Sec.10a-34-17. Graduation requirements

(a) Credit awarded for remedial instruction shall not be applied toward the graduation requirements for a degree.

(b) Undergraduate degree requirements shall include a provision that each student must complete at least 25 percent of the minimum credit requirements for the degree as prescribed in subsection (e) of Section 10a-34-17 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies through course work at the institution awarding the degree. The Board for State Academic Awards is exempted from this requirement.

(c) The requirements for a master's degree shall include at least one of the following: comprehensive examination, writing a thesis based on independent research, or completing an appropriate special project.

(d) Doctoral degree requirements shall include a provision that each student must complete the equivalent of at least one year of full-time study through resident instruction at the institution awarding the degree. (1) Graduate doctor's degree means an award for advanced study beyond the master's degree, including a thesis or dissertation based on original or applied research. (2) First-professional doctor's degree means an award for professional study at the collegiate level including advanced study at the postbaccalaureate level leading to practice in a licensed occupation. (3) The requirements for a graduate doctor's degree shall include a comprehensive examination, completion of a substantial report on original research or an independent investigation of a topic of significance in the field of study and the equivalent of at least three years of full-time graduate-level studies beyond the baccalaureate; (4) The requirements for a first-professional doctor's degree shall include the completion of appropriate academic, preprofessional and clinical prerequisites which, at the minimum, meet the requirements to become licensed in a recognized profession, except that for first professional doctor's programs the total registered time to degree, including both pre-professional and professional study, shall be at least six academic years of which two must be post baccalaureate.

(e) Minimum total credit requirements for each degree level shall conform with the following guidelines: associate degrees—completion of at least 60 semester hours of college-level work; bachelor's degrees—120 semester hours; master's degrees—30 graduate-level semester hours, or the equivalent of one year of full-time graduate-level study beyond the baccalaureate; doctoral degrees as defined in subsection (d) of this section; and for first professional degree below the doctorate the minimum requirements found acceptable by the Board, after considering practices at other accredited institutions.

(Effective March 7, 1986; Amended December 2, 1999)