VI. General Degree Requirements

VI.1. Supervision of Advanced Degree Programs
      VI.1.a. Composition of Graduate Committees
      VI.1.b. Changes in Committee Membership
      VI.1.c. Emergency Committee Substitutions
VI.2. Program of Study
VI.3. Certification of Degree Requirements
VI.4. Credit Policies for All Graduate Degrees
      VI.4.a. Graduate Course Level Requirements
      VI.4.b. Advanced Degree Grade Requirements
      VI.4.c. Research Credits
      VI.4.d. Dual Credit for Multiple Programs
      VI.4.e. Graduate credits earned at SD Mines
      VI.4.f.  Applying Credits from Outside Institutions
      VI.4.g. Applying Undergraduate Level Credits Toward an Advanced Degree
      VI.4.h. Applying Graduate Level Credits Taken as an Undergraduate Toward an Advanced Degree
      VI.4.i.  Application of Credits Taken as an Undergraduate Student or Special Graduate Student Toward an Advanced Degree
VI.5. Thesis/Dissertation Submission Requirements
VI.6. Thesis/Dissertation Defense Requirements
VI.7. Time Limitation for Graduate Degrees
VI.8. Participation in Commencement
      VI.8.a. Applying to Graduate
      VI.8.b. PhD Student Deadline for Participation
      VI.8.c. Master’s Student Deadline for Participation

1. Supervision of Advanced Degree Programs

a. Composition of Graduate Committees

The supervision of the general study program of each student, including compliance with all the various South Dakota Board of Regents, institutional, and Office of Graduate Education policies, is primarily the responsibility of the advisor.  For all thesis and dissertation degrees, the graduate student advisory committee assists in this role.  The graduate student advisory committee consists of a minimum of:

• a major professor,
• a graduate representative, (must not be from the student’s department/program),
• one additional member for master’s students, for a minimum total of 3 members, or
• 3 additional members for doctoral students, for a minimum total of 5 members.

For the purposes of these roles (below), faculty may be in the professorial track (tenure-track or non tenure-track), instructor or lecturer track, or research scientist track. 

The major professor is primarily responsible for supervision of the graduate student’s research and thesis/dissertation preparation, as well as ensuring that academic standards and requirements are met and satisfied.  The advisor and the major professor may or may not be the same person, depending on restrictions or requirements within the student’s program and/or department.

The major professor serves as chairperson of the graduate student advisory committee and assists the student in selection of other members of the committee. To be eligible to serve as a major professor on a graduate student advisory committee, the person must be a full time faculty member at SD Mines. In the case of emeritus faculty or retired faculty, departments may petition the dean of graduate education for an exception to this policy. For supervision of a master’s program, the major professor must have a minimum of an MS degree. For supervision of a doctoral program, the major professor must have a minimum of a doctoral degree.

A co-major professor is not required, but may be beneficial to the student’s committee. To be eligible to serve as a co-major professor, the person must be approved by the student’s department or program. For supervision of a master’s program, the co-major professor must have a minimum of an MS degree. For supervision of a doctoral program, the co-major professor must have a minimum of a doctoral degree.

The Graduate Representative is a faculty member of a graduate student advisory committee (must not be from the student’s department/program) that represents the Office of Graduate Education and is a voting member on a doctoral or master’s committee whose responsibilities are to:

• represent the broad concerns of the Office of Graduate Education and the University with respect to high standards of graduate education and scholarly performance,
• assure that all procedures are carried out fairly and according to the guidelines of the Office of Graduate Education,
• participate in conducting final examinations and provide an outcome report to the Office of Graduate Education immediately following the final exam,
• assist in the resolution of committee disputes.

To be eligible to serve as the graduate representative on a graduate student advisory committee, the person must be a full-time faculty member at SD Mines. The person must be from a department other than the student’s home department, and must be approved by the student’s major program and the dean of graduate education. For supervision of a master’s program, the graduate representative must have a minimum of an MS degree. For supervision of a doctoral program, the graduate representative must have a minimum of a doctoral degree.

To be eligible to serve as a committee member at large on a graduate student advisory committee, the person must hold a minimum of a BS degree, and must be approved by the student’s major program. Students must have a minimum of one committee member with a doctoral degree. Departments may petition the dean of Graduate Education for exceptions.

Off-campus persons, including emeritus faculty, retired faculty, and members of industry, may serve as a co-major professor or committee member at large if they meet the requirements listed above. Such persons should contact Human Resources to file a volunteer agreement prior to serving on the committee. The committee must consist of a minimum of 3 members from the SD Mines campus. If a committee contains more than 5 members, a majority of the committee must be members from the SD Mines campus.  In the case of emeritus faculty or retired faculty, departments may petition the dean of graduate education for an exception to this policy.  

A person with graduate student status cannot serve on a graduate student advisory committee.  Under extraordinary circumstances departments may petition the Council of Graduate Education for an exception to this policy.

b. Changes in Committee Membership

A change in major professor may be accomplished at the student’s request by submitting a request with the change of advisor form, with all appropriate approval signatures, to the dean of graduate education. Such a change of major professor also requires a new program of study. Changes of committee members other than the major professor require:

• approval by the major professor via email,
• approval by the new committee member via email,
• documented approval of the current program of study by the new committee member.

A change of the graduate representative requires:

• approval by the major professor via email,
• approval by the new committee member via email,
• documented approval of the current program of study by the new committee member,
• approval by the dean of graduate education.

c. Emergency Committee Substitutions

When a committee member or graduate division representative is unable, due to last-minute unforeseen circumstances, to attend a scheduled defense, an alternate may be designated so that the defense may proceed. The absentee will immediately notify the major professor and the dean of graduate education with a description of the circumstances warranting the absence and the name of a willing alternative who meets the requirements for committee membership. The major professor will make the determination as to whether the defense should go forward or be rescheduled.  The alternate will attend the defense and sign the defense results report on behalf of the absentee committee member. The absentee will still provide written feedback on the thesis/dissertation to the student in a timely manner and will sign the title page to indicate final acceptance of the document. No more than one alternate committee member is permitted at a defense.

2. Program of Study

For all thesis and dissertation degrees, the graduate student advisory committee will assist the student in formulating a schedule of coursework leading to the advanced degree.  A copy of the appropriate form and graduate student advisory committee signatures must be filed by the student and submitted to the student’s department/program and the Office of Graduate Education.

For all non-thesis programs, the program coordinator or an assigned academic advisor will normally assist the student in formulating a schedule of coursework leading to the advanced degree. A program of study signed by the advisor (in addition to the signature of the program coordinator or department head) must be filed by the student and submitted to the student’s department/program and the Office of Graduate Education.

All graduate students are required to submit a POS no later than the mid-term of the semester after which 9 credit hours have been completed or for which a grade of Incomplete has been issued.  This is usually the second semester of study for full time degree seeking students.  These forms can be found at the graduate education website. The program of study is used for degree audits to ensure that students have fulfilled all degree requirements.

Students applying to an accelerated MS program must fill out an accelerated MS advising plan, as detailed in section GEP IV.2. Accelerated Master’s Programs .  Accelerated MS students must submit a program of study in the first semester following the completion of the BS degree.

Students in pursuit of a thesis or dissertation degree who have been granted a leave of absence before submission of a program of study will be required to submit a program of study by midterm of the semester after completion of 9 credit hours.

Revised programs of study must be filed in a timely manner by the student and with the same offices as the original schedule. Minor course substitutions can be made with the approval of the major professor via email, along with a brief explanation of the changes. Consult the instructions provided with the POS form regarding additional procedures for revising the POS.

3. Certification of Degree Requirements

Before a diploma can be released, the dean of graduate education must certify that the student has fulfilled all degree requirements. For certification of the degree for a given semester, ALL requirements must be complete on or before the scheduled due dates published by the Office of Graduate Education.  Note that all keys must be returned to the facilities office before the degree is granted.

Graduate students must meet the minimum registration requirement (currently 2 credits) during the specific semester or summer in which they complete all requirements for their degree and become eligible for graduation.  There will be no grace period; hence, students who fail to complete all degree requirements prior to the official closure date for a given semester or summer will be required to register for a minimum of 2 credits during a subsequent semester or summer in order to graduate.

Students are strongly cautioned not to make travel plans or other arrangements that will be difficult or costly to change until they are certain that all degree requirements can and will be satisfied.  It is the responsibility of the student to know and comply with these degree requirements.

4. Credit Policies for All Graduate Degrees

a. Graduate Course Level Requirements

1. The student cannot apply any credit hours or grades for 100 and 200 level courses (which are usually taken to overcome academic deficiencies) toward advanced degree requirements.  If, in the opinion of the student’s major professor and graduate student advisory committee, progress in these courses is unsatisfactory, additional work may be required to demonstrate proficiency.
2. Of credits counted for an advanced degree, at least 50 percent of the credit hours in any graduate program must be at the 600 level or above.  Exceptions must be approved by the dean of graduate education.

b. Advanced Degree Grade Requirements

To qualify for any advanced degree, the faculty has stipulated that the following requirements must be satisfied:

1. The student must earn a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA as calculated from all courses that appear on the graduate transcript. See section GEP V.5. Calculation of Graduate GPA  for additional information.
2. The student must earn a C grade or better in any graduate course (500 through 800 level), which is indicated to be credited toward advanced degree requirements by appearing on the program of study form.
3. The student must earn a B grade or better in any 300 or 400 level course which is indicated to be credited toward advanced degree requirements by appearing on the program of study form.
4. The student’s thesis or dissertation research must be of a quality to earn a final grade of S.
5. A student who fails any course within their discipline as defined by their department/program must repeat the course with a passing grade as defined above. The student may petition through his or her advisor or major professor to the dean of graduate education for an exception to this rule.

c. Research Credits

Research credit may be applied toward the fulfillment of credit-hour requirements used toward the advanced degree. Research credits are defined as either doctoral dissertation credits (898), doctoral non-dissertation research credits (888), master’s thesis credits (798), or master’s non-thesis research credits (788). All other credits are course credits.  Elective credits are “course credits”. Research credits are not normally calculated into the cumulative graduate GPA; see section GEP V.5. Calculation of Graduate GPA  for more information.

d. Dual Credit for Multiple Programs

Up to 12 credit hours that have been used, or are being used, to satisfy requirements for one MS degree at SD Mines may be applied toward another MS degree from this institution, with the separate approval of the relevant advisors, programs and departments for each degree. In no cases can double-counted credits (either double-counted MS/MS, or BS/MS) be triple counted toward a third degree (BS, MS, MEng or PhD).

e. Graduate credits earned at SD Mines

All graduate credits earned at SD Mines are eligible for use in MS and PhD degrees granted by SD Mines, within the constraints of the program and other graduate education policy, and subject to approval by the graduate committees for each program and the department head/program coordinator. However, undergraduate credits used for an accelerated MS degree may not be used a third time toward a second graduate degree.

f. Applying Credits From Outside Institutions

A minimum of 60% of the credit hours in the graduate degree program must be completed from the institution granting the degree. 

Transfer credits. Credits for graduate level coursework taken at another institution are eligible to be transferred and applied to the requirements for a degree at SD Mines. A maximum of 12 coursework credits may be transferred to a MS degree and a maximum of 24 coursework credits may be transferred to a PhD degree. Students wishing to request transfer credits must use the appropriate transfer of credits form found on the graduate education website.

Reduction of credits. PhD candidates already holding an MS degree awarded by an institution other than SD Mines may request a maximum of 24 semester credits of appropriate MS coursework credits and a maximum of 6 credits of acceptable MS research credits to apply to the PhD credit requirement.  Students wishing to make such a request must use the reduction of credits form found on the graduate education website.

All requests for transfer credits or reduction of credits are subject to approval by the student’s graduate committee. The final list of courses that may be applied to the MS or the PhD is established at the time that the student’s program of study is approved.

Domestic graduate transfer courses and transfer grades are recorded and evaluated by SD Mines, calculated into grade point averages according to the South Dakota regental grade scheme, and recorded on the student’s academic transcript only if these transfer courses are equivalent to a specific graduate course at SD Mines, or a course approved by the program coordinator or department head.  International transfer courses will appear on the transcript along with the number of credits earned, but no grade will appear or be calculated into grade point average. See GEP VIII. PhD Degree Requirements  for additional details.

Such credit from institutions external to the South Dakota regental system must be reviewed and approved by the student’s committee and by the dean of graduate education.  The dean of graduate education shall notify the registrar and director of academic services in writing of the credits to be accepted and placed on the student’s transcript.  An official transcript received directly from the issuing institution to support the request is required.  The transferred course number, title, and semester hours will be entered on the student’s transcript.

g. Applying Undergraduate Level Credits Toward an Advanced Degree

Undergraduate-level credits (300 or 400 level) taken as a graduate student are automatically placed on an undergraduate transcript and may not be used toward a graduate degree except under the following circumstances:

1. The courses must be approved by the student’s graduate student advisory committee and by the department head or program coordinator.
2. The student must have earned a B grade or better in any 300 or 400 level course which is to be credited toward advanced degree requirements. (See also individual department restrictions on 300-400 level courses.)
3. The student cannot apply any credit hours or grades for 100 and 200 level courses (which are usually taken to overcome academic deficiencies) toward advanced degree requirements.  If, in the opinion of the student’s advisor, major professor and graduate student advisory committee, progress in these courses is unsatisfactory, additional work may be required to demonstrate proficiency.
4. The number of undergraduate credits not used to fulfill requirements for the undergraduate degree that may be applied toward a master’s degree is limited to 9 hours.
5. A candidate who has entered a PhD program directly from a baccalaureate program may be allowed to use up to 12 credits of upper-division undergraduate 400-level courses (which have not been applied toward the baccalaureate) toward the 36 credit-hour course requirement for the degree, with the same restrictions and procedures as those specified for master’s degrees. PhD candidates already holding an MS degree may use up to 6 credits of 400-level coursework in addition to any courses credited from the MS degree. The head of the student’s major department must petition the Council of Graduate Education through the dean of graduate education for use of 300-level credits for PhD programs.

h. Applying Graduate Level Credits Taken as an Undergraduate Toward an Advanced Degree

1. Graduate level credits taken as an undergraduate and used to fulfill requirements for the undergraduate degree may not be used toward a graduate degree unless the credits were taken as part of an approved accelerated master’s program at SD Mines.
2. Up to 12 semester hours of graduate level credits taken as an undergraduate and not used to fulfill requirements for the undergraduate degree may be used toward a graduate degree only after the courses in question are approved by the graduate student advisory committee.

i. Applying Credits Taken as an Undergraduate Student or Special Graduate Student Toward an Advanced Degree

The maximum total number of SD Mines credits, taken as an undergraduate student or special graduate student, which were not applied to an SD Mines degree and that can be used toward a graduate degree, is 12. Note that these credits are in addition to any “doubly counted” credits associated with Accelerated Master’s programs.

5. Thesis/Dissertation Submission Requirements

A master’s thesis should represent an effort of such quality and construction that it can be displayed in the school library with similar scholarly works, as well as providing material for publication(s) in an appropriate professional journal(s).

A Ph. D. dissertation is expected to advance or modify knowledge and demonstrate the candidate’s technical mastery of the field of study.  

The thesis/dissertation is written under the direction of the major professor, but the student should seek guidance from all members of the graduate student advisory committee.  Before starting to write the thesis or dissertation, the student is urged to review the document titled “Thesis and Dissertation Writing Manual” on the graduate education website and to consult style manuals online or in the SD Mines Devereaux Library.  In general, the document may follow the style of captions, footnotes, and bibliographical references used by the leading technical journal in the student’s field.

In lieu of the conventional thesis/dissertation format, the document can consist of a compilation of published and/or submitted journal manuscripts that are derived from the student’s research and are either authored or co-authored by the student.  Theses or dissertations submitted in this form must have an introduction and conclusion to tie the journal papers into a cohesive research paper.  The final document must be accompanied by an abstract of 250 to 300 words and vitae of the student. Detailed instructions on the format, requirements and completion of a thesis or dissertation can be found on the website of the Office of Graduate Education.

A final draft of the thesis/dissertation, which must include all components, including title page, abstract, vita, references, etc., should be submitted by the student to each member of the graduate student advisory committee a minimum of 2 full weeks before the time and date of the student’s scheduled defense. Final drafts must be complete, including all required components or the defense cannot be held. Earlier submission deadlines may be required by the graduate student advisory committee.

The graduate student’s committee-approved draft must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Education by the published deadline (approximately 2 weeks before commencement) to allow adequate time for grammatical review, corrections and revisions.  This draft, after all revisions recommended by the committee have been made, must be signed by the author and approved, signed, and dated by all committee members, the department head/program coordinator of the student’s major department/program, and the dean of graduate education before any copies are made for final reproduction. 

The institution requires one electronic copy and 2 paper copies (the original unbound manuscript and one bound copy) of the thesis/dissertation to be kept in the Devereaux Library.  Additional copies may be required by the student’s program or department.

The dissemination of a thesis or dissertation may be temporarily restricted due to legal or proprietary issues (ITAR, EAR, FAC, proprietary, or otherwise restricted information). A restricted thesis/dissertation requires approval by the dean of graduate education and the graduate student advisory committee prior to the defense. Attendance at the defense will also be restricted.  The hard copies and digital version(s) of the restricted document will not be released until the end of the specified period, which may not exceed 3 calendar years.

6. Thesis/Dissertation Defense Requirements

A student pursuing a Master’s thesis option must defend the thesis in an oral examination. The final Master’s coursework examination and thesis research defense may be combined (see the GEP VII.5. Final Examination  section for more information).

A PhD candidate must defend the dissertation in an oral examination.

The thesis/dissertation defense is open to the public except in the case of a restricted document (see the GEP VI.5. Thesis/Dissertation Submission Requirements section above).  The defense will be scheduled at any time after the student has completed the required coursework and after the graduate student advisory committee is satisfied that the draft is an acceptable manuscript in terms of technical quality, completeness, and proper expression and usage in American Standard English. A defense may not be scheduled during the period of university final examinations.   Under no circumstances should a defense go forward if the draft manuscript is incomplete. 

The student shall obtain and complete the appropriate form to schedule the defense and, in conjunction with the major professor, shall seek the approval of all committee members. The student shall submit the signed form with the Office of Graduate Education no less than 5 working days before the defense.  The Office of Graduate Education will announce the defense to the campus community.

The student’s committee constitutes the examining board for the defense.  The major professor will head the session.  The major professor is responsible for ensuring that a majority of the committee is present. The graduate representative must be physically present for the defense to go forward. The defense will not be held if these conditions cannot be met.  A negative vote by any 2 or more members of the student’s committee will signify failure of the defense, pending review by the graduate student advisory committee and the dean of graduate education. 

Results of the defense/examination will be attested to by all committee members on a form furnished to the graduate representative by the Office of Graduate Education. Results must be returned to the Office of Graduation immediately following the exam by the graduate representative or other committee member to ensure chain of custody.   If the student fails to satisfy the examiners on either coursework or thesis/dissertation, written or oral examinations, the committee may schedule a re-examination over general background, thesis/dissertation, or both.  The re-examination will be scheduled at the discretion of the graduate student advisory committee, normally 8 to 12 weeks after the date of the first examination. The student may petition his or her committee for re-examination prior to the 8 week limit.

7. Time Limitation for Graduate Degrees

A master’s degree program must be completed within 5 calendar years dating from the student’s formal entrance into a degree seeking program.

A doctoral degree program must be completed within 8 calendar years dating from the student’s formal entrance into a degree-seeking program. 

In exceptional circumstances, students may petition the dean of graduate education for an extension to the time limit. Courses taken by the student at any institution that may be credited to the degree program and that were taken more than 5 years (for Master’s) or 8 years (for PhD) prior to the date of anticipated graduation must be reviewed by the student’s major department/program and the dean of graduate education for possible acceptance. Following this review, the student’s major department/program and the dean of graduate education will determine whether a reduction in credits applicable toward the degree, a re-examination, or both, is required for the student to complete his or her degree program.  The applicable forms are available at the graduate education website.

A student who is granted a leave of absence (see section GEP III.6. Leave of Absence ) will not be subject to continuing registration, and the leave of absence will not count toward the time limits to complete his or her program of study.

8. Participation in Commencement

a. Applying to Graduate

A student must apply to graduate by completing the application for graduation form on the graduate education website and must meet the program requirements before the degree is awarded.  The application for graduation form also serves as a request to participate in the commencement ceremonies.  In general, for each degree earned, a student is allowed and encouraged to participate in commencement once and have his or her name in the commencement program once.  Note that participation in the commencement ceremony does not equate to the conferring of a degree.  The degree is conferred when all requirements are met and the release of diploma process is completed.

The names of all students who have completed the requirements for graduation by the designated spring semester deadline will be included in the spring commencement program, and students who have completed the requirements by the designated fall semester deadline will be included in the fall commencement program.  Master’s students who will complete their degree requirements in the summer term will be listed in the fall commencement program and are eligible to participate in the fall commencement ceremony. The student’s name will appear in the program in the semester of completion whether the student is participating in the ceremony or not.

A student who wishes to participate in a commencement ceremony later than the semester in which the degree is completed must notify the Office of Graduate Education of his or her intent prior to the end of the semester in which the degree requirements are met.  In general, a student is allowed to participate in a commencement ceremony within one year of completing the requirements for the degree.

b. PhD Student Deadline for Participation

A PhD candidate must have successfully defended his or her dissertation, have deposited his or her final thesis or dissertation, and have completed all other degree requirements, including all fees related to the printing, binding and distribution of their dissertation by the designated date to participate in commencement and the hooding ceremony. 

c. Master’s Student Deadline for Participation

Master’s students who have substantially completed the degree requirements but will not meet the related spring or fall semester deadlines may petition the dean of graduate education to participate in commencement. Summer graduates who meet the requirements listed below may petition the dean of graduate education to participate in the spring commencement. The appropriate form is available on the website.  An approved petition does not grant a waiver of registration requirements; students with an approved petition will be required to register during the semester of graduation (see section GEP III.4. Minimum Academic Load ).

Requests for Master’s students to participate in commencement prior to degree completion are typically only granted if:

1. For the thesis option, the student has completed all of the research for the thesis topic, and has substantially completed the writing of major portions of the thesis,
2. For the non-thesis option, the student has completed all research associated with their project, if any, and has substantially completed the writing for that project (if any).
3. For the Spring commencement, the student has an agreed upon tentative defense date that is approved by the student’s major professor and committee and that is at least three weeks prior to the end of the summer semester..
4. For the Fall commencement, the student has an agreed upon tentative defense date that is approved by the student’s major professor and the committee and that is within approximately 30 days of the commencement ceremony.
5. The student has completed all of the courses necessary for the degree.