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 document below. 

Download the step-by-step degree completion checklist for the Data Science M.S.

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 the annual poster fair and receiving a "pass" on their written report, they will need to connect with the Director of Graduate Studies to update their grade. A final grade must be recorded by the last business day of the month in which a student applied to graduate.