Academics

Transfer Credit Limit Waiver Request: Program Initiated

Requesting Permission to Transfer in LG and/or Courses “External to MSU” in Excess of 9 Credits

(The policy below applies to ONLY a master’s level degree granting program and the language below can be found in the Academic Programs catalog under each degree level section requirements. For EdS students, the limit is 8 credits in transfer beyond the master’s degree. For the EdD and PhD, there is no set limit, it is at the discretion of the program faculty, who must secure department chairperson and dean’s level approval. The University caps LG level transfers to 9 credits.)

University Policy

Students in any [graduate] program may apply a maximum of 9 credits earned through any combination
of courses taken through lifelong education, or in transfer from another institution. Each program may
determine if courses are appropriate for the program and may allow fewer than 9 credits to be applied
to the specific program.

Waiver Request Procedure

1. Requests for permission to include LG level and/or courses taken outside of MSU, in excess of the 9
   credits allowed, can be initiated in either email chain (formal signature approval would not be required)
   or memo form by the student’s Advisor/Guidance Committee Chair (formal signatures would be
   required)
   All requests must include the following:
   • Student’s Name and Program
   • Rationale for
     • Why the extra credits are a good fit for the student and
     • How the course meets their program requirement
   • Explanation as to why the student exceeded the nine-credit limit (if the courses were taken at
     the LG level)
   • Brief approval statement at each approval level or signature on memo form
     
     The email chain or memo needs to follow this approval sequence:
     1. Initiated by Advisor
     2. → Program Coordinator/Director
     3. → Department Chair
     4. → cretenca@msu.edu and ollejohn@msu.edu or via the SharePoint document submission folders for review and
        approval by Associate Dean Kristine Bowman or her designee
     5. The Associate Dean’s Office will submit the College approved request to the Graduate School
2. When the Graduate School renders their decision, the Associate Dean’s Office will notify the Program
   Assistant if Approved or Denied.
3. If approved, at the same time the Graduate School notifies the College, they also notify the Registrar’s
   Office. The RO documents the approved exception.
4. If approved, the Program Assistant works with their faculty to submit into the Registrar’s Office system a
   Transfer Credit Administrative Form (or in Campus Solutions). It is helpful when submitting the form to
   add a comment that this exception was approved by the Graduate School and the date of approval.

Important Note: external transfer credit requests, must include submission of the student’s transcript to the
Registrar’s Office, if an official transcript does not currently display in ESAF/Campus Solutions.

Request for Extension of Time to Complete Degree Requirement

For master’s students, according to University policy, “the time limit for the completion of the requirements for the master’s degree is five calendar years from the date of matriculation into the master’s degree program.”

All applications for extensions must be approved by the Dean of the College and the Dean of the Graduate School.  Prior to requesting an extension, the student must meet with their advisor and any guidance committee members, if applicable, to explain their request, and develop a new plan and timeline for completion.  The policy, procedure, required information, and a link to the Time Limit Extension Request Form can be found on the Graduate School’s website at https://grad.msu.edu/tle-info.

Guidance Committee

The policy, procedure, and required information to have fixed-term MSU faculty, academic specialists, support staff, and non-MSU individuals serve on graduate student committees can be found on the Graduate School’s website at https://grad.msu.edu/graduate-school-approved-faculty-committees

GradPlan: Guidance Committee membership & Ph.D. Degree Plan (program plan)

GradPlan (gradplan.msu.edu) is the portal for PhD students to submit for approval their Guidance Committee Membership roster and their PhD degree plan. GradPlan usage is mandatory for all PhD students. Students who previously submitted paper Report of the Guidance Committee (Program Plan) and Guidance Committee Membership forms, must now create a GradPlan. Components of this system are used by the University to confer degrees. Schedule an appointment with your program secretary prior to your Guidance Committee meeting, for a worksheet to guide you through the process.

Guidance Committee Membership

Planning a Doctoral Program and the Appointment of a Guidance Committee must follow the University rules according the Academic Programs catalog: https://reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/Text.aspx?Section=111#s394

To verify the eligibility of each prospective committee member, a student can log into the GradPlan system (gradplan.msu.edu) and attempt to add them in the committee section. If it is discovered that the system does not recognize an MSU faculty member, a request can be submitted for a non-approved or external faculty member to serve. Contact your Program Secretary to assist with the process for requesting permission for approval of a non-regular or external committee member. Your Program, Department, and the College must first endorse the petition before it will be forwarded to the Graduate School for final approval. Not all committee members need to be tenure-stream MSU faculty members, but those from outside the current MSU tenure system must be approved to serve. This includes faculty members employed elsewhere, previous MSU faculty members who have moved to other institutions, retired MSU faculty (non-emeritus), and fixed-term faculty members at MSU. Graduate School approval is necessary to enable non-regular tenure-stream committee members to access the GradPlan system, through which they review, comment upon, and approve changes or benchmarks in their students’ programs. Requests are reviewed on a student-by-student case, so be sure the request only speaks about a single student.

There are four categories of potential committee members not currently on the MSU tenure-stream faculty. The petition process varies depending on the individual’s status.

1. External Committee Member (non-MSU)
2. Former MSU Tenure Stream Faculty Member who left for another institution or exited the academic workforce
3. Retired, non-emeritus Faculty
4. Fixed-Term MSU Faculty Member

1. External Committee Member Approval

Faculty members external to MSU require a full formal review and approval. This is the most complicated in terms of process, but final approvals go smoothly.

The Graduate School’s procedure for seeking permission for this group is as follows:

1. Obtain a copy of the non-approved faculty member’s Vita (must be attached to an e-mail).
2. Obtain a letter from the non-approved faculty member summarizing his/her background and qualifications and willingness to serve as a member of a graduate student committee.
3. Obtain two letters of reference for the non-approved faculty member that speak to the individual’s qualifications to serve on graduate student committees. One letter may be from an MSU faculty member, but at least one letter must be from an external source.
4. Craft an e-mail to your Guidance Committee Chairperson requesting permission for the non-approved faculty member to serve. The message must include a brief summary outlining what the additional member has to offer in terms of knowledge and expertise that warrants the addition of an external member. Be sure to attach his/her Vita and both reference letters to the e-mail request. 
5. Your Guidance Committee Chairperson evaluates your request to ensure that the outside member is the best fit for your academic program. The e-mail needs to address why this person is a good fit for the student’s committee and forwards the e-mail to your Program Coordinator, for program approval.
6. Your Program Coordinator adds their support and a second, internal, very brief, reference statement for the person to serve. They need to forward the complete e-mail chain on to the Department Chair, for department approval.
7. The Department Chair needs to add their very brief statement of support and forward the entire e-mail chain, with vita and reference letters still attached to Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Kristine Bowman (klbowman@msu.edu).
8. Associate Dean Bowman will review the entire chain and add the College’s support, before forwarding the request on to the Graduate School Dean for final approval. When approved, the prospective committee member’s name will be added as an approved member for ony that student’s committee. They will be required to create a CommunityID to gain access to the proper systems. The Graduate School will reach out to them with instructions. The newly approved committee member will appear in GradInfo once the process is complete, for the program to verify the approval.

2. Former MSU Tenure Stream Faculty Member Approval (non-retired, non-emeritus)

Faculty members who have already left MSU go through an abbreviated approval process. The student initiates the request, as they do for external potential members. But the email request needs to define which role the former MSU faculty member will serve on the committee (Chairperson, Dissertation Director, or Member) and should be accompanied only by an updated version of the faculty member’s Vita. The third-party reference letter is not required.

The email request should go first to the Chairperson of the student’s Guidance Committee, who reviews and approves the request and forwards the complete chain to the Program Coordinator, who approves the request.

The Coordinator then forwards the entire endorsed email to the Department Chair, who approves the request. The Chair forwards everything to Associate Dean Kristine Bowman, who sends the entire chain with the College’s endorsement to the Dean of the Graduate School for final approval.

When approved, the prospective committee member’s name will be added as an approved member for only that student’s committee. They will be required to create a CommunityID to gain access to the proper systems. The Graduate School will reach out to them with instructions. The newly approved committee member will appear in GradInfo once the process is complete, for the program to verify the approval.

For current faculty members who are getting ready to leave MSU, it is beneficial for them to prepare a request for each student they intend to continue working with. The approval process cannot begin until they leave MSU and have a new email address they intend to use to access the GradPlan system. The process is simple. The former faculty member emails the Program Coordinator each request, the Department Chairperson endorses the request and forwards it on to the Asssociate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Kristine Bowman, with the student’s name, the role they will serve on the committee and for what length of time. It is preferable to include a projected completion date. No updated Vita or third-party letter is required. The Chair endorses the request and forwards the email to Associate Dean Kristine Bowman, who sends the endorsed email on to the Dean of the Graduate School.

3. Retired, non-emeritus Committee Member Approval

Retired faculty who retire without emeritus status also must to go through a brief approval process. It should be initiated by the retiring faculty member, who submits one email per student with whom he/she intends to continue to work, the students’ programs, the anticipated duration of their service, and in what role they will serve (i.e. Dissertation Director, Guidance Committee Chair, Committee Member). The request should be sent to the Department Chair for approval. If a department approves, the faculty member can be made available to serve, but there should to be a limitation on the duration of membership (no more than two years is preferred). Retired faculty who will not retain their MSU e-mail account, must request a CommunityID and provide another email address in order to access their student’s record. Note that faculty who retire with Emeritus status do not require approval to continue to serve. If continuation will exceed two years past retirement, a request must be initiated including how long they plan to continue their service on the student’s committee and in what capacity. The Department Chair will forward the request on to Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Dr. Kristine Bowman, who will forward it on the the Graduate School Dean.

4. Fixed-Term MSU Faculty Member Approval

Individuals serving in fixed-term faculty appointments at MSU must go through the full approval process, as is required of prospective committee members external to MSU.  Requests must follow all of the directions found in #1, but the faculty member will not be required to set up a CommunityID.

For any request that requires the faculty member to set up a MSU Community NetID
Once the Graduate School approves an external to MSU member to serve on a guidance committee, an e-mail is sent to that individual asking them to create a CommunityID (in those cases where they have no current MSU NetID).  The external member has roughly two weeks to create their CommunityID.  An external member’s CommunityID is typically their e-mail address at their primary institution.  As a student, you are unable to add an external member to your committee in GradPlan until the external member has created their CommunityID and they have been added by the Graduate School to the GradInfo/GradPlan systems.

The procedures listed above are College of Education procedures and need to be followed for the College’s students. For additional information on committee member approval review the following Graduate School information: https://grad.msu.edu/non-regular-faculty-committees. Be sure the College procedure is followed, versus what the Graduate School site requires. The College handles requests via email, not in letter form.

Please use the link below to enter your Ph.D. Guidance Committee Members into the GradPlan system. Utilize the MSU NetID search feature for committee members internal to MSU and utilize the search by name feature for external committee members. 

Dual Ph.D. Major Requests

Students wishing to pursue Dual Ph.D. majors must receive prior approval from both programs, the college(s), and the Graduate School within one semester following the development of a student’s Program Plan/GradPlan, and within the first two years of the student’s enrollment at MSU (https://reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/Text.aspx?Section=111#s407). Approval is necessary before entering or amending your GradPlan to include the new courses and/or committee members. Use this form as a template for your dual major request: Dual-PhD-Request-Letter-Template.

Entering Your Program Plan/Report of the Guidance Committee into GradPlan

The Ph.D. Degree Plan should be filed the first semester of your second year of Ph.D. study and no later than one semester after the Guidance Committee is formed. Please use the link below to enter your Ph.D. Degree Plan into GradPlan.

Visit the GradPlan login.

Request for Extension of time to pass Comprehensive Exams or to Complete Degree Requirements

For Ph.D. students, according to University policy, “All of the comprehensive examinations must be passed within five years and all remaining requirements for the degree must be completed within eight years from the date of matriculation into the doctoral degree program.” If an extension is approved, the “doctoral comprehensive examinations must be passed again unless this requirement is waived by the Dean of the Graduate School as part of the extension.“  All applications for extensions must be approved by the Dean of the College and the Dean of the Graduate School.  Prior to requesting an extension, the student must meet with their advisor and any guidance committee members, if applicable, to explain their request, and develop a new plan and timeline for completion. 

The policy, procedure, required information, and a link to the Time Limit Extension Request Form can be found on the Graduate School’s website at https://grad.msu.edu/tle-info.

Request to Participate in the College of Education Doctoral and Educational Specialist Convocation Ceremony

Students wishing to participate in the College’s Doctoral (Ph.D. and Ed.D.) and Educational Specialist Convocation/Hooding Ceremony will be required to complete an electronic application to participate and submit it no later than one month prior to the ceremony. Students who orally defend their dissertation between July 1 and December 31 may only participate in the fall (December) ceremony. Those who orally defend between January 1 and June 30 may only participate in the spring (April or May) ceremony. Students do not have the option to participate in a semester other than the one for which they qualify.

Convocation participation information is sent out via the student listservs each semester (fall and spring only). If you are not enrolled, you may not get the message. We make an effort to add students to the communication list who have completed the University’s Graduation Application early in the semester. You may only participate if you meet the criteria listed above, have not previously participated in a College hooding ceremony, and submit the fully approved electronic request/application by the deadline. Late requests will not be considered.

After a student submits a request, their advisor will be sent an automated request to approve. Once approved, it will go to the Graduate Records Office, who evaluates the student’s record to be sure that all required paperwork was received, especially the Dissertation Proposal and Director Approval Form, and that a fully approved GradPlan, with the correct Dissertation Director and Committee identified, is in the GradPlan system. Students with record deficits will be notified by the system and only have until the deadline to rectify any deficit. If you need assistance to determine if all required paperwork is on file, schedule a meeting with your program secretary to review your paperwork. They have access to the Graduate Records System and GradPlan to verify what documents may be missing.

Following the paperwork review, students approved to participate in the College’s convocation ceremony will be contacted by the Office of Academic & Student Affairs with additional participation information.

Questions can be directed to Carrie Oney (cretenca@msu.edu).

Guidance Committee

The University’s policy on Planning a Doctoral Program and Appointment of a Guidance Committee can be found at https://reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/Print.aspx?Section=394.

The policy, procedure, and required information to have fixed-term MSU faculty, academic specialists, support staff, and non-MSU individuals serve on graduate student committees can be found on the Graduate School’s website at https://grad.msu.edu/graduate-school-approved-faculty-committees 

Request for Extension of time to pass Comprehensive Exams or to Complete Degree Requirements

For Ed.D. students, according to College policy, “All components of the comprehensive examination portfolio must be approved within four years and all remaining requirements for the degree must be completed within six years from the time when a student begins the first class at Michigan State University that appears on his or her doctoral program of study. “All applications for extensions must be approved by the Dean of the College and the Dean of the Graduate School.  Prior to requesting an extension, the student must meet with their advisor and any guidance committee members, if applicable, to explain their request, and develop a new plan and timeline for completion. 

The policy, procedure, required information, and a link to the Time Limit Extension Request Form can be found on the Graduate School’s website at https://grad.msu.edu/tle-info.

Request to Participate in the College of Education Doctoral and Educational Specialist Convocation Ceremony

Students wishing to participate in the College’s Doctoral (Ph.D. and Ed.D.) and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) Convocation/Hooding Ceremony will be required to complete an electronic application to participate and submit it no later than one month prior to the ceremony. Students who complete all program requirements between July 1 and December 31 are required to participate in the fall (December) ceremony. Those who complete all program requirements between January 1 and June 30 are required to participate in the spring (May) ceremony. Students do not have the option to participate in a semester other than the one for which they qualify.

Convocation participation information is sent out via the student listservs each semester (fall and spring only). If you are not enrolled, you may not get the message. We make an effort to add students to the communication list who have completed the University’s Graduation Application early in the semester. You may only participate if you meet the criteria listed above, have not previously participated in a College hooding ceremony, and submit the fully approved electronic request/application by the deadline. Late requests will not be considered.

After a student submits a request, their advisor will be sent an automated request to approve. Once approved, it will go to the Graduate Records Office, who evaluates the student’s record to be sure that all required paperwork was received. Students with record deficits will be notified by the system and only have until the deadline to rectify any deficit. If you need assistance to determine if all required paperwork is on file, schedule a meeting with your program secretary to review your paperwork. They have access to the Graduate Records System to verify what document(s) may be missing.

Following the paperwork review, students approved to participate in the College’s convocation ceremony will be contacted by the Office of Academic & Student Affairs with additional participation information.

Questions can be directed to Carrie Oney, cretenca@msu.edu.

Guidance Committee

According to College policy, “Each student admitted to the Doctor of Education program will form a guidance committee with the approval and the assistance of the department. The guidance committee will consist of at least four Michigan State University regular faculty at least three of whom, including the committee chairperson, possess an earned doctoral degree.

The policy, procedure, and required information to have fixed-term MSU faculty, academic specialists, support staff, and non-MSU individuals serve on graduate student committees can be found on the Graduate School’s website at https://grad.msu.edu/graduate-school-approved-faculty-committees

Request for Extension of time to pass Comprehensive Exams or to Complete Degree Requirements

For Ed.S. students, according to College policy, “All requirements must be completed within five calendar years from the time of the student’s first enrollment after completing the master’s degree. A student who does not take a master’s degree is allowed seven years to

complete the requirements.”

All applications for extensions must be approved by the Dean of the College and the Dean of the Graduate School.  Prior to requesting an extension, the student must meet with their advisor and any guidance committee members, if applicable, to explain their request, and develop a new plan and timeline for completion. 

The policy, procedure, required information, and a link to the Time Limit Extension Request Form can be found on the Graduate School’s website at https://grad.msu.edu/tle-info.

Request to Participate in the College of Education Doctoral and Educational Specialist Convocation Ceremony

Students wishing to participate in the College’s Doctoral (Ph.D. and Ed.D.) and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) Convocation/Hooding Ceremony will be required to complete an electronic application to participate and submit it no later than one month prior to the ceremony. Students who complete all program requirements between July 1 and December 31 are required to participate in the fall (December) ceremony. Those who complete all program requirements between January 1 and June 30 are required to participate in the spring (May) ceremony. Students do not have the option to participate in a semester other than the one for which they qualify.

Convocation participation information is sent out via the student listservs each semester (fall and spring only). If you are not enrolled, you may not get the message. We make an effort to add students to the communication list who have completed the University’s Graduation Application early in the semester. You may only participate if you meet the criteria listed above, have not previously participated in a College hooding ceremony, and submit the fully approved electronic request/application by the deadline. Late requests will not be considered.

After a student submits a request, their advisor will be sent an automated request to approve. Once approved, it will go to the Graduate Records Office, who evaluates the student’s record to be sure that all required paperwork was received. Students with record deficits will be notified by the system and only have until the deadline to rectify any deficit. If you need assistance to determine if all required paperwork is on file, schedule a meeting with your program secretary to review your paperwork. They have access to the Graduate Records System to verify what document(s) may be missing.

Following the paperwork review, students approved to participate in the College’s convocation ceremony will be contacted by the Office of Academic & Student Affairs with additional participation information.

Questions can be directed to Carrie Oney, cretenca@msu.edu.

Guidance Committee

The policy, procedure, and required information to have fixed-term MSU faculty, academic specialists, support staff, and non-MSU individuals serve on graduate student committees can be found on the Graduate School’s website at https://grad.msu.edu/graduate-school-approved-faculty-committees

Project Agreement Form

Student must file this form with their Program Assistant and register for Independent Study credit(s) with the appropriate department. Student downloads, completes electronically, and prints before securing signatures; no handwritten forms: handwritten signatures, in blue ink only.

View the Project Agreement Form: Student Initiated form

View the Project Agreement Form: Student Initiated form

Application for Graduation

Students must apply for graduation.

View the Application for Graduation: Student Initiated form

Application for Readmission

Students must apply for readmission if not enrolled for 3 consecutive semesters (including summers). The readmission application is only to be used for readmission into your current program.

View the Application for Readmission: Student Initiated form

If you wish to apply to a new program, you must complete a new Graduate School online application.

Graduate Student Academic Misconduct (Interim)

Note: This interim policy relates to one part of the academic disciplinary process that is initiated when an Academic Dishonesty Report (ADR) is filed. This interim policy will remain in place until a permanent policy is approved through faculty governance processes. 

View the Interim Policy for Graduate Student Academic Misconduct (Dec. 13, 2022): opens as a Word document