Degree completion and graduation steps
Students reaching their final semester in the program should begin completing the degree completion steps as referenced on the One Stop Student Services page. Students admitted to our programs in Fall 2020 or later follow the GPAS process. Students admitted prior to Fall 2020 follow the GDP process.
There are some additional steps unique to students enrolled in the Data Science MS degree. For a detailed list of Data Science MS specific degree completion steps please view the details below.
Data Science M.S. Students Degree Completion Steps
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Record your faculty advisor
Once a faculty advisor has been identified, students must submit the declaration of advisor and capstone project title form to request a permission number for the Plan B Project course (DSCI 8760). The advisor assignment will be updated at that time as well.
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Submit your GPAS planner
Must be done no later than the beginning of your final semester. Details on how to access GPAS and submit the GPAS planner can be found on One Stop's website. Students do not need to add any courses to their planner.
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Working on your project and consider committee members
While working on the project (both your poster and written report), work with your faculty advisor on identifying two additional final exam committee members who will review your poster and written report.
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Record your final exam committee
Record the final exam committee at: z.umn.edu/examcommittees
This can be done only after the GPAS planner has been approved.
The final exam committee must consist of three University of Minnesota-Twin Cities faculty members with formal graduate education responsibilities. Two committee members must be from the Data Science Program which includes the faculty advisor who serves as committee chair, and one committee member from an outside program. This form goes through multiple layers of review and can take several days to process, so please plan accordingly.
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Apply to graduate
Apply to graduate at: z.umn.edu/degreeapplication
Students can apply to graduate after their final exam committee has been approved. Students are expected to apply to graduate by the first day of the month they intend to graduate. Details on when to apply to graduate based on one's intended month of graduation can be found on One Stop's website.
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Present at the spring or fall poster fair
Details on the event and how to RSVP as a presenter are sent to students a few months prior to each respective event.
The final exam committee should be recorded before presenting.
Students are expected to present in the semester they intend to graduate. Those who have presented but have not graduated by the time of the next poster fair are required to present again to reflect the most up-to-date work on their project.
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Initiate your Final Exam form and submit the final draft of your report to your committee
Please work with your committee to determine an appropriate timeline for them to read your final report and record a final decision.
Initiate your final exam form at z.umn.edu/FinalExamForm for your committee chair to record the committee’s final decision. A decision should be recorded no later than the last business day of the month of anticipated graduation, though it is strongly recommended to have this completed earlier.
The listed exam date can be the date by which your committee intends to have a decision recorded.
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Update to capstone course grade(s)
Once you have passed your final exam and your committee has recorded their decision through the final exam form, the Director of Graduate Studies and Graduate Program Coordinator will receive a notification. A grade will then be recorded for the capstone course by the DGS or GPC. All grades must be submitted by the last business day of the anticipated month of graduation.
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Complete our Exit Survey
We would like to hear what your plans are post-graduation! Please complete our exit survey with info on yourcareer or further educational plans. We anticipate it to take only a few minutes to complete.
Important notes
- All students in the Data Science M.S. program are Plan B students. Plan A and C are not options.
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate students will only need to follow the steps detailed in the Degree Completion Steps checklist on One Stop Student Service's website.
- The oral exam requirement for the Data Science M.S. is satisfied through participation in the annual Data Science Poster Fair. A formal presentation to your faculty committee is not necessary, and the committee will only review and assess the written Plan B project report. This is a unique feature of our program and is different from many M.S. Plan B programs at the University of Minnesota.
- Plan B Masters students will initially receive an "I" grade for their Plan B Project course. Once a student has completed their project, including participation in a poster fair and receiving a "pass" on their written report, a final grade will be recorded by the DGS or GPC. A final grade must be recorded by the last business day of the month in which a student applied to graduate.
Questions?
