You’re nearly there! When you have completed most of the requirements for the MAS MS or Graduate certificate, you will need to apply for graduation through WISER. You should apply during the semester before you plan to graduate. For Spring and Summer graduation, the deadline is the 2nd Friday in March, and for Fall graduation, the deadline is the last Friday in October. You can learn more on the Registrar’s website: Applying for Graduation

En Route Master’s Degree – MS in Gerontology, Research/Policy track

Students may, with the approval of the program director, apply to receive the Research/Policy (R/P) MS degree en route to the PhD. To qualify, students must complete 36 credits from twelve courses including four foundation courses, two research courses, five electives, and one capstone course (GERON GR 691).

Instructions to apply for the en route degree can be found on the page. Scroll down to the “Special Application Circumstances” section for details. Instead of applying in WISER, use the En Route Degree Completion Form.

PhD Graduation Criteria

• Complete 69 credits from 21 courses including five foundation courses, six research courses, three policy courses, one professional development seminar, five electives, and nine credits of dissertation research.
• Doctoral candidacy: Completion of a paper examination.
• Dissertation: Compose and defend a dissertation based on original research.
• Empirical research paper: By the end of the fourth semester of study, students are expected to complete an empirical research paper, comparable to an article that would be published in a professional academic journal. The paper is based on the preparatory course work in research methods and statistical analysis undertaken during the first and second years of study. Completion and acceptance of the paper by two faculty reviewers by the end of the fourth term is a prerequisite to taking the qualifying paper examination.

Audit

As you approach the end of your coursework, Gerontology staff can help you with an informal audit and advise you if there are any other circumstances to take into account. You can follow these instructions to access your unofficial transcript in WISER, and use it to fill out this PhD course completion worksheet.

Check the “Applying for Graduation” page for special instructions for en-route degrees (Completing the Grad Certificate on the way to the MS) and the Accelerated Master’s Program.

Keep in mind that your Registrar’s and Bursar’s accounts must be current. If you have not maintained continuous enrollment (missed a semester without paying the program fee), you will need to follow the reenrollment steps and pay the retroactive program fees for each semester you missed.

As always, Gerontology staff are here to help. You can request additional support form the Registrar’s Graduation Team: graduate.records@umb.edu. They are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.