Residency Requirement

In a graduate program that requires a thesis, at least 21 semester hours of credit is required for the master's degree and must be earned in residence at the University of Houston. For programs of 36 semester hours, at least 27 semester hours must be earned in residence.

Doctoral programs set their own minimum residence requirements in consultation with department/college policy. In traditional programs, residency is satisfied over a period of 2-3 consecutive semesters of fulltime study. Programs are required to maintain records documenting the
means by which individual students met the program's minimum residency requirements. A variety of experiences can be used to help a doctoral student meet residency requirements, including

1. Significant, sustained, and regular interaction between program faculty and the student
2. Completion of academic courses that serve as the core foundation of the student’s degree program
3. Exploration and engagement of educational resources related to the degree program and associated fields of study
4. Broadening the student’s educational and cultural perspectives within the field of study
5. In depth faculty evaluation and mentoring of the student

(Also see information on Transferred Courses.)