Master's Non Thesis Requirements

Please refer to the Graduate College deadlines for term-specific dates. Students are encouraged to complete the items below as early in the semester as possible. Students are responsible for adhering to the published deadlines to graduate in the term desired. Failure to meet all deadlines will result in postponing graduation to a later term.

Academic Plan Committee

All students must form an Academic Plan Committee. Early selection of a major professor and formation of an Academic Plan Committee is very important. It is recommended that the Academic Plan Committee be formed as early as the second semester of graduate study.

For additional information, refer to Chapter 6 of the Graduate College Handbook.

The Academic Plan Committee must be approved before the student can submit their Academic Plan for approval.

Academic Plan

All students must complete an Academic Plan. The Academic Plan should be submitted for approval as early as possible.

For additional information, refer to Chapter 6 of the Graduate College Handbook.

The student’s initial Academic Plan must be approved by the Director of Graduate Education (DOGE) in Workday no later than the last day of the semester prior to the term of the final oral examination.

Application for Program Completion

All students must Apply for Program Completion after the Academic Plan has been fully approved in Workday and before submitting the Graduate Oral Exam Request for the final oral examination.

Students who will not meet the graduation requirements for a given term should contact the Graduate College to withdraw their Application for Program Completion. If the Application for Program Completion has been cancelled, denied, or withdrawn, the student must reapply for program completion.

Registration Requirements

All students must register for a minimum of one credit during the term of the final oral examination. If no coursework is needed, students can register for Examination Only (GRST 6810B).

If the final oral examination is taken between terms (including the first day of classes for the later term), registration can occur either the term before or the term after the examination date.

International students holding F-1 or J-1 visas may have additional registration requirements and should contact the International Students and Scholars office as early as possible.

A student who fails to register as specified above must complete the appropriate registration before the Graduate Student Approval Form will be approved by the Graduate College.

Final Oral Examination

To schedule the final oral examination date and obtain approval from the Graduate College, students must submit the Graduate Oral Exam Request at least three weeks before the requested final oral exam date.

The Graduate Oral Exam Request must be approved by the major professor and the Graduate College BEFORE proceeding with the final oral examination.

The Graduate Oral Exam Request must be approved by the major professor no later than the cancellation deadline for the term of graduation. Students who do not meet this deadline will have their Application for Program Completion cancelled by the Graduate College.

The final oral examination must be held no later than three weeks before the end of the term of graduation.

When the final oral examination is complete, the major professor must Submit the Oral Examination Results. The Graduate College will forward the results to the rest of the Academic Plan Committee for approval in Workday.

Graduate Student Approval Form

Once the student has passed the final oral examination, the major professor(s) and Academic Plan Committee must review the content and format of the student’s final Creative Component. Once all edits have been made, the student must submit the Graduate Student Approval Form.

The Graduate College must receive the Graduate Student Approval Form by the deadline for the term of graduation.

Students must check their Academic History (Student profile > Academics > Academic History) for any I, N, NP, or F grades. Students cannot graduate with any unresolved grades on the transcript.

Any conditions placed on the final oral examination must be removed by the major professor via the Oral Exam Conditions Met Request.

Upload and Submit Creative Component to ISU Digital Repository

Students must upload their final Creative Component to the ISU Digital Repository by the deadline for the term of graduation. 

The Graduate College will not review the final Creative Component until the Graduate Student Approval Form has been received.

Final Clearance of Academic Requirements

Final clearance of academic requirements will be made when current term grades have been submitted and evaluated by the Graduate College.

Submitting your Creative Component to the Digital Repository

Help Contacts

  1. Melissa Stolt, Graduate College, mstolt@iastate.edu
  2. Anne Shelley, University Library, aeshelle@iastate.edu

 Creative Component Format

Follow the minimum requirements for Creative Components:

  1. Include page numbers
  2. Use the title page example format.

Optional: Graduate students who wish to make their document look professional can refer to the Thesis and Dissertation Writing Program to get additional formatting ideas. Look under Formatting Tools and Resources for the checklist, templates, and examples.

Uploading your Creative Component

  1. Navigate to https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/submit?collection=71537944-3990-4d99-9351-64b7a4f83125
    1. Click Log in with ISU Net ID. This will use your ISU login credentials to log you into the repository. You do not need to create an account.
    2. You should see an online submission form
  2. Fill out the following fields
    1. Title: Enter the complete title in title case.
    2. Author: Type your Last name then First name.
      1. Do not use the lookup.
      2. A middle name or initial should be entered after the first name.
    3. Student ID: Enter your Student ID number. This information will not display when your project is posted online.
    4. Date of Issue: Enter the year you are graduating and the following month, based on the semester you are graduating. Do not enter a day.
      1. Spring Semester Graduates: 5 (May)
      2. Summer Semester Graduates: 8 (August)
  • Fall Semester Graduates: 12 (December)
  1. Embargo: Skip this step if you do not want an embargo, or choose an embargo term.
    1. An embargo means we will delay the release of your Creative Component for either 6 months, 1 year, or 2 years. Users will be able to see basic information like title, author, and abstract, but they will not be able to access the actual document/file.
    2. Embargoes can be helpful if you are considering applying for a patent or are in the process of submitting your work to publishers.
  • The exact date the embargo expires will depend on when the administrator posts your Creative Component to the repository. This will occur after your graduation has been confirmed. To confirm your exact embargo date, contact the Digital Repository after graduation.
  1. Document Type: Select the type that best represents your Creative Component. If none do, select Other.
  2. Degree Name: Select the degree name associated with your program. For example, Masters of Arts.
  3. Major: Select your major.
  4. Department: Click the In the pop-up box, type your department name and click search. Click the box next to your department name and click the Close button.
    1. If you have a co-major, add a new line and do this step for the second department.
    2. Major Professor: Type the last name then first name of your major professor. Do not use the lookup.
  • If you have a co-major, add a new line and do this step for the second major professor.
  1. Committee Members:
    1. Only enter names here if they are listed on your Program of Study Committee (POSC)
    2. Type the last name then first name of your major professor. Do not use the lookup.
  2. Keywords: Enter at least one keyword. You must press the Enter key after each keyword for the form to recognize the keyword. If you do not, the form will give you an error message when you try to submit.
  3. Subject Categories: Select the subject category that best fits your Creative Component.
  4. Abstract: Copy and paste your abstract.
  5. Copyright Owner: Type your name.
  6. Copyright Date: Enter graduation year.
  7. Language: Select the language your Creative Component is written in.
  8. Creative Commons License:
    1. CreativeCommons licenses provide creators with different ways of allowing their work to be shared and reused. While it is not required, we encourage you to choose a Creative Commons license to apply to your Creative Component because the license will tell users what they can do with your work without having to contact you for permission.
    2. Here is a list of the possible licenses, listed in order of most permissive to most restrictive:
      1. CC0 1.0 – Public Domain
        CC BY 4.0 – Attribution
        CC BY-SA 4.0 – Attribution-ShareAlike
        CC BY-ND 4.0 – Attribution-NoDerivatives
        CC BY-NC 4.0 – Attribution-NonCommercial
        CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 – Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
        CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
  1. Learn about CreativeCommons: https://instr.iastate.libguides.com/creativecommons/home
  2. Contact us at digirep@iastate.eduwith any questions
  1. Upload files: drag and drop file(s)
    1. You must upload at least one file. Failure to upload a file will result in administrators returning your submission to you for revisions.
    2. Convert word documents or slide decks to a PDF prior to upload.
  • You may upload multiple files, including supplemental files. Name files so that users can distinguish between your Creative Component and any supplemental files.
  1. Last Step:
    1. If you want to save your progress but are not ready to submit, click Save for Later.
    2. If you are ready to submit, click Deposit.

Next Steps:

  • Your submission will be reviewed for completeness by an administrator within the Graduate College. If any substantial revisions are required, your submission will be returned to you along with notes regarding any necessary changes.
  • Once your submission is approved and your graduation has been confirmed, your Creative Component will be posted to the Iowa State University Digital Repository.