MS Program

Final acceptance of the master’s thesis rests with a committee of three or more members of the graduate faculty nominated by the chair of the major department and appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School.

The major professor, who must be from the major department, is designated as chair or co-chair of this committee. If either an adjunct or a non-tenure-track faculty member is the major professor, a full-time tenured or tenure-track graduate faculty member must co-chair the committee. Please notify the Graduate Coordinator if your committee chair is not listed on the Current List of Graduate Faculty.  Other committee members may be from the major department or from other pertinent departments. If there is an external minor, one committee member must represent the minor department. Both thesis and non-thesis committees must include at least one full member of the graduate faculty, and at least one-half of the committee’s graduate faculty members must be full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members at LSU. Any additions to or changes in the makeup of this committee must be approved in advance by the Dean of the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School may serve as a member of any committee or may appoint additional members.

For the non-thesis option, the committee must consist of three or more members of the graduate faculty nominated by the chair of the major department and appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. At least one member of the examining committee must be a full member of the graduate faculty. The major professor serves as chair or co-chair of the examining committee. Representatives of the graduate faculty may be added by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Candidates for master’s degrees in most programs are required to pass a comprehensive final defense. This defense may be oral, written, or both oral and written, depending on the requirements of the department concerned. In non-thesis programs, greater weight is ordinarily given to this defense, and it will probably be broader in scope than the defense given to a student who completes a thesis.

At least three weeks prior to the time this defense is to be given (and by the current semester deadline if the student is a degree candidate), the student’s department should submit to the Graduate School a “Request for Final Exam” form. Normally, a candidate for the master’s degree will take the final defense during the semester in which he or she plans to graduate. If a student wishes to take the final defense at an earlier date, the student’s committee must furnish the Dean of the Graduate School with a sound academic reason for doing so. Exams may be taken anytime the university is open for business. To be eligible to take the final defense, the student must be in good academic standing. Graduate students are considered to be in good academic standing, (making satisfactory academic progress), if they maintain a 3.00 cumulative grade point average on all graduate coursework taken within the university (all LSU campuses) and a 3.00 semester average on all coursework (undergraduate and graduate), and earn a grade of “S” in research. Students who are not in good academic standing may not take any graduate milestone exams. Milestone exams are defined by the Graduate School as the General Defense, Final Doctoral Defense, Master’s Thesis Defense, and the Master’s Non-Thesis Defense. This rule does not apply to departmental exams unless stipulated by the department. The student must also be registered for at least one hour of graduate coursework (if in a non-thesis program) or thesis research (if writing a thesis). In non-thesis programs, all degree requirements must be met no later than the deadline in the regular semester following the final defense.

For students defending a thesis, the defense committee must have copies of the thesis at least two weeks prior to the final defense.

In order for a student to pass this defense, there may not be more than one dissenting vote. Dissenting votes, along with assenting votes, must be recorded on the defense forms and the thesis defense approval report submitted to the Graduate School.

Failure of the Master’s Thesis Defense
The masters’ thesis represents the culmination of the degree program. Although failure is unusual, it can occur even with seemingly well-prepared students. Once a defense is scheduled, a grade must be filed with the Graduate School in a timely manner. The only grades that can be reported are P (“Pass”), F (“Fail”), or R (“Retake”). It is highly recommended that the defense results be filed within two weeks of the scheduled defense date. Failure to turn in a grade defaults to an F.

A grade of P indicates that the student has successfully completed and defended the thesis or dissertation and no further work is required.

A grade of F indicates that the student has not successfully completed or defended the thesis or dissertation. An F results in the student being terminated from the program at the end of the semester or summer term in which the defense is taken. The committee is required to provide the student feedback on why the defense was failed.

A grade of R indicates that the student has not successfully completed or defended the thesis or dissertation and that additional work, which may include a second oral defense, is required and permitted. The committee will provide specific feedback on the remaining requirements. The final grade, P or F, must be filed with the Graduate School by the end of the next regular semester. There is no minimum amount of time required for a retake. For a defense retake, the only grades that can be reported are P or F.

It is the responsibility of the student to schedule the final defense with sufficient lead time to meet the Graduate School deadlines for graduation in a given semester.

The oral defense and the thesis are considered an integrated requirement. It is not possible to pass one and fail the other. The committee should not sign the thesis defense approval report until all requirements, including successful oral defense, are completed, nor should it sign the oral defense report until the thesis has been successfully defended.

The student has the right to petition for reconsideration.

 

The written and/or oral exams are major milestones in the graduate student’s professional path. Once an exam is scheduled, a grade must be filed with the Graduate School in a timely manner. The only results that can be reported are P (“Pass”), F (“Fail”), or R (“Retake”). The grade must be filed within two weeks of the scheduled exam date. Failure to turn in a grade defaults to an F.

A grade of P indicates that the student has successfully passed the entire defense and is not required to retake any or all of the defense.

A grade of F indicates that the student has failed the entire defense and is not permitted to retake any or all of the defense. An F results in the student being terminated from the program at the end of the regular semester in which the defense is taken. The committee is required to provide the student feedback on why the defense was failed.

An R indicates that the student has failed part or all of the defense and will be permitted to take part or all of the defense one additional time. The committee will provide the student feedback on the specific weaknesses that should be corrected. The committee determines when the retake will be given, but it must be given no later than the end of the next regular semester. For the defense retake, the only grades that can be reported are P or F.

If the student wishes to graduate the semester during which the defense is taken, the student must make sure that the defense result is filed before the Graduate School deadline for graduation that semester.

The student has the right to petition for reconsideration.

 

The Graduate School and Graduate Council strongly encourage defenses in which all participants are present in person. Remote participation should be used only when there are serious impediments to physical presence at the defense and not be used simply for the convenience of a committee member. The committee Chair should aid the student in finding a meeting time at which all members can be present and assist the student in arranging for remote access equipment and technical assistance. The following guidelines are in effect:

A single committee member (other than the Chair or Dean’s Representative) may participate in a Master’s Defense and Request for General Defense remotely through VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) programs such as Skype without special permission from the Graduate School. The committee Chair, however, should give permission and notify the student. The telecommunications protocol chosen must permit real-time, two-way exchange of visual information (e.g., presentation slides) and dialogue among the committee members and the student to assure participation when physical presence is unfeasible.

Should extraordinary circumstances make it necessary for the Chair or the student or a second member (who is not the Dean’s Representative) to participate via VoIP programs, approval must be sought from the Dean of the Graduate School at least three weeks prior to the scheduled meeting. That is, it is possible for two persons at the meeting to be present remotely except for the Dean’s Representative. (The individual participating remotely can never be a Dean’s Representative.) The “Request for Remote Participation in Graduate Committees” may be found at in the Forms section of the Grad School’s website. This form must be signed (or approved by e-mail) by all committee members and submitted to the Graduate School before remote participation of two persons will be approved.

Also under very extraordinary circumstances, the student may participate remotely. However, these circumstances should be genuinely severe and detailed by the committee Chair in a separate petition to the Dean of the Graduate School and endorsed by the department chair. Reasons that would be acceptable might be documented long-term illness or disability. Reasons that are not acceptable would be, for example, employment elsewhere, lack of funding, family inconvenience, or residence in a foreign country. In general, students are required to be present at their milestone examinations in person.

The responsibility for arranging, testing, and assuring operative connection and time-zone coordination rests upon the student and the director (Committee Chair). If a formal Request for Remote Participation is necessary, the form must be completed and submitted to the Graduate School, along with the request for defense, at least three weeks prior to the date of the defense and by the current semester deadline for graduation, if applicable. Emergency requests, such as those caused by medical needs, will be considered on an ad hoc basis.

 

All final defense reports and the approval of all thesis format corrections requested by the document editor must be approved in the regular semester following the final defense. As with thesis candidates, non-thesis students who pass the final defense in one semester must complete degree requirements no later than the next regular semester following the final defense. A final defense may be voided by the Dean of the Graduate School for failure to have an approved thesis in a timely manner as described.