Leave of Absence
Non-Matriculated Status
Transferring Credits
Graduation Approval
Final Projects: Graduation recitals and M.A. Theses
Proficiency Exams

Leave of Absence and Time Extensions

All degrees except TEP must be completed within four years of the date that a student matriculates in the program; the TEP degree allows five years. Students who do not register during a given semester must submit a Leave of Absence form specifying the time period (up to a maximum of one year) that they plan to be away. Leaves of absence for non-TEP students do not extend the total time allowed for the degree; TEP degrees are extended by leaves of absence.

Students who fail to complete the thesis during the semester in which they register for it may register for one credit of Independent Study on the subject of the thesis the following semester. After that, they must either request a leave of absence or pay the fee for maintaining matriculation.

Students who fail to complete a degree within the time limit must file a Request for Time Extension form. Such requests must specify the reason for the delay and the final deadline for completion of the work. They are granted only for serious reasons, and the final deadlines are strictly enforced.

Non-Matriculated Status

It is possible to take one or a few classes as a non-matriculated student. Students usually take classes as non-matriculated students if they have missed the application deadline, if they want to take one class to "test the waters," or if they need to make up just one or two undergraduate classes in order to be considered for graduate work at Hunter College. Non-matriculated students may take a maximum of 9 graduate credits, at which time they must apply to the school or try their luck elsewhere. Credits for which a student received a grade of B or better as a non-matriculated student may be applied to the M.A. in Music or an M.A. in Music TEP degree should the student subsequently be accepted formally into one of these programs (as is often the case); however, there is never a guarantee that a non-matriculated student will subsequently be accepted as a graduate student.

For more information on applying and enrolling as a non-matriculated student, see:
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/prospectivestudents/graduate/gradm-non-matriculation.shtml

Transferring Credits and Taking Courses at Other Schools

A maximum of 9-12 credits transferred from other institutions might be accepted toward the M.A. Degree. Only courses for which the student received the grade of B or better will be considered. (Students might be asked to successfully pass the relevant proficiency exam before such transfer credit is allowed; for instance, in order to transfer Music History credits, a student might be asked to first pass the Music History Proficiency Exam). Students may also (with permission) take some courses at the CUNY Graduate Center and other CUNY schools; note that credits received from other CUNY schools will be considered transfer credits. The final decision regarding transfer credits will be made by the Divisional Dean and the Admissions Department, upon the recommendation of the Graduate Adviser; see the Graduate Catalogue for more details.

Graduation Approval

Students must submit a Graduation Audit Form to the Registrar by an announced deadline early in the semester in which they plan to graduate. Forms may be obtained from the Registrar and must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies. TEP students must submit the form to the Office of Educational Services, Room 1000W, after it is approved by the Music Department. After obtaining the necessary approvals, the student must deposit the form in the Registrar's Office.