Which degree should I pursue?
Types of Master's and Doctoral Degrees
Individuals' Characteristics and Motivations in Seeking an Advanced Degree
Which Master's Degree is Best--MBA, MPH, MHA?
What Value Will a Doctorate Offer?
Consider Your Career Goals
Doctor of Philosophy

Which degree should I pursue?

Considerations for those contemplating a master's or doctoral degree

A question that comes up frequently is what degree is best for a career? Answering is a challenge because there are many facets to consider.

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Types of Master's and Doctoral Degrees

First, there are different types of master's degrees and doctorates. There are MHAs (Master of Health Administration), MBAs (Master of Business Administration), MPAs (Master of Public Administration), and MPHs (Master of Public Health) to identify just the more recognizable "three letter" administrative degrees. Likewise, there are PhDs (Doctor of Philosophy), DBAs (Doctor of Business Administration), DHAs (Doctor of Health Administration), DrPHs (Doctor of Public Health) and ScDs (Doctors of Science) at the more advanced level. These degrees differ in name mainly based on the school or unit of the college or university where the health administration program is located. But, they will differ also in terms of academic content of the curriculum based on differences associated with being in a business school, a school of public health or in another setting.

Then there are distinctions among academic programs and degrees based on whether students attend full-time or part-time and whether the learning is delivered in a traditional or non-traditional mode. Traditional learning involves being on campus in face-to-face learning situations. Non-traditional learning may involve learning via the Internet and/or a program that requires spending limited time on campus. Non-traditional learning may also be totally individualized or involve working with cohorts as happens with most executive programs.

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Individuals' Characteristics and Motivations in Seeking an Advanced Degree


Finally, there are distinctions in the characteristics and intentions among the individuals contemplating pursuing one of the varieties of healthcare management graduate degrees. Two key factors to take into account are a person's prior education and professional experience. If, for example, one already possesses a bachelor's degree in health administration, earning a new MHA may leave potential employers with the impression that you are presenting redundant credentials. Perhaps a better investment would be a MBA with a concentration in finance. If one has already established a solid administrative career leading healthcare organizations, perhaps fulfillment will come from adding a limited role teaching at the university level. In that case, a non-research-focused doctorate such as a DHA may be ideal. However, should that same seasoned executive wish to exit practice completely and enter academia, then following a classic research-oriented PhD curriculum would make more sense.

Now that those context-setting facets are on the table, here are some subsidiary issues that also come up.

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Which Master's Degree is Best--MBA, MPH, MHA?

The influence of individual characteristics, program accreditation and reputation

The answer depends in part on the individual's prior education and experience and in part on the unique identity aspects of the graduate program. If one has a bachelor's degree in business with a major in accounting or finance, odds are the value-added by completing a "generic" versus a "differentiated" MBA (more on generic vs. differentiated in a moment) will be marginal. For such people attending an accredited MHA or MPH program may make more sense. The relevant accreditation to look for is from the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration (ACEHSA). ACEHSA accredits master's level programs that offer MBAs, MHAs, MPAs, MPHs and other degrees such as MHSAs (Master of Health Services Administration). ACEHSA accredits the program, not the college, university or the school of public health in which a program resides. All ACEHSA-accredited programs must meet clear criteria related to curriculum content and design, faculty and university resources, and career development and progress of a program's graduates.

"Generic" and "differentiated" academic programs

Now, what about generic? All degree-granting programs are not regarded as equals in the employment marketplace. Graduates of positively differentiated programs generally receive a more ready and welcome reception from potential employers than do graduates of more generic programs. Factors that distinguish like programs (MBA vs. MBA, MHA vs. MHA) include the prominence of their faculty members and the professional reputation of their graduates. Positively differentiated programs have preeminent faculties who are widely recognized because they publish and consult. Some faculty members are "stars" so widely acknowledged as the leaders of their disciplines that the entire MBA program comes to share their reputation. One may find a certain MBA program that is recognized for its contributions in marketing, another for finance, and others for energy or for information technology. Also, such programs often produce highly successful and visible graduates who lead top firms or organizations in an industry.

There are some other subtle but important differentiations among MBA programs for those seeking graduate education in healthcare administration. The totally generic MBA program offers no unique health administration courses. If you enter with an already established track record of success in healthcare, such a program may serve you nicely. Partially differentiated MBA programs offer a concentration in healthcare management (perhaps 20 percent of all courses required for the degree) and so may allow those with no healthcare background to start on a new career. Fully differentiated MBA-based health administration programs offer a concentration in healthcare bolstered by a long history of prominent faculty, successful graduates and loyal alumni. Some of these programs may have only recently become part of their universities' business schools after an earlier period when they were independent units or were in another academic setting. A handful always belonged to the business school.

Program selection factors

A common set of characteristics can help distinguish among programs offering a master's in health administration whether the degree is a MBA, MPH or a MHA. Even though you may be considering a half-dozen or more ACEHSA-accredited programs, you should try differentiating them. Factors to consider include: 1) who is on the faculty, 2) what they publish, 3) how much they serve or consult with healthcare organizations, 4) and whether there is a large and distinguished alumni body that supports the program by hiring students and graduates for internships and for full-time jobs.
Finally, you may want to consider whether a program offers a joint degree option such as an MHA/MBA or an MHA/J.D. Although completing such programs may require longer and cost more, some students will seek the greater career flexibility that completing such programs can offer.

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What Value Will a Doctorate Offer?

The relationship between individual motivation and type of degree

Whether it will be worthwhile to earn a doctoral-level credential now or in the future depends on two factors. One is your reasons for seeking the degree and the second is how others regard the degree once you have obtained it. If you feel it is a personal challenge you must overcome, then simply obtaining the degree may be valuable enough for to you to invest the time, money and effort.

If you intend to do something with the degree, something not having it bars you from, then it becomes important how others regard your new credential. You must be clear on what it is you want to do and select a program that grants the degree associated with your goal.

Different doctorates for doing different things

Basically there are two types of doctoral degrees. There are degrees more closely identified with scholarly research, such as the Ph.D. and Sc.D.. Then there are degrees more closely associated with administration or service such as the DHA, DBA, some Dr.P.H., and in a neighboring field, the Ed.D. (Doctor of Education).

Typically, Ph.D.'s do research, teach and write. If you have a passion to do those things, getting the degree will move you closer to being qualified to do that in a good college or university. Writing is only a first step toward getting published, and that's where others' opinions really enter the picture. Peer review is not necessarily something executives are comfortable with, especially not as carried out by serious academics.

Research is another challenge. Universities often expect faculty to do research, but may be reluctant to support it unless it is funded by an outside source. Outside sources have their own agendas on topics that they feel are relevant. That fact suggests that unless you have a knack for capturing resources so you can research what you feel is important, you may end up doing that "ivory tower" stuff practicing executives can't understand, or if they do understand it, which they often deride.

Perceived limitations on the value of doctoral degrees

This state of affairs is often indicative of why there is so often a gap between the town and gown communities (or between academe and practice). And that gap is why having a doctoral degree, especially a Ph.D., can make you less attractive to some employers than when you were purely an administrator with the expected master's degree.

Conventional wisdom tells us that with a doctoral degree after your name others often feel you stop being "one of us" and become "one of them." That suggests that if you consider getting a doctorate can be a way to use an academic credential to substitute for "time in the trenches" that won't be a successful strategy. (Getting a doctorate in an applied and technical discipline, however, may be an exception to this conventional wisdom. In fact, admission to such programs often requires "time in the trenches" as an admission requirement!)

As for credibility with physicians, don't bet on it. You will find yourself explaining "No, not that kind of doctor" so you don't have to hear a M.D. or D.O. explain for you. Ultimately, the value of the credential will be in the eyes of the degree holder. The doctorate can be a costly ornament or it can be a new kind of "union card."

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Consider Your Career Goals

When you decide which degree to pursue, be sure to keep your personal career goals in mind. Then use the above considerations to help determine which type of program will help you achieve those goals.

Ph.D.

The Ph.D. degree in the United States was modeled after the German university model. The theoretical distinction between the two degrees has always been that the Ph.D. is “research oriented,”.Generally, Ph.D. dissertations in the socialsciences (including education) tend to be experimental and quasi-experimental studies, and use multivariate statistics, have somewhat wider generalizability, and are more concentrated in some areas—educational psychology, for example.Ph.D. dissertations in the social sciences often, but not always, use college students as “proxies” for other populations.

Doctoral Generic

The Ed.D. has been directed towards educational practice and the application of theory and research.The first Ed.D. degree was granted at—where else?—Harvard University in 1920. It was awarded in response to an expressed need for more educators to have the doctorate.The Ed.D. was originally conceived of as “equal in rigor, but different in substance” to the Ph.D. In the academic world.Ed.D. dissertations, on the other hand, containmore descriptive research, such as surveys. Most Ed.D. dissertations concern local and regional populations such as area schools and institutions, and the subjects of study tend to be students and/or teachers.

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Doctor of Philosophy

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy, introduced to this country by Yale in 1861, is the highest degree offered in American education. It is conferred in recognition of, first, marked ability and scholarship in a broad field of learning and, second, distinguished critical or creative achievement within a special area of the general field, the special area being the subject of the doctoral dissertation. The Ph.D. is therefore granted on the basis of evidence that the candidate has achieved a high level of scholarship and proficiency in research rather than solely on the basis of successful completion of a prescribed amount of coursework. Competence and ability to work independently and to write creatively are established by qualifying and comprehensive examinations and the quality of a dissertation submitted as an account of the original research.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is awarded in recognition of the highest degree of creative scholarship and research in a field of study. The recipient of this degree must have demonstrated proficiency in a broad area of learning and the ability to critically evaluate work in the discipline. The degree is not awarded solely for completing a prescribed number of courses, but for having undertaken and completed independent work in the discipline leading to an original contribution to knowledge.

The Ph.D. degree requires the completion of a program of 90 semester credits beyond the baccalaureate degree and the submission of an acceptable dissertation. A substantial portion of the credits for the program must be devoted to independent research, the results of which are to be incorporated in the dissertation. It is expected that all or part of a Ph.D. dissertation will be publishable in the literature of the discipline and normally will be published. The program will include enrollment in courses and/or seminars which are designed to (a) advance the student’s knowledge in the discipline, (b) provide competence in the scholarly tools (languages, mathematics, etc.) required for study and research in the discipline, and (c) provide competence in the research methods of the discipline (e.g., courses in bibliography or historiography, a research minor in education, courses dealing with current research topics, etc.).

Admission Requirements. Generally, students may undertake work that will lead to a Doctor of Philosophy degree only after they have received a master’s degree, usually in the same academic discipline, from this or another accredited institution; however, in some disciplines it is possible to be admitted directly to the Ph.D. program. In certain disciplines students who have completed the equivalent of the course work for the master’s degree may be readmitted to work toward the Ph.D. directly, thereby bypassing the master’s degree. Each student must have: (1) attained an overall GPA of at least 3.50 for all graduate work, (2) completed the necessary undergraduate preparation, (3) completed any departmental examination(s) or other requirements, (4) presented scores on tests required by the department, and (5) been recommended for doctoral work by the department. Acceptance of a student for doctoral work on the basis of the above criteria does not imply or guarantee advancement of the student to candidacy for the degree.

Program Requirements. The Ph.D. degree requires the completion of a program of 90 semester credits of graduate work beyond the bachelor’s degree, including acceptable master’s degree work, and the submission of an acceptable dissertation. With the approval of the student’s Faculty Advisory Committee, up to one-half of the work beyond the master’s degree may be transferred from another institution. The program will include work in one major department and should include work in one or more related departments, but at least one-half of the work must be in the major field. The credits for the dissertation (typically 6-18 credits), and the research on which it is based, should comprise a substantial portion of the 90 credits for the degree and should be included in the major part of the program.

Residence Requirements. Since the Ph.D. is a research degree, the majority of the academic work must be conducted in an academic research environment. Accordingly, the program normally will include provision for two consecutive years of full-time academic work. In most instances this requirement will be met by two consecutive years of residence on the University of their choice. With prior written approval by the dean, one of the two years of residence may be completed by one year of full-time academic work and/or research at another institution or location.

Scholarly Tools. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree may have to demonstrate competence in scholarly tools required for study and research in the discipline. Each department offering the Ph.D. degree has specified the nature of these tools (languages, mathematics, statistics, computer programming, etc.).

Students required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of a foreign language may do so by one of two procedures: Standardized tests (Graduate Student Foreign Languages Tests—GSFLT) prepared by the Educational Testing Service are available in French, German, Russian, and Spanish and are given by the Counseling Center upon student request. The Languages Department will administer a Reading Test in French, German, Russian, or Spanish. This test is offered three times a year: on Reading and Review day at the end of the fall and spring semesters, and on registration day for the fall semester. Students must sign up for the examination with the department secretary, no later than one week before the examination date. Students may take the examination a maximum of three times at the Languages Department. Students needing to demonstrate a reading knowledge in a language other than those mentioned above should, together with their Advisory Committee, petition the dean for approval of the use of the language and the proposed examination mechanism.

Dissertation. A dissertation is required in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. It must represent an original and independent investigation in the major field of study. Through the dissertation, and the research leading to it, each candidate clearly must have made a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field. Credit is given for the dissertation and for the research on which it is based, the amount being determined in advance by the student’s Faculty Advisory Committee in accord with the limits established by the major department.

A dissertation is prepared with the guidance and advice of the student’s faculty advisor and the Committee. However, all dissertations must be prepared in accord with the Style and Policy Manual for Theses and Dissertations, a copy of which will be provided each candidate upon approval of the program of study. Additional copies may be purchased at the University Bookstore.

The topic for the dissertation must be approved in advance by the student’s Faculty Advisory Committee. Approval is effected by the student’s completing a form titled Proposal of Dissertation, available with instructions from the Graduate School, then submitting the proposal to the committee for approval. The approved proposal is then filed in the Graduate School. The proposal should be approved at least six months before the degree is expected, but it must be approved before advancement to candidacy.

The draft of the dissertation should be presented to the Faculty Advisory Committee sufficiently in advance of the Preliminary Approval deadline that a thorough evaluation may be effected by each committee member. The Committee must be able to read the draft, suggest corrections and changes, and the student must be able to make the corrections, in time for the Committee to approve the dissertation and sign a form titled Preliminary Approval of Dissertation. The student must deposit the Approval Form in the Graduate School by the deadline specified in the academic calendar (usually four weeks prior to commencement). Unless this deadline is met, the student will not be permitted to graduate at the upcoming graduation. The Preliminary Approval assures the student that no major changes will be required in the final copy of the dissertation.

Copies of the dissertation in its final form must be presented to the Faculty Advisory Committee in time that they may thoroughly read the dissertation prior to the final examination. When the final version of the dissertation has been approved by the committee, a copy must be deposited in the Graduate School in time to receive the approval of the dean by the deadline specified in the Academic Calendar (usually two weeks prior to graduation). The advisor and the major department must each be presented one copy of the dissertation. One copy of a special abstract of the dissertation (in a 350 word format described in the Style and Policy Manual for These and Dissertations) also must be submitted. The abstract is published in Dissertation Abstracts by University Microfilms International, and the dissertation is microfilmed by the same organization. The Graduate School has the final copy of the dissertation bound and cataloged in the University Library.

Comprehensive Examination. All students seeking a Doctor of Philosophy degree must take a written comprehensive examination after a substantial portion of the course work has been completed. At the option of the department, an oral examination may also be given. The content of the examination will be determined by the Graduate Faculty of the departments concerned, and the examination will be given at times announced by the departments. The examination must be extensive and searching and must cover in depth the field or fields of knowledge in which the degree is taken. This examination must be completed before advancement to candidacy but cannot be undertaken until the scholarly tool requirements have been completed. Comprehensive examinations which are failed may be repeated only with the prior approval of the Faculty Advisory Committee, the department, and the dean, but in no event earlier than at the next regularly scheduled offering.

Students must apply for permission to take the comprehensive examination on a form available at the Graduate School. After checking the record to ensure that the student is eligible for the examination (most of the work completed, Approved Status attained, Program of Study approved, scholarly tool requirements completed), the Graduate School will certify eligibility and will forward an examination report form to the chairperson of the student’s Faculty Advisory Committee. The student may not take the examination until such certification has been provided.

In lieu of the comprehensive examination, students in Chemistry will take cumulative examinations which begin in the second semester of graduate school. Chemistry students will not be required to apply for permission to take the comprehensive.

Candidacy for the Degree. Advancement to candidacy is granted only after the completion of specified academic requirements and upon the recommendation of the Faculty Advisory Committee. Candidates for a doctor’s degree will not be allowed to graduate in the same semester or summer session in which they become a candidate for the degree.

Students in Approved Status may be advanced to candidacy when the following requirements have been fulfilled:

1. A five-member Faculty Advisory Committee has been appointed. Four committee members are appointed by the dean upon the written recommendation of the chairperson of the student’s major department to represent the major and any minor areas of study. The fifth member is appointed by the dean and represents the Graduate Faculty. Until the appointment of the committee, the department chairperson, or designate, acts as the student’s temporary advisor. The chairperson of the Committee, who serves as the student’s major and dissertation advisor, must be a Full member of the Graduate Faculty.

2. A Program of Study, outlining the requirements for the degree as developed by the student and the Committee, has been approved by the student, the Committee, and the dean of the Graduate School. The program, executed on a form available from the Graduate School, should be developed no later than the beginning of the second semester of work.

3. Departmental examination requirements have been completed.

4. A substantial portion of the course work for the degree has been completed with a GPA of no less than 3.00 for all work attempted.

5. The scholarly tool requirement has been completed.

6. The comprehensive examination has been successfully completed.

7. A dissertation topic has been approved as evidenced by filing an approved Proposal of Dissertation on a form available from the Graduate School.

8. Advancement to candidacy has been recommended by the student’s Faculty Advisory Committee.

The student and the advisor will be notified in writing of advancement to candidacy.

Final Examination. The final examination must be scheduled two weeks in advance by the Committee through the Graduate School and must be completed and the results reported by the deadline specified in the Academic Calendar.

The final examination for the doctoral degree is conducted by the candidate’s full Faculty Advisory Committee in the presence of the dean of the Graduate School and such other members of the Graduate Faculty as elect to attend. The final examination must include an oral examination but also may include written portions. The examination must cover the dissertation but need not be limited thereto. Committee members must have had adequate opportunity to examine the final copy prior to the examination and will indicate their approval by signing the “Approval Page’’ of the dissertation and the Final Report on Candidate. Final examinations which are failed may be repeated only with the prior approval of the Advisory Committee and the dean.

A student may pass the Doctoral Comprehensive and/or Final Examination with one dissenting vote. The dissenter must submit a written report on his/her decision to the Graduate School. Four signatures will be accepted on the final copy of the dissertation.

Ph.D. candidates will be required to complete a National Research Council demographic survey form and an agreement with University Microfilms International before graduation.

The graduate committee of your department will assign an advisor and an advisory committee who must approve the proposed program of study for the degree. Graduate work completed at another university will be considered by the departmental graduate committee and your advisory committee in the development of your program of study.

Typically, when the dissertation proposal is nearing approval, the departmental graduate committee will forward to the office of the dean of the college in which you are enrolled a recommendation for appointment of a dean's representative, together with the names of other dissertation committee members and the title of your dissertation. The committee shall consist of at least three members representing the range of content in your program of study, in addition to the representative from the dean's office.

Comprehensive Examination

When coursework is virtually completed, and upon the recommendation of the advisory committee, you take a comprehensive examination, which is given to establish your mastery of the fields of specialization and readiness for advanced research. The results of the examination must be reported within one week to the office of the dean of the college in which you are enrolled, on a form provided by the dean's office.

A copy of this form should be sent to the Office of Graduate Student Services to be included in your official academic file.

Scholarly Discipline Requirement

The Ph.D. degree by definition is research-oriented, and each department shall determine the auxiliary research competencies needed by candidates for the Ph.D. degree. Competence will be determined by standards and methods established by the individual departments. If you expect to demonstrate proficiency in one of the scholarly disciplines in which examinations are arranged by your dean's office (e.g., statistics, computer science, foreign language, etc.), you must file an appropriate Intent Form. These forms are available from and should be filed with the office of the dean of the college in which you are enrolled. You must be registered for a minimum of two hours in the quarter in which you take the examination.

The French, German, Russian, and Spanish proficiency examinations of the Educational Testing Service are given at InterAmerican University several times during the year. Information and application forms may be obtained at the office of your dean, where you will pay a $5 nonrefundable registration fee.

Academic Residency Requirement

Normally, at least three academic quarters of the doctoral program shall be in continuous residence in an institutional full-time status (registration for 15 graduate credits). If you receive stipend support, you are considered to have instructional full-time status by registering for nine or more graduate credits. For some programs, the residency requirement can be fulfilled a third way: if you are not receiving stipend or scholarship support, you may be granted the option of completing residency requirements for the Ph.D. by enrolling in nine quarter hours of coursework per quarter for three consecutive quarters if concurrently employed in a full-time professional position, defined as one in which the experience contributes directly to your program. This option must be approved by your advisor, the department or school graduate committee, and the department chair or school director. A written justification of how the experience gained in the position is directly and educationally related to your professional goals and the goals of the program, and why this experience (alone or combined with other planned experiences) should be used to satisfy residency, is required.

You must submit the written justification to your advisor before the request will be considered. The continuous residence requirement applies to the period of graduate study following the completion of the master's degree or the completion of at least 45 graduate credits.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy is achieved after you have completed the following steps: (1) formation of the dissertation committee (including the dean's representative), which may be the same as your advisory committee; (2) approval of the research proposal by this committee; (3) successful completion of the comprehensive examination; and (4) satisfaction of all required scholarly disciplines.

Forms for indicating completion of the above are available from and are filed in the office of the dean of the college in which you are enrolled. You will not be permitted to schedule the oral examination of the dissertation until you have met all requirements for admission to candidacy.

A copy of your admission-to-candidacy letter should be sent to the Office of Graduate Student Services for inclusion in your official file.

Dissertation

A dissertation, the scholarly account of research in the new area of knowledge, is submitted by each candidate.* Each department will prescribe the specific style manual to be followed by its students. A pamphlet, "Format for the Presentation of Theses and Dissertations," is available in the deans' offices. This booklet contains regulations regarding type, margins, quality of paper, abstract, and other aspects, as well as detailed directions for submitting the finished dissertation to the office of the dean of the college in which you are enrolled. You must obtain from your dean's office the current "Format" and the list of quarterly deadlines for graduation.

After the dissertation has been approved by your dissertation committee, dissertation director, and dean, two copies are forwarded to the Registry. In addition, one copy is retained in your department, and another is submitted to University Microfilms International for microfilming and entry into Dissertation Abstracts International. Upon the return of the copy from University Microfilms International, both copies are bound and cataloged, then one copy is placed in Archives and the other in the stacks. The dissertation is considered a public document and will be made available to the public in the same manner as any other document cataloged within the university library.

A copy of the dissertation abstract should be sent to the Office of Graduate Student Services for inclusion in your official file.

Copyright

Dissertations can be copyrighted at the time the manuscripts are sent to University Microfilms International. Arrangements can be made through the library for this service. Under current copyright procedures, microfilming by University Microfilms International constitutes publication. You may lose the ability to obtain a copyright if your dissertation is not copyrighted at the time of submission to your dean's office.

Oral Dissertation Examination

An oral dissertation examination is required of all candidates for the Ph.D. degree. The examining committee shall be composed of your entire dissertation committee (including the representative of the dean of the college in which you are enrolled), unless otherwise specified by the associate provost for Graduate and Research Programs. You must present final copies of the dissertation to members of the examining committee at least two weeks before the date of your oral examination to allow adequate time for review. The final arrangements for the examination shall be completed through the office of the dean of the college in which you are enrolled at least 10 days prior to the examination. Details of the examination, including time and place, will be sent by the dean's office to you and the examiners.

The Office of Graduate Student Services should be notified of the date that you passed the oral examination for inclusion in your official file.

Time Limit for Ph.D. Program

You must complete the doctoral program of study within seven calendar years of the date of its initiation as determined by the individual department and recorded in the Office of Graduate Student Services.

If you do not complete requirements for the degree within the given period, you may be permitted to continue in graduate study only if exceptional circumstances are associated with the delay in progress.

The dean of your college may grant a one-quarter, onetime extension. If circumstances require an extension beyond the one-quarter dean's extension, you must apply for readmission to the program. The application for readmission must be reviewed by the graduate committee of the program and the dean of the college. The criteria for readmission should be the currency of your (1) knowledge of the required work, (2) research literature, and (3) research methods and techniques. The program may require additional coursework, retaking the oral/written comprehensive examination, changing or updating the dissertation, or fulfilling any degree requirements that may have been added to the program since the initiation of your program. If you are approved for readmission, the specifications for readmission must be presented to you in writing with a copy of those specifications placed on file in the Office of Graduate Student Services.

Restricted Publication of Theses or Dissertations

The university does not accept theses or dissertations containing material developed as part of a research project if the thesis or dissertation is restricted from publication. Publication, for this purpose, includes the cataloging and placement of the approved manuscript in certain Libraries and, for dissertations, microfilming by University Microfilms International. (NOTE: University Microfilms International allows authors to restrict the distribution of dissertations and theses.)

However, upon written request to your dean's office, you may delay publication up to a maximum of 12 months if, in the judgment of the office, the data upon which your thesis or dissertation is based are proprietary and not available in the public domain. You must submit the request for delay with the formal approval of your advisor at least one academic quarter before the normal date of publication of the thesis or dissertation.

The only times a thesis or dissertation completed at InterAmerican University will be withheld from the public will be if it has been approved for delayed publication following the procedures outlined above or if a question of plagiarism, libelous or abusive statements, or falsification or misrepresentation of data is raised. If a question regarding one of these issues is raised, then the manuscript will be withheld until the issue has been reviewed and resolved.

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