Can I matriculate without the degree of my current program?

[ConfucianMdiv]

Hi folks!

I feel really desperate and anxious to ask this question. I really know nowhere else to seek for help. So please, please reply if you know any information.

 

I'm a grad school student in China, second year. Gonna apply for a grad program in the US in 2017fall. The plan is that I will get my degree in China in July 2017 but I just find some minor but crucial problem. I need an extra credit to have my oral defense and graduate but now I'm not sure if I can get this credit. That means I can't be sure about if I can get my degree in July 2017!!(will have to wait until July 2018)

 

My questions are:

 

1) Should I still apply for master programs in US? I mean, I will probably get some offers, but can I matriculate without the degree from the program I'm currently in? ( deferment is barely possible for the programs I'm gonna apply for)

 

2) Also, if I do get these offers but can not matriculate, will it have any negative effect when I re-apply the same programs next year?

 

 

I'm still trying very hard to figure out the way to get the credit. It will be a ridiculous story if I have to delay my plan for grad education in US because of such a meaningless credit......But life is always ridiculous isn’t it?

 

Thank you in advance for any words!

 

[rising_star]

It's kind of impossible for anyone here to answer your questions with the information you've provided. Are you going to say that the degree in China will be completed by the time you'd matriculate in your applications? If so, then you may be in trouble. If you're currently in a master's program and applying to master's programs in the USA, it probably won't matter whether you receive your degree next summer or not.

@fuzzylogician will hopefully weigh on this as they have more experience in this area than I do.

[fuzzylogician]

1. No one can make you any promises, but for most graduate degrees in the US all you need is a BA, not an MA. That means that many schools will accept you even if you never finish your current masters degree. You do need to have a completed bachelors degree, however, so if you won't have that by the time the US program starts, you'll most likely have to defer or reapply next year. 

2. If you apply to a school knowing that you can't attend because you don't meet the admissions criteria, they might not appreciate it. If circumstances change and you have to defer or reapply, I assume that most would be understanding. It's hard to say more without knowing the particular details of your case. 

I would suggest that you contact the schools that you are planning to apply to directly and ask if you would satisfy their admissions criteria, given your current situation. As I said, we can't make you any promises, but if the problem is with completing your MA, and your BA is done, you might not have a problem at all.  

[ConfucianMdiv]

Apologies, guys. I posted this thread because I asked this question to one of the admission office of the schools I will apply for, and the assistant dean replied that I have to finish my master program in China before matriculate to their school. I was freak out guys and asked him again to make sure I didn't get him wrong. Waiting in anxiety I asked the same question here. 

Yesterday that gentleman replied me and said he was wrong before and i can matriculate regardless whether I may get the master degree or not. So problem solved guys. 

Thank you guys all the same!

Edited November 28, 2016 by ConfucianMdiv