A student may design a program of study incorporating two related fields leading to the simultaneous award of two master’s
degrees. The purpose of the student’s program must be directed to developing competencies in two collateral fields of inquiry
or to building an interdisciplinary specialization that integrates the knowledge and analytical skills of the two disciplines.
To demonstrate a capacity for an effective integration of the two fields, the student must complete the basic core requirements
for each curriculum with a minimum 3.0 GPA and successfully defend a thesis on a topic that is related to the two areas of
major concentration or successfully complete a comprehensive examination drawn from the two fields. The thesis will be supervised
by a faculty committee of four members drawn equally from the two departmental programs in which the degree will be awarded.
Typically, the dual degree program with a thesis will consist of approximately 22 semester hours in each discipline and a
thesis of six semester hours. The non-thesis option will generally consist of approximately 24 to 27 semester hours in each
discipline. In no case will the dual degree be awarded if the student has not completed the core requirements of each curriculum
and a program of study of at least 50 hours, including a maximum of six hours for the thesis and no more than eight hours
of independent study/readings/special programs registrations.
The rationale and program of study must be approved in advance by the respective departmental programs and the Graduate College
by the submission of a graduate application for admission and a Tentative Degree Program for the dual degree before the student
has accumulated 24 semester hours. The dual degree option is not available to students who already have a master’s degree
or who do not present an acceptable program of study prior to the completion of 24 credit hours. These students, however,
may pursue a course of study leading to the awarding of a second master’s degree as specified in the following section.
