Academic Programs Catalog

An undergraduate student or graduate/professional student who is active and in good standing and whose degree completion is prevented due to terminal illness or extraordinary or rare circumstances, as described below, may be awarded a degree under special circumstances.

Special consideration may be given to awarding a degree to an undergraduate or graduate/professional student who has a terminal illness, confirmed by a qualified healthcare provider or the University physician, where such illness prevents continued progress towards degree completion. A terminal illness is an illness or condition which cannot be cured and will lead to death and where projected life expectancy prevents the student from completion of the degree. To be considered, students must be active and in good standing with significant progress toward the degree completed (e.g., 80% of the credit hour completion for undergraduate students and similar progress for graduate/professional students is recommended).

Requests for degrees granted under special circumstances may be initiated by the student, student’s family, the faculty of the department/school/college, or an MSU administrator. Requests from the student and/or student’s family should be made to the department/school/college for initial review. The Provost will be notified by the Dean or the Vice Provost for Undergraduate or Graduate Education of the request for a Degree Granted under Special Circumstances. Requests require approval of the respective Dean, the Provost, and the President. If approved, the degree will be noted as “Degree Granted under Special Circumstances” on the transcript.

Special consideration may be given to awarding a degree to an undergraduate student not meeting the criteria above or a graduate/professional student due to extraordinary or rare circumstances that prevented progress towards degree completion. These situations are extremely rare and unusual and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Requests for degrees granted under special circumstances which describe the extraordinary and rare circumstances may be initiated by the student, if applicable, the student’s family, the
faculty of the department/school/college, or an MSU administrator. Requests from the student, if applicable, and/or student’s family should be made to the department/school/college for initial review. The Provost will be notified by the Dean or Vice Provost for Undergraduate or Graduate Education of the request for a Degree Granted under Special Circumstances. Requests require approval of the respective Dean, the Provost, and the President. If approved, the degree will be noted, as appropriate, as either “Posthumous” or “Degree Granted under Special Circumstances” on the transcript.