The Master's Along the Way (MATW) is an earned master's degree awarded to a graduate student who was admitted and matriculated to a Ph.D. program direct from the baccalaureate degree, and who are working towards the doctoral degree. This degree is intended for students who will continue work on their Ph.D. and does not apply to qualified students who are leaving the Ph.D. program after obtaining a master's degree. 

Select Ph.D. programs are offering this opportunity to earn a master's degree for qualified students. The College of Graduate Studies supports this opportunity and has established the following qualifications and procedures for the process of granting a MATW degree. 

qualifications

• Student must be actively enrolled in a doctoral program and in good academic standing
• Must be in an approved MATW program (see list)
• MATW must be in the same college and major as the Ph.D. (i.e. if earning a Ph.D. in Biology, the MATW would be the M.S. in Biology)
• Students with an earned master's degree in the same field are not eligible for a MATW, regardless of where the degree was earned
• Students admitted with advanced standing (waiving up to 30 hours in a 90-hour degree) into a Ph.D. program are also not eligible for a MATW, even if the master's degree used to establish advanced standing is from a different field of study

Procedures

STUDENT

• Must submit their intent to earn the MATW to their advisor/program and complete the degree requirements within three calendar years of their matriculation into the Ph.D. program
• Must file a Plan of Study that meets all requirements for the master's degree as outlined in the catalog and by the department/program, and also complete all other academic forms/processes and meet graduation deadlines as required 
• After the matriculation has been added to the student's record, the student must apply to graduate with the degree and will be audited and cleared through the College of Graduate Studies

DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM

• Must advise the student and approve the Plan of Study, verifying that the student qualifies for the MATW, and indicate on the form that it is a MATW (MATW POS in development)
• The Plan of Study must note any deviations from the catalog, as well as identifying whether thesis, non-thesis, project, etc. is required. Do not include any requirements related to the Ph.D. or that are not required for the master's degree. Any related academic program forms must accompany the Plan of Study
• Submission of the MATW Plan of Study constitutes the request for the MATW until a request form is created. All MATW requests should go to GradStudies@utoledo.edu 
• Requests to add the MATW that come in after census date may not be processed by the registrar's office until the following term. We strongly recommend submitting MATW requests the term PRIOR to intended graduation.

GRADUATE STUDIES

• Receive, process, and approve all MATW requests
• Add the matriculation to the student's record in Banner via filing the Curriculum Change Form on behalf of the requesting program/faculty advisor
• Notify the student to apply for graduation
• Process and clear the student for the degree
• Maintain list of all approved MATW programs
• Update list annually for new catalog term

MATW Approved List

Natural Sciences & Mathematics

• M.S. in Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration [Ph.D. in Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration]
• M.S. in Biology: Ecology and Organismal Biology Concentration [Ph.D. in Biology: Ecology and Organismal Biology Concentration]
• M.S. in Chemistry [Ph.D. in Chemistry]
• M.S. in Physics [Ph.D. in Physics]
• M.S. in Mathematics [Ph.D. in Mathematics]

Engineering

• M.S. in Bioengineering [Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering]
• M.S. in Chemical Engineering [Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Chemical Engineering]
• M.S. in Electrical Engineering [Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Electrical Engineering]
• M.S. in Computer Science & Engineering [Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Computer Science & Engineering]
• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering [Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Mechanical Engineering]
• M.S. in Industrial Engineering [Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Industrial Engineering]
• M.S. in Civil Engineering [Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Civil Engineering]

Nursing

• M.S.N. in Nursing [D.N.P. Doctor of Nursing Practice]