Requirements of the Program Plan
Descriptions of program plans are found in this Graduate Bulletin. These descriptions are regulated by the governance procedures of UW-Stout. The individual student’s program plan is initiated by the student, approved by the program director, and submitted to the graduate office along with the Degree Candidacy Approval form for final approval by the director, Office of Graduate Studies. The approved program plan must identify the year and term of the earliest credit that will be used to meet program requirements. The program plan is kept on file with the program director.
Master’s programs require a minimum of 30 credits. Education Specialist programs require a minimum of 36 credits. Individual programs and/or certification may specify additional credits. Check the program requirements listed elsewhere in this bulletin.
Students will be held to the approved program plan on file in the graduate office at the pre-graduation checkout.
One-half of the minimum credits required for graduation must be in graduate only (700-800) courses.
Independent Study
Students may design special topic courses independent of the curriculum. This option is open during any enrollment or course-add period. Summer Session enrollments are closed at the end of the fifth week of the eight-week session. Students initiate the process by obtaining a Graduate Independent Study Application form (https://liveuwstout.sharepoint.com/sites/2024/Pages/Independent-Study-Application-Graduate-Undergraduate.aspx) online. Student coordinates approved curricular content with the instructor and respective department chair. Once content is approved, student uploads the completed fillable PDF form, confirms billing, and initiates the ImageNow routing process. The form routes to the Instructor, then the Program Director (if intended to count towards a program requirement), department chair, and college associate dean. Make sure the section is CI or non-CI based on the student status. The form then routes to the Registration and Records Office and they will then register the student.
Students should consult in advance with their program director to find out whether the proposed independent study may be used in their degree program.
Credit by Examination
Credit by examination is possible through “test-out” procedures developed by the various academic departments. Students must be enrolled during the test-out term and will be charged a test-out fee. A Credit by Examination form is to be completed by Program Directors or Department Chairs. If you wish to receive Credit by Exam, please contact your Program Director or Department Chair of the course for assistance. This form includes Graduate School approval and must be completed in order for a “test-out” to be recorded.
Research Requirement
All programs require a research component which may or may not include a research paper or thesis. See the program descriptions for individual program requirements and options.
Transfer Credit
Graduate credit earned at another graduate school may be considered toward the fulfillment of program requirements provided that:
- The institution is accredited at the graduate level.
- The course is offered for graduate credit and is applicable to a graduate program at the offering institution.
- It must appear as a graduate course on the student’s graduate transcript from the offering institution.
- The grade received was “B” (3.0) or higher.
To be applied to program requirements, transfer credits must be approved by the program director using the Request to Transfer Credit form. The total of these is limited to one-third of the minimum required credits for graduation from the program. Said credits will be posted on the UW-Stout transcript when an official transcript and a Request to Transfer form are filed in the Graduate Office and the student has completed at least one semester of coursework at UW-Stout. Only those credits to be used to meet program requirements will be transferred.
Credit may be transferred from those international institutions with which UW-Stout has entered into a formal transfer agreement. All other criteria listed here apply.
Load Limit
Graduate students may take a maximum of 16 credits per semester or 10 credits per 10-week Summer Session. Credits taken through Stout Online, independent study, audit, internship, cooperative education or special topics are included in the maximum credit load. With the approval of the program director, a student may take a two-credit overload during a semester or a one-credit overload during the summer session. Credit Overload cards are available on the Registration and Records website. Any requests for loads greater than the permitted overloads will be referred to the Exceptions Committee. Exceptions forms are available on the Graduate School website.
Seven Year Limit
All course work, including research used to meet program requirements, must be completed within the seven-year period prior to graduation.
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