Academic Requirements

Credit Requirement

The unit of credit at Bucknell University is measured by semester hours. One course credit is equal to four semester hours. Unless otherwise specified, a course in the course catalog is equal to one course credit. A minimum of eight course credits, four of which must be taken in the major department, is required for graduation. One of the eight course credits must be a thesis or project. Some departments may require seven course credits a master's thesis or project report (which will equal one half course credit) instead of a thesis. No course completed more than seven years before the degree is to be granted will be counted toward the master's degree.

Master of Arts Foreign Language Requirement

Candidates for the master of arts degree may be required by certain departments to show a reading knowledge of an approved foreign language. This requirement may be satisfied by passing a reading test given by the appropriate department at Bucknell or by providing evidence of having completed two years of college-level language study.

GPA Requirement

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required of graduate students for all work attempted and must be attained upon completion of courses on the student's approved program of course. No more than two courses receiving grades of of C or C+ and no course with a grade of C- or below will be accepted toward the number of courses required for the master's degree. In computing the cumulative grade point average and determining good academic standing, all coursework is considered. Any student who does not maintain the minimum grade point average of 3.0 is liable to be dismissed.

Thesis Requirement

A thesis, treatise or research project report is required for all degrees and must be presented to the department at least three weeks before the last day of classes of the student's final semester. Additionally, copies of the thesis must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies and the University library for approval before the last day of the final exam period. In accordance with the requirements for graduation for graduate students, certain deadlines must be met by students expecting to qualify for degrees at the completion of the semester. For more information see the Four-year Academic & Planning Calendar.

Grades

All departmental requirements for the master's degree must be successfully completed and the results sent by the department chair to the registrar by the last day of classes of the student's final semester. This includes final reports for all courses taken prior to the current semester for which grades I or IP were reported. All incomplete grades must be removed within three weeks after the close of the academic semester, unless an extension is approved by the dean of graduate studies on the basis of special circumstances. All incomplete grades depending on laboratory work must be removed during the next semester the course is offered. Courses with a grade of I or IP which have not been completed will be changed to the grade of W (withdraw).

Application to Graduate

All graduate students must inform the registrar of their intended graduation date by filling out the Application for Graduation. See the Four-year Academic & Planning Calendar for deadlines.