Our objectives are to have M.S. and Ph.D. students complete their degrees in 4 and 10 semesters, respectively. The student and their research adviser will need to justify any extensions. With this in mind, the following stipend-reduction schedules will apply to degree candidates:

Exceptions to the stipend-reduction schedule will be considered by the Candidacy Review Committee, who will consult with both the student and the thesis adviser.

M.S. students at the end of their 4th semester and Ph.D. students at the end of their 10th semester must submit a statement to the CRC if they anticipate their degree will not be completed by the 5th semester and the 11th semester, respectively. The statement should summarize progress to date (briefly, not like an annual progress report), state what needs to be done, outline the schedule for completion, and justify any extension beyond the stipend schedule indicated above. For example, switching research directors or writing a M.S. thesis on an unrelated project first might be grounds for an extension.

Any petition should state what circumstances have arisen that make timely completion of the degree impossible and include a precise schedule of the postponed stipend reduction being requested. There should be a separate letter from the research director giving his or her own perspective of how the problem arose and how a specific postponement is justified.