Effective Date:  March 23, 2021

Last Review Date: October 27,2022

Thesis Policies, Master’s Degrees

(Graduate Policy 1.4)

The word “thesis,” as used in graduate policy, shall apply equally to master’s theses and design projects that are submitted to the Office of Graduate Programs.  All theses will be added to the Scholarship Repository of Florida Institute of Technology.

Registration

(Graduate Policy 1.4.1)

Students must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 in order to register initially for thesis. Exceptions require the approval of the graduate faculty of the academic unit, the academic unit head and the dean of the appropriate college or school.

Once students begin to register for thesis, they must register for at least three hours of thesis each semester until the thesis is successfully defended and the signed Signature Page and the archival copy are accepted by the Office of Graduate Programs. (See graduate policy “Thesis/Design Project/Dissertation Registration in the Semester of Graduation” for special instructions regarding final semester registration for fewer than the normal minimum three hours). A written waiver of the requirement for continuous registration is required and is granted only if the student is not making use of university facilities or personnel. Such waivers must be approved by the major advisor and academic unit head, with policy compliance indicated by the director of graduate programs.

All Master of Science thesis credits of three hours or more will bear the numerical designation 5999, preceded by the three-letter program designator.

Students may register for fewer than three semester credit hours of thesis in the semester of graduation only. See graduate policy “Thesis/Design Project/Dissertation Registration in the Semester of Graduation”  for limitations.

Thesis Grades

(Graduate Policy 1.4.2)

For each thesis course registration, the master’s student receives a grade of S (Satisfactory Progress), U (Unsatisfactory Progress), or I (Incomplete) with zero semester hours of credit earned. For the first course, a grade of S will be given only if the thesis proposal has been submitted and approved by the student’s academic unit prior to the end of the semester of thesis registration. When the thesis is completed and the signed Signature Page and the archival copy are accepted by the Office of Graduate Programs, grades of S corresponding to the number of required thesis semester credit hours will be changed to grades of P. Grades of U cannot be replaced or removed and no credit is earned.

S and U grades do not affect the grade point averages or semester credit hours attempted or passed, and remain on the transcript as grades of S and/or U in the semesters of registration. Grades of P do not affect grade point averages. They are, however, included in credit hours passed, but not included in quality points and credit hours attempted.

In the case of a failed thesis defense (see graduate policy “Failed Final Program Examinations”), no replacement grades are recorded. Previously assigned grades of S and U remain in place, with zero semester hours of credit.