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Acceptance of Master's Degree Toward Doctoral Requirements

Acceptance of Foreign or American Master's Degree toward Doctoral Requirements

Students accepted into a doctoral program who hold a master's degree in the same or a closely related discipline from a U.S. or foreign academic institution will have their transcripts and supporting documentation reviewed by the department graduate committee.

The committee may choose one of the following actions:

  1. Approve all coursework and thesis for the master's degree up to the total number of credits granted by the University of Massachusetts Lowell department for its master's degree, and thereby require the student to complete only "beyond the master's" course/thesis credits for the doctorate. 
  2. Accept the U.S. or foreign master's degree, but because of deficiencies in the student's master's program, require a limited number of graduate courses to be added to the total credits required for doctoral degree completion "beyond the master's". 
  3. Require that a student with a U.S. or foreign master's degree obtain a University of Massachusetts Lowell master's degree before proceeding to the doctorate.

All coursework for U.S. or foreign master's degrees considered for approval by the department must be at a grade level of B or better. Official, documented verification of the degree awarded must also be provided.