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Master Degree Requirements

General requirements for master’s degrees are as follows:

  • Applicants for admission to a graduate degree at Trinity College must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Successful applicants will demonstrate evidence of academic purpose and promise, including readiness for graduate-level courses.
  • All candidates must successfully complete a minimum of 10 course credits (one Trinity course credit = 3.5 credit hours at other institutions) with a cumulative grade point average of 2.667 or higher
  • Up to two credits (or courses) can be transferred from other accredited graduate programs. You should obtain approval in advance for transferring credit both from the academic adviser and the dean overseeing Graduate Studies.
  • No more than one C grade will be credited toward a master’s degree.

Specific requirements for each program and track, the official graduate studies course schedule, application and other forms, and information about available resources for graduate students are available on the website or from the Graduate Studies Office.

Honors in Graduate Scholarship

To be eligible for Honors in Graduate Scholarship at Trinity College, a master’s candidate must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher. In addition, the master’s thesis or final project must earn a grade of A- or higher. For students with mixed transcripts, honors will be decided on an ad hoc basis with a view toward weighting the calculation according to the grading scale by which a student has earned the majority of grades.

Academic standing

Satisfactory academic progress in graduate studies is defined as follows:

  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.667
  • Complete a minimum of 3 credits per calendar year
  • Attempt a maximum of 15 credits total; and
  • Successfully complete 80% of credits attempted

Withdrawing from a course

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must notify the Office of Graduate Studies in writing. Students who withdraw from a course after the second class meeting and the last day of classes will receive a grade of W on their transcript. Fees associated with withdrawing from a course are listed on the Graduate Studies website. Failure to attend class or merely notifying the instructor does not constitute official withdrawal from a course and will result in a grade of F.