Degree Completion Fee

For master’s students

In lieu of enrollment, the Graduate School may approve payment of a degree completion fee for a master’s degree candidate who has completed all of the degree requirements except thesis defense, comprehensive examination(s), presentation of a final project, or removal of an incomplete grade. To be eligible students must have submitted their final thesis or project paper to their advisor while they were enrolled. This fee is comparable to 2 graduate credits at the current resident tuition rate. This fee is established annually and assessed per semester. Students should ask their program to submit a Degree Completion Fee Request Form to the Graduate School on their behalf before the beginning of the semester when students are completing a master’s degree. After the Graduate School approves the request, the fee will be added to the student’s account. Students must pay the completion fee no later than the tuition due date to avoid a late fee charge.

For dissertators

The Graduate School requires all dissertators to maintain continuous enrollment (see the continuous enrollment policy for dissertators). Dissertators must enroll in the semester(s) in which they defend, submit their dissertations, and graduate (see enrollment requirements for dissertators). In rare circumstances where this is not possible, a degree completion fee is assessed to recognize the inevitable use of university facilities (including faculty and staff time) up to and including the successful defense and submission of the dissertation. The fee is equal to 12 times the current per-credit dissertator rate in effect at the time the dissertation is submitted. The fee is assessed at the time dissertators are ready to complete the degree and is based on the resident or nonresident tuition status dissertators had at their last term of enrollment. If dissertators break enrollment and then reenter and enroll for less than 4 continuous terms before completion, they will pay a prorated rate (the 12-credit fee minus all continuous enrollment credits paid since the time of readmission). If enrollment is broken, but a dissertator reenters and enrolls for at least 4 continuous terms, then a completion fee is not assessed.

See Continuous Enrollment Requirement for Dissertators, Enrollment Requirements