my grad school screwed me!

[geenadee]

I have been in my grad school off and on for many years (got married, had kids along the way).  This year I decided once and for all to finish and I am graduating this spring.  I was in the molecular/cell bio program and was beginning my thesis. you need permission to register for the thesis and for thesis I last fall I registered.  to move on to thesis II you need to present your proposal and get permission from the director. WELL, the director was sick last semester, so no one was available to help me.  Spring semester comes around and I still did not register for Thesis II because there was no one to register me and I received an incomplete for Thesis I.  then financial aid threatened to withdraw my aid because I did not register.  I was stuck, so someone suggested to change my major so that the director in another program can register me, and thats what I did. so now my major is Medical Lab Sciences/Biomedical Sciences, which is not what I wanted.  I am wondering if anyone thinks that I can receive both degrees?  I meet all requirements for both degree, I'm wondering if I should talk to the Dean.

[virion]

You should talk to the dean.

[floridabio]

I would have talked to the dean a long time ago. 

[zabius]

to move on to thesis II you need to present your proposal and get permission from the director. WELL, the director was sick last semester, so no one was available to help me.  Spring semester comes around and I still did not register for Thesis II because there was no one to register me and I received an incomplete for Thesis I.

 

I'm surprised that there wasn't an "acting director" or anything during this period. If the director were out sick for a whole semester, I'd imagine that the department would have just transferred his duties to another professor, who could have handled the registering for you. There must have been other people who also needed to register for Thesis II while he was away... how did they do it?

 

Anyway, that's in the past and the past can't be changed. You should go explain your situation to the dean as soon as you can. If you meet all of the requirements for both degrees, you may very well be able to get both! But it depends on the school's policy... the dean would know for sure. Good luck!

Edited April 2, 2013 by zabius

[Eigen]

Definitely talk to the dean. 

 

Also note that meeting all the requirements for both programs usually means that you meet all the requirements for both programs exclusively, not combined. In other words, two MS's would require two theses, not one. And coursework wouldn't split between the programs- if each required 30 hours, then two MS's would require 60ish. 

 

Not you took 30-35 credits that would count for both degrees, and are planning on writing one thesis. 

 

Also, for the future or for others reading, please be proactive about your degree. If the person you're "supposed" to talk to isn't available, don't just let the issue drop. Push it and get someone else to talk to you or sign off on it.