Master’s Nonthesis Expected Milestones

Terms Milestones and Major Events Student Responsibility
August Prior to Start of Fall Term
  • Attend Graduate Program Orientation and Registration.
  • If you are an international student Attend International Student orientation and comply with all Office of International Student requirements. (www.ois.pitt.edu)
  • Complete paperwork for healthcare enrollment, tuition payments (at orientation).
  • Bring copies of Visa, Passport, Drivers’ License etc to orientation.
  • For international students: complete all items required by OIS
Fall Term
    • Choose Focus Area
    • Identify an advisor for review paper by end of September.
    • Complete a total of 15 credits.
    • Submit the title / topic of the review paper to the Director of NTMS by December 15.
  • Submit Selected Advisor form to Graduate Program Coordinator no later than October 1.
  • Core and Required courses.
  • Initiate outline / review topic work with your primary advisor.
  • Attend end of semester graduate student meeting.
Spring Term
    • Complete additional 15 credits for a total of 30 credits.
    • Organize a committee to evaluate the review paper by March 15.
    • The committee will include three people: your primary advisor, one other faculty member and EITHER the Director of the NTMS program OR the Director of the Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
  • Submit Selected Committee Form to Graduate Program Coordinator by March 30.
  • Core and Required courses
  • Continue work on the review paper
  • Attend end of semester graduate student meeting.
Summer Term
  • Complete the review paper which needs to be of publishable quality.
  • Submit the review paper to the committee members at least three weeks prior to your scheduled defense.
  • Defense: Give a 15 – 20 minute oral presentation about the review work in front of a committee.
  • Defend your work by answering questions from the committee.
  • Graduation
  • Determine your date of defense and scheduled with the Graduate Program Coordinator
  • At Closed Defense/ presentation have each member of committee complete the “Review paper Evaluation Form for NTMS” and submit to Graduate Program Coordinator.
  • Graduation application must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the date of graduation defined by the University’s academic calendar. See Graduate Program Coordinator for information.