Requirements for the Master of Arts degree include the following:
- Completion of at least 30 semester hours of coursework, with a grade of "B"
or above in each course approved for the program. This coursework should
include at least 3 hours, and no more than 6-8 hours, of work in thesis
development and at least 21 hours in courses intended principally for
graduate students (numbered 500 or above). A maximum of six hours of
graduate coursework may be transferred from another accredited institution.
Courses may be repeated no more than once for a higher grade, and when
this is done only the last grade received is counted toward the degree or in
computation of grade point average. In some programs, when explicitly
stated, the number of credits required may exceed 30. The grade
requirements beyond the minimum 30 hours may be set by the graduate
faculty of the department, but the overall GPA of a graduate student must be
3.0 or above to qualify for graduation with the master's degree.
- Completion of a satisfactory master's thesis on a subject approved by the
graduate faculty of the department. The approval of the thesis subject
should be obtained no later than February 15 on calendar of the year in
which the candidate expects to take the degree. The thesis must be
submitted to the department chair on the date set by the faculty. At least
three copies of the thesis must be submitted in final form at least two
weeks before Commencement. These theses are the property of the
University and are bound and filed in the Library.
- Completion, at a passing level, of an oral examination, or both an oral and
written exam, administered by the graduate faculty of the department.
- Submission of an application for degree to the Office of the Registrar, not
later than December 3 (or as announced by the Office of the Registrar) on calendar
of the academic year in which the student expects to receive the degree.
- Any additional requirements specific to the student's department. (These
are listed below in the descriptions of the individual M.A. programs.)