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NYCU Regulations for Master and Doctoral Degrees Conferment

Passed at the 1st Academic Affairs Meeting of Academic Year 2019 (24 September 2019)

Article 1

These Regulations are provided in accordance with the University Act and the Enforcement Rules of the University Act, the Degree Conferral Act, and other applicable regulations.

Article 2

All teaching institutes of the University must draw out postgraduate study regulations fully based on these Regulations unless otherwise required by the 2 laws. The college curricular committee and university curricular committee in proper order must review these postgraduate study regulations. Prior to implementation, these regulations must be submitted to the council of Academic Affairs for approval. The postgraduate study regulations must include the following rules.

  1. Admission requirements: These requirements must at least include status change requirements for master’s students, i.e. changing from the master program to the Ph.D. program; and requirements for students applying for transferring from one department/graduate institute to another.
  2. Period of study: The period of study must at least include the minimum and maximum periods of study for full-time and part-time students.
  3. Program requirements: Program requirements must at least include all required courses, minimum graduation credits and credit transfer/waiver exemption regulations, including whether credits previously accumulated by master students who are now directly admitted to the Ph.D. program can be considered valid for the minimum required credits of the doctoral program.
  4. Set the supervisory timetable of the thesis advisor, and the rules of changing and coordinating the appointment of the thesis advisor based on the University’s “Guidelines for the Interaction between Thesis Advisor and Graduate Students” In absence of the supervisory timetable and relevant rules, the teaching
    institute shall determine the same by calling a meeting.
  5. Ph.D. candidate qualifying examination (comprehensive test) requirements.
  6. Oral defense requirements and procedures.

Article 3

The minimum and maximum periods of study for master and doctoral programs of the NYCU must be one to four years and two to seven years, respectively. Part-time students may extend the periods of study for one more year. In consideration of the characteristics and requirements of different disciplines, each teaching institute may, if applicable, extend the minimum periods of study. 

Article 4

A master student of NYCU fulfilling the following requirements can apply for an oral defense. After being approved by members of the oral defense committee, NYCU must confer a master degree upon the student:

  1. Complete the required courses, credits, and other evaluations that have to be satisfied for the master degree as specified by each teaching institute.
  2. However, a student who has submitted her/his thesis and who is recommended by the supervisor may apply for an early oral defense even if she/he will not complete the required courses, credit hours, and other evaluations until the end of the semester. The master degree will be conferred after the courses are completed and the required credits are earned by the student. If any required course is not completed during that semester, the oral defense even will not be recognized.
  3. As of Academic Year 2019, any student who conducts the oral defense shall first complete the “thesis originality check” and submit the result to the members of the oral defense committee.

A master student of art programs and applied technology programs may submit the work or certificate of achievements accompanied with a written report or technical report as his or her master’s thesis. If the master’s program is in the field of professional practices, the student’s master’s thesis can be a report on such
professional practices. The determination criteria for programs of art, applied technology and professional practices shall be developed and reviewed by the College Affairs Council or an equivalent body, then submitted to the school-level council of academic affairs for consideration.

To recognize a work or a certificate of achievements accompanied with a written report, technical report or a report on professional practices for each program in the foregoing paragraph, the recognition criteria, type of materials, content and relevant matters shall be subject to the guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Education.

Article 5

The oral defense includes thesis examinations and thesis review. 

Article 6

The Examination Committee of each master’s candidate must consist of three to five members recommended to the president by the teaching institute from among the scholars and experts inside and outside of NYCU specializing in the area of research or study of the applicant. These members must fulfill at least one of the following requirements. The organization of the committee shall be subject to the president’s decision.

  1. Is or was a professor, associate professor, or assistant professor.
  2. Is a research fellow, or is or was a researcher, associate researcher, or assistant researcher of Academia Sinica.
  3. Holds a doctoral degree, and has outstanding academic achievements.
  4. Has been researching in a rare, specific, or practical field, and has outstanding academic or professional achievements.

The determination criteria of the qualifications in subsections (3) and (4) of the foregoing paragraph shall be prescribed by each degree-offering institute or program.

No committee member can be the spouse, blood relative or in-law within threedegrees of consanguinity of the master’s candidate. 

Article 7

A Ph.D. student of NYCU fulfilling the following requirements can be a Ph.D. candidate.

  1. A Ph.D. student who has completed all required courses and accumulated the minimum graduation credits.
  2. A Ph.D. student who has passed the PhD candidate qualifying examination (COM) and other evaluations that have to be satisfied for the PhD as specified by each teaching institute.

A Ph.D. candidate may apply for an oral defense after submitting the dissertation. As of the Academic Year 2019, each candidate who conducts the oral defense shall first complete the “thesis originality check” and submit the results to the members of the oral defense committee. After being approved by the Ph.D. oral
defense committee, NYCU must confer the doctoral degree upon her/him.

A Ph.D. student of art programs and applied technology programs may submit the work or certificate of achievements accompanied with a written report or technical report as his or her doctoral thesis. The determination criteria for programs of art and applied technology shall be developed and reviewed by the
College Affairs Council or an equivalent body, then submitted to the school-level council of academic affairs for consideration.

To recognize a work or a certificate of achievements accompanied with a written report, technical report for each program in the foregoing paragraph, the recognition criteria, type of materials, content and relevant matters shall be subject to the guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Education.

Article 8

The Examination Committee of each Ph.D. candidate must consist of five to nine members recommended to the president by the teaching institute from among the scholars and experts inside and outside of NYCU specializing in the area of research or study of the applicant. These members must fulfill at least one of the following requirements. The organization of the committee shall be subject to the president’s decision. The number of members from inside and outside of NYCU must be no less than a third of the total number of members.

  1. Is or was a professor or associate professor.
  2. Is a research fellow, or is or was a researcher or associate researcher of Academia Sinica.
  3. Holds a doctoral degree, and has outstanding academic achievements.
  4. Has been researching in a rare, or specific field, and has outstanding academic or professional achievements.

The determination criteria of the qualifications in subsections (3) and (4) of the foregoing paragraph shall be prescribed by each degree-offering institute or program.

No committee member can be the spouse, blood relative or in-law within threedegrees of consanguinity of the PhD candidate.

Article 9

All master and Ph.D. degree defense must be conducted orally. Written test may be organized when it is deemed necessary. All oral defenses must comply with the 7 following rules.

  1. All oral defenses must be conducted openly. The time, place and title of thesis (dissertation) must be announced before the oral defense.
  2. All members of an oral defense committee must attend the oral defense in person. No replacement allowed. An oral defense must only be organized when no less than three and five committee members attend the oral defense for the master degree and doctoral degree, respectively.
  3. For particular case, the process may be conducted by means of video conference upon the approval of the Dean of Academic Affairs on an ad hoc basis, provided that the rules of fairness, impartiality, and openness shall be observed, and the process is videotaped and kept by each such teaching institute. Access to relevant files can be granted only upon the consent of the supervisor of the teaching institute.
  4. President of NYCU must appoint a committee chairperson from among the committee members. The adviser of candidate cannot be the chairperson.
  5. The passing grade and full marks of the oral defense are 70 and 100, respectively. Evaluation must be conducted once according to the average of scores given by the members attending the oral defense. Nonetheless, a master candidate is deemed failed, and no average score should be calculated, when the scores given by half or more members attending the oral defense are below the passing grade. Likewise, a doctoral candidate is deemed failed and no average score calculated when the score given by a third or more members attending the oral defense are below the passing grade.
  6. An applicant will be deemed failed if the degree examination committee has found any fraud, alternation, plagiarism, ghostwriting, or other dishonest conducts regarding the applicant’s thesis.
  7. The teaching institute must specify other related requirements in the program requirements.

Article 10

A student who passes the oral defense shall be instructed in the direction and points of his/her thesis alternation by the members of an oral defense committee as the basis to alter his/her thesis. After altering his/her thesis, the student shall submit a thesis review; the thesis review shall be approved by at least two-thirds of the members of the oral defense committee.

The thesis review shall not further to be graded; a student who passes the thesis review and the present members of the oral defense committee shall sign the “Thesis Review Letter Issued by the Oral Defense Committee”. A student who completes the thesis review shall have his/her achievement of the thesis examination be his/her achievement of the oral defense. 

Article 11

A student who passes the oral defense before January 31 or July 31 but fails to complete the thesis examination nor submit the “Thesis Review Letter” issued by the Oral Defense Committee within two weeks in next semester still needs to registration in the next semester. In case of a student failing to submit the “Thesis Review Letter Issued by the Oral Defense Committee” within the maximum period of study, the achievement of the thesis examination shall be deemed failed and he/she must drop out of NYCU. 

Article 12

A student who passes the oral defense and completes the thesis review, except those students whose study education program needs to study education courses continuously and stay at a school approved by the Center for Teacher Education, each teaching institute shall submit the copies of achievements of the oral defense and “Thesis Review Letter Issued by Oral Defense Committee” to the Office of Academic Affairs for registration within one week.

The graduation semester shall be the semester staying at school when the achievements of the oral defense and “Thesis Review Letter Issued by Oral Defense Committee” to the Office of Academic Affairs are submitted. A student who has submitted an achievement of the oral defense and “Thesis Review Letter Issued by Oral Defense Committee” to the Office of Academic Affairs but is still not in the process of leaving process of leaving NYCU across the new semester, his/her student status shall be deemed as graduated.

Article 13

NYCU will confer the master degree upon a master student who is admitted directly to the doctoral program and passed the Ph.D. qualifying examination (COM) after s/he has submitted the dissertation approved by the oral defense committee for a master degree even if s/he fails to pass the Ph.D. oral defense. 

Article 14

The titles of degrees of all departments (graduate institutes and degree programs) and changes thereof must be determined by NYCU and implemented after being approved by the Ministry of Education. 

Article 15

A postgraduate student who fails to pass the oral defense or complete all required courses within the maximum period of study must drop out of NYCU. 

Article 16

Theses and dissertations (and their abstracts) must be written preliminary in Chinese or English and comply with the “NYCU Thesis and Dissertation Formats”. A student is required to post an electronic version of the abstract and thesis/dissertation on the university website within one month from passing the oral defense. (See “NYCU Library Abstract, Thesis and Dissertation Electronic Specification” for details.) A student must also submit two copies of her/his thesis/dissertation (one displayed in the library and one submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs for collection by other units as specified by the MOE). Each teaching institute must determine the number of copies required.

The storage or provision of theses and dissertations shall be subject to Article 16 of the Degree Conferment Law. Notwithstanding, any content related to confidential or patent matters or the provision is prohibited by the law, shall be subject to the “National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Regulations for Embargo of Thesis/Dissertation.” 

Article 17

NYCU will cancel the master’s and/or doctoral degree that has been conferred to a student, and announce the cancellation of the conferred diploma certificate in any of the following situations:

  1. Any admission qualification fraud, or any misrepresentation or dishonesty during the study period.
  2. Any fraud, alternation, plagiarism, ghostwriting, or other dishonest conducts regarding the thesis.

After the degree has been cancelled pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, NYCU will notify the student to return his or her diploma certificate(s), and notify other colleges, universities, and relevant institutions about the cancellation. 

Article 18

An honorary doctoral degree is conferred upon the consideration and resolution of the NYCU Honorary Doctoral Degree Recommendation and Outstanding Alumni Award Review Committee. Relevant procedures shall be specified in the memorandum of organization of said Committee in accordance with the Degree Conferment Law. 

Article 19

Matters not provided herein must be subject to the University Act and the Enforcement Rules of the University Act, the Degree Conferral Act, and other education-related laws and regulations. 

Article 20

These Regulations and any amendment thereof shall be implemented after being approved by the Council of Academic Affairs, and filed with the Ministry of Education.