Degree Award Ceremonies

The degrees earned at Khazar University are awarded at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters, and Summer session. Diplomas are available one or two months after the degree award date. All degree requirements must be completed before the student may participate in a degree recognition ceremony (an academic festive ceremony for graduates), usually held twice a year – in the second half of September and March. Students must file an application for a degree (available at the Registration and Records Office). Those, who complete their degree requirements during one of the semesters or summer session, must register for the next scheduled ceremony.

Master's Degrees

A candidate for the Master's degree is required to have an advisor from the department of the major field.

The general requirements for the Master's degree candidates with a Bachelor's are as follows:

• Students should take between 32 and 60 credits with a minimum of 7 graduate-accredited semester courses beyond the Bachelor's
• Students should earn a cumulative grade-point average of at least 75 in all courses undertaken at Khazar
• Students should complete the Major Requirements with G.P.A. 75 or above a thesis may be required, as determined by the department or School of major study. 

In some Master’s degree programs a student may earn credits (no more than 6 credits) by teaching undergraduate courses. The courses taught are to be related to the student’s major field.

The examining committee is usually composed of four members.

PhD Degree

A candidate for the PhD degree is required to have an advisor from the department of the major field.

The candidate with a Master's Degree admitted to the PhD program is required to take at least an additional 7 courses (32 to 60 credits) including a dissertation, although more credits and courses may be required to satisfy the particular aims of the student and the student's advisor. A student should complete the Major Requirements with G.P.A. 80 or above. Some PhD majors allow a student to earn no more than 6 credits by teaching appropriate courses.

Upon the satisfactory completion of the course-work and the qualifying examination, a student selects a dissertation topic. Please note that this is not a strict rule and each department and/or advisor may have their own criteria for selection a dissertation topic. Candidates shall demonstrate their abilities for independent study by performing original research for their dissertations.

Students shall present themselves at the final oral examination, at which time they must defend their dissertations, define contributions to the knowledge in their fields and demonstrate the mastery in their areas of specialization.

The examining committee is composed of at least five members.