Master of Arts

Thirty (30) credit hours are required for the M.A. (some departments require more than 30), all of which may be taken in a single department; at least 20 of these credit hours must be earned in the major field. A minimum of 9 credit hours of course work or at least three courses in the major field (excluding thesis) must be numbered 500 or above.

Master of Science

General requirements for the M.S. are identical with those for the M.A. (see above) with a few exceptions: 

• M.S. students in Computer Science are currently exempted from the regulations requiring that 9 credit hours of course work or three courses in the major field (exclusive of thesis) be numbered 500 or above
• Students in the combined M.S./M.D. program have seven years in which to complete requirements for the M.S. degree
• Students in the M.S. program in Geology at Indianapolis have six years in which to complete requirements for the M.S. degree

Master of Fine Arts

The M.F.A. degree, which is offered by the School of Art, Architecture, + Design, and the Departments of English and Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance, requires a minimum of 60 credit hours.

Master of Arts for Teachers

In order to be admitted to this program, students must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. The degree should include sufficient hours in each discipline in which students plan to work to enable them to elect courses carrying graduate credit (see departmental entries for details).

Thirty-six (36) credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree are required, at least 20 of which must be in the major teaching field, with the remainder allocated either to additional work in the major or to one or more minors. Certain interdepart­mental programs have specific minor requirements (for details, see the individual program statements).

Each candidate must possess a teacher’s certificate (from Indiana or another state in the United States) at the time the degree is conferred, with the exception of international students, who must be certified by their departments. Because in some cases licensing require­ments and M.A.T. course requirements may overlap, the teach­ing certificate will be issued and the degree will be conferred at the same time. Graduates who do not hold certificates (teach­ing licenses) should have their credentials evaluated for teach­ing certification purposes by the graduate licensing advisor in the School of Education.

Upon recommendation of the department and approval by the dean, a maximum of 6 credit hours of undergraduate courses taken after completion of the baccalaureate degree may be ap­plied toward the M.A.T. degree.  M.A.T. degrees are available in most areas represented in the high school curriculum. Interested students should consult the chairperson of the department or the division concerned to discuss programs of study.

Dual Master’s Program

Students who are concurrently enrolled in two departments may qualify for two master’s degrees under a provision that allows credit earned to satisfy the major requirements of one department to count as elective credit in a second department. Dual master’s degrees require a minimum of 50 credits, with at least 21 credits earned in each of the programs.

To be eligible for this program, a student must be formally admitted by both departments and by the University Graduate School. All re­quirements of both degrees must be met, including passing any departmental examinations and satisfying foreign-language/re­search-skill requirements.

If both departments require a thesis, the student may write a single thesis that meets the require­ments of both fields. The thesis committee will comprise an equal number of representatives of both departments, and the thesis credit will be split between the two. All course work for the program must be completed within a period of six years.