Master’s Students

Here are steps to follow for the semester you expect to graduate:

1. Enroll for a minimum of 1 graduate credit* at UWM (audit not allowed) in your graduating term, unless you have

   an approved Request for Exception to the 1 credit enrollment requirement. (For example, you may receive an exception to the 1 credit enrollment requirement if you have completed all other coursework and research credits but are finishing Incompletes or Permanent Incompletes, or if you are finishing non-credit bearing internships, clinical placements or other kinds of off-campus fieldwork or examinations external to UWM.) If you have completed all coursework and research credits but have not yet completed a master’s project, exam, thesis, or defense, you will normally enroll in course 888, “Candidate for Degree,” if your program offers it. This course does not add to your credit total, apply to your degree, or affect your GPA. You are assessed the equivalent of one graduate credit in fees and receive a grade of S.

   *International students must maintain full-time status—contact ISSS for registration requirements if you have any questions.

   Some students may be eligible for a waiver of the graduation enrollment requirement for Summer 2022. Please see the Graduate School’s COVID-19 FAQ page, section B4 for more information.

2. Apply in PAWS for graduation by the posted deadline for the semester in which you intend to complete your degree requirements.
   The graduation application is required for us to process your degree completion and order your diploma; it is not for the graduation (commencement) ceremony.
   Degrees are conferred in May (Spring), August (Summer) or December (Fall). All requirements must be completed by the last day of the term to be eligible to graduate in that term.
   Applications do not carry forward; you must re-apply if you did not graduate in the semester you anticipated.

   You may be eligible to graduate in the next semester without enrolling, if you complete all requirements by the Window deadlines.
   Contact gs-graduationprocessing@uwm.edu to determine eligibility or if you plan to use this deadline.

   The Bursar’s Office bills the $40 graduation application fee during the term you expect to receive your degree. The billing cycle runs monthly in your term of graduation, so your charge will appear in the next monthly cycle after you apply.

3. Students submitting a Formal Thesis:
   1. Follow the formatting review, defense, and thesis submission deadlines. Use the Thesis and Dissertation Formatting as a tool. Attend the Formatting Workshops (optional) held each Fall and Spring semester. Email gs-graduationprocessing@uwm.edu for a format check of your thesis draft.
   2. Submit your final thesis by the posted submission deadline. Submission to the Graduate School must include:
      1. An electronic submission of the thesis to ProQuest. To submit your thesis, and for more information on the submission process, visit the UWM ETD Webpage.
      2. Thesis & Dissertation Approval and Publishing Options Form (PDF) with an original signature from you and your major professor. Submit completed form to Mitchell Hall 261 by 4 p.m. on the day of the submission deadline.
4. The awarding of a degree is contingent upon the student’s successful completion of all program requirements prior to the last day of the term. This includes requirements for Incompletes. If coursework or other requirements are not completed by the last day of the term, the student is no longer eligible for graduation for that term and must notify the Graduate School at gs-graduationprocessing@uwm.edu.