The following regulations apply to graduation from all graduate programs.
Although academic advisors are here to help, it is important for students to realize that they are responsible for meeting all graduation requirements.
A graduate student may apply up to six course credits of work taken on an independent study basis toward a master’s degree program. Credit earned by correspondence (self-paced) study will not be accepted in fulfilling requirements for a master’s degree. Course work carrying the INS (in-service) prefix may not be applied toward a master’s degree.
A maximum of nine course credits of graduate credit may be transferred from other approved colleges or universities. All transfer credit must carry a grade of B minus or higher and be no older than seven years by completion of degree at CSC. Transfer credit with grades of P or S will not be accepted. Acceptance of transfer credit is contingent upon approval of the advisor and Dean of Graduate Studies. Transfer credit may not be counted toward meeting the minimum residence requirement (a minimum of 30 hours of CSC coursework per master's degree). If applicable, any approved transfer credit will be converted to CSC’s grading and course credit standards.
All requirements for master’s degrees must be met within a period of seven years from the year the student completes the first graduate course that is to apply toward the degree. Validation of out-of-date credit: course work that has been taken at CSC prior to the specified time limit before completion of the degree is considered to be outdated. At the discretion of the student's advisor, Graduate Committee and/or the Dean of Graduate Studies, a limited amount of outdated course work may be applied to the graduate degree if a grade of B or higher was attained and if one of the following occurs:
At least half of the course credits required for the master’s degree must be taken in classes in which only graduate students may enroll (600-level courses or higher).
All graduate students seeking the degree of Master of Arts in Education or Master of Education should complete EDCI 631 RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA ANALYSIS within the first 12 course credits of their program of study . Students seeking the degree of Master of Science in Organizational Management should complete either EDCI 631 RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA ANALYSIS or CA 615 RESEARCH PROCESS AND PRACTICE within the first 12 course credits of their program of study. All graduate students must select one of the following plan options:
Plan I does not require a scholarly project or thesis. Students are required to complete the designated coursework in their area of specialization. Students choosing this option are required to pass a final culminating experience. Approval forms are signed by the student’s committee and presented to the Dean of Graduate Studies after successful completion.
The culminating experience must be taken at least two weeks prior to the date of graduation or granting of the degree. Students who do not complete their culminating experience two weeks before the date of graduation will not be eligible for graduation until the next graduation or diploma granting date.
Note: Plan I is not available in all departments. Contact Records Office for more information.
Plan II requires a scholarly project pertaining to the field of specialization. Three course credits are awarded for successful completion of the scholarly project. The project is designed in consultation with the student’s graduate committee. The following are general guidelines for preparation and submission of the project and the accompanying culminating experience:
After acceptance into graduate study and successful completion of EDCI 631 RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA ANALYSIS or its equivalent, the student should present a scholarly project proposal under the guidance of the advisor six months before anticipated graduation. This presentation is to be made in a formal meeting with the student's graduate committee. The scholarly project must convey conclusions on some subject directly related to the candidate's area of specialization. Although the topic does not necessarily have to be original or to seek new answers, it should attempt to establish a point previously unsupported, or verify existing knowledge. The scholarly project topic should be designed so the student receives training in techniques of scientific inquiry, employing one or more of the commonly accepted tools of educational research.
Students choosing the scholarly project option must register for three credit hours:
After acceptance of the project by the advisor and committee, a final culminating experience will be scheduled. Copies of the project paper and related materials must be presented to the committee members at least two weeks before the scheduled date of the final culminating experience. The final culminating experience will include questions regarding the scholarly project, coursework, and other materials relevant to the student’s field of study. The final culminating experience must be taken at least four weeks prior to the date of graduation or granting of the degree. Students who do not complete their culminating experience two weeks before the date of graduation will not be eligible for graduation until the next graduation or diploma granting date. Approval forms will be signed by the student’s committee and presented to the Dean of Graduate Studies after successful completion of the final culminating experience. After the candidate has successfully passed the final culminating experience, he or she will present one final copy of the scholarly project to his or her advisor.
Note: Plan II is not available in all departments. Contact Records Office for more information.
Plan III requires a thesis pertaining to the field of specialization. Six course credits are awarded for successful completion of the thesis. The following are general guidelines for preparation and submission of the thesis and accompanying final culminating experience:
After acceptance into graduate study and successful completion of EDCI 631 RESEARCH DESIGN AND DATA ANALYSIS or its equivalent and at least two-thirds of total number of program credits are completed, the student presents a thesis proposal under the guidance of his or her advisor six months before anticipated graduation.
This presentation is to be made in a formal meeting with the student’s graduate committee. The thesis must convey conclusions on a subject directly related to the candidate's area of specialization. Although the topic does not necessarily have to be original or to seek new answers, it should attempt to establish a point previously unsupported or to verify existing knowledge. The thesis topic should be designed so the student receives training in the techniques of scientific inquiry, employing one or more of the commonly accepted tools of educational research.
The student’s committee will carefully scrutinize the work of the student and make recommendations either to accept, accept with modifications, or not accept the proposal. Once accepted by the committee, the proposal and an outline are submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies for approval. Students choosing the thesis option must register for a total of six course credits. Registration for all six credits or any portion thereof may be made at the beginning of any semester or summer term following approval of the thesis proposal. Written approval from the Institutional Review Board is required if the student will be using a data collection tool that involves human or animal subjects. Students are ultimately responsible for the progress and completion of their thesis. The thesis:
After acceptance of the thesis by the advisor and committee, a final culminating experience will be scheduled. Copies of the thesis must be presented to the committee members at least two weeks before the scheduled date of the final culminating experience. The final culminating experience will include questions regarding the thesis, coursework, and other materials relevant to the student’s field of study. The final culminating experience must be taken at least four weeks prior to the date of graduation or granting of the degree. Students who do not complete their culminating experience two weeks before the date of graduation will not be eligible for graduation until the next graduation or diploma granting date. Approval forms are signed by the committee after successful completion of the thesis and final culminating experience.
The examining committee members sign a statement verifying the outcome of the final culminating experience, which is presented to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Note: Plan III is not available in all departments. Contact Records Office for more information.
The completion of a minimum of 30 hours at Chadron State College is required for each master's degree.
If applicable to your program, the portfolio is a purposeful, collaborative, self-reflective collection of the student’s work generated during his or her graduate program. The portfolio includes a personal data sheet featuring professional and educational background information; courses completed, and anticipated educational and career goals. The procedures and content needed for portfolio construction are outlined in materials obtained from your academic advisor.
Students submit completed portfolios to their advisor and/or graduate committee prior to the final culminating experience.
Print this page.
The PDF will include all information unique to this page.