Develop Your Degree Plan

All students must meet with their graduate program advisors for advice on courses to take.

You’ll need to check your registration status, verify your major, and search for class days and times.

As a master’s degree student, you’ll need to satisfy a research requirement. Your program will have you complete this requirement through one of the following four options:

• prepare a thesis for 6 hours of graduate credit.
• create a research paper for 3 hours of graduate credit.
• develop a creative project for 3 or 6 hours of graduate credit.
• complete a graduate research methodology course plan for a minimum of 3 hours of graduate credit.

For more information about your master's project, visit our Forms and Documents page.

At Ball State, you need to complete your master’s degree program in six years unless you receive an extension from the dean of the Graduate School. You’ll work with your academic advisor to develop your plan of study which includes your major and minor areas and electives.

See Important Dates and Deadlines

Please remember, graduation is not automatic. You must apply, which includes a $25 fee for each degree you’re completing.

Learn More about Graduation

All students must meet with their graduate program advisors for advice on courses to take.

You’ll need to check your registration status, verify your major, and search for class days and times.

• have a doctoral committee appointed and obtain an approved program of study
• satisfy advancement criteria for each stage of study
• pass all comprehensive exams
• be admitted for candidacy for your degree
• complete your dissertation
• prepare your final dissertation defense

For more detailed information about this process and each of the steps, consult our graduate catalog.

The end of dissertation completion is degree conferral. You’ll need to file an application for graduation with the Graduate School in your last semester before graduation. You can submit this application online. 

For more information, visit our forms page for doctoral students.

After a student has been admitted to a doctoral program and has taken at least one approved course, all requirements for the degree must be met within a seven-year period. Any courses required for the degree taken before admission to a doctoral program are subject to approval by your doctoral committee.

See Important Dates and Deadlines

Please remember, graduation is not automatic. You must apply, which includes a $25 fee for each degree you’re completing.

All students must meet with their graduate program advisors for consultation on courses to take.

You’ll need to check your registration status, verify your major, and search for class days and times.

By the end of your first semester of study, you must establish an advising committee, work with committee members (graduate faculty members) to develop your plan of study. Please contact your degree program advisor to determine how to establish your advising committee.

At Ball State, you need to complete your specialist degree program in six years.

See Important Dates and Deadlines

Please remember, graduation is not automatic. You must apply to graduate from Ball State, which includes a $25 fee for each degree you’re completing.

Learn More about Graduation