MA/MS Timelines

First Year MA/MS Timeline

Month	Description
August	If you are a graduate instructor (GI) or have another assistantship, you need to pick up your office key from the Key Office, meet with Department staff to complete paperwork, and attend the pre-semester teaching workshop. All of these tasks must be completed before the first day of class.
September	GIs are automatically enrolled in First Student health insurance. If you qualify for a health insurance waiver, you must complete it by mid-September. If you do not waive the health insurance you will be charged the premium.
October	Meet with the DGS and the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) to discuss your progress to degree.
November	Register for spring semester classes.
December	Ideally, your thesis chair has been chosen and you have worked with your major professor to form your committee. Complete Supervisory Committee Form (SCAF) with GPC.
January	Apply for department scholarships between January 1^st and mid-February. GIs are automatically enrolled in First Student health insurance. If you qualify for a health insurance waiver, you must complete it by mid-January. If you do not waive the health insurance you will be charged the premium.
February	Meet with your major professor on a regular basis to complete your thesis proposal. Your committee needs to have been formed by the end of Febuary at the latest. You also meet with the DGS and GPC this month.
March	You should be drafting and potentially defending your thesis proposal.
April	Register for fall classes. If you are a writing a plan A thesis, you should register for 3 thesis credits in the fall. Committee should review your thesis proposal. When approved, complete Thesis Proposal Approval (TPA) form with help from DGS and/or GPC. You cannot register for thesis credits until this is done. Thesis proposal should be defended by the end of the semester.

Second Year MA/MS Timeline

Month	Description
September	GIs are automatically enrolled in First Student health insurance. If you qualify for a health insurance waiver, you must complete it by mid-September. If you do not waive the health insurance you will be charged the premium.
October	Meet with DGS and GPC to discuss progress to degree.
November	Register for spring semester, including thesis credits. Contact the GPC for the CRN for thesis credits.
January	Attend at least one Thesis Information session offered by the Graduate School (sessions available online and in-person). GIs are automatically enrolled in First Student health insurance. If you qualify for a health insurance waiver, you must complete it by mid-January. If you do not waive the health insurance you will be charged the premium.
February	Complete a draft of your thesis and submit the draft to your committee. If the committee decides the draft is defensible, determine a defense date. You are responsible for submitting the Appointment for Examination form (form must be submitted 10 business days before defense). It is best practice, if you are Plan A, to submit a fully formatted thesis to the Thesis Reader at the same time you submit it to your committee. The Thesis Reader can complete a pre-check, which will help in March. You must also apply for graduation this month. Meet with DGS and GPC to make sure you are on track with forms for graduation.
March	Defend your thesis. Your committee chair needs to let the DGS and GPC know that you successfully defended your thesis. This is usually done via email. If you are Plan A, you should aim to defend by March 15. If you are Plan A, you MUST have defended and have all revisions completed and approved by April 10. After your thesis defense, contact the department's Thesis Reader for help submitting thesis to the grad school (Plan A's). Plan B’s need the Thesis Reader to approve formatting via email. Once the Thesis Reader approves formatting, you need to upload your thesis to Digital Commons.
April	Confirm that you have completed all forms necessary for graduation, including the Authorship and Copyright form and Thesis/Dissertation Format and Style and Electronic Publication Approval form. Don’t forget to apply for graduation.
May	Move out of your office and return key(s)!