• Master of Arts
• Master of Science
• Master of Fine Arts
• Master of Arts for Teachers
• Dual Master's Program
• Assignment to an Advisory Committee
• Preparing and Submitting Theses

The number of credit hours required by the University Graduate School for master’s degrees varies according to the individual degree (see each section for details). However, with the exception of the Dual Master’s Program, the requirements for all master’s degrees must be completed within five consecutive years.

If the master’s degree is used to meet part of the requirements to convert a provisional or standard teaching certificate into a professional certificate (which is no longer a life license), the student’s degree program must include at least 18 credit hours of graduate work in the major or minor field or both.

With the exception of the Master of Arts for Teachers (M.A.T.), a thesis or reading knowledge of a foreign language is normally required for a master’s degree (see departmental entries for exceptions). If a thesis is not required, departments are encouraged to substitute some other type of special project that is creative, exploratory, or experimental in nature. In lieu of the traditional thesis, for example, the department might require seminar papers, presentations, publishable reports, artistic performances, or exhibitions.

The thesis or alternative project should be equivalent to no fewer than 3 nor more than 9 hours of graduate credit; such credit should be granted under an appropriate departmental course or independent study number. Departures from traditional thesis requirements prescribed by the individual departments must be approved by both the department and the dean.