The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree offers students an opportunity for deeper experience in subject matter fields of the arts and sciences. Students may major in the following fields: American Culture Studies, Art, College Student Personnel, Communication Studies, Economics, English, French, German, Guidance and Counseling, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Political Science (dual degree with German only), Popular Culture, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, Teaching English as a Second Language, and Theatre. Specific admission procedures and degree requirements are outlined in the major field descriptions. To locate major field descriptions in the “Graduate Programs and Courses” section, consult the Graduate Catalog index.

Degree Requirements
Two plans are offered for the Master of Arts degree:

Plan I
Candidates under Plan I must complete an approved program of not less than 16 semester hours in the major field of study and a formal thesis in a minimum 30-hour degree program. Any exception to the major requirement must be approved by the graduate coordinator and the dean designate of the Graduate College. A department must require a written and/or oral final examination, not necessarily on the thesis, for students in Plan I.
The following departments have a foreign language requirement as part of the Plan I M.A. program: Art (in the art history specialization only), French, History, Political Science, and Spanish. Philosophy has the requirement in both M.A. plans.

Plan II
Candidates under Plan II must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of approved credit. Of the 30 hours, 21 must be in the student’s major field and must include at least the equivalent of two semester hours of research or methods course work. A nine semester-hour minor or cognate field outside of the major field or department may be included under Plan II.
Candidates must pass a final written comprehensive examination covering studies included in the field of study no later than two weeks before commencement. The examination may be taken when the student has achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and has approached completion of all course work in the major. Any student who fails the comprehensive examination may, upon recommendation of the graduate committee and approval of the dean designate of the Graduate College, be granted permission to take a second examination. A student may not change from Plan II to Plan I after having failed the comprehensive examination. Upon failing a second examination, the student is dropped from the Graduate College.

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