At the time of the MA Thesis defense, each member of the MA committee will provide a summary evaluation of the MA thesis, and make a recommendation about advancement to the Ph.D. program. These recommendations will be forwarded to the Graduate Program Committee. If all members of the committee make positive recommendations, the student will advance.
If the MA committee makes a mixed or negative recommendation, the student can appeal the decision within one quarter. Successful appeals require written letters of support - including a commitment to chair or serve on the Ph.D. committee - from at least two faculty members, and may require the student to address other contingencies. Specific instructions will be provided when this occurs.