05.01 Residency
Normally all work for a graduate degree will be done in residence. This includes the thesis for programs and majors in which such a document required. In rare cases, permission will be granted for credit to be transferred for courses taken at other institutions, as noted in section 05.04 (Graduate Transfer Credit). Students may register for thesis work in absentia, provided that the basic research has been completed, all residency requirements have been met and satisfactory arrangements can be made for close supervision of the work by the advisor. In such cases, the permission of the advisor must be obtained in advance. An exception to this graduate degree residency requirement is made for the MA in Music Leadership. The MA in Music Leadership is a 100% fully online degree, and all coursework can be completed remotely from any location or while residing in Rochester. All required and elective courses are taught via synchronous and asynchronous classroom formats.
Full-time residence is defined as two consecutive semesters exclusively devoted to graduate study. A full-time course load consists of 9 units per semester.
When a graduate program cannot be completed in one residence year, as in the case of doctoral programs and certain master’s degree programs, it is strongly urged that the candidate arrange his or her residence plans so as to be in residence writing the thesis during the academic year. Thus, for example, when only a single complete academic year may be devoted to a graduate program, the required course work should be completed largely in summer sessions before the residence year.
Students should also refer to the sections pertaining to their specific degree and major for additional information regarding residency requirements.
