PLAN, Manage Your Professional Development as a Graduate Student
The Graduate School administers doctoral and master's degree programs, as well as certificates of graduate study. In addition to doctoral programs located in a single department, school, or college of the University, the Graduate School offers a number of Interdepartmental Degree Programs (IDPs). These doctoral programs, leading to a single degree, bring together faculty from two or more departments, schools, or colleges. Students may also initiate a PhD program that integrates different disciplines and fields and that does not exist formally as a degree program at the University (section 2.1.3). Master's degrees are awarded to Rackham students who complete a master's degree program and to students in doctoral programs who receive a master's degree in the course of working toward the doctorate (section 2.2).
The Graduate School also administers dual degree programs (section 2.3). Students in a Rackham dual degree program pursue a course of study leading to two degrees in two areas of specialization. These degrees may be either both in the Graduate School, or in a Graduate School program and a master's or professional degree administered by another school or college of the University.
Finally, the Graduate School administers a number of certificates of graduate study for students enrolled in a degree program (section 2.4). The certificate is a non-degree credential designed to provide students with specialized knowledge or methodology.
Doctoral degrees administered by the Graduate School include:
The University of Michigan offers degrees in professional fields that are not administered by the Graduate School. First professional degrees include the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), Juris Doctor (JD), Doctor of Medicine (MD), and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). In addition, the School of Law offers the Doctor of the Science of Law (SJD) and the School of Public Health offers the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH). Contact the appropriate school or college for more information.
Doctoral education has two stages. Graduate students in doctoral programs first take preliminary coursework to prepare for advance research. During this precandidacy stage, students must complete at least 18 hours of graded graduate coursework on the Ann Arbor campus. Students who are successful in this coursework, meet other program requirements, including preliminary exams, and demonstrate readiness to do original and independent research, are admitted to candidacy by their program. Departments and programs may have additional requirements. Specific requirements for each type of doctorate offered in a particular field of specialization are available through the department or program.
Effective for those entering in the Fall 2007 term, students should achieve candidacy no later than three calendar years after the first enrollment in their Rackham doctoral program. Programs and departments should conduct annual reviews to assess progress of students toward meeting candidacy requirements. A student who does not achieve candidacy within three years will be placed on academic probation, unless the program or department petitions Rackham OARD to request additional time because of extenuating circumstances (section 1.3.14).
Requirements include:
1. Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent. A student's University of Michigan transcript (academic record) must show a bachelor's degree or equivalent that has been awarded by an accredited institution.
2. Minimum Rackham Grade Point Average. A cumulative minimum graduate grade point average (GPA) of B (5.00 on a 9 point scale) is required for all graduate work taken for credit. Departments and programs may have higher requirements for grades.
3. Coursework-in-Residence. A precandidate must complete at least 18 credit hours of graded (including the grade of S – Satisfactory) graduate coursework registered as a Rackham student while in residence on the Ann Arbor campus. Courses elected as visit (audit) do not meet this requirement, nor do any courses designated as 990.
4. Cognate Requirement. Before advancing to candidacy, students must complete 4 credit hours of cognate coursework with a grade of B- or better; departments or programs may have additional cognate requirements (section 2.1.1.1).
5. Required Fee Total (RFT). A student must accumulate a minimum of 36 fee hours as a precandidate. A student who has a relevant non-Rackham master's degree from an accredited institution on the Michigan transcript must accumulate only 18 fee hours. A student who lacks the required fee hours may be allowed to pay for these at the rate published by the Registrar (section 1.5).
6. Registration in the Term in Which Preliminary Examinations are Taken. A student must be enrolled or otherwise be eligible for campus privileges, for a minimum of one credit, during the term in which preliminary exams are taken (section 1.3.1) or be otherwise eligible for campus privileges. A student who has been enrolled full time during successive fall and winter terms is eligible for campus privileges in May immediately following the winter term. Students who will be enrolled for either the spring or summer half term immediately following two successive terms of fall and winter term enrollment may take preliminary exams anytime during the spring or summer half terms.
7. Preliminary Examinations. Rackham expects departments and programs to determine the form and content of preliminary examinations, as well as procedures for administering and assessing these. A student must pass preliminary examinations to test knowledge of each primary field and all supporting fields. Students are entitled to specific feedback on their performance.
8. Additional Department or Program Requirements. A student must fulfill any additional requirements that are specified by the department or program. These may include, but are not limited to, passing of qualifying exams at the end of the first year or at another time during precandidacy; additional cognate course work; competence in one or more foreign languages; residence on the Ann Arbor campus during certain terms; work experience; and preparation of a research paper or essay.
Rackham recognizes the value of intellectual breadth in graduate education and the importance of formal graduate study in areas beyond the student's field of specialization. Cognate courses are those that are in a discipline or area different from a student's field of study but are related or connected with some aspect of this field. All cognate coursework must be approved by the department or program. Cognate requirements may be satisfied in three ways:
Following completion of the requirements for candidacy, the department or program submits a "Recommendation for Candidacy Form" to Rackham OARD, certifying satisfactory completion of the requirements by the deadline for the term in which the student will become a candidate. Deadlines are listed on the Rackham website.
Rackham does not require a student to be enrolled during the term in which advancement to candidacy takes place. Enrollment status changes automatically, however, for a student who, in the same term, passes preliminary exams and is advanced to candidacy. Students advanced to candidacy are charged tuition at a reduced level and change in status may result in an adjustment to tuition and fees. For a student who advances to candidacy while enrolled in course 990, enrollment will be changed to course 995 with 8 credit hours for the term. If a student is enrolled in classes other than 990, enrollment status will be changed to include an additional 8 credit hours for a full term of 995 or 4 credit hours for a half term of 995. In either case, tuition and fees will be adjusted accordingly.
Rackham OARD provides a Dissertation Handbook as a guide to completing PhD degree requirements and submitting the dissertation. This contains information about procedures, advice for the oral defense of the dissertation, an outline of responsibilities of the dissertation committee, and steps for submission of the finished dissertation. Doctor of Musical Arts students should consult the School of Music for program-specific dissertation requirements. In addition to the following doctoral regulations and requirements, students should consult the OARD website for more information and consult with their department or program to learn about any supplementary requirements.
Doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy must be registered (or eligible for campus services) during any term in which they draw University services, which includes faculty consultation and guidance. Candidacy tuition is substantially lower than that for full-time pre-candidacy, and is the same for Michigan residents and non-residents. Doctoral candidates who have accumulated the minimum number of fee hours required to achieve candidacy (section 2.1.1), will need an additional 32 fee hours to reach the required Required Fee Total (RFT) of 68 fee hours. Anytime a candidate registers for a course, he or she will also automatically be registered for 995, "Dissertation/candidate," which consists of 8 credit hours (or a maximum of 8 fee hours) for a full term, or 4 credit hours (or a maximum of 4 fee hours) for a half term. A student must register for 995 during the term in which the dissertation defense is conducted and doctoral requirements are completed. A student who defends in the Spring/Summer term must register for either 8 credit hours of 995 for the Spring/Summer full term, or for 4 credit hours of 995 in both the Spring half term and the Summer half term.
Candidates who register for a course should seek prior approval from their faculty advisors. Candidates may elect one course per term (and will automatically be registered for 995) without paying additional tuition beyond candidacy tuition. This course may be taken for credit or as a visit (audit), but does not count toward the Required Fee Total. A student who does not elect a course during a term of 995 enrollment may elect two courses in the next term of 995 enrollment; no more than one course may be deferred in this manner (an additional course may not be taken in anticipation of taking none in a future term of 995 enrollment). Candidates who choose to take more courses than those for which they are eligible with candidacy tuition will be assessed additional tuition per credit hour; such additional courses will be counted toward the Required Fee Total.*
* Or 50 fee hours for a student with a master's relevant to the doctoral degree.
Dissertation committee members are expected to have specific and complementary knowledge of a student's area of research and to provide guidance and support throughout the research and writing process (or performance, in the case of Doctor of Musical Arts students). Nominations for dissertation committee service must be approved by Rackham, and are subject to the following guidelines:
For further information on the composition of the dissertation committee and roles of the members, see "Guidelines for Dissertation Committee Service."
Doctoral students must submit a "Dissertation Committee Form" to their department or program at least six months prior to the defense. If committee membership changes, the student must submit a revised form to Rackham OARD prior to the oral defense.
Programs and departments should conduct annual reviews of candidates to assess progress toward the degree. Students are expected to complete the degree within five years of achieving candidacy, but no more than seven years from the date of the first enrollment in their Rackham doctoral program. Students who entered their program prior to the fall of 2007 and have not completed their degree within the seven year limit should petition Rackham OARD for an extension of time to degree with a plan for completion. Effective for students entering in the fall of 2007, programs and departments may request an unconditional one-year extension for students deemed to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree, providing a plan and timeline for completion. A program or department may request an additional one-year extension, but a student who does not complete the degree after two years of extension may be returned to precandidacy status and required to meet candidacy requirements again. Rackham will notify programs and departments of students who have not completed their degree within the stipulated period.
Federal regulations and University policy require that all investigations using human beings as subjects of research be reviewed and approved by an appropriately constituted Institutional Review Board (IRB) before such investigations may begin. (Appendix, Use of Human Subjects in Research). No dissertation based on the use of human beings as subjects can be accepted without prior review and approval by the appropriate IRB. In many instances, the faculty advisor will request the review, but graduate students should verify with their advisors that the necessary review has taken place and approval for the investigation has been granted. Special approval may also be required for animal research.
Doctoral students are required to receive written permission from the copyright owner for any material to be used in the dissertation that falls outside the guidelines of "fair use." See http://www.umi.com/en-US/products/dissertations/copyright/.
If the primary literature on a subject matter is in another language, and the dissertation addresses a community of scholars who publish in a language other than English, a student may elect to write the dissertation in that language provided that all committee members speak and read the language and support its use in the dissertation. If a reasonably broad English-speaking community of scholars is actively pursuing the dissertation's general topic, the dissertation should be written in English. All dissertations must include an abstract and title page in English. A second title page in the language of the dissertation may be included or the English title page may also include the title in the dissertation language underneath the English title.
See "Dissertation Format Guidelines" and " Most Common Abstract and Dissertation Format Errors."
A candidate must register online to schedule a group pre-defense meeting with a representative of Rackham OARD. The pre-defense meeting must take place at least 10 working days before the oral defense. Candidates are encouraged to bring a copy of the dissertation for a format review, or may choose to submit it by mail no later than 3 weeks before the scheduled oral defense. Details on the mail-in option can be found in the OARD Dissertation Handbook. OARD staff review with the candidate the steps that must be completed to receive the degree and provide them with dissertation evaluation forms that must be distributed to dissertation committee members.
The Final Oral Examination Report should be submitted within 48 hours, but no later than the deadline for the final term of enrollment. The student should confirm with the chair that the report has been submitted. Any disagreement over the acceptability of a dissertation will be resolved by the Dean of the Graduate School, who will act as final arbiter in consultation with the Dissertation Committee members. The Certificate of Dissertation Committee Approval must be submitted no later than the deadline for the final term of enrollment (section 2.1.2.13).
The candidate should register for a post-defense meeting at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/OARD/postdef. The final paperwork to be submitted to Rackham OARD consists of the following:
To avoid having to register for another term, or having the degree awarded in a following term, the candidate must submit these materials to Rackham, either in person or by mail, by the published OARD deadline for the final term of enrollment. A candidate who fails to submit these materials by the deadline may be required to register for another term, or may be awarded the degree in a later term.
Effective Fall 2007 term, candidates must submit final revisions to Rackham OARD within a year of the date of the defense. A candidate who fails to submit revisions by this deadline will be required to defend the revised dissertation again.
Beginning with the 2007-08 academic year, the University Library recommends that a digital copy of the dissertation be submitted to the Library as the copy of record. After the Rackham format check, the candidate should submit electronically a digital copy of the corrected and complete dissertation. Once the degree is conferred, Rackham will release the dissertation to the Library for electronic access. In special cases, the Library will accept a print copy of a dissertation in lieu of a digital copy. In these instances, after the Rackham format check the candidate must bring a copy of the corrected and complete dissertation to a Rackham-approved bindery, and pay to have it bound for the University Library. Additional information is available in the Dissertation Handbook.
Normally, all dissertations must be made publicly available upon degree conferral. Under limited circumstances, however, a student may request a delay in public access to his or her dissertation. It is the student’s responsibility to request the embargo. A student may request a delay in distributing the dissertation for up to one year from the date of degree conferral if:
Other circumstances for requesting restricted access to a dissertation will be considered only for compelling reasons.
Additionally, a student who has submitted the dissertation in electronic form and is planning to publish material from it in a journal or with a publisher with a restrictive pre-publication policy may request that access to the dissertation be limited to University of Michigan users for no longer than two years from the date of degree conferral.
The chair (and co-chair, if any) of the dissertation committee must review and endorse an embargo request, which must be approved by Rackham OARD. Although the full text of dissertation will be embargoed, the title and abstract of the dissertation will be made available after degree conferral.
Additional information is available in the Dissertation Handbook.
Degrees are awarded three times a year. The final dissertation deadline for degrees to be awarded at a given commencement is a firm date, and extensions are not permitted. Rackham OARD publishes the deadline dates for the intended final term of enrollment. By 5:00 PM on the published date, the candidate must have completed and submitted all degree requirements, including all format revisions, to Rackham OARD. A candidate who does not meet the final deadline cannot be listed among the degree recipients for that particular term, nor participate in commencement.
Some students have intellectual goals that encompass a combination of fields that do not exist formally as a degree program at the University. Rackham encourages and supports cross-disciplinary exploration and training, and allows well-qualified students to design their own PhD programs as student-initiated degrees. A student-initiated PhD program combines studies in two departments or programs that leads to a single PhD degree citation (e.g., PhD in Anthropology and Near Eastern Studies).
A student interested in pursuing a student-initiated PhD program must complete at least one term of coursework in a regular Rackham program before applying. Applicants must demonstrate strong academic performance and have the support of faculty of both departments.
A student-initiated PhD program may not include a Rackham Interdepartmental Program, as these degree programs bring together two programs and are already highly interdisciplinary. Student-initiated degree programs may combine only the authorized names of the departmental or subdepartmental programs. For example, a student interested in the history and philosophy of science may work toward a PhD in the departments of History and Philosophy. In this case, the degree program, and the degree citation, would be "History and Philosophy" and not "History and Philosophy of Science."
Proposals for student-initiated PhD programs are reviewed on an individual basis. Faculty advisors from the participating degree programs must endorse the proposed program of study, which also must be approved by the graduate chairs of both sponsoring units and the Graduate School.
The proposed course of study should reflect the majority of requirements of both participating programs. The proposal should specify all courses the student has taken and/or plans to take to satisfy these requirements. The proposal should also state how the student will meet the preliminary examinations of both programs necessary to achieve candidacy. The faculty who endorse the proposal may be asked to constitute an Advisory Committee to prepare and administer a special preliminary examination. The proposal should be submitted to Rackham with a completed "Request Form for Student-Initiated Degree Program" available from the OARD website.
When a student-initiated PhD program has been formally approved, the student should form a dissertation committee as soon as possible. The committee must include at least two regular members from each associated department. The dissertation committee is responsible for:
1. Supervising the student's precandidacy work and making recommendations for any changes to the specifications of the degree program;
2. Conducting the preliminary examinations and all other requirements for candidacy, unless it has been previously specified that the student should be subject instead to the candidacy requirements of one or both departments; and
3. Supervising the student's research and the writing of the dissertation.
A doctoral candidate who applies for a student-initiated degree program will revert to pre-candidate status (including the tuition assessment) until all candidacy requirements for the new student-initiated degree program are fulfilled.
Rackham offers some terminal master's degree programs, and also awards master's degrees as part of doctoral programs. The latter are awarded to students as they complete requirements for the doctorate.
Credits earned before admission will not automatically be applied toward master's degree requirements, and must be reviewed by both the department/program and by Rackham. Students may apply for dual degree (section 2.3) and certificate of graduate study programs (section 2.4) but may not propose a student-initiated single-degree master's program.
Time Limit. Effective for those starting in the Fall 2007 term, a student in a terminal master's program is expected to complete all work within five years from the date of first enrollment in the program. Students exceeding this time limit must file a petition for modification or waiver of regulation with Rackham OARD. Petitions must describe explicitly the amount of work remaining and a timeline for completion. A student who fails to complete degree requirements within five years may be withdrawn and required to apply for readmission (section 1.3.10).
Residency Requirement. Master's students must complete at least one-half of the minimum required credit hours registered as a Rackham student on the home campus, i.e., the campus on which the degree program is administered. Rackham does not require that these credits be concentrated in a certain number of terms, but individual programs may have such a requirement. Courses taken on a visited (audited) basis do not fulfill the residency requirement.
Minimum Credit Hours. Master's degrees require between 24 and 72 credit hours of graduate-level course work, depending on the graduate program. Transfer credits must be approved by the student's program and by Rackham OARD (section 1.2.2), and must be officially listed on the University transcript to be counted toward this requirement. No 990, 995 or other course with "doctoral," "dissertation," or "preliminary" in the title may be counted toward a master's degree. Visited (audited) courses may not be counted.
Cognate Requirement. Rackham recognizes the value of intellectual breadth in graduate education, and the importance of formal graduate study in areas beyond the student's field of specialization. Cognate courses are those that are in a discipline or area different from a student's field of study, but are related or connected with some aspect of this field. Cognate coursework must be approved by the department or program, and may be satisfied in three ways:
1. By completing 4 credit hours of cognate coursework in approved graduate-level courses with a grade of B- or better (departments or programs may have additional cognate requirements).
2. By using coursework within the same department or program but in a subfield different from the student's own. A course in a student's program that is cross-listed as a course in another program may satisfy the cognate requirement. In this case, the department or program should notify Rackham OARD.
3. By using credit officially transferred from another institution (section 1.2.2) in another field of study.
4. By completing graduate coursework at another institution that meets the expectation of the cognate requirement without officially transferring the credit to the transcript.The student must provide Rackham OARD with an official transcript, including the courses and credit hours, and the department or program should notify Rackham OARD. These courses do not apply toward the minimum requirement for the degree, and do not appear on the University transcript.
Additional Program Requirements. In various fields of specialization, master's programs may specify additional requirements. These may include additional graduate level coursework, reading knowledge of a foreign language, work-experience or practicums, thesis or research essay, and/or a final oral or written examination.
Application for Degree. A student who has completed all work must use Wolverine Access to apply for graduation (degree). Deadlines for each term are published by Rackham OARD. Students must apply for graduation by the published deadline to have their names published in the commencement program,. A student who fails to complete all requirements during the term in which the degree application is submitted must reapply to be considered again for the degree. Master's diplomas are not distributed at commencement, but are mailed seven to eight weeks later.
Rackham provides a number of arrangements for students to pursue two degrees simultaneously. Dual degree programs lead to two different degree citations on the transcript and two separate diplomas. Dual degree programs are sponsored by two graduate (or professional) departments, programs, or schools, at least one of which is affiliated with the Rackham Graduate School. These combine master's programs, master's and doctoral programs, and non-Rackham professional degree programs with Rackham master's and doctoral programs. The purpose of a dual degree program is to allow students to undertake complementary programs of graduate study simultaneously through streamlined curricular arrangements that allow double-counting of courses (section 2.3.2). Other dual program-specific information about minimum hours of credit hours required, credit hours that may be double counted, and awarding of degrees is available at Dual/Joint Degree Programs. In addition, students should contact the graduate program(s) directly for more detailed information and additional program-specific requirements.
A student in a Rackham doctoral or master's program must complete at least one term of coursework in good academic standing in a regular Rackham program before requesting admission to a dual degree program (section 1.3.12). Students pursuing any combination of master's degrees must complete an "Application for Change of Program or Dual Degree/Program," and, with the exception of cases indicated below, submit the appropriate "Dual Degree Course Elections" form that lists all courses to be used toward the requirements of both programs.
A student may seek arrangements for a dual degree program that is not among those already approved by Rackham, but may not propose a student-initiated single degree program. Student-initiated dual degree programs are reviewed on an individual basis and must be approved by the two graduate programs and Rackham.
Students may request dual degree programs in the following combinations:
See section 2.3.2 for double counting credit hours for dual degree programs.
Students in dual degree programs may double-count a limited number of credit hours toward the requirements of both degrees. Double counting of credit hours for two certificate programs is not allowed. To request double counting, a student must complete a "Dual Degree Course Election Form" no later than one term prior to completing the second degree. While double counting rules specific to each dual degree program are found on the Dual/Joint Degree Programs, the following general guidelines apply:
The maximum number of credit hours that may be double-counted for a dual degree program may be determined by adding the minimum number of hours required for each program and dividing by six. For example:
| Minimum credit hours required for Degree A | 30 |
| Minimum credit hours required for Degree B | 36 |
| Total | 66 |
| Maximum number that may be double-counted | 11 |
Any fraction resulting from these calculations must be rounded down to the nearest whole number of credit hours. Credit hours for a single course may not be split; a course must be double-counted in its entirety or not at all.
A Rackham certificate of graduate studies is a non-degree credential, less extensive than a master's program, which is designed to provide students with a specialized set of courses that supplement a primary field of study. A student must be formally admitted to a certificate program. Between 15 and 19 graduate credit hours of coursework are required to earn a certificate. Students complete at least one term in a Rackham or non-Rackham graduate degree program before applying. Some certificate programs, however, are free standing, and persons who have earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher may apply directly through standard admissions procedures.
The following general rules apply to certificate of graduate studies programs:
Specific information about admissions and certificate requirements is available on the Programs of Study site.
Special degree arrangements in selected fields of study allow exceptional undergraduates in their junior or senior year to work toward a graduate degree while fulfilling the remainder of their requirements for a bachelor's degree. Early admission to a graduate program serves a useful purpose for the exceptional student who virtually completes an undergraduate program in three or three and one-half years with an outstanding record and who, in the judgment of both graduate and undergraduate faculty, is ready to enter a graduate program. Admissions evaluation includes an assessment of the breadth of program, course grades, commitment to the field, degree of motivation, academic ability, and other factors regularly considered by a graduate admissions committee. A student enrolled in both an undergraduate school or college and the Graduate School will be assessed graduate tuition and fees. The student must complete the bachelor's degree within one calendar year of enrolling in a dual undergraduate/graduate program. Students earning dual bachelor's degrees are not eligible for these programs. Program-specific requirements and information for admission are available at http://www.rackham.umich.edu/rhd.php?id=183.
Students admitted to a Rackham Concurrent Undergraduate/Graduate Study program are considered Rackham students, and master's degree policies apply.
