic Status (MAS) for the duration of their time in the program. Deficiencies must be corrected in accordance with the stipulations and timeline determined by the APRC. Failure to do so may result in a recommendation for dismissal.  Students who are recommended for dismissal may appeal to the Committee for Academic Progress and Professional Standards (CAPPS) through the established SGS appeals process.   Students who are retained by the CAPPS, following a recommendation for dismissal, must indicate willingness to continue in the program and adhere to stipulations set out by the CAPPS. Failure to do so may result in a recommendation for dismissal. 
 

Time Frame for the Completion of the Master's Degree

All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed within five years of matriculation into the program.
 

Requirements for Graduation

The student will be deemed to have fulfilled all requirements for the master's degree after successfully completing at least 34 credits with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.