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. For a complete list of Graduate Student forms, click here.
It is possible to take one or a few classes as a non-degree student. Students usually take classes as non-degree 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-degree 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-degree 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-degree student will subsequently be accepted as a graduate student.
For more information on applying and enrolling as a non-degree student, click here.
In certain cases, substitutions for these required courses may be made in consultation with the Graduate Adviser and the Director of Studies in Composition. A maximum of 12 credits transferred from other institutions might be accepted toward the M.A. Degree. For credits to transfer, the student must have gotten a B or higher in the class and the class must have occurred within the last four-five years.
Students may also take courses at the CUNY Graduate Center and other CUNY schools. Credits received from other CUNY schools will be considered transfer credits. The final decision regarding transfer credits will be made by the Divisional Dean upon the recommendation of the Graduate Adviser.
Within the first few weeks of the semester in which a student plans to graduate, the student must apply for graduation at their Hunter "One Stop for Students" account. Further information about graduation can be found here.
