IV. Requirements for Degrees
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences establishes minimum requirements for admission and the award of degrees; departments and programs are encouraged to set higher standards. Students should therefore familiarize themselves with all the rules, regulations, and procedures relevant to their pursuit of a Graduate School degree, including those published in the Graduate School Bulletin as well as those disseminated by their department or program.
Definition of "Thesis" and "Non-Thesis" Programs
Thesis or Dissertation Proposal
Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines
Research on Human Subjects
Language Requirements
The Master's Degree
Comprehensive Examinations for the Master's Degree
Final Defense of the Master's Thesis
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Qualifying Examination for the Doctoral Degree
Comprehensive Examinations for the Doctoral Degree
Doctoral Candidacy
Dissertation Committee
Final Defense of the Dissertation
Georgetown Dual Degree Programs
Individualized Dual Degree Programs
"Thesis" programs include all doctoral degree programs (all of which require a dissertation), all master's degree programs in which a thesis is required, and any master's degree program offering a thesis option if the individual student has chosen the thesis option to fulfill degree requirements. "Non-thesis" programs include any master's degree program offering a thesis option if the individual student has not chosen the thesis option to fulfill degree requirements, and any master's degree program in which a thesis is neither required nor optional.
All doctoral students, and all master's students who are preparing a thesis, must file a Thesis or Dissertation Proposal with the Graduate School. Students are strongly encouraged to file the Proposal during their first semester of Thesis Research, but it must be on file before the student can defend the thesis or dissertation if the department or program requires a defense examination. The form must include an outline of the proposed topic of study, the proposed procedure or method of study, and a preliminary bibliography. The names of the Thesis Advisor and the other members of the student's examining committee will be listed on the form, and they, as well as the Director of Graduate Studies, must indicate their approval by signing the form before it is submitted to the Graduate School.
Before starting work on a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, the student should obtain a copy of Guidelines for Dissertation and Thesis Writers from the Graduate School. These guidelines specify the procedural requirements that must be met for a thesis or dissertation to be formally accepted by the Graduate School. Submission of an improperly prepared thesis or dissertation may delay the award of the degree.
Federal law requires that all proposed research involving human subjects first be reviewed by an authorized institutional body in order to ensure that adequate protections are provided to those persons who are participants in or subjects of the proposed research. Research on human subjects includes not only work in the biomedical sciences but also projects in the social and behavioral sciences. Research involving on-the-street intercept surveys or detailed questionnaires delving into attitudes about a controversial subject is also considered to involve human subjects. As such, it is also subject to review. These legal requirements apply regardless of the source of research support. In a large number of cases research proposals fall into categories which exempt them from full review. For example, research on standard educational techniques or strategies, work using publicly available survey data where the respondents are not identified, or interviews with public officials or candidates for public office are normally exempt. However, a specific project's eligibility for exemption cannot simply be determined by the individual researcher. The law requires that institutions provide structured mechanisms for determining exemptions and that they keep records documenting the process and its results.
Students whose research will involve human subjects should contact the University's Institutional Review Board, IRB-C, at (202) 687-2618 before beginning their research. Additional information and copies of the forms are available on the website for the IRB-C at: http://ora.georgetown.edu/irb/irbc_index.htm
Departmental and program language requirements vary. Doctoral candidates are generally required to demonstrate proficiency in two languages or research tools, although individual departments may not require such proficiency, or may require only one language or research tool. Each student must ascertain the language requirements for the major field and degree he or she is seeking. The results of language examinations (including "Native Speaker" status) are reported to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences using the Language Proficiency Examination form and are included on the student's transcript by the University Registrar.
Graduate students may register for undergraduate language courses during Early Registration, Regular Registration, or the Add/Drop period. However, a status change from a letter grade to pass/fail or audit can be made only during the Add/Drop period. As a rule, no degree credit is given for language courses.
The minimum requirement for a master's degree is 24 credits of coursework and submission of an acceptable thesis. Certain programs require substantially more than 24-credits in addition to a thesis.
Some departments and programs permit or require the substitution of additional coursework for the thesis requirement. A minimum of six additional credits, or 30 credits total, is required for a non-thesis degree; some programs require substantially more than 30 credits.
A number of departments also require that the student demonstrate proficiency in one or more foreign languages or other relevant research tools, and/or pass a comprehensive examination.
These are minimum requirements. Students should determine the actual requirements of their individual degree programs by referring to the appropriate departmental section of the online Graduate School Catalogue.
Under special circumstances, a student who has not completed requirements for the doctoral degree, but who has completed the coursework and other requirements sufficient for award of a master's degree, may, upon withdrawal or termination from a doctoral degree program, apply for a terminal master's degree (M.A. or M.S., depending on the major field).
The nature and timing of comprehensive examinations are determined by individual departments and programs. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of all rules and regulations governing comprehensive examinations in her or his degree program.
Students must be registered for coursework or for the appropriate section of Thesis Research or Continuous Registration during the semester or Summer Session in which they plan to take a comprehensive examination. See Section I. "Registration Process" for further information on enrollment status and fees associated with this registration.
In the event that a student's performance in the comprehensive examination is not satisfactory, the examining committee may or may not recommend a second opportunity. In extremely rare cases, a student may request the department or program to petition the Graduate School to allow a third examination. If the department or program agrees, it must submit a written request to the Dean of the Graduate School outlining the justification for a third and final examination. The decision whether to allow this exception rests with the Dean.
The Graduate School provides the department or program with the Examination Report form which reports the results of the examination. Following the completion of a Comprehensive Examination, the completed Examination Report form is given directly to the University Registrar by the department or program. The completed Examination Report forms should not be given to the student. The University Registrar will record the results on the transcript. If a student who had previously failed the Comprehensive Examination receives a passing result on a second attempt (or rare third attempt), the failing result is removed and the passing result is posted to the graduate transcript.
In some departments and programs, the master's comprehensive examination is used as a qualifying examination for the Ph.D. program. When this is the case, the examination ballot will reflect the dual use of the examination, and the results will be recorded on the transcript as those of two separate examinations. In other programs, a separate qualifying examination may be required upon completion of master's degree requirements to determine whether a student is eligible to proceed toward the Ph.D. The qualifying examination may also be administered to students who seek advanced standing for master's work completed at other institutions in a comparable discipline.
A final oral defense is required for some master's theses; other programs may require only faculty review of the master's thesis.
At least one week prior to the date of the final oral defense, the Thesis Reviewers Report must be completed by the thesis committee and submitted to the Graduate School. A defense may be held only if the reviewers are unanimous in their decision that the thesis is ready for defense.
The results of both final defenses conducted orally before a master's thesis committee and final readings of a master's thesis by the thesis advisor are reported to the University Registrar on a Thesis or Dissertation Defense Report form. A Defense Report form indicating successful defense or review of the thesis must be submitted directly to the University Registrar's Office by the department or program before the student can be cleared for graduation. The completed Defense Report form should not be given to the student.
It is common for the faculty examiners or the thesis advisor to require students who have successfully passed the final defense to make additional revisions to the text of the thesis before it is presented to the Graduate School. A final copy of the thesis, complete with all required revisions and signed by the thesis advisor, the thesis committee, and the Director of Graduate Studies, must be accepted by the Graduate School before the student can be cleared for graduation.
Students who have been awarded the master's degree by Georgetown University must not assume permission to pursue the doctoral degree. In all cases, an official letter of admission must be obtained from the Dean of the Graduate School before entering a doctoral program. Coursework undertaken without such permission in no way binds the University to accept the student for doctoral candidacy.
While it is convenient to define the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in terms of credits and examinations, neither a given number of credits nor routine compliance with regulations entitles a student to this degree. It is conferred solely in recognition of high attainments in the student's chosen field of scholarship.
A minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree is generally required for the doctoral degree. Because some departments or programs may require fewer than 60 hours of graduate coursework while others require more, applicants are advised to check the relevant departmental regulations. Doctoral candidates are generally required to demonstrate proficiency in two languages or research tools, although individual departments may not require such proficiency, or may require only one language or research tool.
Beyond the completion of coursework and any required language proficiency, the student may be required to pass a qualifying examination, must pass a comprehensive examination, must complete and successfully defend a dissertation, and must have an acceptable copy of the dissertation formally accepted by the Graduate School.
The Graduate School does not require all Ph.D. students to pass a qualifying examination. However, some departments and programs do require such an examination; students must familiarize themselves with these requirements.
The Graduate School provides the department or program with the Examination Report form which reports the results of the examination. Following the completion of a Qualifying Examination, the completed Examination Report form is given directly to the University Registrar by the department or program. Completed Examination Report forms should not be given to the student. The University Registrar will record the results on the transcript. If a student who had previously failed the Qualifying Examination receives a passing result on a second attempt (or rare third attempt), the failing result is removed and the passing result is posted to the graduate transcript.
Students must be registered for coursework or for the appropriate section of Thesis Research or Continuous Registration during the Fall or Spring semester or Summer session in which they plan to take a qualifying examination.
The nature and timing of comprehensive examinations are determined by individual departments and programs. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of all rules and regulations governing comprehensive examinations in her or his degree program.
Students must be registered for coursework or for the appropriate section of Thesis Research or Continuous Registration during the semester or Summer Session in which they plan to take a comprehensive examination. See Section I. "Registration Process" for further information on enrollment status and fees associated with this registration.
In the event that a student's performance in the comprehensive examination is not satisfactory, the examining committee may or may not recommend a second opportunity. In extremely rare cases, a student may request the department or program to petition the Graduate School to allow a third examination. If the department or program agrees, it must submit a written request to the Dean of the Graduate School outlining the justification for a third and final examination. The decision whether to allow this exception rests with the Dean.
The Graduate School provides the department or program with the Examination Report form which reports the results of the examination. Following the completion of a Comprehensive Examination, the completed Examination Report form is given directly to the University Registrar by the department or program. Completed Examination Report forms should not be given to the student. The University Registrar will record the results on the transcript. If a student who had previously failed the Comprehensive Examination receives a passing result on a second attempt (or rare third attempt), the failing result is removed and the passing result is posted to the graduate transcript.
Doctoral candidacy is defined as the successful completion of both all required coursework and all required examinations. Submission of an acceptable dissertation proposal is generally a requirement fulfilled after candidacy has been achieved, but practice may vary in some disciplines.
If the graduate program has a general language requirement, it must be completed before candidacy can be achieved. Programs may require special language proficiency or specific research techniques (e.g., statistics) for particular dissertations; these requirements may be fulfilled during the candidacy period.
Once doctoral candidacy has been achieved, the Graduate School will consider requests for a personal leave of absence only if the reasons for requesting the leave would otherwise prevent the student from making significant progress on the dissertation. A leave of absence will not be granted simply for the purpose of extending the time permitted to complete the dissertation. A “personal leave of absence” is defined as any leave of absence other than one granted for medical reasons or to perform military service.
Each graduate program's graduate student handbook will specify regular milestones, both before and after candidacy has been achieved, at which each student’s progress toward completion of the Ph.D. will be assessed. Students who are found not to be making satisfactory progress, and who are therefore unlikely to complete a successful dissertation within the allowed time, will be identified and terminated from the program at the earliest possible time.
Each program’s graduate student handbook will define what constitutes a valid dissertation committee. At a minimum, a dissertation committee must be comprised of three members, one of which may or may not be the mentor. At least two of the minimum three must be members of the Georgetown faculty (either tenure-line or non-tenure-line faculty). Members of the dissertation committee are appointed by means of the Thesis or Dissertation Proposal form.
Some subset of the full committee will be designated as readers. The readers may, but need not, be from outside the student’s own graduate program, either from another Georgetown department or program, or from outside Georgetown University. Such outside readers are recommended whenever it is feasible. Readers from outside the University must hold a terminal degree for a faculty position in that field. They must also either be members of the faculty of another university or hold a professional appointment in a non-academic research institution that is equivalent to the academic rank of assistant professor or above.
A final defense is required for all doctoral dissertations. Dissertation defenses must be publicly announced, and a copy of the dissertation must be available for public review at least two weeks prior to the event.
At least one week prior to the date of the oral defense, the Thesis Reviewers Report form must be completed and signed by the thesis committee and submitted to the Graduate School. Using this report form, the student’s committee must certify by majority vote that the dissertation is “ready for defense.” That is, the committee must certify that there is a reasonable expectation both that the student will be able to address any questions about or shortcomings in the dissertation, and that only minor revisions will be required after the defense.
After a dissertation has been certified as ready for defense, and no later than one week prior to the date of the doctoral defense, the student or department will post the defense information to the online Doctoral Dissertation Defense Schedule. (This policy applies only to doctoral dissertation defenses; it does not apply to defenses of a master's thesis or to the oral component of any doctoral qualifying examination.)
Following a tradition that goes back to the earliest days of the academy, all doctoral defenses at Georgetown University are open to any interested member of the academic community. Only the presentation and questioning periods of the defense are so open; individuals who are not members of the official committee will be excluded from other portions of the defense.
Each program’s graduate student handbook will define the process for conducting the final defense. At minimum, a dissertation defense must have a public presentation by the candidate which any member of the academic community may attend, and during which anyone in attendance may address questions to the candidate. The dissertation defense may also, but need not, have a period during which the committee alone may ask questions. Every dissertation defense must be followed by a closed meeting of the committee during which it deliberates and decides whether or not the defense was successful.
The candidate will be considered to have passed the dissertation defense when the committee certifies by majority vote that the defense was “successful.” That is, the committee must certify that the candidate has satisfactorily addressed any questions about and shortcomings in the dissertation, and that no major revisions are required.
The results of an oral defense conducted before a doctoral thesis committee are reported to the University Registrar on a Thesis or Dissertation Defense Report form. A Defense Report form indicating successful defense of the dissertation must be submitted directly to the University Registrar's Office by the department or program before the student can be cleared for graduation. The completed Defense Report form should not be given to the student.
If the candidate fails the dissertation defense, the graduate program will report the failure by submitting the Defense Report form directly to the Graduate School. Once again, the completed Defense Report form should not be given to the student. The failure will be reported to the Graduate School whether or not a make-up or “retake” of the defense is permitted. Whether such a make-up or “retake” of a defense is allowed, and if so, the rules under which it may be conducted, will be stated in the program’s graduate student handbook. Students who fail the defense of thesis for the second time will be dismissed from the program without the Ph.D. degree.
It is common for the faculty examiners or the thesis advisor to require students who have successfully passed the final defense to make additional revisions to the text of the dissertation before it is presented to the Graduate School. A final copy of the dissertation, complete with all required revisions and signed by the thesis advisor, the thesis committee, and the Director of Graduate Studies, must be accepted by the Graduate School before the student can be cleared for graduation.
Students enrolled in dual or concurrent degree programs pursue studies leading to the award of two degrees from Georgetown University. The Graduate School currently offers 43 dual or concurrent programs that result in the award of degrees in two graduate disciplines. Programs are also available that combine a graduate degree with a degree from one of Georgetown's undergraduate schools (available to current Georgetown University undergraduates only), the Law Center, or the Medical School. A current list of dual degree programs is available in the online Admissions Summary Chart. The requirements differ for each dual or concurrent degree program. Program descriptions and other information are available in the Graduate School Catalogue or directly from the participating departments or programs. Individuals who wish to pursue a dual degree program should make their intentions known when they apply to Georgetown University.
An individualized dual degree program between Georgetown University and another university will permit a student to receive two post-baccalaureate degrees, with some coursework at each school accepted by the other toward fulfillment of its degree requirements. The Graduate School encourages such cross-institutional cooperation when the student can present a clear academic rationale for the arrangement.
Our specialized programs have often attracted the interests of students pursuing degrees at other universities. Only one other institution may be involved in an individualized dual degree arrangement. The other university must be an accredited, degree-granting institution of higher education. The other university must reciprocate in the dual degree arrangement.
Individuals who wish to propose such dual degree arrangements are encouraged to do so at the time of application to the Georgetown graduate program. They should apply to the relevant Georgetown graduate program, provide a rationale for the dual degree, and indicate support from the other institution.
In order to complete an individualized dual degree program, a student must have a minimum of 24 Georgetown graduate course credits devoted solely to the Georgetown degree program. Additional credits to be applied toward the Georgetown graduate degree would include both Georgetown graduate course credits that are shared with the other institution to fulfill its degree requirements, and graduate course credits from the other institution that are shared to satisfy Georgetown's graduate degree requirements.
Course credits from the other university will be recorded on the Georgetown graduate transcript with a notation that they have been applied toward satisfaction of degree requirements at both institutions. Such notations will be posted only upon receipt of an official transcript from the other University showing satisfactory completion (grade of "C" or better, or its equivalent). The Georgetown Graduate School degree will not be awarded until the official transcript has been received.
Georgetown tuition scholarships may be applied toward any Georgetown course taken as part of the student’s program, regardless of whether those credits are applied solely to the GU degree or to both degrees. Georgetown tuition scholarships cannot be applied toward courses taken at the other university.
Work taken at another university that is not to be applied toward a degree program at that institution may be considered for transfer to the Georgetown degree program under the rules governing transfer credit.
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